Murder by Design

Author: Falconer Jade

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Murder by Design by Jade Falconer

Phaze www.phaze.com

Copyright ©2009 by Jade Falconer

NOTICE: This eBook is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution to any person via email, floppy disk, network, print out, or any other means is a violation of International copyright law and subjects the violator to severe fines and/or imprisonment. This notice overrides the Adobe Reader permissions which are erroneous. This eBook cannot be legally lent or given to others. This eBook is displayed using 100% recycled electrons.

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Murder by Design by Jade Falconer

CONTENTS Murder by Design Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen About the Author ****

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Murder by Design by Jade Falconer

Published by Phaze Books Also by Jade Falconer Back to the Past The Best Laid Plans Eye of the Beholder Ghost of a Chance Making Magic Once in a Lifetime Santa Please Survival Wicked Game and many more... This is an explicit and erotic novel intended for the enjoyment of adult readers. Please keep 4

Murder by Design by Jade Falconer

out of the hands of children. www.Phaze.com

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Murder by Design A novel of homoerotic suspense by JADE FALCONER [Back to Table of Contents]

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Murder by Design by Jade Falconer

Murder by Design copyright 2008-9 by Jade Falconer All rights reserved under the International and PanAmerican Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental. A Phaze Production Phaze Books 6470A Glenway Avenue, #109 Cincinnati, OH 45211-5222 Phaze is an imprint of Mundania Press, LLC. To order additional copies of this book, contact: [email protected] www.Phaze.com 7

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Cover art © 2008 Debi Lewis Edited by James Hogue eBook ISBN-13: 978-1-60659-049-2 First Edition—April, 2009 Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter One When Greg got into the station house, his captain called him into the observation room. Their prime suspect in the murder of a prominent fashion designer was brought in for questioning, and since it was Greg's case he needed to observe. Their best interrogator was handling the actual questioning. Greg wasn't sure if he would need to do any undercover work in association with the case, so he thought it best that the suspect not see him. The suspect, Sidney Singer, was led into the room. Greg made no outward reaction to the man's appearance, even though he'd never laid eyes on a sexier man in his entire life. He was supposedly an aspiring model, and Greg could see why. The finest ass he'd ever seen was poured into a pair of tight white pants. Greg could make out every ripple of the man's lithe, muscled chest through the equally tight sleeveless black t-shirt. Greg gazed at him through the twoway mirror as the investigator invited the man to sit. He had dark brown hair, long and straight, nearly to his jaw line. But his face was the icing on the cake. Large, dark eyes, straight nose, high delicate cheekbones. He was stunning. "Mr. Singer, we just want to ask you a few questions about your friend, Mr. Spencer." The investigator sat across from the angel, and turned on the tape recorder between them. "How long have you known Mr. Spencer?" he asked.

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Sidney shifted on the hard plastic seat. "Oh, a year and a half maybe?" He mused. "Yeah. Year and a half." He looked around, frowning at the mirror. "And how would you characterize your relationship with Mr. Spencer?" the investigator asked. Sidney smirked and leaned closer. "My relationship with Alan?" he purred. "What exactly do you mean?" Greg watched, wondering if the suspect knew he was a suspect. He could hardly stop staring at him. The investigator bristled. "You lived at his Hollywood address, is that correct? You stand to inherit a fair portion of his estate. Were you and the deceased involved in a romantic relationship?" Sidney giggled. "Well he wasn't all that romantic most of the time." Then his smile disappeared. "I'm sure you already know the answer to that. He was my boyfriend." He looked down, appearing saddened. Greg's heart went out to him. He frowned as he watched the other man. For some reason, he felt that he was innocent, though he knew the odds were that he'd done it. "Would you say your relationship with Mr. Spencer was a happy one?" the investigator asked. "Absolutely," Sidney answered, nodding emphatically. "Why would you be with someone you weren't happy with?" He glanced at the mirror again. "Am I being recorded? Cause I totally look like shit right now. My eyes are all red." Greg snorted. There was another officer in the room with him. "Tell him it's not being videotaped," he said quietly. 10

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The officer pushed a button on an intercom system. "The interrogation is not being videotaped, sir. Please just answer the questions." The interrogator continued. "Do you know of anyone who might have wanted Mr. Spencer dead?" he asked. Sidney rolled his eyes. "Only every other fashion designer in town. Alan was the best." The investigator was stoic. "Other than business competitors," he said. "Anyone who had a personal relationship with him who would benefit from his death?" Sidney shrugged. "Alan didn't really confide in me about financial stuff," he said, waving his hands in the air. "Maybe his publicist. That bitch never liked me." "Any relatives? Close friends that he might have had a fight with lately?" the officer asked. Greg took a step closer. The suspect looked so fragile. He felt an overwhelming desire to comfort him. Sidney folded his hands in his lap and looked down at them as if they held the answers. "Not that I know of," he said finally. He looked up at the detective. "You're going to find out who did this, aren't you?" he asked softly. "We're going to do our best, of course. Can I ask you where you were last night between the hours of midnight and six AM?" he asked. Sidney frowned. "I was at the club. Bar Noir. Dancing, for most of it. Then we ended up at an all night cafe." "And are there people who can corroborate your whereabouts?" he asked. 11

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"Yes. Of course. Lots of people. Do you want a list or what?" The officer slid a pad of paper and a pen over to him. "Yes, please. Why don't you write down the people you were with last night? When you're done with that, I'll come back in." He stood up and ambled out of the room. Greg observed the exchange, waiting for the interrogator to join him in the adjoining room. Sidney scribbled a few names, then stared at the paper for a few moments. He looked up at the mirror as if trying to see through it. Greg watched, staring straight into the suspect's eyes. They were brown, he realized, and he looked frightened. Just then the other officer walked in. "What do you want to bet at least one of his alibis falls through?" he asked, closing the door behind him. Greg turned to him. "What sense did you get from questioning him?" he asked, keeping his tone neutral. "He's lying." The man lit a cigarette and took a seat. "He was this guy's little boy toy, and he got him to put him in his will and offed him." Greg didn't believe it for a moment. "Let him go. Contact the people on his list, and get me a list of the victim's relatives and friends. I'm gonna follow this suspect and see what he does." After they said he was free to go, Greg watched Sidney go out to his little white convertible and get in. He pulled out of the parking lot. 12

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Greg wasn't in a hurry to follow. He knew the suspect wasn't going to be able to gain admittance to the crime scene, so he waited at the only road out of the hilltop neighborhood. Until the estate was settled, Mr. Singer was considered a boarder at the residence of the late Mr. Spencer. He would either head to the other property, a condominium by the beach, or to another location, perhaps to a friend's house. In either case, Greg intended to follow him. He saw the convertible coming down the hill, and when he'd turned and headed far enough down the road, he continued to tail him. Sidney headed for the beachfront apartment. Greg wouldn't be able to follow him inside, obviously, but he could see if he went anywhere else. If there was no movement for a couple of hours, he would station a black and white across the street and return to the station house to follow up on other leads. It was all very by the book. So he didn't quite understand why he felt like he was spying on a man in grief. [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Two The following day, Greg went to the beach apartment to talk with the officers who had watched during the night. They told him there had been no activity. No visitors, nor did Mr. Singer leave the property. He went back to the station. There, he read the coroner's report, which narrowed the exact time of death to just before two AM. The corroborating witnesses who had been with the suspect the night before were still being located. Later that day the inspector called Greg into his office. "All Mr. Singer's alibis check out," he said as he sat behind his desk. After a suitably dramatic pause, he added, "Except for one. One Andrew Dowling. He won't return our calls. I want you to find him. Tie this up." Greg read through all the witness reports. As it turned out, Mr. Singer was unaccounted for, for about an hour, during the exact time that the victim had died. The final witness was reported to work in a restaurant on Melrose. Greg went there and got a table and waited for the witness to come to his table. "Hi, I'm Andrew and I'll be your waiter. Can I get you something to drink?" The waiter stood by the side of the table, smiling easily. Greg closed the menu and pushed his sunglasses up on his forehead. "Hello, Andrew. Actually, I'm here to speak to you." He pulled out his badge and showed it to him. "Why don't you 14

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have a seat for a moment," he said smoothly, indicating the other chair. The waiter paled and stepped back. "I can't, I'm busy, I..." Greg looked the young man over. Clearly Mr. Singer liked to spend his time with pretty men. He was nearly as handsome, with a muscular body hardly concealed beneath his crisp white button down shirt and black slacks. His dark hair was artfully mussed, but didn't conceal striking blue eyes and a bone structure you could cut yourself with. "Sit down, unless you want to come with me to be questioned, Mr. Dowling." With one more look around, Andrew finally sat down reluctantly. "What do you want? I don't know anything." "I suppose you heard about Alan Spencer's death? You are acquainted with his friend, Sidney Singer? Is that correct?" he asked. Andrew's face flushed. "Yeah. I know him," he replied. "Not well, though." "Did you see him on the night of the twenty-first?" he asked. Andrew was silent for a moment. "Um. No. I don't think I did." Greg pulled out a little notebook and flipped through the pages. "Really? You didn't spend the evening with him at the nightclub called Bar Noir on the night of the twenty-first?" he asked, acting confused. The other man seemed nervous, and he was almost certain he was lying. Andrew's eyes widened. "No! I mean, no, I never spent an evening with him at all." 15

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"Were you there?" he asked. "No. I wasn't there. Did he say I was?" "Yes, actually. He did. So you're denying that you were there, Mr. Dowling?" he asked. "And if I asked the other witnesses they would agree that you weren't there?" "I don't go to places like that," the waiter declared. "I'm not gay." Greg arched an eyebrow. He still didn't believe him, but there was nothing he could do yet to disprove it. "All right. Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Dowling. We might need to contact you again if we have more questions." He stood slowly. "Yeah. So you're not even gonna eat?" Andrew stood, too. "No, thanks. I have to catch a murderer." He shook Andrew's hand. "Don't leave town, now," he said with a wink. Then he strolled off back to his car. **** "Look to your right. Perfect. Now look down. Yeah. Turn around. You know what I want. Work it, Sidney." The photographer's instructions were punctuated by the electronic whir of the camera, and Sidney did just as he was told, bending and turning and showing off his body, encased in skintight jeans. Greg had no problem blending in with the crowd of onlookers at the edge of the small park. So far, Sidney's movements hadn't raised any undue suspicions, but the evidence against the young man was mounting. His alibi for the time of death wasn't holding, and he stood to gain several 16

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million dollars and two houses upon Spencer's death. There was no sign of the murder weapon at the crime scene or in the condominium where Sidney was currently staying, but his convertible had been impounded after a search warrant was issued. They'd searched his personal locker at the exclusive gym where he held a membership. Still no sign of the gun. Greg watched the young man posing in the bright sunshine. The jeans he was modeling would not look half as good on any other body, of that he as certain. But that was what the fashion industry was all about, after all. Buy this thing if you want to look like this. The only problem was that no regular human could measure up to those standards. No one but the pretty man who may have murdered his boyfriend. Sidney stood beside a park bench, one sneakered foot casually propped up on the seat, drawing the tight fabric even tighter around that magnificent ass. Greg could only stare. But it wasn't the fact that he was attracted to the suspect that made Greg believe he was innocent. It was something more. Something about the look in his eyes when he'd been questioned. Greg didn't doubt that the pretty man was adept at manipulation. What he did doubt was that he was a killer. The fashion shoot wrapped, and Sidney sighed. Another young man, almost as pretty, but more slender with short brown hair, came up to him and they spoke briefly. Then Sidney followed him to a car. They got in and drove away. ****

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The next item on Greg's agenda was to re-interview the witnesses at the club to verify Dowling's account that he was not there that night. He went to the home of one Justin Cooper. The modest apartment complex was in a less exclusive neighborhood, but still not far from the club or the crime scene. When Justin answered the door, Greg instantly recognized him as the young man who had given Sidney a ride from the photo shoot. "Mr. Cooper, I'm Detective Wilson," he said formally, presenting his badge. "I need to ask you a few more questions about the night of the twenty-first." Justin smiled brilliantly at Greg. "Sure, officer. Please come in." He stepped back to admit him. "I'm so upset. Sidney and Alan were good friends of mine. I just can't believe Sidney had anything to do with it." "Mr. Singer hasn't been charged with anything. We are still investigating a number of leads," he said as he stepped inside. Cooper's reaction intrigued him, however, but he filed that away. "Mr. Cooper, are you acquainted with a Mr. Andrew Dowling?" he asked. "Andrew! Sure, I know Andrew. Who doesn't?" He led Greg into a small living room. "Did you see Mr. Dowling on the night of the twenty-first?" he asked. Justin hesitated slightly. "Let me see. You know, I don't think I did..." Greg followed him into the living room, but he didn't sit. He never felt completely comfortable in the home of a 18

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witness, especially when he was investigating a murder. "He wasn't at the club that night? Are you certain?" he pressed. Justin smiled. "Have you seen Andrew? You know when he's there." He chuckled as he looked Greg up and down. "Or maybe you don't know. Anyway. No, I'm sure he wasn't there. We were all so disappointed." Greg frowned. Andrew Dowling was the piece of Sidney's alibi that accounted for the exact time of the murder. "And you recall seeing Mr. Singer, but not for the period between one-thirty and two-thirty AM, is that correct?" he asked. He needed to be sure of the times. He had interviewed other witnesses from Sidney's list, and none of them had seen him during that critical hour. Justin frowned and thought about it for a moment. "Oh man, this isn't good, is it?" He looked worried. "Sidney's one of my very best friends..." "If your friend is innocent, the best thing you can do for him is tell the truth, Mr. Cooper. Have you ever known Mr. Singer to have purchased or been in possession of a firearm?" Greg asked. Justin paled. "Sidney? With a gun? I can't imagine it," he declared. "Look, Detective. Sidney couldn't have done this. I'm sure there's some mistake." Greg again found Cooper's word choice interesting. "As I said, Mr. Singer hasn't been charged. I'm sure you realize that in any murder investigation, those closest to the victim are always under scrutiny. Just one more question, Mr. Cooper. How would you characterize Mr. Singer's relationship with the victim?" 19

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"Alan loved Sidney. Sidney adored Alan. Sure, there was a huge age gap, but, well, that's kinda the way things are in the world, isn't it?" Justin shrugged. "I thought they were so happy." "Thank you for your time, Mr. Cooper. We'll be in touch if we need any further assistance." Greg couldn't help but feel that he was more convinced of Sidney's innocence than this young man who was supposedly his close friend. He shook the other man's hand, and headed for the door without further comment. Cooper was charming and certainly attractive, but guys like him were a dime a dozen in Hollywood. "Good day," he added as he reached the door. Then he slipped out and returned to his car. He pulled out his notebook and scribbled down the things Cooper had said. A picture of the night's events was forming in his head, but there were still pieces missing. He needed to see this club where Sidney spent the evening. He got his chance sooner than he'd expected to. That evening he took surveillance duty, and Singer left home around eleven. He trailed him right to the very club. It was troublesome that the beautiful young man would feel up to going out just a few nights after his lover was murdered, but Greg knew there was no accounting for human behavior. He followed him inside, wanting to get a closer look at the other man's world. The lights were dim and the music was loud. Sidney wound his way through the club, greeting people solemnly and accepting hugs. He finally made his way to the bar and got a 20

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drink, then settled at a table with a number of pretty young men. One in particular stayed very close to Sidney. Greg was pleased to see that no one he'd yet questioned was there, so he could attempt to blend in with the crowd. He hadn't counted on looking so completely out of place, however. His cheap blue suit and plain white shirt made him look like an interloper in the sensual world of the beautiful people. Sidney was dressed all in black. His shirt was seethrough, and Greg couldn't help but take in the details of that magnificent body. His pants hugged his body. A younger man clung to him. From the descriptions the other officers had given him, he deduced that it must be a young man named Chris, another on Sidney's list of witnesses. Chris was slender and almost ethereally pretty, with tiny hips and delicate features. He could have passed for a girl if he so chose. But in his tight clothes, it was more than clear he was a very lovely boy. Greg got himself a beer at the bar, though he had no intention of drinking it. Then he found a small table within a few feet of Sidney's where he could observe and perhaps hear snippets of conversation. Sidney sighed. "Could we just not talk about it any more? I'm tired of hearing about it." "Of course, Sidney. Do you want to dance?" Chris asked, leaning on him. "Yeah," Sidney said, and stood abruptly. Greg was close enough to see the dance floor, but he stood and followed anyway. It was as if he wanted to get closer, see in greater detail the two hot guys moving 21

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sensuously. He leaned on a supporting post near the edge, swirling his untouched beer. Sidney danced with abandon, throwing himself into it as if he wanted to forget all his troubles. He moved sinuously, hips swaying, arms up over his head, wrists crossed, back arched. He moved as if he was oblivious to everything but the music. Chris, on the other hand, never took his eyes off Sidney, watching him with rapt attention with his own movements seemingly dictated by Sidney's. He orbited him like a moon, brushing against him over and over until Sidney finally noticed and began to respond. Then they danced more closely, and Sidney began to touch Chris, putting his hands on his hips as they moved. Greg's mouth went dry as he watched them. They were beautiful together, and he couldn't help feeling a twinge of regret that he was alone. Not that either of the gorgeous creatures would ever be interested in him. No one at the station even knew he was into guys. He kept it a closely guarded secret. Sidney and Chris danced progressively closer and dirtier, until they had more of an audience than just Greg. Their slim bodies were pressed together intimately, and Sidney's leg pressed between Chris' thighs. The smaller man was nearly humping Sidney's leg now, head thrown back and full lips parted. The crowd cheered as Sidney leaned forward to kiss Chris, his hands traveling to the pretty boy's ass. Though the spectacle was enticing, it was a bit shocking, too. It certainly didn't do anything to support his belief in Sidney's innocence. He realized this was Hollywood, and the 22

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rules among the fashion set were looser than he was used to, but making out with someone in a public place a few days after one's lover was murdered seemed slightly damning. He wanted to believe that the beautiful man was innocent. But all he could do was observe, collect facts as he was trained to do. And, observing in this instance felt decidedly like voyeurism. After one more song, Sidney leaned forward and whispered in Chris' ear. The boy smiled wickedly and nodded, then the two abruptly left the dance floor and headed deeper into the club. Greg had difficulty tracking them discreetly through the throng of people. At one point he thought he'd lost them, but then he spotted the two again as they disappeared around a dark turn. He hesitated to follow, unsure about whether it was a dead end that would make his observation obvious. Finally, though he slipped after them cautiously. They weren't the only pair lingering in the deep shadows in the narrow corridor that led to a second dance floor. He passed them, but they didn't notice. He continued beyond and found a good place to watch them from. First, Sidney had Chris pressed against the wall, kissing him deeply. Chris clung to Sidney, writhing against him. Then Sidney turned, his back to the wall, and Chris slithered to the floor in front of him. If Greg hadn't spent so many years disguising his reactions, he surely would have gasped at the sight. This was more than just simple dirty dancing or even making out. Chris was going to perform what the law described as lewd sexual 23

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acts on the prime suspect. Greg would be within his rights to arrest them, though he had no intention of doing so. Sidney let his head fall back against the wall, his mouth opening in an unheard moan as Chris freed his cock from his tight jeans. The man on his knees pulled out the hard length with every indication of reverence, and wasted no time worshipping it with his mouth. Sidney buried a hand in Chris' dark hair as he went to work, his head bobbing up and down enthusiastically. None of the passers-by gave them more than a passing glance. Greg was riveted on the scene. His own traitorous body was reacting to the gay porn in front of him and he bit his lip. His heart pounded hard and fast, and he made a mental note to question Chris next. He wanted to look away, leave, write his reports, but he couldn't move. The ecstasy on Sidney's face was luminous. It didn't last that long at all. Clearly Chris was good at what he was doing. Sidney cried out, the sound swallowed by the din of the club, and bucked into Chris' mouth. After a moment, the smaller man stood, smiling, and kissed Sidney again. Greg couldn't believe that he'd just witnessed a potential murderer get sucked off in public. Even in his line of work, it was an unusual circumstance. He didn't know what any of his co-workers would have done, but all he could think about was getting home. He slipped out of the club unobserved, and called the officers who would relieve him. He wanted to maintain a tail on Sidney's movements at all times. 24

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Greg stepped into his modest apartment a half an hour later. He'd been hard all the way home, his head swimming with images of the two gorgeous men. Even though it had been dark, he could see it all so clearly. Chris' full lips stretched around Sidney's slicked cock, and the look of pure sweet pleasure on Sidney's face. He'd never seen anything as erotic in his life. Greg went straight to the bathroom and turned on the shower. Of course they must have wanted people to watch. It was right there out in the open, after all. He stripped off his nondescript, conservative clothes and stepped into the shower. He meant to try to calm down, but before he knew it, he was rubbing lather slowly over his body. He leaned back against the wall, imagining Sidney on his knees in front of him. The warm water cascaded over his body and his fingers curled around his own cock. He closed his eyes and moaned as he started to stroke. It had been such a long time since he'd been with anyone, and he'd never seen anything as hot as the two men together. Chris was gorgeous, but Sidney was definitely one of a kind. He could understand why he was so in demand as a model. Each time Greg laid eyes on him he looked better. And it didn't take much to imagine that mouth on his cock. With his eyes closed he pictured it. He imagined running his fingers through Sidney's hair, groaning as he could almost feel tongue and lips on his aching flesh instead of his own fingers. His climax came upon him suddenly and he gasped Sidney's name, pulsing over his fingers, and washed clean again instantly. He still panted hard as he straightened up 25

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regretfully. He washed his body off, trying not to think about the fact that he was alone and had no prospect of changing that for the foreseeable future. [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Three The following day, Greg paid a visit to Chris. The young man had a small place by the beach, not far from the elegant condo owned by Alan Spencer. He knocked on the door lightly. He was curious about this young man. He didn't have the presence that Sidney did, but he was still amazingly attractive. He hoped to get a significant amount of information from him—more than Cooper, in any case. Chris opened the door. He was clad in thin yoga pants and nothing else, and he looked Greg up and down before he lounged against the doorframe and purred, "Hi. Can I help you?" Again Greg managed stoicism, but just barely. "I'm Detective Wilson," he said, again producing his identification. "I wondered if I might ask you a few questions," he said politely. Chris' eyes widened. "Ooh, a detective," he said, his voice breathy and high. "Do you have a big gun?" He licked his full lips as he stepped back to let Greg in. Greg's eyebrows crept up a fraction. He hadn't expected that reply. "Mr. Edwards, you have previously stated that you were at the nightclub known as Bar Noir on the night of the twenty-first, is that correct?" he asked, getting straight down to business. Chris closed the door behind Greg and led him to the living room. He draped himself over a chair decoratively, his pants 27

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riding lower. "Yeah. I was there," he said sadly. He chewed on his full lower lip. Greg sat uneasily on the edge of the sofa and pulled out his notebook. "And are you acquainted with a Mr. Andrew Dowling?" he asked. "Mmm, Andrew," purred Chris. "Yeah. I know Andrew. Not in the biblical sense, of course. Unfortunately." He stretched. "Love to get my hands on that body." Greg found his eyes drawn to one enticingly exposed hip bone. "Do you recall if you saw Mr. Dowling that night?" he asked. Chris frowned. "Um. I don't think so. Was he there and I missed him? Damn. I love to watch him dance." Greg frowned. He had hoped to refute Cooper and Dowling's testimony, not Sidney's. He sighed. "Are you absolutely certain you didn't see him that night?" he asked again. Chris giggled. "Have you seen Andrew? You can't really miss him." Greg pursed his lips. It seemed that Andrew Dowling was a favorite among Sidney's friends. "How would you characterize Mr. Singer's relationship with Mr. Spencer?" he asked, changing tactics. Chris smiled lazily. "Sidney and Alan were great together. They had it all. I loved going over there." He joined Greg on the couch, scooting close. Greg felt a little uncomfortable with how close Chris was getting. "Would you say they were happy together? Were you there often?" he asked. 28

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"They seemed happy," Chris nodded. He draped himself over Greg's shoulder. "And Alan was always 'happy' when I came over to play," he giggled. "What exactly do you mean by 'play'?" he asked. He had an idea after what he'd seen the night before, but he needed confirmation. Chris looked up into Greg's eyes from inches away. "Alan liked to watch. Sidney and other pretty boys. But me most of all." Greg swallowed hard. "So. You and Mr. Singer had sexual relations while Mr. Spencer watched?" he asked, his voice suddenly gone hoarse. The young man was closer than he'd noticed him getting, and he leaned back slightly. Chris nodded and licked his lips. He seemed to know he was making the detective uncomfortable. "He liked to watch us make out. Take each other's clothes off. Then Sidney would bend me over and fuck me." Greg's gaze dropped to Chris' mouth for a moment, remembering the scene he'd witnessed. "Was that ... you say there were others, as well? To your knowledge, did Mr. Singer and Mr. Spencer have sexual relations with each other?" he asked. Chris shrugged. "I don't know what they did when they were alone. But I'm pretty sure Alan just liked to watch." He peered at Greg. "You're shocked, huh? It's not that weird a kink. Lots of people like to watch." Greg blushed furiously, thinking about the night before. He cleared his throat. "Are you acquainted with Mr. Justin Cooper?" he asked. 29

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Chris wrinkled his nose. "Yeah. I know Justin. Why?" Greg took Chris reaction into consideration. "Was he ever known to join Mr. Singer and Mr. Spencer for these kinds of activities?" he asked. He was trying to get a picture of the whole lifestyle. "How should I know?" Chris pouted. He looked up at Greg soulfully, lightly running his fingers up Greg's arm. "Do you want me to tell you what Sidney and I did to entertain Alan? In detail?" he added breathlessly. Greg felt his pulse thumping in his throat. "Perhaps you should," he said quietly. "So I can understand what exactly Mr. Spencer's life was like." He wasn't sure if he was crossing a line of propriety or not. But more information had to be better than less. Chris smiled wickedly. "Of course. Well, most times they'd invite me over, and I would show up dressed as sexy as possible." He smirked. "Painted on jeans, or booty shorts, cropped top. Makeup ... They especially liked me to wear lipstick." He pursed his full lips. Greg blinked. Chris was certainly an exhibitionist. "And this was in the house in Hollywood?" he asked. "How often would you visit them there?" "Yes. Maybe once every couple of weeks? Sometimes more. Just depended on how horny Alan was." Chris lay back on the couch, running his hand down his chest slowly, gaze on Greg. Greg's eyes followed Chris' hand. The boy had to be a nymphomaniac. If there was a male version of that. He supposed it was more common for homosexual men to be like 30

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Chris than like himself. "And did you and Mr. Singer ever engage in sexual relations when Mr. Spencer was not present?" he asked. He hoped he wasn't just asking these questions for his own gratification, though picturing the two of them together was extremely hot. Chris giggled, his hand toying with the waist of his pants. "Sometimes," he admitted. He licked his lips, squirming. "Sidney's really hot. His cock is so big and thick, and he knows how to use it." Greg licked his lips. "So they had an extremely open relationship, then?" he asked. "Would you say they were in love with each other?" He wanted to know more about Chris' personal experiences with Sidney's cock, but that really did seem like too much to ask. However, from the looks of things, Chris enjoyed telling him. The thin yoga pants the young man wore concealed very little, and he was obviously aroused. "Oh, very open," Chris nodded. "Sidney always went on about how wonderful Alan was. He was allowed to do anything he wanted, as long as he told Alan all about it afterwards." Chris bit his lip and looked at Greg. "One time we did it on this glass elevator downtown. Hundreds of people could see us. We got arrested for indecent exposure, but Alan got us out of it. He was watching, too." Greg's mouth went dry. A dozen questions occurred to him, but none were really germane to the case. "I think I've taken up enough of your time. Thank you for your cooperation." He sat up and slowly rose to his feet. Chris pouted up at Greg, and gave up coyness. He rubbed at his hard cock through the thin material and purred, "Come 31

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on, Detective. You got me all hot and bothered. You gonna leave me like this? You still haven't showed me your gun." Greg did finally look genuinely surprised. He swallowed hard, not sure what to say to that. "I'm on duty. I'm sure there are plenty of people who could help you out." It wasn't that he didn't find Chris attractive, he just wasn't used to being flirted with. Chris slid his hand inside his pants and moaned. His full lips parted and he whispered. "Well, then, maybe you just want to watch? Lots of people like that." He raised an eyebrow at Greg. Greg gasped. Did Chris recognize him from the club the night before? He felt like his face was on fire with mortification. "I ... thank you, but I have a murder investigation I need to be working on," he said, backing away. "Your loss," shrugged Chris. "I'm really good with my mouth." He smiled and stood, sauntering over to Greg, gaze hopeful. "I'm sure you are," he said, stuttering. "Nothing personal. Thank you again for the information." He backed up until he felt the doorknob poke him in the hip. "I'll be in touch if I have any further questions." Chris chuckled softly. "I'll be here. Any time, Detective Wilson." He followed him out and leaned in the doorway again, smiling. Greg nearly tripped off the curb as he headed for his car. He didn't usually get flustered like that, but then it was rare that anyone that appealing propositioned him so obviously. 32

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**** He headed back to the station house to check on leads that other officers were exploring for him. When he arrived at his desk, there was a note to see the captain as soon as he got back. It wasn't unusual to be asked for an update on the progress of a high profile case, so he wasn't concerned. He shrugged off his jacket, picked up the file, and headed to the captain's office, tapping lightly on the door. "Wilson! Where have you been? Get in here." The gruff voice belonged to a man who could easily have played a police captain in a movie. He was a mountain of a man, well over six feet tall with muscle trying hard to turn to fat but not yet succeeding. He had close-cropped gray hair and piercing blue eyes. His tie hung discarded over his filing cabinet and his shirtsleeves were rolled up. Greg stepped inside. He was a pretty good judge of the captain's mood, and this did not bode well. Nonetheless, he maintained his calm, competent demeanor. "Yes, sir. I've just returned from interviewing some witnesses," he said, explaining his whereabouts. "And of course you're ready to make an arrest now." It wasn't a question. The captain shuffled papers on his desk, signed one of them and shoved it into his outbox. "No. I'm not ready to make an arrest, sir. We still haven't located a murder weapon," he answered calmly. He knew he could have arrested Sidney, but besides the fact that he didn't believe the pretty man was guilty, if he was going to 33

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arrest someone, he certainly wanted to have the best case possible. The captain finally looked up at him. "The DA is calling every two hours," he snapped. "This does not fill me with joy." Greg pursed his lips. "Captain, I need more time. I don't feel comfortable that we know who the murderer actually is, yet. I'm getting closer. I've been devoting all my time to this case." He felt the pressure, yes, but Greg was going to do his best to stand by his convictions. "And if you don't come up with something very soon, your next case will be writing parking tickets. Do I make myself clear?" "Yes, sir," he said, brows furrowed. "I'm bringing the prime suspect in for questioning now. I'll do my best to wrap this up as quickly as possible." He didn't mention that he thought finding the right perp was going to take significantly longer. "You do that." With that, the captain focused on his paperwork again, clearly dismissing Greg. Greg didn't waste any time. He radioed the black and white in the area to collect Mr. Singer and invite him in for questioning. This time, he intended to do it himself. There were things he had to know that only watching Sidney's reactions up close would tell him. **** Greg waited in the room adjoining the interrogation room. It was important not to let it appear that he was waiting for Sidney, but to make Sidney wait for him. 34

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Sidney was led in. He looked pale under the harsh lights, and he looked around at the empty room. Then he sighed and took a seat at the end of the table, folding his hands in his lap. Greg looked at him for a moment through the two-way glass. He felt as if he knew him already, though they'd never met. He slipped out of the observation room and into the other room, taking a seat across from him. "Mr. Singer, I'm Detective Wilson. I've been investigating the murder of Mr. Spencer. I've asked you here to answer a few additional questions with regards to your earlier statement." Sidney's gaze took in the detective, and a slight frown creased his forehead. "Okay, but listen. Are you in charge here? 'Cause my car got impounded, and it's really a pain in the ass 'cause I couldn't even get my stuff out of it. Will I get it back soon?" He was even more stunning up close, and Greg had to think for a moment to understand what he'd asked. "Yes. I apologize for the inconvenience. I'm in charge of the investigation. As soon as the car is ready it will be returned to you. Now, I had a question about your whereabouts on the night of the twenty-first. In your statement, you said you were with a Mr. Andrew Dowling between the hours of onethirty AM and two-thirty AM, is that correct?" he asked. A smirk played about Sidney's lips. "Yeah. Andrew. I'd been working that one for a while. Denial ain't just a river in Egypt, you know?" His gaze flicked over Greg, and his head turned to the side as he really looked at him. 35

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"Do you know of anyone else who might have seen you together?" he asked. He didn't need a thorough explanation of what they were doing together. He could imagine. He again cursed a little twinge of jealousy. It was completely ridiculous. This man didn't know him, and surely wouldn't be interested in him even if he did. Sidney seemed to think about it. "There were lots of people there," he said. "None of the names I gave you?" He trailed off, looking searchingly at Greg's face. "Andrew denied it, didn't he?" Greg could see the very moment that the realization dawned on Sidney. "I'm afraid he did. I've been unable to locate anyone that saw you during that period of time. If there's anyone else you can think of, anyone at all." His heart went out to him. Greg knew this man wasn't guilty. He had no evidence to support it; he just knew. Sidney was silent for a long moment. "I loved Alan. I couldn't have killed him," he whispered, eyes shining with unshed tears. He looked down, blinking them away. "No one whose name I know, other than the ones I gave you," he whispered. His hands twisted together in his lap. Greg was rarely moved by a suspect's tears, but this time was different. "I'm not saying that you killed him, Mr. Singer. I'm saying that all the evidence is pointing towards you. We are canvassing the employees of the club and people identified as regular patrons, but we still haven't come up with anyone who can verify that they saw you during that period of time. And if you were in a private situation with Mr. Dowling, I doubt we will, either." 36

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"A private situation?" Sidney snapped, looking up directly into Greg's eyes. "I was sucking his cock, Detective. He was coming in my mouth. And he's so scared he's pretending it never happened. That asshole. I'm so screwed now." He buried his face in his hands. Greg regarded him seriously. "I know this is a difficult time for you, Mr. Singer, but I do have a few more questions I need to ask." He waited for Sidney to compose himself. He wanted to tell him that he'd been searching for evidence to prove his innocence, but that would sound weird. "I can assure you, we are doing everything possible to make sure that the right person is brought to justice." Sidney blinked at him. "You just said that there's no proof that I was with Andrew. So you obviously think I'm the right person." His voice held a small tremor but no more tears flowed. "Are you going to arrest me?" "My opinion isn't what's important. It's what the evidence suggests. I may have to arrest you, yes, but I'm hoping to avoid it." He knew he shouldn't have admitted that, but he knew no one was observing the interrogation. "Can you tell me if there's anyone that you can think of who might want to frame you for this crime?" he asked delicately. Sidney's eyes widened and he leaned closer. "Frame me?" he repeated, biting at his lip. "Does that really happen outside of books and movies?" He gazed at Greg uncertainly. Greg's eyebrows furrowed. "Mr. Singer, if you were going to murder someone, wouldn't you want to make it look like someone else did it?" he asked. The other man looked so 37

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fragile and pale. Greg wanted to offer him comfort, but he couldn't. Sidney pouted. "I wouldn't want to murder anyone," he protested. "I don't know. I suppose people might be jealous of Alan and me. But I work hard. I didn't just live off him." There was another question Greg wanted to ask. It was the only source of doubt in his mind, though he knew the other man might take offense. "In your statement, you referred to Mr. Spencer as your boyfriend, and yet it wasn't a monogamous relationship, is that correct?" Sidney once again regarded Greg for a long moment before answering. "Alan liked to watch. He couldn't..." He looked down, tears leaking out of his eyes. "He'd had some kind of surgery and he couldn't have sex. But he loved to watch me. I know it sounds weird, but he wanted it. It was his idea." He looked up at Greg. "I didn't kill him." The tears trickled down his face unheeded, running his eyeliner. Greg pulled a soft cotton handkerchief out of the pocket of his jacket and handed it to Sidney. "Were you aware that you were his sole beneficiary?" he asked. The question was really more to bring to Sidney's attention that the case against him was grave. Sidney took the handkerchief and dabbed at his eyes. "No. I didn't know," he said quietly. He looked up at Greg. "That looks really bad, doesn't it?" "I can't lie to you, Mr. Singer. All the evidence points to you so far. Money is certainly motive enough for most juries. Your whereabouts at the time of the murder can't be corroborated. The only thing we're missing is the murder 38

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weapon." He frowned. "If you can think of anything that might eliminate you as a suspect, I'd be more than happy to investigate it." Sidney stood up abruptly, hands on the table. "How about the fact that I didn't fucking do it?" he demanded, but he was trembling. He sank back into the chair. "Oh God, I don't want to go to jail," he sobbed into his hands. Greg's hands were tied. There were so many things he wanted to say that would be completely inappropriate. "I wish I had better news for you, but unfortunately, those are the facts. I don't have any more questions for you. You're free to go. But I have to advise you not to leave town." He stood as well, feeling awkward. "Can I offer you a ride somewhere?" "I was supposed to meet Justin for lunch. I guess you could drop me at the restaurant," he sniffled. He held out the sodden handkerchief. "Um, here. Sorry." Greg accepted the handkerchief. "Don't worry about it," he said, going to hold the door open for Sidney. "Oh," he said, pulling his business card out of his pocket. "I want you to take this. My cell number is on the back. If you think of anything, anything at all, I want you to call me right away, all right?" Sidney stepped closer and took the card, looking at, it then up at Greg. "Thanks," he breathed. "You, you've been very nice. Considering." Greg stared into the warmest brown eyes he'd ever seen. He swallowed hard, feeling even more flustered than he had at Chris' obvious overtures. "I'm just doing my job," he said quietly. "I don't want to arrest the wrong person." 39

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Sidney gazed back without moving for a long moment, then spoke. "Then don't arrest me. I didn't do it." Then he turned and walked out the door. I wish it was that easy, he thought silently. He led Sidney out to his four-year-old Honda Civic, and unlocked the door. He climbed into the driver's seat. "It's not my place to advise you," he said as he pulled out of the lot, putting on his sunglasses. "But if I were in your position, I would speak to a lawyer as soon as possible." Sidney looked over at Greg, sniffling. "Okay," he said, still gazing at him. He shifted sideways so he could look at him better. "Have we met before? You seem so familiar." Greg blushed. He wondered if Sidney could have seen him the other night in the club. "No. We haven't met. I've spoken to most of your friends, though. I feel kind of like I know you a bit." He frowned when he heard how stupid that sounded. "You probably think I'm some sort of slut then," Sidney sighed. "I know most people didn't understand how Alan and I were." He pulled at a loose thread on the hem of his shirt. "I would never, I mean..." He bit his lip. "I don't think you're a slut," he said quietly as he maneuvered through traffic. "Really?" Sidney's voice was soft. "I did what Alan wanted. He was so sweet to me. I did love him." He sniffled again. "I miss him." "I'm sure you do. I can't imagine what it must be like to lose a loved one so violently." He'd seen plenty of people die, but the only people he'd lost personally were his 40

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grandparents, who'd died peacefully in their sleep three months apart from each other. "I hope..." Sidney whispered. "I hope he knew who it was that killed him. That he didn't die thinking it was me." With that, Sidney started sobbing openly. Greg's heart broke for the other man. At a stop light, he put his hand on Sidney's shoulder. "No matter what, I'm sure he knows now," he said gently. Sidney turned to him, eyes huge with tears. "If so, he's the only one who knows. You're going to arrest me, I know it." Greg sighed. "I might not have a choice. It's such a high profile case. The District Attorney is breathing down our necks to make an arrest. If I don't arrest you, whoever takes the case away from me will. I've been over and over the facts. If someone set you up, they did a damn good job," he said sadly. As they neared the restaurant, he thought of something. "It might be in your best interest to only confide these things to your attorney. All the possibles who are business rivals have strong alibis. Unless it was completely random, the most likely alternative is one of your friends, I'm afraid." Sidney bit his lip. "It's just not fair," he said. He put his hand on Greg's arm. "Thank you. I can see you're trying to be fair. I appreciate that." Sidney was so beautiful. Greg wished he'd met him under different circumstances. "As I said, I'm only doing my job. The police don't want to arrest the innocent any more than they want to be arrested." He really did feel that way. He liked to think he caught the bad guys. 41

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Sidney smiled through his tears. "You're like some knight in shining armor, aren't you? Too good to be true." He squeezed Greg's arm. Greg looked away bashfully. "No. I'm nothing special." He raised his eyes to Sidney's again at a red light. "And you're right. I may have to arrest you. And probably soon." "But you believe me. I can tell you don't think I'm a murderer. That means so much." While they were stopped he reached over and hugged Greg briefly. Greg hugged back awkwardly. He instantly started having fantasies about getting Sidney off and Sidney falling madly in love with him. He sighed and started driving again. "I wish what I believed made more of a difference," he said as he pulled up to the restaurant. He saw Justin Cooper waiting for Sidney. "Call me if you think of anything, okay?" He gave Sidney a smile. "And don't worry. I'll find out who really did it." "I know if anyone can, it will be you. Thanks, Detective Wilson." He gave him a smile then got out, walking over to Justin. Greg watched him go. He sighed, wondering if Justin was really as good a friend to Sidney as he thought he was. He headed back to the station, feeling empty, but more determined than ever to find out who actually murdered Alan Spencer. **** The captain was waiting for him as he walked in. "Wilson! Where have you been?" 42

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Greg jumped at the captain's bellow. "I was interrogating the prime suspect," he said, straightening. "My cell was on." "Well, don't get comfy. You've got to go arrest him now." "What? Why? Did they find the murder weapon?" he asked. He felt ill. He couldn't be wrong about Sidney. The captain nodded vigorously. "Yeah. I can't believe those idiots didn't find it earlier. It was in Singer's car all along. Just waiting for us." Greg wanted to sob. "Were there prints on it?" he demanded. The larger man shrugged. "No. It's clean. He used gloves. But it was in his car. That, and no alibi? All we need. Go get him. Good job." Greg scowled. "He was going out. I'll wait at his house. I don't think he'll cause any problems," he said. He turned towards the door again, stalking through the door. He knew exactly where Sidney was, but he didn't want to arrest him in so public a place. He didn't want to humiliate Sidney in front of one of his friends, even if seeing Justin's reaction could be useful. **** A taxi pulled up in front of the beachfront apartment building. Sidney got out a moment later and walked up to the door, fumbling for his keys. Greg waited until Sidney was inside, then he climbed out of his car. He walked up the steps to the front door and knocked lightly. 43

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Sidney appeared at the door a moment later, looking confused. When he saw Greg his face fell. "No," he whispered. Greg's stomach twisted. "Can I come in for a moment?" he asked softly. "I can't really stop you, can I?" Sidney said sadly, stepping back to let Greg in. Greg felt like crying. He stepped inside. "They found the gun. In your car. I'm so sorry, Mr. Singer." He hated his job right now. He wished he could be anywhere but here, arresting this beautiful, innocent man. Sidney gasped. "A gun in my car? I've never even touched a gun in my life! It's not mine!" He stepped back. "I know. There were no prints on it. I know it wasn't yours, but it was in your car, and along with the other evidence, I have no choice," he said apologetically. Sidney stepped closer to Greg, just inches away, and gazed into his eyes. "Tell me you believe I'm innocent, please, Detective," he breathed. "Just tell me." Greg gazed into his eyes and he knew. He knew that things had already gone too far. He was in love with Sidney. He knew he was innocent, and seeing him in this position ... he'd fallen for him. "I believe you're innocent," he whispered. His eyes started to tear up as he faced what he had to do. "Do you want me to tell you what's going to happen? So it won't seem so frightening?" Biting his lip, Sidney nodded. "Yes, please." He darted forward and hugged Greg quickly, then stepped back. "Go on." 44

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Greg choked back a whimper. "O-okay. Well, first I'll read you your rights. Then I have to handcuff you. I'm sorry. It's procedure. But I can cuff you in front and you can hold a sweater over your hands so no one will see. We'll go down to the station and you'll have to surrender everything you have on you, in your pockets and everything. Then they'll put you in a holding cell while the report is written, then they'll take you to get fingerprinted. Then, once you're processed they'll let you make your telephone call. Once you're in contact with your lawyer, he or she will come down for your arraignment, and the judge will set bail." He reached out and took Sidney's hand. "Do you have any questions?" he asked. Sidney blinked hard to hold back his tears, and said, "No. I ... Oh God. I don't know how I could manage this if it wasn't you, Detective. Will you be the one, um, processing me?" Greg licked his lips. "I don't usually do that, but sometimes when an officer has to arrest someone they know, they're allowed to process them. Would you want me to?" he asked. His heart was pounding. He was so infatuated with this man. He would do anything for him. "Yes, please," Sidney said instantly. "Stay with me as long as possible. Please." He stepped closer and held out his wrists. "Go ahead. Do it. Get it over with." He stared steadily into Greg's eyes. Greg's mouth went dry. "You have the right to remain silent," he began, pulling a pair of handcuffs out of the back of his belt. He recited the Miranda speech, and carefully closed the metal rings around Sidney's slender wrists. "Do you have a lawyer?" he asked. "Do you have his number?" 45

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"Um. In my wallet. My manager recommended one for me. Will I get my wallet back so I can call, or what?" He lowered his hands in the cuffs. "I'm not usually the one wearing these," he joked weakly. "I'll make sure you get the number. Do you have a jacket or a sweater or something so all the neighbors don't see that you're handcuffed?" he asked. He put his hand lightly on Sidney's shoulder. The attempt at humor was not lost on Greg. He knew that Sidney had done many things he had barely heard of, but he didn't judge him. What two consenting adults did together was fair game as far as Greg was concerned. "There's a black hoodie over the chair," Sidney answered, angling his head in that direction. Greg got the hoodie and draped it over Sidney's bound wrists. He looked into Sidney's eyes again. "Are you ready to go?" he asked. "I can send word to the judge that I don't feel you're a flight risk so hopefully they won't set bail too high." His hand rested lightly on Sidney's back. He hated doing this to him. But he knew that if he didn't someone else would. At least this way he could minimize the trauma for him. "I have my own money. They froze all of Alan's accounts but I have my own." He leaned into Greg's touch and said, "I hope they let me post bail." He looked up at Greg and whispered, "Can you imagine what's going to happen to me in jail?" "You'll only be in a holding cell today. You won't go to the county jail until, well, I'm sure they'll let you post bail. You're not a danger to society even if they think you're guilty." He 46

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tried to rally a smile. "Don't worry. I'll find the real murderer. I promise you." Sidney rallied a smile. "You know, I believe you, Detective. I don't know why. But I do." "I don't lie," he assured him. "Let's get going. The sooner we get through this, the sooner you can post bail and be out." He opened the door for him. "Oh, do you want me to hold your keys so I can lock the door?" he asked, seeing the keys on a table beside the door. "Yes please," Sidney said, and walked through the door. He waited for Greg, taking a deep breath. "Can you turn out the lights, too, please?" Greg turned out the lights and grabbed the keys. He locked the door securely and slid the keys in his pocket. "When you get out I'll give you a ride home," he said optimistically as he led Sidney to his car. He walked close beside him in case he needed support and couldn't use his hands. "What service," Sidney smiled. "I hope I can repay you some day for your kindness." Greg's lips twitched. "Protect and serve, you know," he said, smirking. He was glad to see Sidney smiling under such circumstances. He opened the car door for him and automatically put his hand protectively on top of Sidney's head, as they always did when guiding someone into a police car. Sidney slid into the seat, and shifted. When Greg got in as well, he said, "I, um, can't put my seat belt on. Can you help me?" 47

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Greg's heart skipped a beat. "Of course." He leaned over Sidney, reaching for the belt over his opposite shoulder. He glanced sideways at him. Their faces were so close and Greg bit his lip. "You smell nice," he whispered. He looked away quickly, mortified at his own idiocy. He pulled the belt across Sidney's body, his hand incidentally brushing across the other man's thigh as he fixed the belt into the buckle. Sidney stared wide-eyed at Greg. "Thanks," he whispered. "No problem," he said, still lingering close to him, staring into his eyes. "It's not too tight, is it?" he asked, cursing himself for his stupidity. He was sure Sidney was going to think he was a moron. "No, it's perfect," Sidney breathed, gazing right back. He licked his lips and said, "You smell good, too." He didn't look away. Greg nodded and moved back. "Thanks." He started the car and pulled away from the curb. He was disgusted with himself, gazing at the other man like a lovesick idiot when he had him restrained in his car. He headed towards the station, feeling abjectly miserable. "Is there anyone besides your lawyer you want me to call? I mean, if you want to get another ride home, you don't have to go with me." "I want you," Sidney said quickly. "I mean. To drive me home. If you don't mind." Greg's eyes widened, but he kept them on the road. "Okay," he said, breathing faster. He knew it was stupid. Sidney was grateful, that was all. He appreciated the kindness. Greg was making it easier for him. He merged onto the freeway and in a couple of exits they were pulling up to 48

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the station house. "Now, I'll have to leave you alone in the cell while I fill out some of the paperwork, but then I'll be back with you, all right? Then we'll get through the rest and you can call your lawyer and hopefully get out in a few hours," he said as he pulled into a space. "And don't tell anyone I let you ride in the front seat, okay?" He unbuckled Sidney's seatbelt again, and turned off the car. He got out and walked around to the passenger side, letting him out of the car. Sidney nodded quickly. "No matter what happens, I'll never ever forget how you've helped me, Detective," he whispered, leaning close to speak into his ear. Greg drew in a sharp breath when he felt those gorgeous lips brush against his ear. He could feel Sidney's warm breath and it sent a shiver through him. "After your case is dismissed I'll let you buy me a drink," he said hoarsely. He led Sidney up the steps with a steadying hand on his elbow. And then it began. He told the duty officer what was going on, and that he wanted to process the prisoner himself. They checked in Sidney's belongings, then Greg led him to the holding cell. "I'll be back as quickly as I can," he told him as he unlocked the cuffs. He left to start the paperwork, and returned to take Sidney for his mug shots and fingerprinting. He stayed with him every step of the way, even bringing him his wallet when the time came for his telephone call. The lawyer showed up within ten minutes, and bail was arranged quickly. Sidney had saved plenty of his own money, it seemed, and barely three hours after Greg had arrested 49

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him, Sidney was told he was free to go. For the moment. He smiled at Greg, trembling. "Is that offer of a ride still open?" It was long after Greg's shift was supposed to have ended, but he'd waited. "Yeah. I have your keys, anyway." He held them out to Sidney. "We can stop by the clerk on our way out to get your stuff." He led the way out of the labyrinthine station to the property clerk, and Sidney's things were returned to him. A few moments later they were back in the car. "I guess you can buckle your own seatbelt now," he said, trying to joke. Sidney licked his lips. "You did it so well, though," he whispered. "You made me feel safe." He made no move to buckle it yet. "I told you you'd get out again, see?" he pointed out, smiling. "The case is in the hands of the District Attorney, now, but I'll work to find the real killer." He started up the car, buckling his own seatbelt. "I'm sorry you had to go through all that, Mr. Singer." "Please. Call me Sidney," he said softly, gazing at him in the dim light of the dashboard. "You really are a knight." Greg didn't know what to say to that. He was uncomfortable with compliments unless he felt he'd earned them. "You should buckle up, Sidney," he said, gazing into his eyes again. After the briefest hesitation, Sidney whispered, "Do it for me? Please?" Greg felt like he couldn't breathe. He unbuckled his own seat belt so he could reach over Sidney again. He looked into his eyes as he slowly pulled the belt across his chest. He 50

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didn't understand what was going on, but he was helpless to deny such a request. His knuckles brushed against Sidney's hip again as he fastened him in. Sidney held Greg's gaze, breath hitching, and whispered, "Thank you. You, you're so kind." And with that, the tears began to fall like rain. Greg's throat tightened. He reached up and brushed his thumb lightly against Sidney's cheek. "You can call me Greg if you want to," he whispered. "Please don't cry. Everything will turn out all right." He ached to wrap his arms around the other man, but he didn't want to make Sidney uncomfortable by reading too much into it or doing the wrong thing. The soft touch made Sidney sob even harder. "I feel so alone. Like you're the only person in the world who believes me. But you can't even do anything about it." He sniffled, and leaned over as much as the seat belt allowed, leaning on Greg's shoulder. "I'm sorry. I feel so helpless. I want everything to go away." Greg put his hand on Sidney's shoulder again, fingers just brushing at his hair. "It's been a very long day. You need some rest. You're still grieving and now to have to go through this, too." He leaned closer, hoping no cops he knew passed by his car. "Let's get you home. You'll feel better in your own place." Sidney nodded, nuzzling into Greg's neck briefly before pulling back. "Sorry to fall apart on you," he whispered, blushing. "I'm not usually this girly." Greg leaned back and rebuckled his own seatbelt. "Don't worry about it. It's understandable under the circumstances." 51

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He gave Sidney a smile. Already he had enough to fuel his fantasies for weeks. He pulled out of the parking lot and out onto the road. "I'm afraid they're gonna hold your car over for a few more days. I tried to get them to release it." Sidney nodded, sniffling. "It's fine. Justin said he'd give me a ride anywhere I wanted. I don't think I'll be doing much for a few days, anyway." Greg nodded. "Or, you know, feel free to call me, too. If you need a ride anywhere." He wanted to take care of Sidney, especially while he was so fragile, though he realized that Sidney was only leaning on him because of the situation. He turned onto the road that led along the beach. The sun was just setting. It was a beautiful scene. Romantic. Greg glanced over at Sidney. "Or if you need anything at all," he added. Sidney looked at Greg, eyes wide. "Really?" he asked softly. "Are you sure? I, um, I'd like that, but I don't want you to get in trouble or anything." He looked down. "It's kinda scary. I didn't do it, so there's a murderer out there." "I won't get in trouble. Seriously, if you feel frightened or if you just want to talk..." He hoped he didn't sound too pathetic. He wanted to offer to sleep on Sidney's couch to protect him, but he thought that would be too much. Sidney reached over and put his hand on Greg's leg. "You have no idea how much that means to me," he whispered, leaning close to look into his eyes. "Um. It's my fault you probably missed dinner. I can't cook, but can I buy you dinner at least?" He looked down at himself. "After I have a shower, of course." 52

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Greg was sure Sidney was only offering out of gratitude. He didn't want to overstay his welcome. He had just arrested the other man, after all. "I think I should just head home. Thanks, though." He was just pulling up in front of Sidney's elegant condo. He parked right in front. "You have my number, right?" Sidney looked down, and said quietly, "Yes. I do, thanks. I, well, I guess I'd better go." He didn't look at Greg until he was out of the car. "Bye, Greg." Greg wanted to. He wanted to more than anything. He ached to spend more time with Sidney, listen to his sweet soft voice, comfort him in his hour of need. But Sidney had so many friends, and Greg was just a cop. He wasn't a fashion model or a designer. He could never compete with Sidney's world. There was no point in trying to. Besides, he needed to focus on finding a murderer. That was the best thing he could do for Sidney now. "Bye, Sidney," he said, lingering to watch him safely into his house. **** Sidney pushed the door open and switched on the lights. He closed the door firmly behind him, and as soon as the world was shut out, he dropped his keys and hoodie to the floor. He leaned back against the door and slowly slid to the floor, folding up silently, as the last few days finally hit him. Alan was gone. Dead. Murdered. And everyone thought he'd done it. Someone hated him, or Alan, so much that he'd killed him and made it look like Sidney did it. And did a good enough job that he'd actually been arrested. Arrested for first 53

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degree murder. He'd never so much had a speeding ticket in his life. How had it come to this? He buried his face in his hands and sobbed. In one fell swoop he'd lost everything. His boyfriend, his house, likely his career and his freedom. He wasn't always a nice person. He could be bitchy and catty and he was incredibly high maintenance. He loved to have sex and be lusted after. Most people wouldn't understand him. But he wouldn't kill anyone. Least of all Alan. That brought back thoughts of his boyfriend, and he sobbed anew. It wasn't a traditional relationship in any sense of the word. They slept in separate bedrooms because Alan slept so lightly. They didn't have sex because Alan physically couldn't. But they'd been happy together. Sidney had loved Alan, even if he wasn't in love with him. They each fulfilled needs for the other. People called Alan Sidney's sugar daddy but it was more than that. Alan loved to cook for Sidney, and Sidney sang for Alan, and they slow danced or talked all night when Alan had too much pain to sleep. Sidney would have done anything for the older man. And now he was gone. He felt so alone. He felt like the only person on his side was Greg. Thoughts of the detective made Sidney's heart race. Of course it was futile. He was going to spend the rest of his life in jail and never see the sweet man again. But God, he couldn't stop thinking of him. He wasn't even sure that he was gay. He had been at first, had been sure of it, but then that conviction wavered when Greg didn't react how he'd expected him to. And even if he was, and attracted to Sidney, there was surely some rule 54

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about it anyway. Greg didn't seem the type to break rules. But when he closed his eyes he could see him, the serious expression that broke into a sunny smile, the reddish-brown hair that was just a little too long, those hazel eyes that gazed at him, the handsome features that somehow just soothed Sidney to look upon him. Sidney wanted to kiss him and rip that suit off and explore the slender body beneath. He wanted to drive him crazy, show him things he'd only dreamed of. He was an idiot. He was out on bail. Greg would never want him. He shook his head and dragged himself to his feet. He had no idea how long he'd been sitting there but it was nearly dark. He dragged himself to the bedroom, stripping off his clothes as he went. He was usually very neat but right now he couldn't seem to care. He showered quickly, avoiding looking in any mirrors, and fell into bed still wet. He turned off the light and pulled the covers over his head and wished the world would go away. [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Four But the world wouldn't go away. It was still there the next day when Sidney finally crawled out of bed around noon. The sunshine was bright and cheerful, and Sidney shut it out with tightly closed blinds. He sat in the kitchen, staring morosely at a cup of tea he didn't really want. Everything reminded him of Alan. Alan always made sure Sidney would eat something in the morning, because Sidney always forgot. Sidney taught Alan yoga and they'd do it together most every morning. Sidney almost always had music playing, but today the condo was silent. It fit his mood. Suddenly the silence was shattered by the chirping of his cell phone. Sidney grabbed it and stared at the Caller ID. It was Justin. He smiled and flipped it open. "Justin!" he said. "Sidney, sweetie, I just heard. Oh my God, how are you? Why didn't you call me?" Sidney walked out to the living room and sank down onto the couch. "I only got one phone call. I had to call my lawyer. Then when I got home, well, I was just too tired." "I understand, but I was so worried! I can't believe they arrested you. Was it scary?" "It was," nodded Sidney. He felt weird discussing it, but Justin was one of his best friends. "If it hadn't been for Detective Wilson, I would have fallen apart." "Wilson? The cop?" Justin sounded skeptical. 56

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"Yeah. He's been so amazing. I know he believes I'm innocent." Justin snorted. "He's the one who arrested you, Sidney! How can you believe that? He's just trying to get you to trust him and confide in him." "He is not!" exclaimed Sidney. "He believes me. I know it." He realized how weird that sounded suddenly. To trust the cop that was going to put him away. Sidney could almost hear Justin's shrug. "He didn't seem all that nice to me." "You talked to him?" Sidney asked. It should have occurred to him that Greg would be questioning his friends. "Yeah. Kind of a straitlaced thing, isn't he? Stick so far up his ass there's no room for anything else," Justin giggled. "Greg's not that way!" Sidney protested immediately. "Greg? You're on a first name basis with him?" Sidney blushed. "Well, like I said. He's been very nice." Justin sighed. "Don't trust him, babe. He's just trying to get you to trust him. Good cop, bad cop, that kind of shit." Sidney felt doubt stab him in the heart. He'd been thinking of calling Greg just to thank him again, but suddenly he wasn't sure. They talked for a while longer, and Sidney politely refused Justin's offer of dinner because he didn't feel up to food at all. Then they hung up, and Sidney decided to go for a jog to clear his mind. ****

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Sidney felt marginally better after his jog, and a long hot shower. He looked at the contents of the refrigerator but wrinkled his nose. Food didn't sound appealing at all, so he had some juice instead. He couldn't stand just sitting around the house. He grabbed his phone and called Chris. The younger man was shallow but usually fun to be with. And he was fucking gorgeous. If anyone could take his mind off his troubles, it was Chris. Chris immediately suggested they go dancing, and Sidney agreed. The hottest club was, unfortunately, Bar Noir, so that was where they headed despite the fact that it was starting to have bad memories for him. Chris came by in a taxi and picked him up, and off they went. They never had to wait in line. Sidney had decided he needed to go all out, and he was dressed in skintight purple pants and a black shirt that showed off his upper body. His makeup and hair were perfect, and even Chris had been impressed. The bouncer waved them in, and Sidney sank gratefully into the dark, driving beats. Chris bought them drinks, and then dragged Sidney out onto the dance floor. It was just what he needed. He threw back his drink, then as the burn warmed him, he started to move. Sidney always loved dancing; the beat could clear his mind and soothe it, and he never felt more alive than when he was on a dance floor. It was almost better than sex. 58

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But with Chris, dancing was foreplay as well. The slim young man moved like liquid sex, slithering around Sidney in counterpoint, rubbing against him in all the right places, and though Sidney hadn't planned on it, soon he was hard as a rock. Chris pressed his perfect little ass against his front, just the way he knew Sidney liked it, and Sidney wasn't about to refuse. Chris turned in his arms and kissed him, and suddenly Sidney had a flash of Greg. He wondered what it would feel like to kiss him. Or more. He whimpered into it, but Chris took it as encouragement and deepened the kiss. For a moment, Sidney pretended Greg was in his arms. He could imagine it so clearly. Greg would be shy but so very hard for him, and Sidney could show him everything. He wanted that so badly he could taste it. But it was Chris in his arms, not Greg. Greg wouldn't want him. Even if Greg was into guys, he would bet Sidney wasn't his type. Greg probably thought Sidney was a slut, and was being nice about it. Sidney whimpered once again and gave up. Chris was sexy and beautiful and sweet in his own way, and deserved more attention than this. He slid his hands over Chris' gorgeous little body and rubbed against him. It was nice to lose himself in sensation; it was just what he needed. When the music changed, Chris smiled wickedly at Sidney and whispered in his ear. "I need your cock, Sidney. Please. Need that big thick cock in me. Give it to me please?"

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Sidney groaned. "You wanna go to my place?" He wanted Chris, too. Wanted to fuck that pretty body and forget everything else. Chris shook his head. "Can't wait. Need you here. Now." And with that he began to lead Sidney toward the bathroom. It wouldn't be the first time Sidney had had sex in this bathroom, so he didn't hesitate. They wound their way through the crowd, and Sidney avoided catching anyone's eyes because all he wanted was the oblivion of sex. Chris pulled him into the farthest stall and wasted no time pushing his tight pants down. He pulled a pre-lubed condom out of his pocket and handed it to Sidney. "Hurry," he whined as he turned around, waiting. Sidney fumbled with his pants and pulled out his aching cock. He sheathed it in the condom, touching himself as little as possible, and moved into position. He grabbed Chris' tiny hips and pulled him back toward his waiting cock. He positioned himself and began to thrust in, trying not to think of Greg, but Chris was impatient. The smaller man shoved himself back, impaling himself on Sidney's cock. "Fuck!" gasped Sidney. He was always amazed at how much rough treatment Chris could take. The young man looked fragile and ethereal but he really wasn't. He liked it hard and rough and never wanted prep. "Give me what I need, please, give me that cock," Chris groaned, and Sidney began to pound into him. Sidney thought he heard the door open, but he didn't care. This sort of thing went on all the time here, and most people knew to just ignore it. They'd be done soon, at any rate. "You 60

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like that? Like being fucked like a little whore?" he growled. Chris was good, knew just what he liked. Chris cried out with each savage thrust. "Oh God, yes, please. Need it harder, Sidney." Sidney pounded into Chris so hard the stall shook, and soon they were both on the edge. Chris reached down to stroke himself, groaning Sidney's name, and he came with a squeal. Sidney was close behind, a little quieter, and all he could see was Greg's face as he climaxed hard. For a moment, all he could hear was their breathing, so Sidney figured he'd imagined they had an audience. Chris turned around and grinned at him. "Mmm, Sidney. You're the best." Sidney laughed softly. "I bet you say that to all the guys." They straightened their clothes and walked out of the stall. They weren't alone. Greg stood there. "Um, hi," he croaked, clearing his throat. Sidney thought surely he was dreaming. That couldn't be Greg standing there. He was dressed all in black, and looked so handsome Sidney could barely believe it. He just stared for a long moment, the implications not hitting him yet. "Greg?" he whispered. "Detective Wilson!" Chris exclaimed. "Whatever are you doing here?" He moved immediately to Greg's side, clutching at his arm. Greg stared at Chris as if he was an alien. "I, um, I was actually..." He looked at Sidney again, stuttering. "I didn't mean to intrude." 61

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It was worse than being arrested. Sidney felt a cold sinking feeling and wondered just how long Greg had been there. Bad enough that it was completely obvious what they'd been doing, coming out of a bathroom stall together looking disheveled, but if Greg had heard it, he would surely die. "You didn't, you..." Chris was running his fingers up and down Greg's arm. "Sidney and I just had some fun, but I'm always up for more, Detective," he purred, rubbing against him like a cat in heat. If Sidney hadn't been so mortified he would have been jealous, but all he could think of was that Greg knew what they'd been doing. Had probably heard. And now Chris had confirmed it. Greg blushed bright red and smiled weakly at Chris. "I actually just..." He looked at Sidney again. "I was looking for you. To discuss things. But I can see that you're busy." He looked down, easing back from Chris' grip. Sidney stepped forward. "You were looking for me?" He looked into Greg's eyes and he knew he'd heard. He'd heard him fucking Chris in the bathroom of a dance club. He'd never felt dirtier in his life. Greg would never want anyone like him, never in a million years. How could he even stand to look at him? "I'm not busy. We're done, I mean. Chris. Go on, okay? Get a drink or something." Chris pouted and gave Greg one last seductive look. "Okay. See you later, Sidney. Detective." And he sauntered out. Sidney looked back at Greg, then looked down at the floor. "Sorry. I..." How could he even begin to explain? How he'd 62

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wanted to forget, and feel someone's touch again? Even if the someone he wanted was right in front of him and would never want him. He ached with a feeling that he suddenly recognized. He was falling in love with Greg. "You don't have to apologize. I walked in on you. I just, I couldn't sleep and I thought I might find you here." He frowned. "I was wondering if you wanted to ... if you'd thought of anything." He swallowed hard and shoved his hands down into his pockets. Sidney felt it like a knife through the heart. Greg would never ever be able to look at Sidney without thinking what a slut he was. He may as well go to jail for the rest of his life. There was no point to going on. "No, not really, I..." But he realized that he was so pathetic that he still wanted to be near Greg. "Do you want to go somewhere to talk?" Somewhere else than in the bathroom that Greg had just heard him fucking someone else. Greg nodded slowly. "Yeah. Somewhere less noisy. We could, my apartment isn't far from here. If you want." He shrugged his shoulders. Sidney nodded instantly. He would have agreed to anything just to get out of there. "Fine. Let's go." He knew he was blushing, and shaking. He just wanted to be with Greg. Greg held the door open for Sidney and followed him out of the club. He led the way to his car in the lot and unlocked the door. "Are you sure? I mean, I didn't mean to cut your evening short," he said. Sidney looked at Greg with wide eyes. "It's okay. Really. I just wanted to get out." And forget. But he'd just made things 63

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worse. He slid into the car and thought about how Greg had buckled his seat belt and touched him so sweetly. He felt filthy in comparison. "Okay," he said as he slid into the driver's seat. He started up the engine. "Have you eaten anything?" he asked. "You look pale." He pulled out onto the road. "I don't remember," Sidney said, waving his hand vaguely. "Not hungry." He stared out the window, ashamed to even look at Greg. He looked so good, so clean, so handsome, and Sidney wanted him so badly he could cry. "Okay," he said simply. He continued for several blocks in silence, then turned down a side street. At the end of the block was a small apartment building and Greg pulled into a space on the street. "This is it," he said, turning off the car. Sidney got out slowly, and shivered. He hadn't brought a jacket and the night had turned cool. He waited for Greg to lead the way. Greg walked up to his door on the first floor. He unlocked it and held the door open. "I'll turn the heat on. There's a blanket on the back of the couch if you're chilly," he said, closing the door behind Sidney and adjusting the thermostat. "Do you want something to drink?" "Just some water or something would be great, thanks," Sidney said, looking around curiously. He wanted to know more about Greg, and what better way than to see where he lived? The apartment was small, with low-ish ceilings and a general feeling of having been designed and decorated in the seventies. It was sparsely furnished: a few pieces of IKEA furniture, a plain, functional couch, two chairs, TV stand and 64

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a small flat screen TV. Overall, it was extremely tidy and orderly. The only items that gave any indication of the occupant were a neat stack of music magazines on the table beside one of the chairs and an extremely sensual little purple chenille throw blanket on the back of the couch. Sidney almost giggled at the blanket, but picked it up and threw it around his shoulders. It matched his outfit. He sat on the couch gingerly. Greg slipped into the kitchen and returned a moment later with two bottles of water. He handed one to Sidney and sat beside him on the couch, pressed back against the arm. "I'm sorry if I embarrassed you this evening," he said. "God, no, don't apologize," Sidney begged. If Greg was sweet to him again he was going to fall apart. "It's totally not your fault." He was blushing again, he could feel it, and he couldn't meet Greg's eyes. He twisted open the bottle of water. "I should have left when I realized you were in there. I kinda panicked or something." He took a sip of his water, not looking at Sidney quite, either. Well, there was his confirmation. He had heard. He had listened. Sidney wanted to crawl under a rock. "It's not like you expected it," he said lamely. "Not your fault. At all. My fault." For being such a slut. He almost said it. "I'm glad you have someone to t-turn to," he said. Sidney frowned. "Chris? Turn to? He's just a friend. Nothing more. We have sex, but he's, well, I can't really talk to him, you know? He means well but he's kinda shallow." He realized that with Alan gone, there was really no one that 65

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cared about him any more. He felt the telltale prick of impending tears and he tried to push them away. "Maybe you should tell me more about your friends. Where did you meet Chris?" he asked, his tone gentle. Sidney thought back. "Well, at some modeling gig, of course. He wasn't even legal then, and already such a little slut," he smiled, then looked down. "We were roommates for a while. A bunch of us lived in this big old house. Until I met Alan." "So he's a model, too. Is he successful?" he asked. He shifted closer, putting the bottle of water down on the side table. Sidney nodded. "Different designers than me, usually, different type of clothes. But yeah, I think he's doing very well for himself." Chris always came on to everyone, but while he was working he was very professional. "And you two always get along well? Have you had any major disagreements?" he asked. He gazed into Sidney's eyes. Sidney shook his head, entranced by Greg's gaze. "No, Chris doesn't do confrontation. Make love, not war, ya know? If he can't fuck a problem away he ignores it." He set his water down as well. His heart was pounding again, and he wondered if Greg knew just what he was doing to him. Greg nodded slowly. "Okay. What about Andrew Dowling? Why do you think he would refute your statement that you were with him that night?" Sidney frowned at the reminder. "Because he's so deep in the closet he couldn't find his way out with a searchlight?" He 66

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shook his head. "Fucker was all over me. Begging me to suck him off. Then he does this to me." "How did you meet him?" he asked. "Is he a model, too? Is he friends with any of your other friends?" Greg had an intense look in his eyes as he stretched his neck out side to side. "He's a model, actor, whatever he can get. He's a little too built for modeling, really. Though none of us really complain." He flashed a smile. "Andrew is friends with everyone." Greg frowned. "Yeah. I noticed. Every time I asked anyone about him their answer was, 'have you seen him?'" He pursed his lips. Sidney shrugged. "It's a rough business. Everything is judged solely on appearance. It can get to you." He looked down. "You always wonder how long you have left." Greg's eyes wandered down Sidney's body and back up to his face. "I doubt you have to worry much," he said quietly. Sidney felt warm at Greg's look. Was it possible that Greg was interested? That would be too amazing to be true. He moved closer and licked his lips. "That's very sweet of you to say." Greg face colored and he lowered his eyes. "I'm sure you hear it all the time." He raised his eyes again slowly. "What about Justin Cooper?" he asked. "How did you meet him?" "Same thing. Modeling. It's kind of an insular world. No time to make other friends." Sidney wondered just where Greg was going with all this. But he was enjoying being with him. 67

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"And is he successful at it?" he asked. He licked his lips, gaze steady into Sidney's eyes. "Seems to be. He's always working," Sidney shrugged. "Again, he's got a different look than me, so we don't work together all that much. He does a lot of sunglasses, skateboard kind of stuff." Greg was silent for a moment. "At one point, when he mentioned Justin, Chris kinda wrinkled his nose. Do they not get along?" he asked. Sidney laughed. "No, I don't think they like each other. I think Chris sees Justin as a sort of rival. They're both bottoms, you see. They go after the same guys." He blushed again. "Sorry, that was probably TMI." He had to keep his mouth from running off. Greg's eyes widened. "And do you have the same kind of relationship with Justin that you have with Chris?" he asked. Sidney looked down. "Do you mean, do we have sex?" He felt like such a whore. His lifestyle had never bothered him before. Greg swallowed audibly. "Yeah. That's what I meant. You don't have to answer," he said softly. "I'm sorry. I'm just trying to..." "We did have sex, yes," Sidney admitted, interrupting. He wanted to get it over with. "Not as much as Chris and I did. Alan liked to watch Chris better." He played with his water bottle, not looking up. Greg reached out and touched Sidney's chin, turning his face back up. "You didn't do anything wrong," he said quietly. 68

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"I'm only trying to understand everything clearly so I can work out who did." Sidney gazed into Greg's warm hazel eyes. He could see flecks of gold and green in them, he was so close. "But what is a jury going to think of me, Greg? They'll judge me on all of it." His voice was soft, though, and he felt like he couldn't breathe. He wanted Greg to keep touching him. "Then we'll just have to find the real killer before you have to go in front of a jury," he said resolutely. His hand slid down to Sidney's shoulder. "I know it's difficult to talk about, but did any of your friends have a grudge against Alan? Do you think any of them could have been jealous of your relationship?" Sidney shivered at Greg's touch. He wanted more. He wanted to feel Greg's hands on him. He forced himself to answer the question. "I don't know. I can't think of anyone in particular." He bit his lip and said, "Greg? Why do you believe I'm innocent?" He needed to know if Greg felt sorry for him, or if it could be something else. Greg shrugged his shoulders, his hand dropping down to his own lap. "Cop instinct, I guess. That first night they brought you in, I was behind the mirror watching. I could tell you were genuinely devastated to have lost him." He nibbled on his bottom lip. "I can tell when people are lying. I guess it's the flip side of being so bad at lying myself." Sidney mourned the loss of Greg's touch. It had felt so good. Then it occurred to him. "You were watching me through the mirror?" he repeated. It sent a little shiver through him for some reason. 69

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"Yeah. It's standard procedure during questioning," he said apologetically. Sidney wasn't sure why, but he was fascinated. He liked being watched, obviously. But by Greg ... the idea was turning him on. He shifted and said, "Did you watch me other times? Follow me around?" He didn't know why it hadn't occurred to him before. After all, Greg was in charge of the case. Greg blushed bright pink again. "Yes." He looked at Sidney uncertainly. Greg's blush was intriguing. "Where? Where did you watch me?" Sidney asked, barely breathing. It was suddenly almost too erotic to bear, though it was certainly only one-sided. "At the club. The next night," he admitted, his voice gone hoarse. "When you were, when you and Chris..." "Oh God!" He remembered it, Chris sucking him off in full view of everyone. He blushed, but he was also half hard. He wanted Greg's eyes on him. "I was just so lonely." He was pathetic. And slutty. "They say that it's common for people to have sex right after funerals. That whole affirming life thing," Greg said, still blushing. He looked away. "Really?" Sidney asked, fascinated. "I'd never heard that." He liked to hear Greg talk about sex. He wondered what he looked like aroused. And whether he was single. Greg nodded. "Supposedly, anyway. I've never, I mean, you know, after a funeral." He rubbed his palms on his jeans.

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Sidney licked his lips. "What about at a funeral?" he teased. He didn't know why he had a compulsion to push things. Greg smirked. "Of course. Right on the casket. It wasn't a very good career move. I think I might have made captain by now if I wasn't so addicted to caskets." He laughed nervously. Sidney snorted. He hadn't thought Greg had that wicked of a sense of humor. "I would have loved to see that," he replied, leaning closer to Greg. "You and me both," he said with a self-effacing eye roll. "I don't live in the fast lane like you do, Sidney." "It's not really all it's cracked up to be," Sidney replied, smiling softly. Impulsively, he reached up to cup Greg's face with his hand. "Thank you. For everything." He hoped he hadn't gone too far. Greg sucked in a breath. "It's okay. I didn't really do anything," he said, barely above a whisper. "You did so much, Greg. For someone you don't even really know. More than most of my so-called friends would do for me." Sidney didn't move his hand. He ached with feeling for this man, and he wanted him so badly. "I know you're innocent," he said quietly. He licked his lips. "I hate arresting innocent people," he said with a sad smile. His eyes drifted half closed and his head drifted towards Sidney's hand, pressing against it. "You poor thing," Sidney breathed, stroking the side of Greg's face. "That must be awful for you. Do you have to do it often?" He couldn't imagine the guilt of arresting an innocent person. 71

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Greg's gaze never wavered from Sidney's eyes. "No, not often. Only a few times," he said in a hushed voice. "Everyone has to do things they don't want to do sometimes. But I've never sent an innocent person to prison, and I swear to you, you're not gonna be the first, Sidney." "I believe you," Sidney answered. "I trust you, Greg." And he did. It was a wonderful, warm feeling that he couldn't describe. Greg smiled shyly. "Good. I don't want you to worry." Sidney's hand was still on his face and he shifted closer. "So you know everything about me," Sidney said, blushing. Greg had even seen his cock if he'd watched Chris suck him off. "Tell me about you." He suddenly wanted to know everything about the detective. "I'm pretty boring. There's really nothing to tell. This is where I live. I'm a cop." He shrugged his shoulders again. "Oh I doubt that," Sidney said, dropping his hand to rest on Greg's shoulder. "Are you from LA?" "No. I grew up in a small town in the far end of nowhere, Colorado," he said, smirking. "Totally uninteresting. I only came here because I got into UCLA." "And what made you want to be a cop?" Sidney was always fascinated with how people ended up where they were. "My dad was a cop. My uncle was a cop. It's what I've always known, and I think I'm pretty good at it." He lowered his eyes. "I like feeling like I'm protecting people." Greg was so fucking perfect Sidney could hardly stand it. It was all he could do not to kiss him now, just lean in and kiss 72

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that handsome face. "You're sweet and brave and wonderful," Sidney said, amazed at what he was saying. He must sound like an idiot. Greg nibbled on his lower lip. "I'm not used to people saying things like that to me," he whispered. "Especially someone as beautiful as you." Sidney gasped. "You think..." He bit his lip. He was used to people telling him he was beautiful. It was his job. But Greg. Could it be possible? "It's all in the makeup," he joked weakly. He felt as if he was about to break into pieces. Greg shook his head slowly. "It has nothing to do with makeup. Or hair. Or sexy clothes." Sidney knew he was falling hard for Greg. "You really are a knight in shining armor," he murmured. Greg was saying all the right things but they weren't lines. He was sincere. "I'm just a guy," he protested. "I'm sure anyone would think you're beautiful." "It means more when you say it," Sidney replied. He had leaned closer without even realizing it, and their faces were only inches apart. It would be so easy to kiss him. But what if he'd read the signals wrong? What if Greg was just openminded, and being nice? Greg looked at him wide-eyed. "W-why? Why me?" he whispered. "You have so many beautiful lovers." "Because you're my knight," Sidney said simply, and gave up his internal struggle. He closed the distance between them and pressed his lips to Greg's, kissing him gently. He whimpered just a little, wishing the moment would never end, but fully prepared to be pushed away. 73

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Greg whimpered and kissed back. His fingers gripped his own thighs and his eyes fluttered closed. As soon as he felt Greg respond, Sidney relaxed, though his body was anything but. He was hard as a rock, his palms were sweaty and his heart was pounding. He'd never been so affected by a simple kiss. He'd never wanted anyone as powerfully. Greg's hands reached up, resting lightly on Sidney's arms. He moaned quietly into the kiss, tilting his head. It was the best kiss of his life by far. Greg hadn't rejected him, despite everything, and he was letting Sidney kiss him. He almost couldn't process that this kind, sweet man wanted him. He surely didn't deserve him. He finally dared part his lips, inviting Greg to respond. Greg gasped and pulled back. "Sidney, I, we..." he rubbed Sidney's arms lightly. "That was beautiful," he whispered. Sidney smiled, looking at Greg's kiss-swollen lips and knowing he'd made them that way. "It was," he agreed. "I wasn't sure if..." He looked down. He'd never felt so unsure. "If I was into guys?" he asked. He smiled. "Yeah." "You hide it really well," Sidney said shyly. "I'm usually very good at telling, but with you..." He ran his fingers through Greg's hair. Greg looked down. "It's not really the kind of thing you want other cops to know about you." He looked up again. "Not that I'm ashamed of it. I just, I guess I'm just kinda shy, you know? So I don't really tell people much about me."

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"Do your parents know? Are you still close with them?" Sidney asked. Greg seemed so grounded. His parents must have been fair people. "Yeah. They know. I talk to them all the time. I go home for the holidays and all that stuff," he said, squirming. "Completely average. What about you?" he asked. Sidney smiled sadly. "I haven't spoken to them since they kicked me out, the day I told them I was gay." He sighed. "I may not have handled it very well. But they'll never accept me." He didn't think about his family much. It was too painful. Greg's expression turned sad. "I'm so sorry, Sidney. It's their loss." He hesitated a moment, then he ducked his head in and kissed him quickly. Sidney kissed back immediately, his hand going to the back of Greg's neck to draw him in closer. His fingers traced lightly over the soft warm skin of his neck as they kissed. He didn't deepen it yet. Greg whimpered, melting into the kiss. His breathing grew ragged and his hands slid up over Sidney's shoulders. A little shiver ran through his shoulders. Sidney loved to kiss. He could do it all night. But he wanted to taste Greg, kiss every inch of his skin. He slipped sideways, working his way down Greg's chiseled jaw and kissing at his neck. Greg moaned, tumbling back against the couch, his head tilting back to allow Sidney better access to his neck. "Oh God," he rasped. "I, ohh that's, mmm..." 75

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Greg's reaction spurred him on, and Sidney kissed and nibbled and licked at his neck, learning his taste. Clearly Greg's neck was very sensitive, and Sidney planned to exploit that fully. "Oh, fuck," he ground out. "I, S-Sidney, stop." He made no move to physically push him away, but he made a sobbing noise and tried to sit up more. Sidney froze immediately. "Is something wrong, Greg?" he asked, breathing faster. He looked into Greg's eyes, and they looked a bit glazed. Greg licked his lips. "I'm sorry. It's not you. It's totally me. I just, we only just met a couple of days ago. And..." He looked down, his brows drawing together. "Just a few hours ago you were ... I just don't do this kind of thing," he whispered. It was like a slap across the face, though surely Greg hadn't meant it that way. It was only the truth. A few hours ago he was fucking Chris in a club bathroom. He was a whore, and not good enough for a knight like Greg. "I'm sorry," he whimpered, scooting away from the other man quickly, looking down. He felt filthy. Greg reached over and took Sidney's hand. "No, I didn't mean it like that. I don't think badly of you for being with whoever you want to be with. I just, I'm kind of monogamous. And I wouldn't want to start anything I wasn't ready to finish. Do you understand?" he asked. Sidney barely heard Greg's words; all he felt was his rejection. "I'm sorry," he repeated, hoping against hope that he could hold back his tears until he was alone. He'd never 76

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felt lower, even in a holding cell. How could he even think such a pure, sweet man would want him? "I should go," he mumbled, standing. Greg stood quickly. "Sidney." He stood in front of him with pain in his eyes. "I didn't mean to hurt you. Please." "It's not your fault. You didn't do anything wrong." Of course Greg was just being nice after all. He wouldn't know that Sidney was falling in love with him, and wanted to be with him exclusively. And he wasn't going to know. He grabbed his hoodie and slipped it on. Suddenly he was freezing. He headed for the door. "See you some time," he said, fighting back the tears. "Wait, at least let me drive you," he said miserably. He reached out to touch Sidney's shoulder. "Please don't go like this. I really suck at this kind of thing." Sidney lost a little control at Greg's touch, a strangled sob shaking him. "I can get a cab. Please, Greg. I need to go." Even if he had no dignity left, he could pretend. Greg grabbed his keys and opened the door for him. "I'll drive. You don't have to talk to me if you don't want to," he said quietly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." "Like I said. Totally not your fault." Sidney pulled his hoodie around him like he wished he could do with his dignity, and followed Greg to his car. He couldn't believe it had happened. Greg had rejected him. He wasn't good enough for his knight in shining armor. Right now he didn't care if he lived or died, let alone if he went to prison. It was all he was good for. 77

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He stared out the window on the short drive, arms wrapped around himself, wishing he'd never kissed him. Greg drove without comment, following the road to the beach and down to the condo again. He pulled up to the curb and put the car in park. He started to say something, then stopped, biting his lip. Sidney knew he could only hold the tears back one more moment. He opened the car door and nearly stumbled in his haste to get out. "Bye, Greg," he said, trembling, and he dashed for the door to the condo. He didn't look back to see if Greg was still there or not. He threw open the door and ran inside as the tears began to fall. He barely remembered stumbling to his bed. He didn't bother to turn on any lights, just collapsed on his bed fully clothed as he sobbed. He'd thought he felt alone before. But it was worse now. Even if he managed to get out of this murder charge, he would still be alone. He wasn't good enough for Greg, and now he was in love with him. He cried himself to sleep finally, and dreamed of drowning. [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Five The next morning, Greg felt groggy when he woke. Despite the fact that he shouldn't get involved with a suspect, he had fallen for Sidney. It was a breach of protocol he never thought he'd traverse. It was wrong and dangerous. And he'd hurt him, which was worse. He just didn't want to be another of Sidney's many ... he didn't even know what to call them. Fuck buddies, he guessed. He'd never understood that concept, sharing something so intimate with anyone less than someone you loved. Nor was he willing to make himself pathetic, either. He wasn't going to wait up nights wondering who Sidney was with or when he'd come back. But it was difficult not to think of that kiss, the feel of Sidney's sweet lips on his skin. It sent a shiver through him just thinking about it. It was more powerful than anything he'd ever felt. It was something he might give up everything to have. If Sidney wanted what he wanted. He had important things to do. Someone had murdered Alan Spencer and made it look like Sidney was the murderer. If it wasn't for the gun, it might have just been bad luck, but hiding the gun in Sidney's car was a purposeful act. When he got to the station, background reports on all of Sidney's closest associates were ready. He got his morning coffee and sat down to read through them thoroughly. Around ten o'clock he placed a call to Spencer's publicist, a Ms. Katarina Holt. One of the investigating officers had already 79

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checked out her alibi and background, but there were some more questions Greg wanted to ask. He arrived at her office before lunchtime, and was shown in. Ms. Holt was a tall, slender woman who had been a model a decade before. She was impeccably dressed, her dark brown hair swept up in an excessively professional, if somewhat severe, chignon. "Ms. Holt, thank you for seeing me," he said, presenting his credentials. "I'll try not to take up too much of your time." The woman studied Greg's badge as if it might be fake, then looked up at him. "I talked to the police before," she said evenly. "And I understand a suspect was arrested. Has something changed?" "No. Your information is correct. I'm the detective in charge of the investigation, and I'm just doing some follow up for the District Attorney's office." Technically that was true, but interviewing Spencer's publicist wasn't one of his assignments. She sighed and nodded. "Very well. Though I'm sure I don't know how I can help you." She looked at him steadily. Greg took a seat in front of her desk. He was in his element now. He knew exactly what to do. "There's some question about whether the suspect was acting alone or not. There's suspicion that someone else may have been involved." The publicist looked more interested. "Really? I admit I was surprised. It didn't seem like Singer was smart enough to do something like that on his own." 80

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Greg had to conceal his annoyance at this woman's presumptuousness. "I understand that Mr. Spencer frequently invited young models into his home. Are there any that you might suspect of such a thing?" he asked. "All of them?" Ms. Holt snorted. "I tell you, the boys are so much worse than the girls. Backstabbing, greedy little things." Greg arched an eyebrow. "Do you know of any of them that specifically asked Spencer for money?" he asked. She shrugged. "Not that I know of. Not in front of me, anyway." She shook her head. "Poor Alan. I warned him. But he was so trusting." "Did any of them approach you about working for Mr. Spencer? Modeling gigs, that kind of thing?" he asked. The publicist appeared to think about it. "I usually don't get those kind of calls, but let me think. Alan sometimes told me stories. But I tried to forget them, as they were kind of sordid." She shivered. "I tried to get him to be more discreet, you know. Not that there's anything wrong with how he lived but..." Her mouth was set in a hard line. Clearly Ms. Holt did not approve of hot model boys performing for her boss' gratification. "One more question, if I may. Did you find it odd to learn that Mr. Singer was Mr. Spencer's sole heir?" Her perfectly made-up lips twisted into a small sneer. "I think everyone found it odd," she finally said, obviously trying not to speak ill of the dead. "Alan was a very trusting man. Look where it got him." 81

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Greg hadn't expected a publicist to make a wrong verbal turn, but he had to try. "Thank you for your time, Ms. Holt," he said, standing and holding out his card. "If you think of anything that might be useful to our investigation, please don't hesitate to call me." She stood, took the card gingerly and shook Greg's hand. "I will. Thank you for your hard work, Detective. Alan didn't deserve this." He held her hand firmly for a moment longer than was typically customary. "The person responsible will be punished. Good day," he added, releasing her hand finally. Ms. Holt frowned slightly and nodded. "Goodbye." [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Six It was unseasonably cool the next morning as Greg stood at Alan Spencer's graveside. He hunched into the inky black suit jacket, his funeral suit. The crowd was substantial, as he'd expected it would be. Impossibly thin and fashionable people dressed in black, looking serious and suitably subdued. There was even security arranged by the corporation that currently administered Spencer's interests. Greg didn't know who'd planned the thing. All he knew was that the man he quite possibly loved stood at the front, looking pale and fragile. He couldn't spend his time watching Sidney. Everyone was there, and he had to keep his eyes and ears open. He hovered near the edge of the mourners, taking in every detail he could. He made a mental note of each reaction, the faces of all the players in this drama. It could have been a scene from a movie, with all the beautiful people and the palms waving against the stunning backdrop of the Hollywood Hills. Even the Hollywood sign had a role; the breeze seemed to have cleared the ever present haze and the letters looked bright and clear on the hillside above them. He was glad when it was over. He hated funerals, and it brought to mind his morbid joke about having sex on a casket. That made him look at Sidney again. The others drifted off, getting into the line of cars waiting on the single lane road leading through the cemetery. But Sidney 83

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remained, looking down, arms hugged around his slender body. Greg retreated farther, standing beneath a nearby tree. Finally Sidney stepped forward and laid one white rose on the fresh grave, and turned to walk toward the one remaining limo. Greg stepped forward so that Sidney would see him. He didn't want to intrude if the other man wasn't in the mood to talk, but he wanted to talk to him. He looked awful, but beautiful at the same time. Drained. Sidney glanced up, startled. "Greg!" He looked happy, then his expression fell. "I didn't know you were here." For a moment, Greg felt a surge of happiness at Sidney's reaction. He moved closer. "Yeah. I felt like I should come. Are you all right?" he asked, stepping closer still. "You look pale." Sidney laughed self-deprecatingly. "I've been better," he commented. He looked into Greg's eyes, then back at the ground. "It was a nice service." Greg nodded. He could see the pain in Sidney's eyes, and he felt a twinge of jealousy for a dead man. "It was. Can I walk you to your car?" he asked gently. "Sure," Sidney shrugged, and began to walk again. "The weather could have been better." He glanced up at the sky, then faltered. "Fuck." "What's wrong?" Greg asked instantly alert. He moved a fraction closer, watching Sidney closely. Sidney looked white as a sheet. "Dizzy," he mumbled, stopping where he was. "It will pass in a minute." 84

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Greg saw Sidney start to collapse. It seemed like it was going in slow motion as his legs buckled beneath him. Greg reached for him, and a moment later he had an armful of Sidney. He scooped him up under shoulders and knees. "Sidney!" he called out, carrying him briskly towards the waiting limo. "Sidney, wake up!" His instinct was to panic, but that had long been trained out of him. He got him safely into the limo with the help of the driver, then barked orders to head to the closest hospital. He kneeled beside the plush leather seat, feeling for Sidney's pulse. It was thready, but still strong. "Sidney," he said insistently. "We're heading to the hospital. Try to wake up." Greg knew that it was faster to go in the waiting vehicle, but he pulled out his cell and called ahead to the hospital. In minutes they were pulling up to the emergency entrance. A stretcher met them by the door. As they put Sidney on the stretcher, he woke. "Greg?" he croaked, looking around desperately. Greg came up to the side of the stretcher. "You passed out, Sidney. You're at the hospital," he explained, touching his hand. He could feel hysteria lurking in his stomach, but he pushed it down. Holding it together was what he was best at. "Don't leave me," Sidney said, eyes wide. "Please, Greg." He clutched at Greg's hand. Sidney's plea was like a knife through Greg's heart. It was then that it occurred to him that none of Sidney's friends really went near him at the funeral. No one was waiting for him. No one was watching out for him. Except Greg. "I won't 85

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leave you," he said, following along beside the stretcher. When a nurse tried to shoo him away, he pulled out his badge. It was good for a host of things, but he didn't abuse it like some did. They wheeled Sidney into a curtained cubicle. Greg stayed to one side, holding his hand, while they came in to draw blood from the other arm. "What did you eat today?" he asked, hovering close, gazing into Sidney's eyes. Sidney winced as the needle was withdrawn, and he shrugged. "Does coffee count?" Another nurse came in and started asking Sidney some of the questions Greg had wanted to ask. When did the dizziness start? When was his last meal? Did he have any alcoholic beverages or prescription drugs? They took his vital signs and another nurse came in and started an intravenous line in the back of his hand. They hooked him up to a bag of fluids, then retreated. Greg noticed how ravaged Sidney really looked under the harsh lights. "I know it's not a good day in general, but, seriously. When was the last time you ate a decent meal?" he pressed. "You look like a ghost." His thumb brushed lightly back and forth over Sidney's unassaulted hand. Sidney shrugged again, trying to smile up at Greg. "You know us models, we never eat." He closed his eyes for a moment, wincing, then opened them again. "Thank you. If you hadn't been there..." He trailed off, looking away. "The guys with the shovels would have called 911," he said, smirking. He reached out with his other hand and smoothed Sidney's hair back from his forehead. The rest of 86

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the picture was falling into place. Of course Alan Spencer loved this man. He took care of him. For all of Sidney's hints at being a top, he needed to be taken care of. And Greg wanted to do it. "If you're just dehydrated, you probably won't have to stay here long," he said. Sidney's eyes filled with tears, and he looked away. "Just in time to go to prison," he whispered. "I told you I wouldn't let that happen." He leaned closer. "Don't you believe me anymore?" he asked. He knew that this had something to do with the other night. But Sidney wasn't the type to make things easy, and romance was the one subject Greg had consistently failed at. "I do believe you," Sidney replied, looking up at Greg for a long moment before looking away again. "But—" At that moment, orderlies came in, prepared to move Sidney to a room. Greg stepped back to get out of the way. He wanted to know what Sidney was going to say, but he couldn't ask now. He followed behind the stretcher, up an elevator, to a small secluded room on the second floor. They helped Sidney into a proper bed, and arranged his IV tubes neatly, then they were left alone again. "But what?" he asked, sitting uneasily on the edge of the chair beside the bed. Sidney looked up at Greg blearily. "I just, there's no point, is there?" Greg wasn't sure what he meant. "No point in not going to jail?" he asked, astonished. He frowned.

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Sidney shrugged, wincing as the IV pulled. "I'm all alone," he whispered, voice barely audible. "You don't want me..." He closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep. Greg gasped. He didn't want to wake him, but he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Sidney had a half a dozen friends. Why would Greg matter that much in the scheme of things? There was so much he wanted to say, but now Sidney was finally resting. He drew a shuddering breath and sat back in the chair. He would wait until Sidney was released, no matter how long that was. **** They woke him at dinner time with a tray of bland hospital food. Greg rubbed his eyes and stretched. Already Sidney looked healthier. He gave him a wan smile. "I'm authorized to use deadly force if you don't eat something," he joked. Sidney scowled down at the tray. "I don't recognize what any of this is," he complained, pouting. He picked up his fork and stabbed at something resembling mashed potatoes. "Well, ya see, you could have had anything you wanted to eat, but now you're stuck with this. It's your own fault." He folded his arms over his chest. He wanted to take care of Sidney. He wanted to bring him home and tuck him into his own bed and watch over him forever. Keep him safe and happy. Sidney smiled weakly at Greg. "You're so mean to me," he protested. "You think I like having needles stuck in me?" He waved his wrist at Greg, then stopped as the needle tugged. "Ow." 88

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"You should have thought of that when you went on a hunger strike," he said, playfully sticking out his tongue. "You need to take care of yourself, and if you won't, I'm clearly gonna have to force you." "Ooh, police brutality," Sidney said, smiling as he took a few more bites. Greg nodded gravely. "That's right. Under this mildmannered exterior I'm really one badass motherfucker," he said, tone completely deadpan. "You should watch your step." Giggling, Sidney made a show of eating a few more bites. Then he put the fork down and looked at Greg challengingly. "You gonna rough up a man in a hospital bed?" Greg moved closer and perched on the edge of the mattress. "I'm hoping it won't come to that." He took the spoon and scooped some Jell-o onto it, then leaned close. "Are you gonna be difficult?" It was lovely to hear Sidney laugh. He wanted to hear more of it. Sidney wrinkled his nose at the Jell-o. "Do you know how much sugar is in that?" he protested. "Do you want me to get fat?" He patted his flat, muscled belly. "Yes," Greg replied mildly. "Suck it down." He moved the spoon closer to Sidney's lips. Sidney raised an eyebrow and purred, "I'm not usually the one doing the sucking." He flicked out his tongue to taste the Jell-o. Greg's pulse sped at that statement. He knew that flirting was important to Sidney. He was getting to know him better. Starting to understand. "But right now, I'm the one with the long, hard gun," he said, lips twitching. 89

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"Mmm," moaned Sidney. "How can I refuse when you talk dirty to me?" He opened his mouth, waiting for Greg to feed him. Greg slid the spoon gingerly between Sidney's lips. "There's a good boy," he whispered. He could feel his heartbeat in his throat. Even in a hospital bed without makeup, and pale as the sheets, Sidney was sex incarnate. Sidney sucked the Jell-o off the spoon and smirked up at Greg. "I prefer being a bad boy, actually," he said hoarsely. Greg got another spoonful of Jell-o, arching an eyebrow. "I noticed." He held the spoon out. "So what do you think it would take to mend your delinquent ways?" he asked, leaning in again. He gazed into Sidney's eyes, thinking about the conversation they'd been having when Sidney had fallen asleep. Sidney stared back for a long moment before whispering, "A good man?" Then he leaned forward and ate the spoonful of Jell-o, licking his lips. Greg felt like he could barely breathe. His gaze dipped down to Sidney's lips for a moment, then back to his eyes. "You're in luck," he said quietly. "I think I know one." Sidney shook his head, looking down. "He's surely too good for me, then," he said sadly. Greg took another spoonful of Jell-o. If nothing else, he felt relieved that he was getting Sidney to eat. "No. He's not too good for you. Maybe he just wants to be sure he won't have to share you with anyone else." Looking at him with wide eyes, Sidney answered, "That could be arranged." 90

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Greg bit his lip. "Are you sure that's what you would want?" he asked, barely breathing. "What I want is him. Only him. No one else." Sidney's answer was unequivocal. That gave Greg pause. He stilled, his expression growing serious. "You know, I'm not real good with words. Nine times out of ten I will put my foot in my mouth. So. I'm gonna say something, and I want you to really think about it and not jump to all the wrong conclusions. I don't think there's anything wrong or immoral about how you choose to live your life. But the first thing a cop learns is that words are easy. Actions are hard. I understand people by looking at what they do, not what they say. And I try to do the things that I think are right." He paused for a moment to gather his thoughts. "If you want to change the way you live your life, the only person standing in your way is you. I'm not going anywhere, but the best I can do for you right now is find the person that murdered Alan Spencer." He searched Sidney's eyes, hoping for understanding. At least he couldn't run away this time. Sidney took in Greg's words, tears welling afresh in his eyes. He nodded, and finally whispered, "I understand." Greg wasn't really convinced he did. He sighed and put down the spoon. "I think if you really did, you wouldn't be crying," he said quietly. He reached out and cupped Sidney's cheek, brushing a tear away with his thumb. "But you have to trust me, Sidney." "I do trust you," Sidney answered, whimpering at Greg's touch. "But life isn't that simple. I can't think past the fact that I might go to prison for something I didn't do." 91

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"And that you just lost someone you love. And that you're in the hospital with a needle in your arm? I know you have a lot on your plate right now. You need to concentrate on staying healthy. I'll concentrate on keeping you out of prison. And when we overcome those hurdles, well, then things can be different." "You're right, of course," Sidney said, his voice sounding steadier. No more tears fell, though he kept his eyes cast downward. Greg knew that Sidney wasn't really hearing what he was saying. However, just as he asked Sidney to trust him, he had to trust Sidney, too. He had to trust that if he really wanted him, they would work it out somehow. Trust that if he wanted to be with Greg he would know that meant no one else. "You should try to get some sleep," he said quietly. "I'll be right here." He moved off the bed and sat in the chair again. "Hoping the cemetery isn't towing my car," he joked. Sidney leaned back against the pillows. "Thank you," he said quietly. He closed his eyes. Greg tried to get comfortable. He'd slept in chairs before. After an hour or so of watching Sidney sleep, he drifted off, too. [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Seven In the morning Sidney was discharged, and instructed to rest for a few days and eat. Greg got them a taxi and went with him to the condo. Then he had to go home to shower and change and get to work. He had a plan, and he couldn't do it at Sidney's condo. He didn't want to leave him, but he had work to do. When he was cleaned up, he headed to the station and took care of some paperwork, then around noon he headed back over to the home of Chris Edwards. He tapped on the door, hoping the young man cared enough about Sidney to help him. The door opened, and Chris smiled with recognition. "Ooh, it's the detective who won't show me his gun," he purred. "What can I do for you today?" he asked. Greg blushed when he saw him, remembering where he'd seen him last. "Do you have a few moments to talk, Mr. Edwards?" he asked. "Anything for you," the man smiled, letting him in. Chris was dressed more conservatively than Greg was used to seeing him, in simple black slacks and a white shirt. The ends of his brown hair were still damp, and he wore his makeup sparingly. "I'll try not to take up too much of your time," he said as he stepped inside the apartment for the second time. "I was wondering if I could enlist your help on a little project." Chris smiled more widely. "Like I said, anything to help an officer of the law. Come, sit down. Can I get you anything?" 93

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"No, I'm fine. Thanks." Greg was exhausted, but fueled by hope. He took a seat on the small couch. "Andrew Dowling has denied that he was with Sidney on the night of the twenty-first. I believe that he's lying, and I was wondering if you would help me get him to admit it. Obviously he's not going to just admit it to a police detective, but perhaps if it was after hours, and someone he knows and trusts more was there. And if he had a few drinks..." Chris sat as close as possible without actually touching Greg. "Oooh. So you want me to get him drunk and get the truth out of him?" he giggled. "So you believe that Sidney really was with him that night?" The light tone was suddenly more serious. "Yes. I believe he was with Sidney at the time Mr. Spencer was killed. If he will just admit it, the District Attorney will have to drop the charges against Sidney," he said earnestly. Chris scooted closer. "So you do believe he's innocent, then?" he breathed, looking into Greg's eyes. Greg nodded slowly. "I do. I know he is, in fact. All I have to do is find a way to prove it," he said quietly. Chris' beauty seemed smooth and generic in comparison to Sidney's, and though he was close, Greg was not tempted this time. "Will you help me?" he asked. "How exciting!" Chris enthused. "And I get to be part of your secret plans?" He wrapped his hands around Greg's bicep. "If you're willing," he said hopefully. "I can come pick you up at an appropriate time, say ten o'clock?" he asked. 94

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Chris clapped his hands. "It just so happens I'm free," he said. "But how do we know where Andrew will be? What's your plan?" "I was hoping you could start a rumor of some kind. Something that would entice him. Two-dollar shots or, I don't know. Any ideas? What would make him want to particularly go to the club?" Chris rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Cheap liquor would do it." He looked Greg up and down. "No offense, but. You're not going to the club dressed like that, are you?" He sounded skeptical. Greg looked down at his clothes. "Well, no. I was gonna put on jeans," he said with a shrug. "I don't have a lot of scenewear, I'm afraid. That's vice, not homicide." Chris sighed. "We're gonna have to take you shopping, that's all there is to it." Greg smirked. "Oh, we are, are we? Well, I wouldn't want to embarrass you." He patted Chris' knee. "I can see you're going somewhere. What time do you want me to come back to pick you up?" he asked. Chris leaned back. "How about seven? Hopefully that's enough time to make you over." "Okay. Seven it is." He stood up. He gave Chris a smile. "Thank you for helping me." Chris unfolded himself from the couch and hugged Greg briefly. "Anytime, sweetie. See you." Greg hugged back briefly. "See you at seven." He stepped back and slipped out the door again. He returned to the station and made a few more calls and read some more reports. Getting Andrew to admit the truth would buy him 95

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time. The prosecutor refused to even contemplate a deal, and the trial date was coming up quickly because it was such a high profile case. If he could just get Sidney off, he would have time to find the real killer. **** He stopped at home for a quick shower, then stopped at Starbucks for a couple of lattes. He brought one to Chris' place, and tapped on the door again. The door opened immediately, and Chris was waiting for him. "Detective," he breathed, smirking. "Are you ready?" Greg's eyes widened when he saw Chris. He was wearing shiny vinyl pants that left nothing to the imagination, and a silky blue shirt that was nearly see-through. He had on more makeup than before. "Latte?" he said, holding up the cup in offering. "Mmm, I love a man bearing coffee," he said, accepting the cup. "I don't have a huge amount of money for new clothes, so go easy on me, okay?" he said, taking a sip of his own. "Let's do it." He stood back to lead Chris to his car. "Oh, honey, this is on me," Chris said, catching Greg's arm and steering him over to a black Range Rover. "And I'm driving. If anyone saw me in that," he nodded toward Greg's car, "I'd never live it down." Greg laughed. "Damn. Pity I'm not hot. That's clearly where the money is." He headed towards the SUV and climbed in. 96

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Chris reached over and patted him on the leg. "You're adorable, Detective. And you have that whole protective cop thing going on. Don't tell me you don't get laid all the time." He began driving far too quickly. Greg reached out and held onto the dashboard. He remembered too late the background report and how many speeding tickets Chris had gotten. "Yeah, well, I hate to tell you you're wrong, but you're wrong," he said, checking his seat belt. "I could set you up with any number of hotties," Chris offered, glancing over at Greg. "Any flavor you want." He cut off a Mercedes and cheerfully flipped off the driver when he honked. "No. I don't do the casual thing." It sounded stupid to his own ears. He wanted to tell Chris that he was in love with Sidney, but since he hadn't even told Sidney yet, he thought it wasn't such a great idea. "Look, don't get us pulled over, okay?" Chris laughed. "What better time to speed than when I have a cute cop in the car?" He grinned at his alliteration. "I can get out of anything." "Yeah, but I don't want anyone to know how I'm gonna get Andrew to change his testimony," he explained. Chris sighed and slowed down fractionally. "Is that better?" he asked as he squealed around a corner. "You know, I could give you a ticket, too," he said, grinning. He was having a surprisingly good time. He just hoped it worked. 97

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"Promises promises," Chris giggled, then pulled up in front of a fancy men's clothing store. The valet attendant approached and Chris got out, tossing him the keys. Greg instantly felt out of place. He climbed out of the car and looked at the front of the store. He was sure most of the clothes in there would be far too expensive for him. "Chris," he said doubtfully. "Maybe this wasn't such a great idea." Chris ignored his protests, grabbing his arm and steering him into the store. "Hush now. Let me get you all fixed up." He looked around before pulling him over to a rack of pants. He looked at Greg then back at the pants, selecting a very small size. Greg looked at the pants, then back up at Chris. "I'm gonna need pliers to get the zipper up on those," he said, smirking. "Not to mention oxygen to breathe." "Oxygen is overrated," Chris replied, shoving a few pairs of pants into Greg's arms before heading toward a rack of flashy shirts. "I feel like I'm in that movie Miss Congeniality or something," he said, laughing nervously. "What the hell are those?" he asked, pointing to a rack of thong swim trunks in every color of the rainbow. Chris looked at what Greg was indicating, and winced. "You don't want those, honey. No one looks good in that." He pulled out a few shirts and handed them to Greg. "Let's go try these on, see what you think." He was already heading for the dressing rooms. Greg followed behind, arms full. "I didn't mean I wanted them," he said, blushing. He glanced at a price tag on one of 98

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the shirts. "Oh, damn." It was about the equivalent of a week's pay. He trailed behind Chris, who seemed to be having the time of his life. Chris shoved Greg into one of the cubicles with the clothes. "Now, try them on. Then come out and show me." He smirked. "Unless you want me to come in and help." "No, I got it," he called out. He hung each item up on the hook inside the fitting room and started to undress. He tried on the first pair of pants, a velvety black fabric, but it was almost impossible to get his boxers tucked into them. "These are too tight," he said, stepping out shirtless with the fabric of his underwear bunched up in weird clumps around his thighs, and sticking out at the top. Chris snickered. "You have got to be kidding, sweetie. Boxers? Oh my God." He covered his mouth with his hand. "Take them off." Greg looked around for a salesperson, then lowered his voice. "That's gotta be against the rules. You can't just try on brand new clothes with nothing on underneath them, Chris." Chris put his hands on his hips. "Then we'll just have to buy them all and try them on later," he shrugged. Greg frowned and retreated back behind the swinging door. "Fine. Have it your way," he grumbled. He stripped off the pants and his boxers, the put the pants back on again. They were extremely snug, but they did fit better without the shorts. He pulled on one of the shirts and buttoned it up, then stepped out again, folding his arms over his chest. "Well?"

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Whistling appreciatively, Chris walked slowly around Greg. "Nice. Edible," he added as he walked behind him, patting his ass. "We'll definitely have those." Greg wondered what Sidney would think of them. He looked at himself in the mirror. The pants revealed every line and curve of his body. Except for the parts it didn't quite cover, like his hip bones. "Don't you think a longer shirt would be better with this?" he asked, looking down. "I feel kinda naked." "Certainly not," Chris grinned, standing behind him and leering. "Naked is a good thing." Greg ran his hand down his own black velvet clad hip. "So do you think I look good in these? Like, I don't look like a cop? Do you think Sidney will like them?" he asked. He felt uncertain and self-conscious. He wanted reassurance. Chris raised an eyebrow. "Sidney? Well, well. Yeah, I know he'll like them. And you look super hot, trust me. Not like a cop at all." He rubbed against Greg from behind. Greg stepped away and slipped into the dressing room with a coy smile. "No touching," he called out. "And no peeking." He peeled off the pants and tried on the next pair. "You're no fun," called out Chris, trying to look over the top of the curtain. Next Greg came out in bright purple pants and a stretchy black t-shirt. Again the outfit clung to him like skin. He stood a little stiffly in front of the mirror. "Obviously people don't do a lot of sitting down at these places, huh."

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"You can sit down when you're dead," Chris declared, gazing at Greg's body again. "You were hiding a hot little body under those bad suits, Detective. We need those, too." Greg changed back into his regular clothes. He let Chris buy him one pair of pants, but the other pair he stubbornly paid for himself, including the two shirts, and he drew the line there. He followed Chris back outside where the truck was waiting for them again, and he climbed in. "So which should I wear tonight?" he asked as he buckled his seatbelt securely again. "The first outfit," Chris said immediately. "We'll go to my place and get you ready." He tore off down the street again, narrowly missing several pedestrians. Greg was tempted to kiss the ground when they finally stopped. He brought his shopping bags into Chris' apartment with him and disappeared into the bathroom to change. He came out in the black velvet pants and clingy shirt. "You're sure I don't look completely ridiculous?" he asked. It wasn't exactly his style. Chris looked him over. "Oh, baby. I think maybe I should just keep you here, all to myself," he said, grinning. Greg rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right. This is only so I won't stand out like a sore thumb. You're the eye candy. Not me," he said with a smirk. "I can see what Sidney sees in you," Chris replied. "Let's go get pretty Andrew wasted, shall we?" He took Greg's arm and steered him toward the door. Greg let himself be led along. He felt different in the new clothes. He didn't want to admit it, but he kind of felt sexy. 101

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He only wished Sidney could see him. "What do you mean 'what Sidney sees in me'?" he asked as he climbed into the SUV again. Chris looked at Greg shrewdly. "He couldn't stop talking about you," he replied. The Rover squealed out of the parking lot. Greg felt his heart thudding in his chest, and only partially from the fear that Chris' driving was going to kill them both. He gripped the dash again. "Well, I'm new, I guess. To him, anyway." "Yeah, that and the whole you saving his ass thing," Chris smirked. "He calls you his knight." He rolled his eyes. "I swear he thinks he's in some kind of fairy tale sometimes." He giggled. "Fairy tale. Get it?" "I didn't save his ass yet. Hopefully we'll be doing that shortly." He felt warm inside to know that Sidney had discussed him with his friends. He wanted to ask Chris more questions about it, but he didn't want to look too desperate. "So you're sure Andrew is gonna be there?" Chris shrugged. "Won't know till we get there. But I think I laid the trap pretty well." He grinned over at Greg. "So do you have a, shall we say, more personal interest in saving Sidney's lovely ass?" Greg glanced at him. "Yes," he said flatly, not elaborating further. He'd said as much to Sidney, after all. It wasn't exactly a secret. Chris smiled triumphantly, and didn't comment further.

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They arrived at the club without further incident, and all in one piece. Chris breezed past the line, tugging Greg along behind him. Greg half-stumbled after him into the darkness of the club. He leaned close to Chris' ear to be heard. "Why don't you have to wait on the line?" he asked. Chris snorted and spread his arms. "Just look at me," he said, as if it explained everything. Greg frowned. "Wait, you mean you get to cut the line just because you're hot? That's totally unfair," he protested. He'd suspected it was something like that, and he felt the irritation on behalf of plain people everywhere. "Pretty much," nodded Chris. "The club likes to have pretty people on the dance floor." He was looking around, scanning the crowd. "If he's here, he'll be by the main bar." It was always useful when a witness had an addiction. Greg followed Chris through the crowd, towards the bar. It was slightly elevated and covered with neon underlighting all the way around in electric greens and blues. Greg spotted Andrew to their right, and he put his hand on Chris' elbow to point him out. "You should get him to do a couple of shots before he sees me," he suggested in Chris' ear. Chris nodded and sashayed off toward Andrew. Greg stayed out of Andrew's line of vision, but close enough to observe. He watched Chris buying the handsome young man drinks, flirting with him, rubbing up against him. The boy was natural at seduction. Greg could feel people staring at him, and he thought maybe it was still obvious that 103

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he was a cop, even in the clothes Chris had bought him. He sighed, wanting to get it over with as soon as possible. Then Chris half-dragged Andrew out onto the dance floor. Greg followed, and hovered near the edge. The music was infectious, and before he knew it, his hips were moving to the beat. And then, a complete stranger took hold of his elbow and tugged him onto the dance floor. He had no choice but to go. Luckily, they were in the vicinity of Chris and Andrew, which Greg thought worked out quite well. Chris caught Greg's eye as they danced, and he winked at him. Then Chris turned, rubbing his ass against Andrew, then gave him his own drink when Andrew's own was empty. Then after a few more songs, Andrew began to drag Chris off the dance floor, toward a dark corner table. Chris raised his eyebrows at Greg and inclined his head. Greg excused himself from his unexpected dance partner, and followed Chris and Andrew. When he saw them slide into seats, he hovered by the table. "Chris, hey. How's it going?" he said casually, as if it was random coincidence that he ran into him. Andrew looked up blearily. "Hey, you're that cop—" Chris interrupted smoothly. "Hello, Detective. Fancy seeing you here. Please, join us." Greg slid into a chair across from them. "Hey, do you guys need a drink? I'm thirsty," he suggested. Might as well keep him going, give Andrew a moment to absorb the fact that he and Chris sort of knew each other, and emphasize the fact that he wasn't technically on duty. No, Greg didn't lie, but that didn't mean he couldn't be sneaky on occasion. 104

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"Mm ... yeah. Couple of shots of Jager? One for me, two for Andrew? We really got thirsty from all that ... dancing." He put his hand on Andrew's thigh under the table. Andrew swallowed hard and blushed, but didn't move Chris' hand. "Yeah," he said faintly. "Back in a second," he said, smiling. He slipped through the crowd as quickly as possible, pushed up to the bar and ordered, then returned to the table clutching four shots, and a bottle of beer under his arm. He slid into the seat across from Chris again, setting the small glasses down carefully. "Busy, huh?" He put his beer down and picked up one of the shot glasses. "To days off," he said, holding it up. Chris was even closer to Andrew now, practically on his lap. "Cheers," he said, picking up his glass and taking a sip before giving the rest to Andrew. Andrew swallowed, then downed another, looking back and forth between Chris and Greg. "Andrew, right?" Greg said, putting his shot glass down. He held out his hand to the other man. "I'm Greg. Sorry about the other day." Andrew shook his hand, then looked at Chris. "You two know each other?" The unspoken question was obvious. Chris giggled. "Not like that, but yeah. Greg's a great guy. He's trying to help Sidney." Greg blushed when he realized what Andrew meant. "Oh. No. Not ... yeah. I wish there was just some way to prove that he didn't have time to get from here all the way home and back again, you know? Cause if he just had an alibi, there'd be no case against him." He was hoping that Andrew 105

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was drunk enough that he wouldn't realize how obvious Greg was being. Andrew smirked. "Yeah, not even Chris could drive that fast, cause I kept Sidney pretty busy that night—" He stopped and went pale. Chris bit his lip and looked at Greg as if to warn him to tread carefully. Greg looked over at Chris, then back at Andrew. "You know, he could go to prison for a really long time. He's been so depressed and frightened, he actually collapsed after the funeral because he hasn't eaten anything in days," he said. He took a swig of beer. "It's a damn shame. He obviously loved the guy. I really don't think he would have killed him. But you know what a jury will think." Chris nodded. "Poor Sidney. I don't even want to think what will happen to him in prison." He pouted prettily. Andrew frowned, clearly trying to gather his wits. "He's not really gonna go to jail, is he?" "Well, yeah. His time is unaccounted for between onethirty and two-thirty. Spencer was shot at two a.m. No one saw him during that time. And you know it's in so many newspapers, the District Attorney wants to run for mayor next year. He's gonna push to get the maximum. He'll be in there for years." Greg shivered and shook his head. Just thinking about it made his skin crawl. The idea of beautiful Sidney in a place like that. He took another sip of beer. "It's a damn shame, but my hands are tied, you know? I've been looking for evidence that could get him off, but it still all comes back to the fact that no one will testify that they saw him during 106

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that period of time." He could almost feel Andrew weakening, and he just had to drive the point home. "The worst part is, if someone did see him and came forward, they'd never even have to go to court. The DA would have to drop the case if he had an alibi." Chris picked up on that immediately. "Really?" he asked breathlessly. "They wouldn't have to testify in court? I bet they wouldn't have to even admit they were doing anything." His hand slid up higher. "Naughty." "Probably not," he agreed. "After all, if only Sidney and the other person know, they could say they were talking or whatever. What they were doing isn't as important as when they were doing it, you know?" he said, addressing Chris. "God, you know what happens to good-looking guys in prison, right?" Andrew went paler. "Its not really as bad as they say, is it?" he asked softly. Greg raised his eyebrows for a moment, then leaned in, crooking his finger at Andrew to come closer. "It's worse. There's a hierarchy, just like in the jungle. Whichever big, ugly motherfucker has the most people scared is the one that gets to choose the prettiest boyfriend. And you know Sidney is gonna be in demand. He'll be lucky if he survives his sentence. He'll probably have some disease within the first year, I'd guess." Andrew gasped. "But it's not fair! He's not guilty!" He looked down and said, "He was with me. I was scared to admit it." 107

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Greg reached over and put his hand over Andrew's. "It's okay. I kinda understand. But you're the only one who can prove that Sidney is innocent other than the person who's actually guilty, and somehow I don't think they're gonna be rushing in to help, you know?" Andrew swallowed hard. "Do you know who did it?" Greg didn't want to give anything away. Important information might slip away if he gave anyone an idea of what he was thinking. "Not yet. I just know it wasn't Sidney," he said with conviction. Chris nodded and said encouragingly. "You can help Sidney. No one will know anything." Andrew took a deep breath and nodded. "What do I have to do?" "Tomorrow morning just come into the station and ask for me. I'll take your statement and bring it to the DA. Then you should inform Sidney's attorney, just in case the DA drags their feet about getting the case dropped." Greg felt relief come over him, even though it was going to piss off the captain. They would have to drop the charges against Sidney. He could hardly wait to tell him. But he wanted to have Andrew's signed statement in hand before he did that. Andrew nodded, and Chris hugged him. "You're doing the right thing, baby. I'll come with you if you want." Andrew nodded again, then looked at Greg. "I'm sorry I lied. I was scared. I don't want Sidney to go to prison. Make sure he doesn't, okay?" Chris smiled at Greg. 108

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Greg nodded. "I'd better, 'cause I already promised him he wouldn't." He smirked, then gave Chris a wink. [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Eight Sidney slept most of the day, but there was only so much sleeping he could do. He never watched TV, and after a half hour of flipping around the channels he remembered why. Everything was insipid or just plain offensive. He couldn't concentrate on reading and he didn't feel strong enough to work out. It seemed the longest day of his life. He almost called Greg a dozen times, but every time he called up his number on his address book he only stared at it. Greg didn't want him. He was only helping him because that's the kind of person he was: he wouldn't let an innocent man go to prison. That comforted Sidney, but he wanted more. He knew now that Greg was at least slightly attracted to him, but not enough. Not enough to get past the fast that Sidney was a slut. He'd never felt like a slut before, even when he had multiple partners. It was all consensual, and everyone was into it. He'd never felt like he wasn't good enough before. Until now. And he didn't like it. So part of him missed Greg intensely, but the rest of him was ashamed, and a little upset with Greg for making him feel like trash. Even though he was sure that hadn't been Greg's intention, it was the result. It was nearing dawn, and normally Sidney would just about be going to bed. He had a long soak in the hot tub until he felt sleepy again, and wrapped himself in a white fluffy robe. 110

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Sidney almost jumped out of his skin when the doorbell rang. Who would be at his door at three AM? He hoped, but it couldn't be. He hurried to the door, still in his robe, and opened it a crack. It was Greg. Happiness and sadness washed over him simultaneously. "Hi," he said, opening the door wider. Greg was dressed differently than when he'd last seen him, but he couldn't quite see him in the dim porch light. "Hi. I'm sorry to come over so late. I wanted to see how you were feeling." He leaned against the doorframe gazing at Sidney. "You look healthier than yesterday." Sidney shrugged, trying to pretend that seeing Greg wasn't tearing him into pieces. "I'm all right. Bored out of my mind. Um, you want to come in?" He stepped back, opening the door wider. Greg pushed off and stepped inside. "You should probably be sleeping," he said, slurring just slightly. "Did you eat today like you were supposed to?" he asked. Sidney's eyes widened as he got a good look at Greg. He was poured into skintight black velvet pants and a tight shirt. He looked good enough to eat. Sidney had never imagined Greg would dress like this. He felt his body react immediately. On top of that, Greg seemed to be drunk. Sidney felt a stab of jealousy. Clearly Greg had been out, looking for something. Something Sidney wanted to give him, but apparently Greg wanted from someone else. He blinked back tears and said, "Yes. I ate. Do you want something to drink? Coffee?" He tried to keep the hurt out of his voice, and he resolved to not 111

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ask Greg where he'd been. It was none of his business. He felt empty inside. "Maybe I should have some coffee," he said, raking his bangs back off his forehead. He smirked. "Aren't you gonna ask about the clothes?" he asked, holding his arms out. "I thought a fashionable guy like you would notice something like that," he added with a charming grin. "You look great, of course I noticed," Sidney said, heading for the kitchen. He pulled out the coffee beans and grinder and said over his shoulder, "Looks like you had a great time tonight." He tried to keep the reproach out of his voice. It wasn't easy. Greg followed him, grinning stupidly. "I did. I had the best time. And I can tell you all about it tomorrow." He leaned his hip against the kitchen counter, folding his arms across his chest. "Are you jealous?" he asked, tipping his head a little. Sidney could only stare at Greg. He'd thought he knew him, but he'd obviously been wrong. He had the overwhelming urge to burst into tears, but he wasn't a little girl and he wasn't going to act like one. On the outside anyway. "Would it make you happy if I was?" he said as coldly as he could manage in his present state. How could he be so cruel, after rejecting Sidney? Had he just come by to flaunt the fact that he looked good? Had he gone out to get laid? Greg's smile faded. "No. I wasn't trying to make you jealous, and I don't see why you would be. It just seemed like you were." He frowned slightly. 112

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Sidney bit his lip. The coffee started to brew and he turned to face Greg, putting on a brave face. "I just never knew you had such amazing taste in clothes," he said quietly. "They look really good on you." "I don't. Your friend Chris took me shopping. I needed to not look like a cop." He bit his lip. "Like I said, I can tell you about it tomorrow. It might be something really good." He stared into Sidney's eyes. "You were with Chris?" Sidney hated the tone of his voice but he couldn't help himself. He was jealous as hell. If anything, Chris was sluttier than him. Why was Greg out with him? Greg nodded. "Yes. He was helping me with something," he said defensively. Sidney frowned. It seemed like a big secret that he wasn't a part of and he didn't like that. "Oh," he said softly. He turned and busied himself pouring the coffee into cups. "You know, you could tell me what's bothering you. Cause, honestly, I have no clue." He tried to stuff his hands down in his pockets but only made it to the first knuckle. Sidney put his hands on his hips. "What's wrong? Maybe I'm being framed for murder? That tends to put a person in a bad mood, sorry." He didn't want to be bitchy but it just came out. Greg was out partying and he was alone. Greg accepted one of the cups and took a sip of black coffee. "Well, it's good to see you're feeling better," he said. "It seemed like you were upset with me, but if not then it's all good." 113

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Sidney's mouth dropped open and he shut it forcibly. He felt the tears start to spill and he turned away to hide it. He hated feeling this way. "I just want this to be over," he whispered, hands clenched. He had been so happy to see Greg, and now he was ruining it. Greg put his cup down and took a step closer. He put his hands on Sidney's shoulders and turned him to face him again, then pulled him into his arms. "I know you do," he said quietly. "I know you do. It'll be over soon, I promise." It was more than Sidney could take. His emotions were raw and his nerves were shot. He missed Alan, and he felt so alone, and he was in love with Greg. He sobbed into the other man's expensive shirt, leaning on him completely. Greg rubbed Sidney's back slowly. He held him firmly against him. "It's okay. Let it out, Sidney." It felt so good to be held like this, so good it frightened Sidney. He'd always been so strong. He'd had to be. Since he'd come out to his parents and got kicked out of the house half an hour later, at the age of seventeen. He'd ran and ran and never looked back, always with only himself to rely on. He'd been lucky, but he'd also worked his ass off, hustling and pushing his way into advantageous situations. But now he was in a situation that he couldn't charm, flirt or bluff his way out of. Alan, the only man who had really loved him, was gone, and he hadn't even got to say goodbye. Now the man he loved was holding him so sweetly and all he could do was cry.

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"You've been through a lot in a short time," he said quietly. He rubbed his cheek against Sidney's hair, just keeping his arms firmly around him. Finally, Sidney got control of himself, and he looked up at Greg. "You'll always be my knight," he whispered, suddenly exhausted. Greg stared into Sidney's eyes from mere inches away. The corner of his mouth tugged up into a half smile. "Chris said you called me that," he said quietly. "I hope I can live up to it." "You already have," Sidney said, then interrupted himself by yawning. "Sorry," he said afterward. "I guess I'm more tired than I thought." "I should go. You need your rest. And I do, too, actually." He pulled back, hesitated, then leaned in to give Sidney a chaste peck on the lips. "Thanks for the coffee." Sidney's eyes widened. "Um. It's late, and you're tired. You can crash here if you want. The couch makes into a bed." His heart was pounding, and he hoped Greg didn't laugh at him, or take it the wrong way. Greg licked his lips. "Are you sure? I don't want to, I mean, I have to get up kinda early to get back home and shower and change. I can't go to work like this," he said, looking down at himself. "Even though this outfit probably cost as much as my entire collection of suits." Sidney smiled. "It would make me feel safe to have a knight sleeping on my couch," he joked, though it was really true. Just knowing Greg was nearby was ridiculously comforting. 115

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"Thanks. I am really exhausted. I shouldn't have driven, but I needed to know that you were okay." Sidney stepped back, leading Greg to a linen closet that held sheets and pillows. "Here you go, let's get you set up." He pulled out sheets and a comforter, wishing that Greg was actually here because he wanted to be, not because he was tired and concerned about him. But he was pathetic, and he'd take what he could get. "I don't need all this. I can just sleep on the couch as is. I don't have anything to sleep in but what I'm wearing, anyway." Sidney raised an eyebrow. "Sleep in those? I doubt it. You can borrow a pair of sweatpants. Come on." He went into his bedroom, opening drawers. Greg followed after him, hesitating at the doorway. "I would usually just wear my boxers, but I couldn't with these." He suppressed a yawn. "Too tight. How the hell do you wear these kinds of things all the time?" Sidney giggled. "Well, as a rule I don't wear underwear." He pulled out a pair of soft black pants. "And you get used to tight clothes. Here. These will be big but comfortable." "Thanks," he said, smiling. "Um, bathroom?" he asked. When Sidney pointed him in the right direction, he slipped inside and closed the door. A few moments later he came back out in the loose pants. They rode low on his hips, and he'd taken off the fancy shirt. "Umm, much better," he said. Sidney stared at Greg for a long moment before dragging his eyes away. "Yeah," he said faintly. "I'll just, um, I have to brush my teeth." He fled into the bathroom. It was the only 116

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way he could keep from ogling Greg. The detective was slender but lithely muscled. He was just exactly Sidney's type, and his body, half-naked like that, was enough to make Sidney instantly aroused. He did brush his teeth, then came back out again, hoping he hadn't freaked out his guest. Greg had slipped off to the living room again, and had the couch pulled out and was pulling the sheets across it, crawling across the mattress on hands and knees. Sidney stopped in his tracks when he saw Greg on his hands and knees, and his arousal returned. "Oh, my favorite position," he blurted, then blushed. "Sorry. Shutting up now," he said, turning around to go back into the bedroom. Greg gasped, then collapsed back onto the bed, covering his eyes with his hand. He grabbed the blanket and pulled it up over himself, then reached to turn off the light. Sidney climbed under the covers himself and turned out the light. "Night, Greg," he called out softly. "Thanks for being here." He wished he was really sleeping with him. "Night, Sidney," he said just loud enough to be heard. A few moments later he was softly snoring. It took Sidney a little longer to fall asleep, though. All he could think of was Greg's perfect body, and then him on his hands and knees. It had been a long time since he'd had sex; a long time for him, anyway, and his need was building up. His arousal hadn't abated, and as if on its own, his hand snaked down his body and wrapped around his traitorous cock. 117

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He'd changed into loose pants to sleep in, and they did nothing to hinder the movement of his hand. He stroked slowly, not really intending to jerk off with Greg right in the next room. But his cock ached, and so did his heart, and he sped up the movements of his hand as he let himself think about the sensual kisses they'd shared. Greg had moaned for him when Sidney had kissed his neck, and he wanted to hear more of those sounds. He pushed the covers off with one hand, then used it to pull his pants away from his body. He stroked faster now, biting his lip to keep quiet. He didn't want to wake Greg, but the idea of the handsome man right on the other side of the wall made him want this even more. He thought about what it would be like to touch Greg everywhere, to lie down with him, on top of him, slip between his legs, push them apart, slide inside... He arched up into his own hand, panting now, a soft moan escaping him as he abandoned himself to the fantasy of fucking Detective Wilson. It didn't take long. A few more strokes as he imagined plunging inside that tight body was all he needed, and he cried out softly as he came all over his own stomach. It was intense and just what he needed, though it left him feeling lonely. He grabbed a tissue and wiped himself off, then turned over and pulled the covers back up. He fell asleep only a few moments later. [Back to Table of Contents] 118

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Chapter Nine Greg slipped out of Sidney's place early, doing his best not to wake him. He closed up the sofa bed and left the blanket and sweatpants neatly folded on it, then slipped out to his car. An hour later he was showered and dressed again in his usual clothes, and striding purposefully into the station, Starbucks in hand. He wasn't expecting Andrew to show up first thing, but he was pleasantly surprised. He had given no inkling to the Captain. Chris stood next to him, dressed conservatively again. "Mr. Dowling," he said with a smile as he went to collect him at the front desk. "Follow me. We'll go to an interrogation room to talk." He avoided the term 'take your statement' in case the young man was still skittish. "Go on. I'll be waiting for you," Chris urged, with a smile at Greg. Andrew nodded, looking nervous, but he followed Greg behind the desk. Greg brought him back to one of the small rooms. "Do you want anything? Coffee? Water?" he asked. He wanted to put him at ease, make it clear that his testimony was appreciated. Andrew sat down, perched on the edge of a chair, and shook his head. "No. Can we just get this over with? I don't like police stations." He shifted, looking around. "Sure." Greg slid into the seat across from him, and he had a moment's déjà vu from the night before. He pulled out his 119

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dictation tape recorder and put it on the table. "Can you state for the record your full name, please?" "Andrew Michael Dowling," he replied, eyes fixed firmly on the table. "And did you see Sidney Singer on the night of the twentyfirst?" he asked, keeping the questions simple. Andrew nodded, then seemed to remember he was being recorded. "Yes. I did see Sidney." Greg smiled in what he hoped was an encouraging way. "Can you tell me where you saw Mr. Singer on the twentyfirst?" he asked. "At the club. Bar Noir." Andrew still wasn't looking up. "Inside the club?" he asked, hoping to get clarification that would prevent the DA from challenging the testimony, since no one admitted to seeing Andrew inside that night. Andrew sighed. "Well, not inside exactly." "Where did you see Mr. Singer that night?" he asked. "Um. I saw him in the parking lot. I was just getting out of my car, and he was walking to his, I suppose, and he saw me, and came over to talk to me." "And what time was this?" he asked. Andrew was doing very well, even though it was obvious he still didn't want to admit anything. "About one-thirty AM," Andrew said grudgingly. "I remember 'cause I'd just checked my voicemail and saw the time on my phone." Greg nodded, actually noticing the time was perfect. "And after he came over to you, what did you do?" he asked. 120

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"We talked. Sidney was always, well, he liked to talk. He was kinda drunk, you know, laughing and teasing and flirting." "Was this standing in the parking lot? Or did you talk inside a car?" he asked. He wanted it to be clear that no one else could have witnessed the time they spent together that night. "We stood outside for a few minutes, but then Sidney said he was cold so I asked if he wanted to sit in my car. So we did." Andrew was blushing now. Greg nodded. "And how long do you believe you were inside the car with Mr. Singer?" he asked. If he could avoid it, he wouldn't even ask more specifically they were doing. A part of him didn't want to know, anyway. "At least forty-five minutes," admitted Andrew, glancing up at Greg then looking back down. "So during that period of time from one-thirty AM until approximately two-fifteen AM on the twenty-first you were with Mr. Singer in your car alone, is that correct?" he asked. Andrew coughed. "Yes." He looked at Greg pleadingly. "And you would be willing to testify to these facts in a court of law, Mr. Dowling," he said, nodding and staring meaningfully into his eyes. Andrew closed his eyes, but he said, "Yes. I would." "Thank you for your time and for coming forward, Mr. Dowling," he said. He turned off the tape player and stood. "If you would follow me back out to the front, I can get this typed up so that you can sign off on it, all right?" 121

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Andrew nodded wordlessly, wiping his palms on his thighs before standing up and following Greg. Greg took him back out to wait with Chris. He typed the tape up himself in record time, and printed out the statement. There wasn't much to it, and he brought it out for Andrew to sign. "You've saved an innocent man from going to prison," he said reassuringly. Andrew read it over while Chris beamed at him. "You're so brave, Andrew," Chris cooed, smiling brilliantly at Greg. Andrew finally picked up the pen and scrawled his signature. As soon as he'd signed it, he had the duty officer notarize it, and a relieved grin spread across his face. "Great. Now I need to go see the prosecutor. You're free to go." He looked at Chris. "Let me tell him?" he asked quietly. Chris nodded and grinned. Then he took Andrew's arm and said, "Come on, baby. I promised you a reward." They left together, Chris waving as they went and Andrew not looking back. **** Greg took the signed statement straight to the Captain's office. He did his best to hide the irrepressible glee he was feeling. He tapped lightly on the door, his palms sweating. "Not now," came the clipped response. Greg poked his head in, pretending he hadn't heard. "Excuse me, Captain," he said, seeing the District Attorney sitting in front of the captain's desk. Even better. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but, well, Sidney Singer's alibi just came forward 122

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and made a full statement." He knew this news wasn't going to go over well, but there was nothing they could do about it. Twin looks of shock greeted him, though the captain's turned to anger more quickly than the DA's. "This had better be a joke," he growled. The DA, a tall, severe looking man in an expensive suit, stood up and frowned. "I beg your pardon? I thought the investigation was closed." He glanced at the captain in annoyance. Greg held up the sheet of paper. "He just came in this morning of his own accord," he said, looking innocent. "He apologized for not coming forward sooner, but he was with Mr. Singer from one-thirty until at least two-fifteen, meaning there's only fifteen minutes unaccounted for." The captain leaned across the desk and snatched the paper from Greg, looking at it and groaning. "Damn it." he handed it to the District Attorney, who looked at it as if it was distasteful. "You're going to have to reopen the investigation," the DA said unnecessarily. "No shit," the Captain said, rubbing at his temples. Greg lingered by the doorway. "I can follow up on other leads," he suggested. "Would you like me to inform Mr. Singer?" he asked, trying not to sound hopeful. "Most of the leads are in that area, anyway." The District Attorney nodded. "I'll get the charges dropped by this afternoon. Tell him not to leave town, though. Just in case." 123

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The Captain looked at Greg. "You look awfully happy about this, for a man who's got a lot of work to do. Get going." "Yes, sir," Greg said stoically. He made it all the way out to his car before he let himself smile. As he pulled out of the station lot and made his way to the highway, he found himself grinning like an idiot. He turned the radio up loud and sang along to every song that came on that he knew the words to. Finally, he pulled up in front of Sidney's condo again, and practically bounced to his door. He knocked, rocking on the balls of his feet excitedly. Sidney answered the door after a few moments. "Hi," he said softly. "You seem happy." He stepped back to let him in. Greg momentarily forgot what he was going to say. He closed his mouth abruptly. "I told you I would tell you what I was doing last night today, didn't I?" he said, stepping inside. Sidney's body was magnificent, and he was wearing only loose yoga pants. He looked as if he must have been working out a moment before. Sidney blinked. "Yes," he finally answered carefully. "I wasn't sure if you'd remember. You were pretty wasted." He crossed his arms, waiting. Greg licked his lips. "I asked Chris to help me convince Andrew to tell the truth," he said simply. "So he came in this morning and made a statement. The charges will be dropped by this afternoon." He could feel Sidney's displeasure. He hoped the news would improve his mood. Sidney was silent for a long moment, his mouth open. "You, Chris, Andrew..." He shook his head and said softly, 124

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"Could you please repeat that? I want to be sure I heard it right." His arms were now wrapped around him as if he was cold. "I asked Chris to help me to convince Andrew to tell the truth. He enticed him to the club, we plied him with liquor, told him exactly what would happen to you, and he realized the error of his ways. He came in this morning and gave a statement, and the charges against you will be dropped by this afternoon. Oh, and the bail money and your car will be returned to you, too." He watched Sidney's expression closely. "I, oh God, I can't believe it." Sidney seemed to sway a little on his feet. Greg stepped forward, reaching out a steadying hand. "Maybe you should sit down," he said, holding Sidney by both shoulders. "Are you okay?" he asked. He had expected Sidney to be happy, maybe squeal and hug him. He realized he'd been hoping for that, in fact. But now he was just worried about him again. "Yes. Maybe I should." He stepped back toward the couch, sinking into it gratefully. "I don't know how I can ever thank you," he said. Greg perched on the edge of the couch next to him. He was disappointed in Sidney's reaction, but he was more concerned than anything. "You don't have to thank me. Do you want some water? Or something stronger?" he asked. Sidney shook his head and looked into Greg's eyes. "Is it really over?" he asked softly. 125

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"Well, I still have to find the real murderer," Greg said. He reached out and brushed a lock of hair back off Sidney's forehead. "But yes, you're no longer under suspicion. They weren't too happy about it, but Andrew's testimony is solid." One lone tear rolled down Sidney's face. "You saved my life," he whispered. "Oh my God, I can't believe it's over." Greg scooted closer and put his arm around Sidney's shoulders. "I told you I wouldn't let you go to prison," he said. Sidney leaned into Greg, sniffling. "I know, I just, I'm a cynic, you know? Expect the worst of people and they won't disappoint you." Greg realized that Sidney's background and struggles probably contributed to his cynicism. "That's why I look at people's actions, instead of their words." He pulled him closer. "Anyway, I want you to be careful. If my instincts are right, the killer is someone who knows you, and deliberately tried to set you up to take the fall." Sidney's eyes widened. "Do you think they might do something else?" "I don't know. It's certainly possible. But I'm gonna catch him before that happens," he said with more conviction than he actually felt. At least he was reasonably sure who he was looking for. He just needed to find a way to prove it. Sidney smiled finally. "My knight," he said, then he sobered. "So you think you know who it was?" Greg nodded, the nickname making him feel warm inside. "I do, yeah. But the less you know about it, the better off 126

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you'll be. You have to promise me one thing," he said, his expression grave. Sidney frowned. "What?" he said, guarded. "You have to promise me you won't go anywhere without telling me where you are. And don't go anywhere with anyone alone. Will you promise?" he asked, gazing deeply into Sidney's warm brown eyes. "With anyone? Not even Chris?" Sidney sounded worried. "Now I'm not saying I think Chris is guilty. But if the murderer came upon the two of you, I don't think he'd be much defense, you know?" It occurred to him why Sidney might want to be alone with Chris and he blushed. "Of course, he can come over here, or whatever. Just don't go wandering around anywhere outside." He lowered his eyes. He didn't want to imply anything. "Just be careful, okay?" "So I can't go out anywhere?" Sidney demanded. "Now I'll be a prisoner in my own house." He sat back and pouted. "No, that's not what I said! You can go to anyplace with lots of people. Shopping, restaurants, the club. Just don't go anywhere secluded by yourself or with just one other person that's not safe." He frowned. "Or you can call me and I'll be your damn bodyguard if you want." He sighed. "I just want you to be safe, because someone out there shot your boyfriend and tried to make it look like you did it." Sidney nodded and said, "All right. I get the point." He looked at Greg. "You can guard my body any time you want." He smiled. "As long as you dress like you did last night." Greg smiled shyly. "We got two outfits. You liked that?" he asked, his voice softer, less demanding. 127

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Sidney nodded. "I'd love to see the other one." He licked his lips. "Well I figured Andrew would be less likely to talk if I was all intimidating-cop-in-a-cheap-suit thing, you know? I don't usually let other people pick out clothes for me." He loved the look in Sidney's eyes. "So I should go catch the guy. Maybe I could come over tonight? In case you wanna go out?" Smiling more widely, Sidney nodded. "My knight is welcome anytime." "If you go out, will you call me? Tell me where you're going?" he asked. Now that it was going to be common knowledge soon that Sidney was free, he fully expected the killer to make some kind of move. "I promise I will," Sidney said. Then he smiled. "Oh my God. I still can't believe it." He leaned forward spontaneously and hugged Greg. Greg grinned and hugged him back. This was the reaction he'd been hoping for. "Thank God. Your sad little face was breaking my heart," he said quietly. Sidney was silent for a long moment, just holding Greg close. "Thank you," he finally whispered. "You gotta stop saying that eventually," he murmured, rubbing Sidney's back. "I want to protect you." He wanted to tell Sidney that he loved him, but he didn't want the other man to be with him just out of gratitude. "Never," declared Sidney. "You're just gonna have to get used to hearing it." Greg leaned back, smiling adoringly at him. "I have to go. Before the Captain calls to find out if I caught the guy yet." 128

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He leaned close and gave Sidney a light kiss on the lips. "Call me. I'll be back this evening." Sidney stared at Greg wide-eyed for a moment then he smiled again. "See you soon, Sir Greg." Greg moved back again and stood up. He headed for the door. "Be careful," he said as he slipped out. He headed to his car, his mind a whirl of activity, trying to think of what evidence he could come up with to convict the murderer. **** After Greg left, Sidney just wandered around his apartment for while, stunned. It had been such an intense few days that it didn't seem real. His excitement over being free was tempered by the sting of Greg's rejection. But still, overall he was ecstatic. It had taken all the will Sidney had not to kiss Greg when he heard the news. He owed his life to this man, but he supposed if they were friends it would be better than nothing at all. He called Greg his knight, because he would always think of him that way, no matter what. But he was obviously not good enough for a knight. He sighed. He knew he should be worried about who had actually killed Alan. He wanted them brought to justice, of course, but since the murder he'd been fighting his own battles, and hadn't the time to think about it. But now he did. A trickle of outrage began; someone, likely someone he knew well, had killed his lover and set him up to go to prison because of it. Who hated him, or Alan, so 129

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much to do something that nefarious? Who did he know that could possibly be capable of such a thing? His phone rang, making him jump. It was his attorney, telling him that the charges had been dropped and he could come get his car any time he wanted. He spoke to him for a few minutes, beaming, then ended the call. He wanted to speak to Greg again, but he knew the detective was busy. Then he remembered Chris. He wanted to thank him for his help, and let him know how it had turned out. He repressed a stab of jealousy at the thought of the pretty young man 'helping' Greg, but he knew that was uncharitable. Chris had been trying to help clear Sidney's name. Though, no doubt if the opportunity had presented itself, Chris would have slept with Greg without hesitation. Sidney's only consolation was that surely Greg knew that Chris was an even bigger slut than Sidney and wouldn't do anything with him. He dialed Chris' number and told him the good news. Chris insisted on coming right over and bringing food so they could celebrate. Sidney didn't argue. He went to take a shower to freshen up. **** Chris arrived, bags of takeout and two bottles of expensive champagne in hand. He hugged Sidney tightly then popped the cork, and they started to celebrate. Sidney ate a little and drank a lot; the champagne went down like soda pop. The relief was as good as the inebriation. He was curious, though, about the time Chris and Greg had spent together. He didn't think anything had happened, but 130

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he wouldn't put it past Chris to try. He tried to bring up the subject casually. "So how did you and Greg end up working together?" Chris drained his glass and refilled it before answering. "He asked for my expert assistance," he grinned, tucking his legs under him and he leaned closer to Sidney. "Oh?" Sidney knew what Chris was an expert at, and it made him jealous. Chris giggled. "Not that, silly," he grinned. "Not like I didn't offer..." Sidney was simultaneously annoyed and amused. "You offered what?" he asked, unable to help himself. "My expert assistance. On a personal level." Sidney frowned. "And what did he say to that?" Chris shrugged. "He turned me down. Politely, of course. But it was a definite no." Sidney could feel Chris watching him closely. He knew he was being obvious but he couldn't help it. "Good," he mumbled. Chris smiled. "Does he know you're all about him?" Sidney laughed bitterly. "He's got to. Not that it matters." "What does that mean?" Chris scooted closer. "It means that he doesn't want me. Just because he saved my life doesn't mean he wants anything to do with me." Sidney couldn't help the pout on his face. His mood was enhanced by the alcohol. Rolling his eyes, Chris said, "Please. He can't stop talking about you, or thinking of you. It's totally obvious." 131

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"Seriously?" Sidney couldn't help his hope. He looked into Chris' eyes. "Don't fuck with me now. Did he talk about me?" "Well, the whole reason we did any of it was to save your hot little ass," Chris pointed out. "That doesn't mean anything," Sidney retorted, disappointed. "It's his job." "Yeah, I'm sure he acts lovestruck with all the suspects," Chris laughed. "Come on, baby, it's not like you to be that oblivious." "I'm not being oblivious. Just practical. I'm too slutty for him." "Did he say that?" "Pretty much, yeah," Sidney sighed. Chris shook his head. "I don't believe that. When was this?" "On a couple of occasions. We kissed, then..." He shook his head. He didn't want to think about the rejection in Greg's eyes. It was Chris' turn to sigh. "You sure it wasn't something like he couldn't be involved with a suspect?" "I doubt it," shrugged Sidney. "I think the term 'your lifestyle' was thrown around at one point." He looked down. Compared to Greg, he really was a slut. But he'd never in his life cheated on anyone. He was strangely proud of that. Chris scooted closer and put his arm around Sidney. "Oh, baby, I'm sorry. It really does seem like he likes you. A lot." He leaned his head on Sidney's shoulder. Sidney sighed again. "I think he wishes I was someone else. Or something." He leaned into Chris' warmth. He was a 132

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tactile person. He loved physically touching. It made him feel warm. "I don't think so. But if he does, he's an idiot," Chris purred, rubbing his hand up and down Sidney's back. Sidney whimpered. It felt good to touch another person. It had been a long time since he had, or so it seemed to him. Chris moved closer, nuzzling against Sidney's neck. "Want me to make you forget everything?" he whispered. Sidney's body started to respond without his permission. He and Chris were very sexually compatible. They understood each other, and he knew they made a pretty picture. "I, oh God..." Chris' hand had found its way into his lap, pressing on his burgeoning arousal. Chris wriggled his way onto Sidney's lap. "Mmm, Sidney," he moaned. "Let me make you feel good..." But when Sidney closed his eyes all he could see was Greg. He looked at Chris, only to have his mouth covered with Chris' very sensuous one. He whimpered, kissing back for an instant before pulling back. "Chris..." Chris pouted and rubbed his fingers against Sidney's hard cock. "Need you, Sidney, come on..." Sidney shook his head, removing Chris' hand from his crotch. "No, baby, sorry. I can't." He couldn't believe he was refusing Chris. Chris' pout deepened. "Why not?" "Because ... I just can't. It's not right." Greg was right. He was a slut. He had to change that. Even if Greg never wanted him. "Not right?" Chris demanded. "Since when?" 133

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"Sex should mean more than stress relief," he said softly. Chris snorted. "I say again. Since when?" "Since I fell in love," Sidney said in a very small voice. "Get out," Chris said, eyes wide. "No. I'm serious. I'm in love with Greg. I can't ... I can't do this." "I thought you said he didn't want you," Chris protested. Sidney shrugged. "It doesn't matter. I only want him." Chris squeezed Sidney's still-hard arousal. "This says differently." "My cock doesn't rule me," Sidney said, though he knew it had until very recently. "Sorry, Chris." Chris' pout deepened. "You're fucking serious." Sidney nodded. "'Fraid so." He felt better suddenly. Chris shook his head. "You suck, man." But his tone was good-natured and he smiled. "I can't believe it." "I told you I liked him a lot," Sidney protested. He smiled too. He felt better inside, almost lighter. "Yeah. But love? That's a big thing. Monogamy. Serious stuff." Chris said the words as if they were foreign to him. "Someday you'll fall in love," Sidney assured him. "Not if I can help it, honey," Chris said. They finished the champagne and the food, and eventually took a nap on Sidney's bed, fully clothed. [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Ten When Greg got back to the station, a report on the gun was waiting for him. It had been reported stolen a week before the murder. It was registered to a fashion designer, Simon March. The most interesting thing about the report was that nothing else was taken other than the gun. The owner suspected that the gun was taken from under his bed during a party he had hosted. It fit nicely into his theory. Mr. March did not supply a list of the partygoers, however, but there was something familiar about the name. Greg wasn't one to know designers' names, so he had to assume he'd heard about him during the course of his investigation. He made a quick call to Mr. March to make sure he was at home, and to tell him the nature of his visit, then he headed over there. The house was actually in the neighborhood of the crime scene. When he arrived, the prominent fashion designer was waiting for him. "Detective, please come in," March said, opening the door. "Thank you, Mr. March. I'll try not to take up too much of your time." He was led into a sitting room with sleek, modern-looking furniture. Of course he would expect the house of a fashion designer in the Hollywood hills to be fancy. "I heard about poor Alan. I hope you catch the bastard who did it. I can't believe it was with my gun. It's downright ghoulish. Once you're done with it, I don't even want it back," 135

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the older man said, pouring himself a glass of some sort of liquor from a small bar at one end of the room. "Can I get you anything?" "No, no, that's fine. I just have a few questions about the party," Greg said, taking out his small notebook. The other man was short and balding, but he had the air of someone who took very good care of himself. His casual clothes were nonetheless perfectly tailored to his body. He was impeccably groomed, and almost freakishly tan. "Of course. Anything I can do to help," he said, taking a seat on a leather couch and gesturing for Greg to join him. Greg sat. "Do you happen to have a list of the people who were there that night?" he asked. "No. I can come up with about two dozen names of my closer friends, but I'm afraid I didn't even know everyone that was there." "Of the people that you didn't know as well, why were they at your party?" he asked. "Well, I typically encourage the models to come and bring their beautiful friends to mingle. You know, us middle-aged men just can't resist a party with beautiful twentysomethings," he said with a wink. "So there were a lot of models there. Any that worked directly for you?" "Of course. Most of them were either people who had modeled for my line, or friends of models who had modeled for me. I didn't send formal invitations. It wasn't that kind of party. More like a cocktail hour that lasted for four hours," he said, chuckling. 136

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"And during the party, did your guests have the run of the entire house?" "Yes, yes. I had one security guard on hand just in case anyone overindulged and started trouble, but he wasn't patrolling the house." "So anyone at the party could have gained access to the gun, which you said was in your bedroom." "Yes, that's correct." "Was Alan Spencer there that night?" "No, Alan couldn't make it, actually." "Are you acquainted with his..." It galled Greg to call Sidney Alan's "partner". "Sidney, you mean? Yes. I know Sidney, and no, he wasn't at the party. As soon as they told me it was my gun and that he'd been arrested, I called the police right away to tell them that he wasn't there that night." That was a detail that had been left out, but Greg suspected it was more a product of the District Attorney wanting to claim they'd found the killer than of some conspiracy with the real killer. "And are you familiar with any of Mr. Singer's friends?" March was silent for a moment as he took a sip of his drink. "I might recognize a few of them, but I don't know them by name. Except for a few, they all look the same after a while, you know?" Greg knew which few he was talking about. No one would ever forget Sidney's face, that was certain. It was burned into his memory. "Do you have any records of the models who have worked for you?" he asked. 137

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"Oh, I think, you know we have that stuff online now. If I call my assistant, maybe she can walk me through how to pull it up on the computer. Would you like me to try that?" he asked. "Yes, that would be very helpful." The designer took Greg into his home office and booted up his computer. He dialed his assistant at home, and after a painful progression where it was obvious the young woman had to explain every detail of logging on, a list of names came up on the screen. "Can you print this out?" he asked. "Yes, I think so," March said, pushing the power button on the printer. When the pages came out, Greg accepted them almost gleefully. He read through the names on the list and smiled. "You've been a huge help, Mr. March." He pulled out his card and handed it to him. "If you think of anything else, please give me a call right away." When he got back to the station house, he sent out assignments to some of the officers who had checked some details of the case for him before. He wanted to check the alibis of the remaining people on the list. One he'd already checked, but he decided to let the officers double check it, anyway. Then he had another idea. He picked up the phone and called Sidney. Sidney answered muzzily. "Hi, Greg." Greg couldn't help smiling at Sidney's soft voice. "Hi. Who have you told about the charges being dropped?" he asked without preamble. 138

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"Um. Chris," Sidney said, thinking. "My lawyer knows, obviously. That's it. Why?" "Good. I have an idea, but I need your help. I need you to not ask me why right now. Do you think Justin Cooper is home right now?" he asked. Sidney sighed. "I don't know. You want me to find out?" "I want you to go there. I'm gonna be nearby." He was, in fact, already heading out to his car. He unlocked it and slid into the driver's seat. "I want you to go there like you were just in the neighborhood, and you wanted to tell him the good news personally. Don't stay too long. Say you have an appointment somewhere that you have to get to." He started up the car and pulled out of the lot. "Can you do that? You got your car back, right?" "Not yet." He paused. "I can get over there in like an hour. Is that soon enough?" Greg frowned. He'd forgotten that other people weren't up at eight AM every day. "Sure. Try to hurry. If I find out he's definitely not home, I'll call you, okay?" "Greg, I'm the definition of high maintenance. I'll do my best. I'll call you when I have my car and I'm on my way to Justin's, okay?" Greg grinned. "You're just high maintenance because you don't realize how gorgeous you are without all that stuff," he said quietly. "So yes, call me. I'll be waiting." Sidney was silent for a moment, then he said, "I'll hurry. Thanks, Greg." When Greg got there, he saw Cooper's car. It wasn't a very good neighborhood, but it was broad daylight. And he 139

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was watching. He parked half a block down, his eyes on the door. His cell vibrated and he flipped it open. "Are you on your way?" he asked. "Yes, I'll be there in about ten minutes," Sidney answered. "What do you want me to say? Just that the charges were dropped?" "Yes. And you can tell him why. Just don't stay too long. Talk to him like you normally would." He was all business again. "And don't worry. I'll be right outside. If you're not out in ten minutes I'm coming in to get you, okay?" "Mmm, promises," Sidney teased. "Okay. I got it, Detective." In a few moments, Sidney's convertible showed up in front of Justin's house. Greg saw Sidney get out of his car and his mouth went dry. He was sure he would never get used to looking at the beautiful man. He looked at his watch as Sidney knocked on the door, and then all he had to do was wait. Nine minutes later Sidney emerged. Greg breathed a sigh of relief as he saw him smile and wave at the person inside. He flipped open his phone and called him, as Sidney got into his car. "Hello," Sidney said, as he pulled out of the parking place. "You did very well. Did he seem surprised?" he asked. He kept his eyes on Justin's door as Sidney's car disappeared down the road. "Very, actually. And then he said he was happy for me. But he seemed distracted. It was easy to tell him I had to leave. He looked like he was in the middle of something." 140

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"Okay. Good. Thanks." He had the car in drive with his foot on the brake. He was partially hidden under a tree, so he was certain he wouldn't be spotted. Then he saw Justin leave his house and get into his car. "Where are you going now?" he asked Sidney. "I guess back home. Unless there's something else you need me to do," Sidney answered. "Other than keeping me informed, you're done." He smiled. "I'll call you when I'm finished for the day. If you wanna go out tonight, though, you have to warn me, so I can change." Justin's car pulled away from the curb and Greg started following at a distance. "Mmm, if it will make you wear one of those outfits, I definitely want to go out," Sidney said lasciviously. Greg laughed, slowing when he saw Justin stopped at the light up ahead. "Well, I can't embarrass you in front of your friends, right?" "Oh I doubt you could do that," Sidney said, sighing. "Well, I'll dress up anyway. Call me if you go anywhere. I'll talk to you soon." Justin had merged onto the highway, and Greg had to weave a little to keep him in his sights. "I will. Be careful now, Greg. See you soon." Greg closed the phone and turned his full attention to Justin Cooper. He followed him to the restaurant where Andrew Dowling worked. Greg continued past and parked directly around the corner, concealed. He got out of his car and approached cautiously. He spotted Justin almost immediately. The young man was clearly agitated, and luckily didn't notice him. 141

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Justin stood at the hostess' desk, shifting from foot to foot. When the hostess approached him, he stepped closer and spoke to her quickly. She shook her head. Greg managed to move in closer without being seen. He could hear what was being said as the hostess told Cooper that Dowling was busy. "No. You don't understand. It's urgent I see him NOW," Justin demanded, leaning closer. The hostess looked doubtful. "I'm sorry, sir, but he'd busy. If it's an emergency, though..." "Yes. Yes. It's an emergency," Justin interrupted. "Whatever it takes, just get him for me. Please." He ran his hand through his hair. Greg could see how tense Wilson was. He'd done just exactly what Greg had suspected he would do. After a few moments, Andrew appeared, clearly rushed. He was dressed in waiter's garb with a white apron tied around his waist. Justin pulled him to the side, roughly. "What the fuck are you up to?" he demanded. Andrew looked confused. "What do you mean? I'm working." Greg changed his position so that he wouldn't be spotted. He was even closer to them now, and he could hear every word clearly. "You fucking idiot! Why did you change your story to the cops?" Justin was obviously trying to keep his voice down, but he was failing. 142

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Andrew looked down. "I told them a lie, and Sidney was going to go to prison because of it! You didn't tell me that," he said accusingly. Justin put his hands on his hips. "Do you want everyone to know you're gay?" he snarled. Andrew blushed immediately. "I'm not!" "No, you just let guys suck you off. That's totally straight." Greg smiled to himself. It was as he'd suspected. Justin had pressured Andrew to lie about it. He moved back slightly. He didn't want to risk being spotted. "Why do you care anyway?" Andrew demanded, looking upset. Justin tried a soothing tone. "I'm just trying to help you," he said. "Bullshit. You're the one who threatened to tell my father about it," Andrew said. "I think it's none of anyone's business what I do. Chris—" He stopped, obviously realizing he'd said too much. Justin stepped closer. "What does Chris have to do with it? You doing it with him, too?" "No! I mean, it doesn't matter." Andrew was flustered now. "He helped me see that I had to tell the truth. For Sidney's sake." "You're going to regret that," Justin answered. "No. Whatever happens, I had to tell the truth," Andrew said. "And now I have to go back to work. Goodbye, Justin." He turned and walked back into the restaurant. Justin watched him go, looking upset. 143

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Greg headed back to his car, intent on following Justin to see where he went next. He was pleased with his little experiment so far, but he hoped he hadn't put Chris in any jeopardy. Let alone Sidney. But he knew Justin would have found out soon anyway. He was only controlling the time. Justin's car peeled out of the lot and Greg proceeded to pursue him again. He considered putting him under surveillance. The captain wanted the case solved quickly, so even though he wasn't in such good graces, he could get the resources he needed. He called it in, and remained behind Justin until the unmarked police car took over the tail. **** He returned to the station to write up a report to get a subpoena. It would take until morning at least, so when he was done with his paperwork, he called Sidney again. "Hi again," Sidney said breathlessly. "I just got out of the shower." Greg got a mental vision of Sidney wet and naked. He licked his lips. "Pity I didn't come over sooner," he said, getting into the off-duty mindset. "I'm worried about you alone there. Would it be too inconvenient if I stayed over again?" he asked. Sidney laughed softly. "You can come over anytime, Detective," he purred. Greg blushed. "Well, I'll just stop at home for some stuff so I don't have to leave without brushing my teeth in the morning again." He was looking forward to seeing Sidney 144

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again, especially since all he had to do was protect him and enjoy himself. "I'll be waiting," Sidney promised. "I'd cook for you, but I was just cleared of one set of murder charges." Greg laughed. "Should I pick something up on the way? Or I could cook for you. What do you like?" He loved the idea of spending the evening with Sidney, not in a club. Someplace quiet, just the two of them. Sidney gasped. "You can cook, too? I mean, I don't want you to go to any trouble." "Well, I almost have to now, just to prove that I can." He was grinning as he spoke on the phone. "So, what do people that don't eat like to eat?" he asked. "Something non-fattening," Sidney said. "I've probably already put on at least a pound. I have to start working out again." "Damn. A pound. You must look like a cow," he teased. "I'll think of something. I'll be about an hour with packing and shopping. You might be ready by then." "Maybe," Sidney agreed amiably. "I'll do my best." Greg said goodbye, then headed to his small apartment. He packed the new clothes in case Sidney still wanted to go out, as well as something to sleep in and clothes for work the next day. He headed out to the local supermarket to pick up a few things for dinner, and hoped Sidney had at least a few cooking utensils. Then he went to Sidney's place. He was looking forward to the evening ahead. By the time he tapped on Sidney's door, he was smiling broadly. 145

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Sidney opened the door after a moment, and said, "Right on time. I'm impressed." "Knights have to be punctual." His gaze automatically slid down Sidney's body, taking in tight faded jeans and a black wife beater. Even in the casual clothes, he looked stunning. He stepped inside and leaned in, kissing Sidney quickly on the cheek. "Um, I forgot to ask. You do have a frying pan, right?" he asked. Sidney shrugged. "I think so. I've heard of those." He smirked at Greg. Greg held up the bag of groceries. "Stir fry? Peanut oil is good for you. Other than that it's mostly veggies, and I got some tofu to throw in there." "Sounds great," Sidney answered. He closed the door behind him. "I thought maybe we could eat on the deck, it's gorgeous out." "Rad. It'll take like fifteen minutes, okay? I'll just go take over your kitchen." He dropped his duffle bag beside the couch, shrugged off his jacket, and carried the groceries into the kitchen. Sidney leaned in the doorframe, watching. "I don't think I've ever had an armed cook before," he observed, eyeing Greg's shoulder holster. Greg unpacked the groceries and started washing the vegetables in the sink. "Yeah. The sword was a little bulky." He glanced over his shoulder and smiled at Sidney. "Does it bother you?" Sidney shrugged. "It's a little scary, but also kinda hot," he said, moving further into the kitchen. He leaned on the 146

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counter across from Greg, and said, "Would it be against the law to offer you a drink?" "Nope. I'm allowed to drink on my own time. This is an unofficial visit," he said with a wink. He got out a plate and started chopping peppers and mushrooms and a squash on it. "All right, then," Sidney said, moving to the refrigerator. "Beer? Wine? Margarita?" He opened the door and bent over. Greg glanced over and almost gasped at the sight of Sidney's perfect ass. "Uhh, what?" he asked, knife suspended in mid-air, his task completely forgotten for a moment. Sidney looked over his shoulder and giggled. "What do you want to drink?" he repeated, still bent over. Greg blinked, dragging his gaze to Sidney's face. "Um, beer?" he said. He forced himself to look away, blushing. He looked through some cabinets until he found the frying pan, then put it on the stove. He poured some peanut oil into it and turned on the heat. Sidney pulled out two Heinekens, closed the fridge, then dug in a drawer for a bottle opener. He popped them open then swayed over to Greg, holding one out to him. Greg accepted the beer and turned his eyes to Sidney again. "Thanks," he said quietly. "Sorry about the ogling." He was a little embarrassed and a little aroused. Sidney's body was completely perfect. "I gotta say, if you gained a pound, it was in all the right places." Sidney smiled seductively and stretched his arms up above his head, wiggling his hips, and turned in a circle. "Mmm, ogle away," he purred as he did so. 147

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Greg's eyes widened as he allowed himself to look at Sidney again. His gaze slid down and back up, registering the fact that Sidney was clearly at least somewhat aroused, too. Which, of course, made Greg more aroused. "I guess you're used to it. I mean, you know, the modeling thing. Being looked at all the time." His voice was hoarse, and he turned his attention to scraping the veggies and the tofu into the frying pan. "Yeah, I'm kind of an exhibitionist," Sidney nodded, taking a drink from his beer. He licked foam from his lips then added, voice low, "Though I like some people's eyes on me better than others." Greg put some seasoning in the pan and started stirring it, taking a sip of his own beer. "Is that so? Whose eyes?" he asked. He knew he was probably pushing, but he couldn't help himself. He was so in love with him. He wanted to be the one Sidney wanted looking at him. Sidney's breath hitched and he put his beer down, moving closer. "Handsome knights. I love when they look at me," he breathed. Greg swallowed hard, staring into Sidney's eyes. "What about average-looking knights?" he whispered. "Can they look, too?" His heart was pounding suddenly. "I don't know any average looking knights," Sidney answered. "Only one, and he's handsome and brave and wonderful." Greg couldn't remember anyone actually using the word "handsome" to describe him. And certainly not "brave and wonderful" either, other than his mom. He drew a shuddering 148

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breath, and leaned forward, pressing his lips against Sidney's again. He knew it was bold, but he wanted to so badly that he couldn't stop himself. Sidney's eyes flew wide open in shock but he kissed back immediately, whimpering. His hand came up to rest on Greg's shoulder. Greg was still holding the fork he was supposed to be stirring with in one hand and his beer in the other, but he swayed closer. The whimper that came from the other man went straight to his cock. He pulled back with a little gasp. "Um, the food is gonna burn," he said, moving back again. He started stirring, and put his beer down on the counter, then he abruptly turned off the heat, put the fork down and reached for Sidney again, arms moving around his hips, dragging him closer as he kissed him again. Sidney melted against Greg, arms coming up around his neck, parting his lips. Greg moaned and his lips parted in response. Nothing had ever felt as good as an armful of Sidney. He knew he shouldn't be doing this. He knew it was only distracting him from what he needed to do. But he couldn't stop. He touched the tip of his tongue to Sidney's lips, his grip tightening around him. Now Sidney pressed fully against him, his tongue coming out to meet Greg's as he moaned. When Greg felt Sidney's tongue, Sidney's perfect body, he stopped thinking completely. He was completely starved for this. His hands roamed restlessly up and down Sidney's back. He was drunk on desire. 149

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Sidney moaned more loudly into it, and he pressed Greg back, up against the refrigerator. Their hips rocked together and he slid one hand into Greg's hair. It was like something out of a movie, so hot and desperate. Greg felt his knees grow weak. He had no idea that Sidney would be like this, other than the fact that he'd heard him fucking Chris. He was so much more forceful than Greg would have thought, but he didn't care. It turned his blood to molten heat. Suddenly, Sidney pulled back from the kiss, still panting. "Greg," he ground out. "We, what are we doing?" Greg licked his lips. "Uh, kissing?" he said breathlessly. He stared at Sidney. "I guess that wasn't very knight-like of me. I'm sorry." He suddenly imagined what it had to look like. That he thought Sidney was easy. His throat felt tight. "Greg, that was so far beyond any kiss I've ever had I can't even begin to tell you," Sidney whispered. "It's just, I thought you..." He shook his head and stepped back. Greg could see disappointment in Sidney's eyes and it felt like a knife in his stomach. "I'm sorry. I, I didn't mean..." He looked down, finding it difficult to draw enough air into his lungs. "I just got carried away." "It's my fault, I shouldn't have flirted," Sidney said, looking down. "It's not your fault. Do you want me to go?" he asked. If he had to he'd sit in the car all night to make sure Sidney was safe. "No!" Sidney blurted. "I mean, if you want to of course. But I want you here." He looked up at Greg again. "Please." 150

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Greg nodded. "I promise I won't do that again." He felt like an ass. Sidney had to think he was just after a quick and easy roll in the sack, which wasn't the case at all. He wanted so much more, but he couldn't deny that Sidney was gorgeous. He'd never lost control like that with anyone. Sidney pouted slightly, but nodded. "I hope that dinner isn't ruined." Greg smirked mirthlessly. "I had the presence of mind to turn off the heat, somehow. Should be okay." He slipped away from the fridge and got out another couple of plates and started scooping the stir fry onto them. He handed one to Sidney, looking a little sheepish. "I hope you like it." "I'm sure it's wonderful," Sidney said, taking the plate and his beer over to the table. Greg felt miserable, like he'd lost something before he ever really had it. He grabbed his beer and knocked back a gulp before joining Sidney at the table. "It's not fattening, at least," he said, taking a seat, looking resolutely down at his plate. "Good," Sidney said, trying a smile. He picked up his fork and tried a bite. "This is really good," he said after swallowing. Greg took a bite. "It's really easy, as you saw." He shrugged. He couldn't stop thinking about how much he wanted Sidney and how badly he'd fucked everything up. He took another sip of beer before taking a second bite. Sidney laughed ruefully. "Easy for you, maybe. I'd probably burn the place down." He drained his beer, looking away. 151

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Greg was still staring down at his plate. "I don't think you're as helpless as you try to make yourself sound," he said. He picked at his food, but he hardly had an appetite left. "I think you could probably do anything you set your mind to." That made Sidney snort. "Yeah. Right. I'm not that good." He took another bite. "I need another beer," he announced, getting up. "You ready for one?" Greg tipped his bottle back and finished the last of his. "Yeah. Thanks." He didn't want to get drunk, but just a little less miserable would be nice. Sidney got them each another beer and brought them to the table. He looked across at Greg. "I still want you to stay," he said softly. Greg looked into Sidney's eyes again. "If you want me to stay, I'll be here. I'm so sorry if it seemed like ... I don't want to take advantage. I mean, I know you're grateful for my part in how things have turned out. I shouldn't have." He didn't know how to say what he meant. Sidney frowned. "What are you trying to say, Greg?" "I don't want to take advantage of the fact that I was in a position to help you. I mean, not that I meant to take advantage. Or, I just don't want you to do anything you don't want to do. I don't know what I'm saying." He frowned and rubbed his hands over his face. Sidney bit his lip, and he reached out to take one of Greg's hands. "You weren't. You wouldn't. I know that," he said gently. "It was my fault." 152

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Greg's brows furrowed. "How was it your fault? I kissed you first," he said, searching Sidney's face. "I was being my usual slutty self," shrugged Sidney. "I can't seem to help myself." Greg frowned then. "You were not. How exactly do you think you were being slutty?" Sidney looked down at himself. "It's inherent. I always flirt. I'm sorry." "You can't really believe that my loss of control is your fault, can you? You didn't do anything out of line." "You're just being nice," Sidney said, shaking his head. "And I appreciate it. But we've had this discussion before." Greg gazed into Sidney's eyes. "I don't say anything just to be nice. You didn't do anything wrong." He wasn't sure what was going on, but he knew it was a fundamental misunderstanding between them. "I kinda, well, I thought maybe you'd want me to kiss you." "Of course I wanted it," Sidney murmured. "I thought that was kinda obvious." "Well, what's the problem, then?" he asked, confused. He thought it was probably a good idea for them to have stopped, but Sidney had acted like he wasn't quite sure. Sidney sighed, exasperated. "You made it pretty clear that you didn't." He paused, looking down. "That you didn't want me," he added in a choked whisper. Greg blinked. "When the hell did I say that?" he asked. He had really thought just the opposite.

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"Before," Sidney answered, looking down. "When we kissed before, and I know my lifestyle is different from yours, but..." Greg sighed. "That wasn't what I meant. Basically, what I meant was, if you want me it's an all or nothing kinda thing. I don't want to ask you to change for me, but if you want me, it's got to be exclusive. I don't share." "That's not what it sounded like on this end," Sidney retorted. "And you didn't even ask me how I felt about it. I've never cheated on anyone. What I did with Alan, for Alan, was what he wanted. I've never gone behind anyone's back, ever." He pouted. "You could have asked what I wanted. Maybe I wanted to be exclusive, too." Greg frowned. "I didn't say you cheated on anyone." He should have known he couldn't explain himself. "I only meant that if you wanted to be with me, it would have to be exclusive." "And did you even ask me?" Sidney demanded. "Or did you just assume I wouldn't want that?" "I just, I thought you'd let me know," he said, looking sad. "I was just letting you know where I stand. I want you. All to myself." Sidney gasped. "Would you say that again? Please?" Greg bit his lip. "That I want you all to myself?" he asked, his stomach churning with dread. "I mean, if you want that." He looked down, feeling anxious. Sidney moaned and stood up, walking around to Greg's side of the table. He sat down on Greg's lap and looked into his eyes. "There's nothing in the world I want more." 154

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Greg gasped. "Really?" His arm went around Sidney's back. "I mean, you know I didn't want to rush things. I wanted to make sure you were out of danger first," he said hoarsely. Sidney wiggled closer. "Really." He licked his lips and added, "I believe you felt my sincerity earlier." Greg felt shaky. "What if you regret it? What if you find yourself thinking about someone else?" he asked quietly. Sidney shook his head. "I've never felt this way about anyone before," he said. "Chris was over here, and, well, we didn't do anything. I only want you." Greg whimpered. "Even Alan?" he asked. It was still difficult to believe such a beautiful creature could love him and want to give up all the beautiful boys he could have just by asking. "I loved Alan," Sidney sighed. "But it was different. I wanted to make him happy. But with you..." He bit his lip. "We can do everything together." Greg nodded. "Do you forgive me for not asking what you wanted?" he asked, gazing deep into Sidney's eyes. "I never thought badly of you. I hope you know that." Sidney hesitated. "I know now," he whispered. "I wanted so badly to be good enough for you." "Sidney, you're too good for me," he said earnestly. "I don't even know what you see in me. I'm not glamorous or famous, or even all that good looking." "I think I should be the judge of that," Sidney answered, leaning down to nuzzle at Greg's neck. "There's nothing hotter than having your own personal knight." 155

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Greg's arousal returned full force when he felt Sidney's hot breath against his neck. He moaned quietly. "If we want to ttake it slow you shouldn't, mmm, do that," he said, nearly panting already. Sidney grinned against Greg's neck, licking at his skin. "Does someone have a hypersensitive neck?" he mused. "Ye-yes," he stuttered, his head falling back. "Oh God. Please," he rasped. He was feeling that uncontrolled feeling coming on him again. "Please what?" Sidney breathed, biting gently at Greg's neck. His hand moved slowly down the other man's chest. Greg shifted in the chair. "Mmmaybe we could kiss again, and a little more?" He slid his fingers up under the back of Sidney's shirt. Sidney kissed his way up to Greg's mouth. "I could be persuaded," he replied, wiggling closer yet. Greg's fingers slid into Sidney's hair as he held the back of his head and kissed him deeply. He moaned and his other hand came up to rest on Sidney's thigh. Kissing back eagerly, Sidney pressed against Greg as closely as possible. His hand traveled lower, resting on Greg's hip. After a moment Greg pulled his head back, panting. "Let's do the dishes," he whispered. Then he smiled slowly. Sidney's eyes widened. "You're kidding." He moved closer, deliberately pressing against the hard bulge in Greg's pants. "No," he breathed. "Let's clean up and then get into bed so we don't have to get out again," he murmured, gazing heatedly into Sidney's eyes. "We can make it through a few 156

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more minutes." He was almost enjoying torturing himself now. They'd had so many stops and starts, he just wanted to get comfortable and have nothing to worry about but pleasing each other. Sidney stood up slowly, panting. "If I break anything, it's your fault," he warned, then turned to pick up some dishes from the table. Greg laughed quietly. He was achingly hard, but he had control back for the moment. He realized Sidney was bending over more than was strictly necessary, and he appreciated the view. He stood, too, his own arousal obvious even in his loose cheap suit pants. He started bringing things into the kitchen and doing the dishes. "I hope it's okay that I usually sleep in just boxers," he commented as he rolled up his sleeves. Sidney was walking past Greg, in the process of putting the leftovers away, and he pressed up against his back briefly as he responded, "I hope it's okay that I sleep naked." He licked quickly at Greg's neck before continuing on his path. Greg's eyes drifted closed for a moment as Sidney pressed against him. The words sent a shiver through him as much as the touch of that hot, wet tongue. "S'ok with me," he said hoarsely. He started to scrub each dish, not looking at the other man. "Are we skipping the whole pull out couch thing?" "Mmmhmm," Sidney answered affirmatively. He moved around the kitchen, putting things away, brushing up against Greg as much as possible. Greg loaded up the dishwasher and poured the soap in the little cup. He was going on autopilot now, his movements 157

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getting quicker, more impatient. When he turned the dial to start the dishwasher and dried off his hands, he turned, back to the counter. "I think that's it," he said quietly. His heart was pounding. "Nothing left to do." He licked his lips. Sidney was leaning back against the counter, just watching Greg. "Well then. Whatever shall we do now?" He smiled teasingly. Greg's lips twitched. "Well, first I would suggest meeting in the middle," he said quietly. "How does that sound?" He smiled, feeling giddy and aroused and somewhat amazed. "The middle of what?" Sidney responded, smiling as he stepped closer to Greg. Greg took a step forward as well. "The kitchen," he said softly, still smiling. It was like one of those enchanted moments that happened in the movies, when they see each other from across the room and their eyes lock. He had never felt so filled with hope. "Sounds like a plan," Sidney said, closing the distance. They stood inches apart now, tension building. Greg took another half step towards him. The moment was electric. "I've never felt this way, either," he whispered gazing into Sidney's eyes. "Just so you know." Sidney looked into Greg's eyes. "Like what exactly?" he breathed. "Like I want to know everything about you and tell you everything about me. Like I want to taste every inch of your skin. Like there's no one else in the whole world I'd rather be with. Like I want to protect you and keep you safe." He hoped it wasn't too much, but he couldn't hold back. 158

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Sidney whimpered and pressed fully against Greg. "You make me feel the same way," he breathed. "I feel like we're the only people in the whole world right now." Greg's entire body felt like it was throbbing. He leaned into the press of Sidney's body against his own. His hands came and rested lightly on the other man's hips. "I want you," he whispered. "You have me," Sidney answered immediately. "I'm yours." He rocked against Greg slowly as his hands trailed down his back. "Are you mine?" Greg drew a deep, shuddering breath. "I'm yours. If you want me." He had never expected to hear such a thing from someone like Sidney. From anyone, really. Sidney's hands dropped to Greg's ass and pulled them together more tightly. "I think you can feel how much I want you." He leaned in to brush his lips against Greg's. "I want more than just tonight, though." Greg could feel Sidney's lips even after he pulled back to speak. "I'm not a one night kinda guy," he whispered. "I know," Sidney said as he gazed back. "I have no problem with that." He rocked against him, and whispered, "I think I want to show you my bed now." Greg moaned. "Yes, please." He had no responsibilities but to lose control with this beautiful man. He couldn't think of anything more amazing. Sidney stepped back and took Greg's hand. He led him silently to the bedroom, where a huge, black-draped bed awaited them. 159

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Greg felt nervous. He hadn't seriously fooled around with anyone in a long damn time. He took a seat on the bed, looking up at Sidney with a smile. "Nice bed." Sidney stood in front of Greg, and said, "We don't have to do anything you're not ready for." He pulled his shirt off slowly. "I know. I don't want to rush things, but I'm on fire for you, Sidney," he said. He pulled his gun out of the holster, checked that the safety was on, then put it on the bedside table. Sidney licked his lips and moved forward, straddling Greg's lap. "We'll just do what feels good," he said, voice low. Greg swallowed hard and ran his hands up Sidney's back. "I think that leaves it wide open, pretty much," he said. "Since everything with you feels good." His skin was incredibly soft over the firm, muscled back. Sidney smiled, letting his head fall back as if encouraging Greg to touch. "I think I'm really going to enjoy this," he purred as he began to unbutton Greg's shirt. Greg leaned in, kissing down the elegant column of Sidney's throat. "Mmm, you think so?" he purred. He sucked gently at Sidney's collar bone. "You're so beautiful," he breathed. Sidney moaned low in his throat. "You make me feel beautiful," he said. He finished unbuttoning Greg's shirt and slipped his hands in, opening it. He dipped his head lower and suckled on one of Sidney's nipples. His arms tightened around his back and pulled him closer. "You're beautiful inside and out," he moaned against 160

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Sidney's skin. He knew now that this was what he'd been waiting for, what he'd been holding out for. Less than this perfection would have been a disappointment. He could only be with someone he felt this kind of connection to. Sidney arched into Greg's touches, grinding their hard cocks together. He pushed Greg's shirt off his shoulders, breath hitching. "Oh, Greg. My knight." Greg let go long enough to tug his shirt off behind his back. He lifted his head and gazed into Sidney's eyes again, panting. He smiled at him. He tossed the shirt on the floor and his fingers slid along Sidney's belt, tugging on it. Sidney helped him get the belt unbuckled, moaning softly. "So hard for you." Then he stood, unbuttoning and unzipping his pants. He paused, then bent to slide his pants off. He wore nothing underneath. Greg sucked in a breath and let his gaze roam all over Sidney's perfect body. "Wow," he breathed. "You're..." He licked his lips. "You look like a statue or something." For the first time, Greg felt self-conscious about his own body. He was strong enough, but thin and a little on the scrawny side. Sidney let his hair fall into his face. "Thanks," he said quietly. "But it's my job to look good." "Well, no one could say you're not really good at your job," he said, his mouth going dry at the spectacle before him. He stood up and unbuttoned and unzipped his pants, toeing off his shoes as they dropped to the floor. "You can tell looking hot has nothing to do with my job, I'm afraid." He slipped off his boxers, too, and stood naked before Sidney, squirming inwardly. 161

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Sidney let his gaze roam over Greg, and he stepped closer. He slid his hands up over his shoulders and breathed, "I think my knight is perfect." Then he kissed him again, slowly pressing their naked bodies together. Greg moaned, parting his lips and delving deeply into Sidney's mouth. His hips rocked back and forth, rubbing their cocks together. He'd died and gone to heaven, he was certain. Sidney's hands were everywhere, caressing Greg, learning his body. Sweet friction made him moan, and he finally pulled back. "I love you," he whispered. Greg sucked in a sharp breath. "What a coincidence," he whispered. Then he kissed him again, slow and deep. His hands roamed up Sidney's back again, and down, over his perfect ass. Slowly, Sidney pushed Greg back toward the bed, their mouths still connected. Greg felt the mattress hit the back of his knees and let himself be gently pushed backwards, tumbling with Sidney on top of him. He moaned at the delicious pressure of his body pressing him down into the bed. Sidney pulled back and smiled down at Greg. "You feel perfect under me," he said, lining their bodies up. Greg licked his lips and wriggled beneath him. "Feels so fucking good, Sidney. Oh God." He arched beneath him, cock throbbing almost painfully. "I love you, too," he croaked, wanting to give that to him after he gave it so sweetly. Sidney gasped softly and he smiled. "I don't deserve you," he murmured. "But I'm not going to let you go." His hand slid 162

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down between them, and he wrapped his fingers around Greg's hard length. The protest died on Greg's lips when Sidney touched him. "Oh, fuck," he groaned. His hips bucked up and he shivered. "Sidney, ohh, you d-do deserve, oh God." He gripped at the covers desperately. Sidney moved to the side, so he could stroke Greg more easily. "I love how hard you are, baby, just for me," he purred, moving his hand up and down slowly. Greg was panting hard. "So so hard for you, Sidney," he murmured. "You're the sexiest thing ever." He thrust up into Sidney's fist, whimpering. He couldn't think. He didn't care about anything but the beautiful man next to him. Sidney gazed at Greg's face, never looking away. He stroked more quickly, and said, "From the first moment I saw you, I wanted you." He rocked his own arousal against Greg's hip. "Did you want this? Did you want me?" "Yes," he moaned. "I wanted you the moment I laid eyes on you," he blurted. "I think I fell in love with you, too. You looked so s-sad and fragile. Ohh..." He turned his head and kissed him roughly, humping helplessly into the firm grip. Sidney tightened his grip and stroked more quickly, kissing Greg back. He moaned into it, trying to give Greg as much pleasure as possible. He hooked one leg over Greg's, spreading his legs apart farther. Greg felt his climax come on him like a freight train at full speed. He sobbed into the kiss, pulsing over Sidney's fingers. His body shuddered and he gripped Sidney's shoulder. He broke the kiss to gasp for breath. "Sidney..." 163

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Sidney stroked him through it, watching Greg's face, drinking in every emotion. "I love you," he whispered tenderly. Greg was breathing hard. He felt like he could get lost in Sidney's eyes. "I love you, too, Sidney." Now that they'd both said it, he felt like he couldn't hold it in any more. He could feel that his face was flushed. He felt warm and languid, and he smiled. "Now," he said, slowly turning towards him. He ran his hand down Sidney's chest. "What about you?" he purred, voice low and gravelly. "What about me?" Sidney grinned, lying back against the pillows, hard cock nestled against his belly. Greg nuzzled the side of his face, his hand sliding down over Sidney's flat belly. His fingers ghosted over his erection. "It's your turn," he breathed, punctuating each word with a gentle suck on the side of his neck. "Ohhh," Sidney moaned, arching his lithe body. "Touch me, Greg, I'm on fire for you." Greg's fingers wrapped around Sidney's cock. The sight of him, moaning and writhing, was the most beautiful thing Greg had ever seen. He raked his teeth over Sidney's shoulder as he started to stroke him slowly. "Do you like that, Sidney?" "Yesss," hissed Sidney, thrusting up shamelessly into Greg's hand. "Feels so good." He had one hand on the back of Greg's neck, playing with his hair. Sidney was even sexier like this, if that was possible. He leaned down to kiss him lightly on the lips while he stroked. "I can't wait to be with you completely," he whispered. "I can't wait to spend time with you doing normal things, going out, 164

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staying in. It doesn't matter what. I want to know your favorite color, who the first person you kissed was, your favorite subject in school. I want to hear all the stories of your life," he whispered. Sidney's body arched, fighting against his climax, and he moaned. "Want to share everything with you, Greg. You're so, oh God, gonna come." Greg stroked Sidney through completion, his heart fluttering at the sound of his name on those beloved lips. He pressed up against his side, nuzzling into Sidney's neck as he watched him gradually float down from his climax. "Love you," he murmured. Sidney curled into Greg, snuggling close, breathing hard. "Mmmm," he sighed. "My knight." Greg smiled at him. He'd never felt so complete, so content. "Your knight," he said quietly. "I'm so grateful to have found you. I still don't quite understand what it is you see in me, but I'm glad you do." Sidney rolled his eyes. "You want the list?" He ran his fingers idly over Greg's skin. "You're brave and handsome and sexy and sweet and..." Greg smirked. "I'm not gonna argue with you." He felt a deep sleepiness overtake him. He was rarely able to completely relax, but this was closer to it than he'd been for a long time. "Good," Sidney sighed. "Cause I'm always right." He nuzzled into Greg's neck.

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"Mmm, I'm sleepy now. You?" he asked. He hoped Sidney didn't want to go out, because the lack of sleep was catching up to him. "I could use a nap," Sidney agreed. He reached down and pulled the covers up. Greg felt so comfortable and warm. His eyes closed and he drifted asleep almost instantly, limbs tangled with Sidney's. **** Sidney woke what seemed like a few hours later. It was still pitch dark, and he smiled at the warmth of the body next to him. He was just wondering what had woken him when he heard it again. A banging sound. He was suddenly wide awake. Greg moved slowly and smoothly. He slipped out of Sidney's embrace, reaching for his gun in the dark. "Stay here," he whispered, his voice barely audible as he climbed out of the bed. Sidney whimpered, torn between worry over an intruder and being turned on by Greg's protectiveness. He stayed in bed, though, heart pounding. Greg walked silently towards the door, holding his gun up, stark naked as he crossed the plush carpeting. He disappeared into the hallway. Sidney waited, alert for any sounds, aching with love for Greg. He didn't know how it had happened so fast, but he'd never felt like this before, for anyone. The pleasure last night had been incredible, and they'd only jerked each other off. He 166

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couldn't even think about making love. Not that he felt in a hurry. He wanted to savor every lovely moment. After a few moments, Greg came back into the bedroom, his posture much more relaxed. He put the gun safely back in the holster on the nightstand, then flopped back down on the bed, burrowing under the covers. "False alarm. Something must have knocked over a garbage can outside and it was knocking against the air conditioner compressor," he explained. "I checked the whole place. It's locked up tight." Sidney snuggled up close, purring, "You make me feel safe, baby. Thank you." Greg's body felt incredible against his own, and he couldn't stop touching him. He deliberately nuzzled his neck, knowing how sensitive it was. Greg's breath hitched and he moaned, tipping his chin up. "By the time we actually consummate this relationship, we're both gonna combust," he said hoarsely. "Mmm but we'll go out happy," Sidney replied, pressing the length of his awakening body against Greg. "Have I mentioned how hot you make me when you do the knight thing?" "You didn't put it quite that way before, no," Greg said quietly. "It makes you hot when I protect you?" "Yes," Sidney nodded, panting. He gazed into Greg's eyes. "Do you think that's weird?" He knew he couldn't help it. "I think it's nice, 'cause I intend to protect you for the rest of your life," Greg whispered. He reached out and brushed Sidney's hair back off his face as their eyes locked in the semi-dark. 167

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Sidney whimpered. No one had ever said such things to him, not even Alan. He had been taking care of himself since he was seventeen, and he'd never known he wanted someone to take care of him. "God, Greg, I've never felt like this about anyone." Greg smiled. "Good. That makes two of us." He leaned in and kissed him. "I've only had one boyfriend," he admitted. Sidney was surprised but pleased. "Does that mean you've only had sex with one person?" he asked speculatively. He was going to enjoy blowing Greg's mind. Greg blushed. "No. Two. Once in college, I was drunk and..." He squirmed. Sidney smirked. "And that's all?" he purred, sliding his hand slowly down Greg's chest. He couldn't wait to show off his talents. "Yes," he whispered, breath catching. "That's it. I guess I'm pretty unsophisticated, compared to what you're used to." Sidney shook his head. "Oh sweetie. Don't feel bad. I'm gonna enjoy showing you everything I know." Sidney didn't think he was a slut. But he loved sex, and he was good at it. "I've never been with anyone I loved." Greg licked his lips. "I feel so lucky to have found you, Sidney. I still can't believe someone as beautiful as you would want me." Sidney smiled. "I know I shouldn't say this, but I'm sure I'll never get tired of you telling me I'm beautiful." He leaned in and kissed Greg then, putting all his emotions into it. Greg moaned quietly. He kissed back, reaching out to run his hands over Sidney's chest and back. 168

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Breaking from the kiss, Sidney began to kiss Greg's neck again. But this time he didn't stop. He kissed lower, lavishing attention on every inch of his new lover's skin. He licked at his skin, and sucked one nipple, then the other, into his mouth. Greg rolled onto his back, his fingers sinking into Sidney's hair. "Mmm," he hummed. "You have the most amazing mouth." Sidney looked up at Greg. "Oh, you ain't felt nothin' yet, baby." He went back to his ministrations, smiling as he kissed lower, down over Greg's lovely flat belly. Greg leaned up on his elbows, looking down. "W-what are you doing?" he squeaked. Sidney didn't stop, just spoke between kisses and licks. "Making you feel good," he murmured, shifting so that he could get a better angle. He figured Greg wouldn't have much experience with getting his cock sucked, if any. He wanted to please him. He didn't touch his arousal yet, though. "Oh, fuck," Greg rasped. He fell back against the mattress and raked his fingers through his own hair. "Sidney, I've never, no one's ever..." Sidney's eyes widened and he smiled. "No one has ever sucked your gorgeous cock?" he breathed, rubbing his cheek against it. "Do you want it, Greg? Want my mouth? Want my lips wrapped around you?" Sidney loved dirty talk, and it had never been hotter than now. "Yes," he whimpered piteously. "Oh fuck, yes. Suck me, Sidney. Suck my cock, please." 169

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"Only because you said please," Sidney replied, and licked a long, slow line up the length of Greg's erection. He was usually the one getting sucked off these days, but he definitely knew what he was doing as he ended the lick with a swirl around the sensitive head. Greg squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. "Ohgodohgodohgod," he murmured. He gripped the sheets tightly. Sidney looked up at Greg as he sucked his cock into his mouth slowly. He knew most men loved to watch their cock disappear into a hot mouth. He kept up the suction until he had taken in all of him. Greg looked down at him, panting hard. His eyes widened as he watched, and a moan tore from his chest. His legs were trembling, and he gasped for air. Sidney couldn't speak, but he fervently hoped that Greg was enjoying what he was doing to him. He loved doing it for the man he adored. He began to bob his head up and down, using his tongue to caress as he moved. Greg let out a plaintive sob. "Oh God, Sidney. I'm gonna, ohhh, Sidney..." His hips jerked up of their own volition. Sidney was surprised Greg had come so quickly, but he swallowed. Greg tasted wonderful, and he felt just closer to him now. He licked him clean, then slithered back up to lie next to him. Greg was panting still, but he smiled breathlessly at Sidney. "That was amazing," he whispered. "Thank you." "Glad you liked it," Sidney answered, feeling happy he could give Greg such an experience. The look on his face was 170

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well worth it. He was going to do everything he could to make this man happy. Greg continued to lie very still for long moments as his breathing slowly returned to normal. He had a goofy smile on his face when he finally turned to face Sidney again. "I don't, I haven't done that very much. To someone else, I mean." He ran his hand down Sidney's chest. "It's fine. You don't have to do anything, Greg." Sidney couldn't even believe this much was happening. They loved each other. They were naked in bed together. He felt so much for this sweet, brave man. He was achingly hard but the anticipation was as good as the sex. Well, almost. Greg's fingers stroked against Sidney's hip. "I want to," he breathed, nuzzling under Sidney's chin. "You can do anything you want," Sidney whispered. "As long as it's with me." He grinned. He was feeling possessive of his new boyfriend. He was aching for him. Greg smiled against Sidney's throat, sucking and kissing downward. He dipped his tongue into the hollow at the base as his fingers ghosted gently up and down the stiff length of his cock. Sidney arched up, thrusting into his touch, moaning Greg's name. He couldn't believe this was happening after everything that had gone on this week. Greg shifted down in the bed. He worshipped Sidney's body with his mouth, sucking and nipping his way down the toned torso. He scooted further down still, rubbing his face against belly and hipbones, hot breath against the head of the model's cock. 171

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Sidney whimpered. He wasn't very patient at the best of times, but this was the man he was in love with. He wanted everything, and he wanted it now. "Greg," he protested, squirming. Greg smiled against Sidney's hip. He pressed his lips against his cock, slowly parting them to lick along the hard, heated flesh. "Not fair," panted Sidney, leaning up on his elbows to watch. "I didn't tease you much." He couldn't believe his knight was doing this to him. It was perfect. Greg looked up at Sidney, an innocent look on his face as he swirled his wet tongue around the head. "Not fair?" "Greg," whined Sidney. "I'll make you pay for this," he promised breathlessly. Greg laughed quietly before he sucked Sidney into his mouth. He flattened his tongue against the underside of the cock in his mouth and started slowly and regularly bobbing his head, taking him deeper each time. Sidney could tell that Greg hadn't had that much experience, but it felt wonderful nonetheless. "Oh, baby. Feels so good," he moaned. Greg moaned as he took Sidney all the way into his mouth. He watched his face and gripped his hips. "Oh, God. Love you," Sidney gasped, one hand in Greg's hair. He was close, but he wanted to make it last. Greg moved faster, drawing more tight, wet suction as he moved. He moaned again, stroking Sidney's thighs.

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With a gasp, Sidney nearly went over the edge. "Greg, gonna, oh God..." He hoped that was warning enough, because he was coming and coming hard. Greg pulled back just slightly, but continued to suck him. His eyes drifted closed for a moment, then he looked into Sidney's eyes again. Still panting, Sidney lay back on the bed. "Fuck, that was good. Come here." He motioned him closer. He wanted to feel his body against him. He was trembling from his release. Greg slid up Sidney's body and settled beside him. He smiled drowsily. "It was okay?" he murmured. That made Sidney laugh. "Okay? No. Not okay. Fucking amazing." He rolled so he was facing Greg. "Thank you." He beamed at him. "It was my pleasure," he whispered. "You were so sexy, Sidney." Sidney smiled, sated. "I can't wait to share everything with you." He wrapped his arms around Greg, already drifting off. He'd never been happier. Greg drifted off to sleep peacefully once again, cradled in Sidney's embrace. [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Eleven When morning came, Greg had a quick shower and headed back to the station. He found out first thing that his warrant application had been approved, and he headed over to the house he intended to search. Ideally, he wanted Cooper to be out, so he waited to call in the other officers until he saw the young model leave. A few minutes later a black and white pulled up to the curb, and they proceeded to enter. He marveled at the fact that, regardless of how many break-ins there were every year, most homes were still easy to access. One of the officers made it through a small window at the back, and came around to open the front door. Then the searching began in earnest. Greg instructed them to leave everything as they found it as much as possible, and to report anything suspicious to him immediately. Within an hour their efforts paid off. They continued searching until they'd scoured every inch of the place, then left as they'd entered, leaving a copy of the search warrant on the kitchen counter in plain sight. Then Greg waited again. He staked out the house from across the street, huddled down in his car. He wanted to know what Cooper's first move would be once he discovered that his home had been searched. About fifteen minutes later, a car pulled up and Justin got out and went inside. Not five minutes later, he ran back out to his car and screeched off down the road. 174

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Greg had started the engine up as soon as he saw Justin, so he was ready. He followed at a distance as he had the previous time. He was more and more convinced that his instincts had been right. Justin drove quickly, cutting people off and swerving around corners. Greg knew that Justin would panic, or at least he'd been fairly certain. He followed him, though it was difficult at times. Justin stopped at a popular health club, double parking and running inside. There was no time to park and pursue him, so he waited in the car. If he was right, Justin was going to get something from the club and try to hide it better the second time around. Sure enough, only moments later Justin emerged, carrying a small gym bag. He threw it in the car and drove off again. Justin seemed to be traveling in circles for some time. He was generally headed west, but the route he took through less and less appealing neighborhoods was circuitous at best. Finally, he seemed to make up his mind and started heading straight for the beach. Greg followed, careful not to let Justin know of his presence. When the young man finally parked at a lot with access to the shore, Greg waited until he was out of his car and heading across the sand to find a space, and follow on foot. With a furtive glance around, Justin headed for the water. It was getting dark and there weren't many people around, and he went to stand at the edge of the waves for a few moments. 175

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It being the beach, there weren't a lot of options for hiding places. Greg put his sunglasses on and stood at a smoothie stand on the frontage road beside the beach. There was a small group of lingering tourists, and he tried to blend in with them as he kept his eyes on Justin Cooper. The man walked up and down for a few moments, looking around, then kicked off his shoes and rolled up his pants, wading into the surf. Greg watched him carefully. He moved closer, taking a seat on a wooden bench, glancing over his shoulder as nonchalantly as he could. Justin waded out farther before reaching into his bag quickly. He drew out something, then squatted to begin digging in the sand, under the water. Greg could see that Cooper was digging. He could approach him now and get whatever he was burying, arrest him, and hope the mostly circumstantial evidence would suffice. Or, he could wait. He could retrieve the evidence, have it tested, and find a way to confront Justin, hoping he would feel trapped enough to admit everything. The first thing he had to do, however, was to make sure Justin didn't make a run for it. He moved back over to the refreshment stand and made a call, ordering twenty-four hour surveillance on Cooper. Then he returned to the bench and waited for him to leave the area. After a few moments, Justin seemed satisfied and walked back out of the water, hands empty. He grabbed his shoes, not bothering to put them on, and hurried back to his car. He didn't look around. 176

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Greg changed position until he could see Cooper's car. He watched him drive off, and waited a few minutes just to make sure he didn't return. Then he headed out to the water's edge. **** Sidney shifted in the uncomfortable chair. He was sure that no one could sit easily in them; they were chosen so you absolutely could not relax. Alan's lawyer was speaking, explaining that Alan's estate was settled, and since the charges had been dropped against Sidney he could now take control of all his inherited assets. The amount was stunning, and though Sidney hadn't been bad off before, he was now quite rich, if he had to choose a word for it. He never had to work again if he didn't want to. He had controlling interest in Alan's company, but didn't have to worry about the day to day operations. It was all a bit much to take in after everything that had happened. And he tried to concentrate, he really did. But his mind kept slipping back to his handsome Greg. He could smell him and feel him and he ached when they were apart. What made it worse was that he knew Greg could be in danger. He was after Alan's murderer. The lawyer seemed to be mirroring his thoughts as Sidney rose to leave. "Please be careful, Mr. Singer. Someone went to a good deal of trouble to make it look like you had killed Mr. Spencer. Now that they know they have not succeeded, they may be desperate." 177

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Sidney nodded and assured him that he would be careful. He stopped short of telling him he had his own personal protector. Who should be waiting downstairs for him right now, in fact. He texted Greg on the way down in the elevator that he was done. Then he walked outside, looking for Greg's car. Greg flipped his phone shut with a grin as he glanced out the window of his tiny Honda. He got out and opened the door for Sidney. "Everything go all right?" he asked solicitously. Sidney nodded and hugged Greg briefly before getting in. When Greg got back in the driver's seat he looked at him. "It's still not real to me. I'm not sure I'm ready to move back to the house." Greg buckled himself in and started the car up again. "You don't have to, I guess, but it'd be a waste not to. It's an amazing house. But, of course, it's up to you." He pulled away from the curb. "Where are we going?" he asked. Sidney sighed and sat back. "I don't know. I want to have some fun." He looked over at Greg and grinned. "You wanna go dancing?" Greg colored a little. "You wanna see how badly I dance?" he asked. "I'm assuming this means changing into those crazy clothes, doesn't it?" Sidney giggled. "You have uncovered my nefarious plans. I wanna see your hot body in those tight clothes." He licked his lips and leaned over to breathe on Greg's neck. "Plus, I dance so well no one will notice if you don't," he added, teasingly.

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"Oh, thanks. That makes me feel better," he chuckled. "So my bag is at your condo, so I guess we're going there." He headed off towards the beach again. Sidney pouted. "Don't you like to watch me dance?" He nuzzled at Greg's neck, his hand on his thigh. He loved to tease Greg like this. Greg sucked in a sharp breath, tilting his head away. "Yyeah. You're really hot when you dance. I mean, you're always hot, but ohh, you're making it hard to drive," he croaked. Sidney grinned against Greg's skin. "Want me to stop?" he whispered, licking at him. He loved how hot he could get Greg without even touching him intimately. They'd made each other come in different ways, but still hadn't gone all the way. The wait was excruciating but also exciting. Greg whimpered. "I don't want to crash the car," he said in a pained voice. He drove slightly faster, merging onto the highway skillfully. "I know you won't, baby, I trust you," Sidney replied. He did trust Greg. Completely. He'd never experienced that sort of trust before and it made him feel as if everything was going to work out. Even though Alan's killer was still on the loose. Greg would fix it. "I wanna dance with you. I wanna rub against you and make you hard and desperate." Greg groaned, blinking as someone nearly cut him off. "If that's what you want, then that's the plan. I just wanna take a quick shower. I had to do some digging today."

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"Mmm. You, naked and wet. Sounds lovely. Need some help getting clean?" Sidney moved his hand higher, still nuzzling at Greg. Greg was panting softly. "Maybe," he whispered. He exited the highway en route to Sidney's condo by the beach, winding through the surface streets. "Maybe?" Sidney smiled. "Is there perhaps something I can do to convince you?" He was glad they were nearly there. Greg licked his lips. He turned onto Sidney's street and pulled to a stop in the space in front of his home. He practically threw the car into park and turned to look at him properly, lips parted, panting shallowly. "Why don't you ask me that inside?" he whispered. "Sounds like a good idea," Sidney agreed, and they both got out of the car quickly. Sidney practically ran for the door, getting his keys out and unlocking it as fast as possible. Greg laughed nervously, following him inside. He closed the door behind them and leaned back against it. "Now, what inducement did you have in mind?" he asked. Sidney smiled seductively. He was in his element now. He knew how to be sexy, and he knew how much Greg was aroused by him. He began to unbutton his own shirt, letting it hang open. "Well, have you ever showered with another person before? Do you know how absolutely erotic two wet, hard, naked bodies are when they rub together?" "No," he practically squeaked. "I haven't had the pleasure." He was panting harder now, his gaze following Sidney's hands. 180

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"And a pleasure it would be," Sidney continued, unbuttoning his pants now. "To shower with you, Detective. Have I convinced you yet?" He was fully hard now. He couldn't get enough of Greg. Greg whimpered and nodded. He licked his lips again and pulled his tie loose. He started to unbutton his shirt, then stopped to shrug off his jacket. "You've convinced me." "Mmm, good," Sidney smiled. He stepped closer to unbutton Greg's pants. "You seem anxious to get undressed. You must really want a shower." He smirked at his lover. He'd never wanted to please anyone this much. "I really, really, really do," he said hoarsely. He kicked off his shoes, then impulsively leaned in and kissed Sidney on the lips. Sidney pressed against Greg as they kissed, pushing the other man's pants down so he could get a hand inside. He slid his hand inside Greg's boxers and rubbed his hand against his hard length. Greg moaned into Sidney's mouth, his own hands sliding over his hips and around to his ass. He stepped out of his slacks that were pooled at his ankles, kicking them away. Sidney's pants were too tight to kick off, so he waited until the kiss ended to wriggle out of them. He pushed the shirt off and stood naked in front of Greg. He smiled and held out his hand. "Let's get clean," he suggested. Greg took Sidney's hand and followed him into the bedroom and then the bathroom that adjoined it. "I thought you wanted to get dirty," he quipped. 181

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"That's the beauty of a shower. You can do both at the same time." Sidney bent more than necessary to turn on the water, glancing over his shoulder at Greg. Greg moaned. "Be gentle with me," he said, laughing nervously. He peeled his socks off one at a time, then slipped off his boxers. Sidney turned to face Greg, stepping closer. "Always, baby. I love you." He leaned in to kiss him, putting one hand behind his neck to pull him in. They weren't touching yet, but he could feel the heat of Greg's body. Greg's hands rested on Sidney's waist and he kissed back. He stepped closer until they were just barely brushing against each other. The kiss was surprisingly sweet, and Sidney melted into it. His hands ran down Greg's back gently, pulling him even closer. Greg explored Sidney's mouth shyly, wriggling against him. He sighed softly, his head tilting. Kissing Greg was incredible; Sidney sometimes felt he could do it for hours. But steam was coming out of the shower now and he broke the kiss, pulling Greg into the hot water with him. He smiled as the water cascaded over them. Greg reached for the soap and started to lather it over Sidney's chest, touching him slowly in lazy circles. Sidney let Greg do what he wanted, enjoying his touches. He let his head fall back and moaned. He couldn't wait to consummate their relationship fully. But taking their time was a lot of fun, too. "Feels good," he encouraged.

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Greg rubbed the lather lower, down over Sidney's hips and thighs. He leaned in, pressing his lips against Sidney's throat and sucking wetly. "Ohhh, Greg..." Sidney loved attention, but he loved this most of all. He missed Alan and he always would, but he knew now that Greg was the love of his life. He traced his fingers up and down the other man's slick skin. Greg moaned, tracing his tongue along Sidney's collar bone as his hands slid around his waist, down over his ass, soapy skin sliding along soapy skin. "Love you," he murmured, lifting his head to nuzzle against the edge of Sidney's ear. Panting now, Sidney murmured, "I'm the luckiest guy in the world." He rocked his hips up, his cock brushing against Greg's. This was paradise. Greg pulled back just far enough to gaze into Sidney's eyes. "Nope. That's me," he said softly. He pressed his lips to the end of Sidney's nose with an adoring smile. Sidney smiled back breathlessly. He'd never been so blissfully happy and secure with someone. He didn't feel like he had to impress Greg. He just wanted to make him happy. "You feeling clean yet?" he asked. "Or dirtier?" Greg grinned against Sidney's lips as he kissed him again. "Not nearly dirty enough," he said, nibbling gently. "Oh, I think I can help with that," Sidney replied, and took Greg's shoulders, turning him to face the wall. He pressed up against him from behind, his cock lining up with the cleft of Greg's ass. "Feeling dirtier now?" 183

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Greg moaned and pressed his forehead to the tile. "Yes," he whimpered. "Oh God, Sidney." He pressed his hips back, swaying them slightly side to side. The way Greg responded made Sidney even harder. He pressed him against the wall more firmly. His cock pressed insistently against Greg's ass. Greg might be his knight, but sexually Sidney was dominant. He took Greg's hands and pushed them up, over his head, holding them against the tile. "You like that, too?" Greg moaned, arching his back. "Oh fuck," he hissed. "That's..." His head fell forward again, gently thumping on the tile. "Hot," he exhaled, finishing the thought. Sidney smiled, biting at Greg's neck. "I like you this way, Greg." He rocked against him, letting him feel how much he was wanted. "Mine." Greg made him feel possessive. Greg melted against the tile, pressing his face against his own arm. "Yours," he whispered, with shiver. "I love you, Greg," Sidney whispered, rocking against him. "I can't wait until we're together completely. It's going to be spectacular." He knew why they were waiting. But sometimes it was so very hard. "Oh God, Sidney, please," he whimpered. "Please t-touch me." He pressed his hips back, licking his lips as his eyelids fluttered closed, beads of moisture from the shower clinging to his lashes. Sidney put one hand on Greg's back, still holding his hands with the other, and slid it down over his ass. "Where do you want me to touch you?" he purred, tracing his fingers down Greg's cleft. He was so hard for this sexy man. 184

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Greg gasped again, hips moving restlessly. "Oh God, ttouch my cock. Oh please, Sidney," he begged. "You want to come, Greg?" Sidney breathed, brushing his finger over Greg's entrance. This was so hot he could almost come from it. Greg nodded, whimpering. "Please, Sidney, God. I'm so, oh God, so hard. Please," he panted. "I can see that, Greg. So hard for me. You're so fucking sexy." He slid the tip of his finger inside Greg. "I can't wait to make love to you. Want you so bad." Greg shivered. "Ohhh..." His hips bucked back and he tugged at his wrists. "Please." "You like that, baby? Like the way it feels?" He slid his finger in deeper. This was the farthest they'd gone. Sidney ached for Greg, but he knew he could wait until Greg was ready. Greg shifted his feet further apart. "God, yes," he said quietly. "More," he moaned. The need in Greg's voice made Sidney groan. He moved his finger in and out gently. "You need to be filled, don't you?" Greg nodded. "Fuck, I-I do," he ground out. He bent his head, gasping. Sidney added another finger, twisting them to find Greg's prostate. "I'm gonna make you feel so good, better than you've ever felt," he promised. He'd never been so driven to please someone.

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Greg yelped when Sidney's fingers touched a certain spot. "Ohhh." He leaned against the wall more for support, his chest pressing against the tile. Sidney smiled. "You like that?" he asked unnecessarily. He brushed over it again, and released Greg's hands. "Keep them there," he instructed, and reached down to stroke Greg's cock. Greg's fingers gripped at the slick wall above his head and he let out a guttural groan. He thrust his hips forward into Sidney's fist, then back, impaling himself more deeply on Sidney's fingers. "Feel that, baby? How I'm inside you? Imagine when it's my cock." Sidney could imagine, too, and he was almost insane with need. He thrust his fingers in and out as he stroked his cock, drinking in the sounds Greg made. Greg cried out unexpectedly, pressing his upper body against the wall. He pulsed over Sidney's fingers, his slender body shuddering violently as he climaxed. Sidney's cock twitched, very nearly taking him over the edge as well, but he stroked Greg through it, then gently removed his fingers. He wrapped his arms around Greg from behind. Greg slouched weakly back against him, his head tipping back against Sidney's shoulder. "Oh God," he whispered. Sidney smiled. "I love you," he said happily. He wanted to spend the rest of his life like this. Greg sighed contentedly, then straightened. He turned around, gazing into Sidney's eyes for a moment. Then he 186

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placed his hands on Sidney's hips and slid to his knees in the confined space, looking up at him. "Oh fuck," groaned Sidney. He was so close already, and with Greg looking up at him he knew he was going to come in an embarrassingly short time. "Greg..." Greg smiled and curled his fingers around Sidney's cock. He pursed his lips around the head, then sucked him deeply into his mouth. Sidney sagged back against the wall, so close already. "Ohhh," he moaned, so in love and lust with the man on his knees. Greg gripped Sidney's hips as he bobbed his head. He suckled and stroked with his tongue, his gaze riveted to Sidney's face despite the gentle spray from the shower making his lashes flutter. Sidney held Greg's head gently, gasping for air as he climbed higher and higher. Finally he couldn't hold back any longer and he warned, "Greg. Gonna..." Then he started to come so hard he nearly passed out. Greg pulled back when Sidney spoke, curling his fingers around him to stroke again as the other man came. When Sidney looked down to see his seed coating Greg's face he almost came again. It was one of his kinks, but he'd never mentioned it to him. "God, Greg, so good," he gasped. Greg stood slowly and closed his eyes, leaning into the spray to wash his face clean. He rubbed his eyes, then smiled at Sidney.

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Sidney pulled Greg into his arms roughly, moaning. He loved Greg so much he ached and he had never been happier in his life. Greg smiled and wrapped his arms around Sidney. "I think we're clean now," he said quietly. "I'm starting to get waterlogged." "Let's go dry each other off then," Sidney suggested, turning off the water. He didn't mind what they did as long as they did it together. "I think my legs are about to give out anyway." Greg stepped out and grabbed a towel, holding it out for Sidney. He smiled adoringly at him. "No, I need to be really dry to get those pants on," he teased. Sidney giggled. "You get used to it after a while." He rubbed the towel over Greg's chest. "And no underwear." "Yeah, thanks. Chris already yelled at me about the boxers," he said, blushing. Smirking, Sidney said, "Yeah, I bet he tried to get into your boxers, too." Greg blushed at that. "Just once or twice. He was pretty easy to put off." Sidney snorted. "He must have been going easy on you. Chris never met a cock he didn't like. To ride." Greg worked at drying Sidney off with a smile. "I think he kinda guessed that I liked you," he said quietly. "Perceptive little guy. And pretty loyal." Sidney nodded. "Chris likes to play dumb, but he's pretty smart," he agreed. He nuzzled against Greg's neck. "And he has good taste in clothes." 188

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Greg sucked in a breath. "Mmhm," he hummed. He wrapped his arms around Sidney and pulled him close, kissing him sweetly. "If we're leaving here tonight, you should stop that," he whispered. "I know," Sidney murmured against his skin. "But I love to make you feel good." He stopped kissing his neck, though, and stepped back. "Let's get you all tarted up, baby." He wrapped the towel around his hips. "I want to show you off." Greg raked his fingers through his damp hair and wrapped another towel around his own hips. He went out to the bedroom where his duffle bag was. Sidney leaned in the doorway, watching and grinning. "Remind me to buy Chris a bottle of champagne to thank him." He couldn't wait to see Greg dressed sexy. Greg pulled out the purple pants, looking at them doubtfully. He stepped into them carefully, the towel falling away as he slid them up over his ass. He gingerly tucked himself into them and eased the zipper up, sucking in so they would fit. He pulled out the shirt and put that on, too. Then he turned to Sidney and held out his arms. "Well? Will I do?" he asked. Sidney took his time looking over the man in front of him. He purred and licked his lips, then said, "Oh, you'll do. I will have to stay close to you at all times, lest you get picked up by someone else." He walked around Greg, letting his gaze travel over every inch of him. "You really should dress like this more often. Wait. Maybe not." He pressed up against him from behind. "Mine." 189

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Greg sucked in a breath and leaned back against him. "Who knew you were so possessive?" he breathed. "I thought you were more of an open relationship kinda guy," he teased. "Mmm, I was. But that was before I met my knight and fell in love." Sidney ran his hands over Greg's slender body, encased in the tight clothes. "I'm not ever going to share you. And you won't have to share me." "That suits me just fine," he said, rubbing his ass against Sidney. "Now, you need to get dressed, too, right? You're not going like that." Sidney smirked. He backed up and turned around, the towel falling off his body. "What? You don't like my ensemble?" He was already thinking of what provocative outfit he could wear. Greg grinned. "It's definitely fine, but it might be a little cold." He rummaged in his bag for socks, and sat on the edge of the bed. "You can keep me warm," Sidney said, then walked into the closet to survey his wardrobe. He finally chose skintight black pants and a white sleeveless shirt that showed off his body very well. He wanted Greg to be proud to be seen with him. When Greg saw Sidney dressed in his clubbing finery he licked his lips. "You know, it's not nice to be prettier than the bride," he joked, his lips quirking into a half smile. Sidney smirked. "Baby, I haven't even done my face yet." He sauntered past Greg with an exaggerated sway of his hips and brushed against him. 190

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Greg's gaze followed Sidney and a moment later he followed him. "You know you look gorgeous without all that, right?" he commented. Sidney was peering into the mirror, carefully applying eyeliner. "Thanks sweetie. But I like to wear it." He looked in the mirror at Greg. "It makes me feel sexy." Greg watched him, tilting his head. "Well, you look sexy with it on, too." Sidney smiled at him. "You should wear some, too. Eyeliner looks good on anyone." He stopped to consider. "Well, almost everyone." He picked up a lipstick and started applying it. "Me? Really?" he said, looking surprised. "I don't, I've never worn any makeup. Well, other than Halloween." Sidney beckoned him closer. "Well, come here then. Let me put a little on you. If you don't like it you can take it off." He smiled, excited to see what Greg looked like with makeup on. Greg stepped closer, and licked his lips. "It's not gonna look as good on me as it does on you." Sidney rolled his eyes. "Don't be so modest." He picked a simple black eyeliner and said, "Now hold still. Look up." Greg held very still and looked up at the ceiling. "No, I'm serious. I wasn't being modest." Sidney sighed and leaned closer, biting his lip in concentration as he drew a thin line along one lower lid. "So why do you suppose I find you so sexy, if you're not?" Greg swallowed audibly. "Bad eyesight?" he said, smirking. He didn't move, however. 191

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Sidney giggled. "No. Dork. My eyes are twenty-twenty." He moved on to the other eye, then stepped back to admire his work. "Oooh. Hot. I was right." Greg's eyes widened and he turned towards the mirror. He blinked a few times. "Wow. That really looks different." Sidney beamed at him as he looked in the mirror. "See? I told you. I'm always right." He studied Greg. A little eyeliner made a huge difference. Not that Greg hadn't been handsome before. Now he was just sizzling. Greg smiled shyly. "I guess we're good to go, then?" "Well, you are. But I'm not quite." Sidney kissed Greg on the cheek, pressing against him briefly before returning to the mirror. He added some eye shadow. Greg watched, fascinated. "Maybe I should bring my gun," he teased. Sidney smirked at him, bending over to inspect his handiwork. "All you need is that gun," he replied, glancing down at Greg's crotch. Greg blushed. "That's gonna be enough to keep every other guy off of you?" he asked. Sidney put down his eyeliner and turned to face Greg, leaning back against the counter. "They can look but they can't touch. I only want you," he said quietly. Greg smiled adoringly at him. "Then I'll need my gun to stop them from wanting to kill me," he said with a grin. "Mmm. That's kind of hot. You fighting for me," Sidney purred, then came closer. He trailed his fingers down Greg's chest. "Maybe we better get out of here before I decide to attack you again." 192

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"Keep your dick in your pants there, mister. You promised to take me out and show me off," he said with a wink. Sidney pouted. "I thought you liked my dick out of my pants," he smirked. His hand slipped around to grope Greg's ass. Greg smiled. "I love your dick any way, but anticipation is nice, too." He leaned in and kissed him lightly on the lips. Mindful of his lipstick, Sidney kissed back. "Careful," he said breathlessly as he pulled back. "Getting a hard-on in those pants could be painful if you're not used to it. Placement is everything." Greg winced. "Yeah, that doesn't sound too good." He pulled back. "Let's go." Sidney grabbed his jacket and his keys, and kissed Greg once more before they walked out the door. **** The line at the club was long, but Sidney knew the bouncer and he waved them right in. Greg followed close behind him. He looked around at the occupants of the club a little wide-eyed, staying close to Sidney. Sidney led Greg right to the dance floor. He was dying to dance; it was foreplay to him. He started swaying to the beat as they maneuvered between people. Greg trailed behind him. He bopped to the thumping beat, dodging bodies to the left and right of him. Finally Sidney found a spot he liked, and began to dance in earnest. He faced Greg, moving sensually, immersing himself 193

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in the beat. Greg stared at him, eyes transfixed. His hips swayed back and forth slowly, and he licked his lips. Sidney smiled and moved closer, raising his arms above his head as he danced, arms crossed at the wrists. He brushed against Greg once in a while, deliberately. Just enough to heighten the tension. The music flowed through him like fire, leaving him hotter than usual. Greg's movements mirrored Sidney's, though less elaborately. His gaze raked over Sidney's body hungrily. Sidney moved behind Greg, pressing against him. He was half hard just from dancing, and the contact made him harden more. He put his hands on Greg's hips. Greg stiffened for a moment, then pressed back against Sidney. He shivered. He glanced back over his shoulder. Sidney kissed Greg when he looked back, moaning at the feeling. He loved to be looked at, loved to do this in public. And it was so hot to know that Greg was doing it for him. Greg gasped when Sidney kissed him. He raised his arms up and reached back touching Sidney's shoulders as they swayed back and forth together. Sidney moaned into the kiss, grinding his now rock hard cock against Greg's ass. Greg was so hot, so sexy, that Sidney ached for him. He also loved him just as intensely, and the combination made it hard to breathe. But he wouldn't change it for the world. Greg pulled back. He blushed, smiling shyly as he straightened again. He reached behind him, putting his hands on Sidney's hips as they moved in tandem. Sidney loved this, loved sharing his passion for dancing with the man he loved. He knew they'd go home together and 194

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make each other come in some lovely way, and even though they hadn't made love yet he knew he could wait. He slid one hand under Greg's shirt, and murmured in his ear, "You're so fucking sexy. Everyone is jealous." Greg looked around the room. "How do you know?" he asked, turning his head again to speak in Sidney's ear. "The way people are looking at us. Looking at you." Sidney was used to being looked at, and he liked it. He was proud to be seen with Greg. "They must be looking at you," he said. He leaned his head back again and nuzzled the side of Sidney's neck. "They're looking at both of us," Sidney purred. "Thinking how sexy we are, wondering what it looks like when we're in bed." Greg swallowed hard. "Too bad for them," he breathed in Sidney's ear. Sidney chuckled as he pushed Greg's shirt up, revealing his stomach as he caressed him possessively. "They can look, but they can't touch. You're mine," he said as he rocked his aching cock against Greg's ass. It felt so good. Greg moaned. He looked around the room again, then turned in Sidney's embrace, gazing into his eyes. "I am. All yours." Sidney nodded, still moving against him. "I've been waiting all my life for you," he whispered, suddenly feeling emotional. He stared into Greg's eyes. Greg's eyes widened. "Well, I'm here now. And I'm not going anywhere." He pressed a light kiss to the corner of Sidney's lips. 195

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"Good," Sidney said, smiling. He ran his hands up Greg's sides, pushing his arms up in the air as they moved together. Greg raised his arms up and started to sway his hips more sensuously. He relaxed by degrees, rolling his hips to the hypnotic beat, eyes heavy-lidded, gazing only at Sidney's face. Sidney was panting and so aroused by their dance that he would have happily dragged Greg off to a back room. But he didn't want their first time to be a quickie, hot though it might be. He leaned forward to nibble at Greg's neck as they danced. Greg tipped his head back and moaned, seemingly oblivious to the presence of anyone but the two of them on the dance floor. A shiver ran through his shoulders and he pressed against Sidney's body more insistently. "Can we go home?" he croaked. Sidney was breathless from Greg's words and his body. "You need something?" He moaned. Greg nodded slowly. "Yeah. I think so," he said, licking his lips. "Hmm, if you only think so," he teased. He wanted to prolong the anticipation. Greg lowered his hands and placed them on Sidney's hips, grinding their bodies together. "Oh no, I know so," he purred. "God," moaned Sidney. He'd never imagined Greg could be so wanton. It was unutterably hot. "I guess I'd better get you out of here before we get arrested then," he grinned.

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Greg laughed. "It's okay. I know some cops." He gave Sidney a wink. "But anything to get naked and in your bed again is worthwhile." Greg smiled and followed Sidney back out through the crush of bodies. They reached the doors and headed for the car quickly, laughing as he tried to keep up. It seemed to take forever to get home, but they made it eventually. Sidney found it hard to keep his hands off Greg as they drove but he wanted to get home. They hadn't been at the club all that long, but dancing always made him horny. And with Greg, it was even better. They got upstairs in a fumble of kisses and touches, and finally they were inside. Greg took Sidney's hands and walked backwards towards the bedroom. "So was I a terrible dancer?" he asked, smiling. "You were very good," replied Sidney, keeping his body pressed close to Greg's. "I love dancing. Especially with my knight." "I was nowhere near as good as you, baby," he purred. "You were sex on a stick out there." He backed up towards the bed. Sidney laughed. "Dancing makes me hot. Especially dancing with a hot man." He pushed Greg playfully, back to the bed. Greg laughed and tumbled backwards. He let his arms fall up above his head. "Here I am. Yours to ravish," he said, smiling.

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"Mmm, I like the sound of that," Sidney grinned, pulling his shirt off before climbing onto the bed. "Prepare to be ravished." Greg reached up and ran his hands over Sidney's chest. "You're so fucking beautiful," he said, fingertips brushing down his sides. "And you're so sexy," Sidney breathed, panting at his lover's touch. "How did I ever get so lucky to find you?" He bent to nuzzle at Greg's neck. Greg shivered. "I don't know, but I'm glad you did." He pulled Sidney down on top of him, then rolled over on top of him with a grin. Sidney looked up at him, grinning. He pushed up on Greg's shirt. "Off," he said. He wanted to touch him everywhere. Greg kneeled up and pulled this shirt off abruptly. He licked his lips. "You make me feel like I'm hot, Sidney. No one's ever made me feel like that before." Sidney ran his hands over Greg's slender body. "You are hot, baby. You're exactly my type. Want you so much." He couldn't explain it, but Greg made him more aroused than anyone he'd ever been with. Greg whimpered and leaned down to kiss Sidney passionately. He pressed against him, exploring his mouth hungrily. Sidney loved to kiss, especially with someone he wanted so much. It was so intimate, sharing part of their body, and he loved Greg's taste. Greg slid his fingers through Sidney's hair, moaning into his mouth. He wriggled on top of him, rubbing their cocks against each other. Sidney's hands were 198

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all over Greg, caressing his warm soft skin, massaging his muscles. He loved this man so much it almost hurt. He arched up, seeking more contact. Greg pulled away enough to slide his hand between their bodies. He rubbed the heel of his hand against the bulge in Sidney's tight pants. He fingered the zipper, breaking the kiss, panting hard. "Oh God, Greg," moaned Sidney. "You make me so hard." All he could think of was the way Greg was touching him. He was mad with need for him. His hands were on Greg's ass, squeezing. Greg sucked in a breath. "I want to make you happy. Always. I want to make you come every day. I want to make love with you." He thumbed open Sidney's button and eased his zipper down carefully. Sidney gasped. He hadn't thought that far, hadn't allowed himself to. He was content to wait until Greg was ready. "Do you mean..." he whispered. It was hard to think when Greg was unzipping his pants. Greg's slender fingers slid inside Sidney's pants, stroking against his cock. "Mean what?" he asked breathily. It was all he wanted, to make love to Greg fully. But it had to be perfect. "We, we should wait," Sidney moaned, unable to believe the words were coming out of his mouth. Greg smiled approvingly. "We should," he whispered. He kissed Sidney's throat, sucking and biting his way down. Sidney groaned. He was going to explode. "Greg, oh God baby." He loved the way Greg touched him. 199

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Greg wriggled down further. "Mmm," he hummed, nipping at one of Sidney's nipples as his fingers gently tugged his cock out. "You want something, sexy?" "Oh, yeah," Sidney moaned. "Your mouth. On me. But wait." He sat up, struggling out of his tight pants. Greg sat back, rolling off of him to let him take his pants off. He unbuttoned and unzipped his own, lifting his hips to squirm out of them. Sidney wriggled around on the bed until he was lying opposite him, but facing the other end of the bed. He looked up at him. "Is this okay?" He reached out and wrapped his hand around Greg's length and pulled it close to his mouth as he moved his own hips so Greg could reach him. Greg gasped softly. "Yes," he whispered. He leaned in and curled his fingers around the base of Sidney's cock, pressing his lips against it. "Mmm," Sidney moaned, but that was all he could say because he was slowly sucking Greg's cock into his mouth. He lavished all the attention he could on the hard flesh, licking and sucking and swirling his tongue to reach all the sensitive places. Greg's actions mirrored Sidney's. He pressed his hand on Sidney's hip and drew his cock deep into his mouth. He caressed with tongue and lips, eyes drifting closed, moaning softly around him. It didn't take long for Sidney to get close to climax. The mutual pleasure was lovely and he felt even closer to Greg. It was difficult to concentrate but he did his best, using every trick he knew to drive Greg crazy. 200

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Greg whimpered helplessly around Sidney's cock as he sucked and slurped a little erratically. His fingers tightened their grip on Sidney's hip and his slender body trembled. Sidney knew Greg was close and he hummed around the cock in his mouth. He wanted to feel him lose control. Greg moaned loudly and his hips jerked forward for a moment as his muscles tensed. He let out a choked sob, buried deep in his throat, while he continued to suck all the harder. When Sidney felt the first pulses of Greg's seed he swallowed happily. He loved to make his lover come. He wasn't going to be far behind. He could feel his climax approach. Greg sucked at him more slowly for a moment before picking up the pace again. He stroked with his tongue, swirling and bobbing his head vigorously. That was all Sidney needed. He let go of the cock in his mouth, gasping for air as he warned Greg as well as he could. Then he was coming, grabbing Greg's leg to steady himself. Greg slowed, but swallowed down every drop. He waited, breathing deeply for a few minutes before finally pulling back, wiping his mouth and letting his head drop with a contented sigh. Sidney turned around, moving to lie next to Greg. "Mmm, love you," he said huskily, wiggling close. He'd never felt happier. Greg cuddled up against him. He wriggled closer and slid an arm around Sidney's middle. "Me, too," he said quietly. "So much, Sidney." 201

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They drifted off to sleep, wrapped around each other, content and sated. [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Twelve The next morning, Greg felt blissfully happy. He stretched lazily and nuzzled into Sidney's neck. "So, I had an idea," he said, voice raspy from sleep. Sidney smiled sleepily. "Mmm, more sex I hope?" he suggested, chuckling as he ran his hand down Greg's chest. Greg laughed. "No. I mean, that wasn't my idea." He blushed. "What do you think about having a party?" he asked. Sidney opened one eye. "Right now? I need to shower," he teased, swinging his leg over Greg's and snuggling closer yet. Greg smiled. He could definitely get used to waking up this way. "Yes. Right now. Where's my phone? I'll start calling people," he teased. Sidney giggled. "I have no makeup on. I'd scare them all to death. You're a cruel man." "I'm kidding. I'm thinking about when you go back to the house in Hollywood. They're gonna clear it soon. Like a welcome home party. With all your friends." The wheels were turning in his head. Sidney propped himself up on his hand. "I didn't think you were the Hollywood party type," he said, raising an eyebrow. "Not that I'm opposed to the idea, mind you. I love a good party." "Well, it might just serve a dual purpose. But we'll have to see. Are you up for it?" he asked.

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Sidney was waking slowly, and he peered at Greg. "You gonna let me in on the secret?" he murmured, rocking slowly against him. Greg shrugged his shoulders. "I'm thinking the murderer might show up, and he just might be psycho enough to slip up. Then we could put this whole situation to rest and move on." Sidney blinked. "You're sure who it is, then?" He looked into Greg's eyes intently. Greg frowned. "Well, yes. I've known for a while. It's just a matter of having a strong enough case to convince a jury," he said. "Sometimes that takes a little finesse, you know?" He didn't want to keep things from Sidney, and he wasn't going to lie to him. Sidney nodded. "I'll go along with it, as long as no one will be in danger. I'm not going to use my friends like that," he said decisively. "I'll be there and I'll have officers outside. The only person he's likely to try to attack would be you, and you have to know I would never let that happen, right?" he said, gazing into Sidney's eyes. He'd put himself in peril before he let anyone harm Sidney in any way. Sidney swallowed hard then nodded. "I trust you. I want this over. Let's do it." Greg smiled. He was so proud of Sidney for being so brave. "I promise I won't let him hurt you, baby," he murmured. He leaned in and kissed him lightly on the lips. Sidney kissed back, moaning softly. Then he pulled back and grinned. "I guess I have a party to plan." 204

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Greg nodded. "How soon can you be ready?" he asked. He pulled back wriggling out from under the covers to go have a quick shower. His mind was already clicking over the things he needed to do. Sidney followed him into the bathroom. "Hmm. A week at least. Ten days would be better. I've got to get a good caterer." "You have a week," he said, giving him a wink over his shoulder. Greg turned on the water. "I'll check to see when you can move back in today." Sidney clapped his hands. "It'll be the housewarming party to end all housewarming parties," he said, grinning. "The best food and a murder solved at the same time!" He wrapped his arms around Greg from behind. "You are going to move in there with me, right, baby?" Greg paused, straightening. He hadn't thought about that. He had been staying with Sidney for a few days, but that was to make sure he was safe. Wasn't it? Once the murderer was arrested he didn't want to live off of someone else, even if they were in love. "We haven't really talked about that." Sidney took hold of Greg's shoulders and turned him around to face him. "Greg. I love you. I want to live with you." He looked searchingly into Greg's eyes. Greg swallowed hard. "I love you, too. I do. But we need to discuss this. That's all I'm saying." He gazed into Sidney's eyes, his heart pounding. "There's a lot to consider. It's not, I mean, we just need to sit down and weigh the pros and cons." Even as he said the words, he realized the idea of 205

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losing Sidney over this or anything filled him with something he rarely felt. Fear. "What's to discuss?" Sidney demanded, a note of panic in his voice. "I want to be with you. I have a house. I want to wake up with you every morning and sleep with you every night." He had stepped back and had his arms wrapped around himself as if he was cold. Greg stepped forward, putting his hands on Sidney's shoulders. "I know. I want that, Sidney. It's just, there's more to it than that." He licked his lips. "Please don't get upset." Sidney frowned. "It's not that complex. I don't understand what the problem is." Greg felt ill. He could see the only thing for it was to be blunt, though he was worried about saying the wrong thing. "I could never afford to live in a place like that," he said quietly. Sidney stepped back and crossed his arms. "So? Neither could I until now. What does that mean? You one of those guys who can't stand his partner to be more successful?" Greg felt his throat get tight. "Maybe I'm one of those guys who doesn't want to take advantage of another person. Maybe I'm one of those guys who thinks that a week is too soon to be living together. Maybe I'm one of those guys who thinks sharing your life with someone is not something to take lightly." Sidney took another step back, his voice tight. "So. You've only been staying with me to protect me?" 206

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"No! Well, I mean yes, at first I was. But I do want to stay with you. Please don't think that's it. If all I wanted was to protect you, I wouldn't..." He blushed. This was getting out of hand. Sidney was misunderstanding him, and he didn't know how to make him see what he meant. "I love you. I want to be with you. I just don't want to rush into it," he said, his voice pleading. "Oh. I see. I'm good enough to mess around with, but not enough to live with after I'm out of danger. Or good enough to have actual sex with." "That wasn't what I said. But apparently I'm not good enough to wait for," he said, frowning. He reached into the shower and turned off the water. "I can shower at my own apartment." He slipped past Sidney and stalked over to his duffle bag in the bedroom, yanking out clean clothes. Sidney's mouth dropped open and he followed. "Just because your little male ego can't take that I make more money? Is that it?" Greg yanked on his boxers and sat on the edge of the bed to pull on a pair of socks. "No. That's not what it is. All I said was that we should discuss it." He'd never lived with another person. He'd barely even had a real relationship. He loved Sidney, but how could they just jump into it without even thinking it over? "It didn't sound like much of a discussion to me," Sidney retorted. "Seemed like you didn't want to discuss it," Greg said stoically. He grabbed a pair of jeans and pulled them up. "You just wanted to accuse me of pride." Then he glanced up at 207

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Sidney and saw tears in his eyes. He stopped and gasped. "Why are we doing this?" he whispered. Sidney's lip started to tremble. "I don't want to argue with you. I just can't imagine life without you already. I know it's quick but..." Tears started to fall and he turned away, wiping at his face. Greg stepped closer and pulled Sidney into his arms. He held him tightly. "I love you. Please, let's just get through what we need to get through and worry about all that other stuff later?" he said quietly. Sidney nodded and buried his face in Greg's neck. "Don't wanna lose you," he mumbled. "You're not going to." He'd never felt this way about anyone, and a few little arguments weren't going to change that. "It's okay to disagree, sometimes. It doesn't mean we're not gonna make it." Sidney pulled back to look at Greg. He sniffled and said, "You really think so?" Greg smiled. He looked so innocent suddenly. "Of course, baby. People in love fight sometimes. It's totally normal. You just have to make sure you keep talking until you work through it." He kissed him lightly on the lips. Sidney took a shuddering breath. "It's scary," he whispered. "I don't want to fight with you." Greg's hands roamed up and down Sidney's back soothingly. "I don't want to fight, either. I just have so much on my mind with the case, and trying to get the evidence I need and keep everyone safe. I love you so much, and I want 208

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to be with you. But can we just not think about the next step right this minute?" Sidney sighed. "All right. I do have to work today. I should focus." He pressed against Greg lightly. "Are you sure you don't want to shower?" "Okay, but it has to be quick. I don't want to be late." He smiled and kissed Sidney again. They showered quickly, touching only enough to make each other frustrated by the fact that they had to part. Greg didn't mind that it was understood that he would be back that night. It was only the formal nature of 'living together' that seemed sudden to him. He made Sidney promise to call him during the day to let him know where he was and what he was doing, then he reluctantly headed out to the police station. When he got to the station house, Greg read over the surveillance from the night before. He didn't even notice the note in his inbox until after his coffee and donut. He picked up the piece of paper and read it over with a grin. Things were falling into place nicely. However, in a town like Hollywood, you could never be too careful. The lawyers really were sharks, each vying for the case they thought would garner them the most publicity. That's why he wanted to stage the party. He was hoping for a confession. **** Sidney got dressed and headed over to his gig. It was a sunglass ad, shot in the middle of Griffith Park, and the 209

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scenery was beautiful. It was good to be back to work again, but he couldn't stop thinking about Greg and the upcoming party. He made some calls between shoots, and managed to wheedle a friend who was a caterer do his party on short notice, and soon the balls were rolling. Chris agreed to help arrange decorations, and Sidney relaxed. Planning a party wasn't too difficult when you didn't have to worry about the cost. It still hadn't really sunk in that he was quite rich now. He just hoped it wouldn't be an issue with him and Greg. **** Greg took care of the arrangements with the police department. He hired a team of professionals to come in and clean away any trace of foul play. The last thing he wanted was for Sidney to walk in on a big blood stain. When the place met with his approval, he turned the key over to his lover. His lover, that's what Sidney was now. Maybe boyfriend. He couldn't decide if that sounded too childish or not. Either way, Sidney was his and he was Sidney's, and that was all that mattered. That and catching a killer. [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Thirteen On the day of the party, everything fell into place. The landscapers had been allowed back and had come the day before to spruce up the outside. The food arrived, along with a small team of fresh-faced young men who looked like they had jobs on the side as exotic dancers, which they very well could for all Greg knew. Chris had done an amazing job with the decorations, as he was sure the young man would. He obviously had a knack for beauty. The party was to start at about four in the afternoon, and last a few hours. There was plenty of liquor, too, and friends and other models and curious acquaintances started showing up almost right on time. In no time, the generously-sized house was teeming with beautiful and stylish people. Sidney waited near the door, greeting the arrivals, dressed all in white. White ultra-tight jeans, white sleeveless shirt, his dark hair standing out like ink. Chris hovered nearby, reassuring Sidney and directing the servers. Greg didn't really know anyone at the party, except for those he'd interviewed. He tried to keep a low profile. He wasn't usually much for parties anyway, but he was enjoying watching Sidney flourish in the social setting. He mingled through the crowd, listening to various conversations. One thing Greg was good at was being unnoticeable, especially in Hollywood. He wasn't dressed in his usual cop suit, but neither was he all tarted up, as Sidney had put it, in his new clubbing clothes. He paid particular 211

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attention to Justin Cooper, though the young man was extremely careful about what he said. Sidney sidled up beside Greg. "How's it going, Sir Greg?" he breathed on his sensitive neck. Greg shivered. Besides enjoying watching Sidney smile and have a good time with his friends, Greg also enjoyed just ogling him. By the time Sidney approached him, he was already looking forward to the party being over so they could be alone again. "So far so good," he said quietly. He slid his hand around the small of Sidney's back. "Mmm, any chance we could sneak off for a few minutes?" he said, pressing against him unobtrusively. Greg smirked. He lowered his voice, glancing around as subtly as possible. "I know it's difficult to keep your hands off of me, but just a couple more hours, okay?" He was focused now. Focused on catching the killer, so that they could move forward without anything darkening their relationship. He looked around and his eyes locked for a moment with Justin's across the room. He realized instantly that the young man was observing them. He turned his head as if he was about to greet someone else. "We're being watched," he said quietly, so that only Sidney could hear. "Well of course, we're the hottest couple in the room," Sidney answered, then hesitated. "Oh. You mean, by him?" Greg nodded one, discreetly. "You should mingle more." He gave Sidney a little pat on the ass. Chris chose that moment to appear on the other side of Greg. "Mingle? Is that what they're calling it these days?" he smirked, leaning decoratively on the detective. 212

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Sidney rolled his eyes at Chris and wandered off, capturing a flute of champagne from a passing waiter without breaking stride. Chris was watching Greg. "I'm fairly sure the murderer is not attached to Sidney's ass," he commented. Greg's gaze snapped up to Chris and he felt himself blush. He put his arm around Chris' back, hoping to throw Justin off. "No. At least he better not be," he said quietly. "Heard any interesting gossip?" he asked. Chris raised an eyebrow and leaned in. "Nothing good, unfortunately, and I pride myself on knowing all the juicy stuff. You know something I don't, handsome?" Greg smirked. "Nothing I can share." He wondered if maybe Chris could help again. "You haven't heard anyone discussing the murder at all?" Chris shook his head. "Not that I've heard," he mused. "But maybe I could be of some help? Shall I keep my ear to the ground, as it were?" He nuzzled close to Greg as if they were having an intimate conversation. Greg appreciated Chris' desire to help, not just with planning his sting operation, but with throwing Justin off the scent of his and Sidney's relationship. "Actually, I have another idea, if you're willing to help." Chris raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "Oooh. Sounds exciting. I'm always willing to help the long arm of the law." Greg laughed. He leaned close, speaking directly into Chris' ear, instructing him specifically what he wanted him to do. 213

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Chris nodded and after a moment drifted off to grab a glass of champagne. He didn't stray too far from Greg, though. With his tentative plan in place, Greg had only to wait for the appropriate time. He moved out of the corner he had been skulking in, and wandered out towards the middle of the room, helping himself to a passing hors d'oeuvre. When a good opportunity seemed to come around, he glanced at Chris. Justin and Sidney were both within earshot, as were a few of Sidney's other friends that Greg recognized. Chris picked up his cue perfectly and made a show of acting flamboyantly inebriated. He sashayed over to Greg and said, a little too loudly, "Hello, Detective! Enjoying the party?" Greg made a mental note to give Chris some acting lessons later. "Yes, thanks. You did a great job on the decorations," he said, in a more subdued voice, raising his drink to his lips. Chris beamed at him. "Thank you! So," he said, moving closer and ostensibly lowering his voice, "How's the investigation going? You hot on the trail of the real killer?" His voice was still quite audible. "We have a suspect that we're working on, yes," he said, not bothering to lower his voice. Other people were drawing closer, conversations dying down around them. Justin, who had been hovering nearby, looked visibly pale. Sidney glanced from Justin to Greg and back again. "Really?" cooed Chris. "So you think you've got it all figured out, then?" 214

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Greg perched on the arm of the couch. "Well, it's just a theory, of course," he said calmly. "It was a crime of opportunity. The murderer had to know that Sidney would be without an alibi during the murder, so that he could frame him." He glanced at Justin. "Isn't that right?" he asked with a calm smile. "You knew that someone was coming to the club. Someone who was maybe drunk and feeling reckless? And you knew that Sidney would want to spend some quality time alone with this person?" Justin frowned. "I don't know what you're talking about." He started to back away but bumped into Sidney. "No, please, don't go," Sidney said, smiling insincerely. "I want to hear about this." Greg stood and took a step towards Justin. "Then you slipped out of the back of the club, thinking no one would see you leave or realize you'd gone. The only thing I don't really understand is why, Justin. I mean, sure, he turned you down for a modeling job that could have paid your rent for six months. Yes, he wasn't interested in including you in his private life with Sidney. But tell me, how did you know there would be a gun in Mr. March's house?" Justin glanced around. "Simon loved his guns. He was always showing them off." Greg nodded thoughtfully. "So it was easy to grab the one from under the bed a few days before at his party." It wasn't a question. "Then when you got a text from Andrew, you saw an opportunity. You practically pushed Sidney out the door, slipped out the back, and headed for Alan's house." 215

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"You can't prove it," taunted Justin, looking at Sidney then back to Greg. "There is no evidence." "It's funny that some of your clothing had gun powder residue on it. Of course, there were no prints on the gun, because the killer wore gloves. Funny that you were burying a pair of gloves in the surf the other day, isn't it? They're in the crime lab right now. So why don't you tell us what happened when you got here that night?" Justin tried to back away, eyes wide, but ended up against the wall. "I didn't mean for it to happen. I just wanted a job." His voice was shaky now. Greg could see he had Justin where he wanted him, so he didn't bother advancing any further. "So you saw Sidney go out to the parking lot. You slipped out the back door to your own car. But it was almost a twenty-minute drive to Alan Spencer's house. You didn't know how long you had so you drove a little fast, didn't you? Fast enough to trigger one of the cameras on one of the stop lights you ran on Highland." Justin paled. "I just wanted to talk to him, really." Sidney moved closer, eyes wide, but stayed silent. "So you sped to his house, with a gun in your car, wiped clean of fingerprints, and a pair of gloves. Is that right?" Greg asked, tilting his head. Justin was sweating now. "I just wanted to make him see reason." He looked at Sidney. "He wouldn't even consider me for the new campaign. I was perfect for it, but he wouldn't listen." Sidney glanced at Greg then back at Justin. "You know Alan wanted a certain look. He was very picky about it." 216

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Justin shook his head. "It was you. He couldn't see past you to see I would have been perfect. I needed it." Greg gave Sidney a warning look before he proceeded. "So you went to see him to try to make him see reason about the modeling. You knew he was home alone. He wasn't expecting to see you." **** Justin had a key to the house so he let himself in. "Alan?" he called out, heading for the strains of classical music emanating from the study. He had a bag over his shoulder. After a moment, the older gentleman stuck his head out of the study door. "Justin. What are you doing here? Sidney's out," he said succinctly, scowling. He strolled out into the entryway and passed the young man on the way to the bar in the living room. Justin followed. "I wanted to see you, Alan. Is that okay?" He stopped in front of Alan and smiled brilliantly. Alan's eyes narrowed. "Whatever for?" he said in a tone that suggested that he had some inkling. He poured himself a glass of brandy and turned to face him. "Drink?" he offered. Justin smiled and accepted a drink. "Can't I just come over to visit a handsome man?" he purred, sipping at it. Alan smirked mirthlessly and poured another drink for himself. "As if you ever do anything for so simple a reason. Why don't you save us both some time and state your business, Justin."

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Justin put his hand on his heart. "You wound me, Alan." He stepped closer, setting the bag on the floor. "I miss you. You never invite me over anymore." Alan took a seat in an arm chair and crossed his legs, taking a sip of his brandy. "I know very well this is about the job, Justin, so you might as well save your fawning and scraping for someone who doesn't see through it. I may look young, but I wasn't born yesterday," he drawled. Justin laughed and came to perch on the arm of the chair. "You're too smart for me, Alan." He leaned closer. "I just think you should reconsider. That's all. You haven't seen all I can do." Alan scowled. "My dear boy," he began. "I have seen more twenty-something pretty boys strutting their stuff than you could possibly comprehend. I have been working with models for over forty years. Trust me when I tell you that I know very well 'what you can do' and it's not what I'm looking for." Justin frowned and stood up, displaying himself to best advantage. "But, Alan! You haven't given me a chance! You gave the job to Sidney without even considering me. It's not fair!" Alan stood up, pulling himself up to his full height. "You presumptuous little tramp. What has fair got to do with it? This is fashion, not world bloody peace. You've got a cute face that's perfect for skateboard ads or running shoes or whatever it is you do. You're simply not interesting enough for my line. No offense. Sidney is an exotic beauty. You are a pretty little boy. Now I suggest you get out of my house. I've had enough of your paltry attempts at manipulation. Salvage 218

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what pride you've got left, and take yourself off to some club." Justin's mouth dropped open. "You gave Sidney the job because he's your boy toy," he retorted. "Why do you think he stays around? Not because he loves you. Look at you. You can't even get it up." "You've said your piece now. Run along. I can see I've hurt your feelings, so it's best we parted company. There's a good boy." He put down his glass and started towards the door. "No!" growled Justin. When Alan didn't turn around, he grabbed the bag and pulled out the gloves, putting them on before picking up the gun with shaking hands. "You're not listening to me!" Alan turned to look at him then, his eyebrows rising up. "You arrogant little bastard. And how do you know that Sidney isn't my 'boy toy' because I wanted him to model for me, and not the other way 'round?" He paused for a moment, his expression softening. "Justin, I'm telling you this for your own good. You are never going to be on a forty-foot billboard in Times Square. Sidney is a one of a kind, and you are a cheap knock-off. A very pretty one, but a knock-off all the same. If you take care of that body, I'm sure you'll be able to get catalog work well into your forties. Now put that gun away and get out of my house." The hand that held the gun was shaking, and Justin didn't lower it. One tear ran down his face and his jaw jutted out determinedly. "No. I came here for the job and you're going to give it to me." He sniffled. 219

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"I'm really not. I think I've made that clear. In fact, if you don't put that gun away right now, you won't even be able to buy a smoothie in this town, let alone find work. And don't think I can't do it." He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a cell phone. "Now, the only question that remains is, are you terminally stupid, or only temporarily unhinged, hm?" "Don't threaten me!" Justin's voice had raised an octave and he still pointed the gun at Alan. "Put the phone down!" Alan flipped the phone open with his thumb. "Don't be an idiot. You're a model, not a murderer. Put the gun away or I'm calling the police." His voice was clipped and impatient. Justin closed his eyes then, tears squeezing out of his eyes. "I warned you," he sobbed, and pulled the trigger. The shot took Alan by surprise, hitting him squarely in the chest at close range. He crumpled to the ground. "Tell Sidney ... loved him," he croaked, then went still. His eyes glazed over and after a sickening gurgle, he lay dead on the fine carpet. Justin gasped, almost dropping the gun as he stared at Alan's body. He backed away, looking around wildly. Then he stuffed the gun in the bag and fled. **** Tears were streaming down Sidney's face but he kept silent, staring at Justin. "Then you planted the gun in the door panel of Sidney's car. It was a warm night, so of course the top was down. He was in Andrew's car. All you had to do was convince Andrew 220

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to keep quiet," Greg said, summing up the night of the murder. "Is that about right, Justin?" Greg glanced at Sidney, and it was clear that his love was in pain. He wanted to comfort him, but now was not the time. He needed to focus. He had work to do, and once it was complete there would be time for comforting. Justin glared at Greg. "Yeah. It was perfect. But then you had to go and fuck it up." He looked at Sidney. "I suppose you're sleeping with him too. Sidney's a whore." Greg felt anger well up inside him, clouding his near perfect detachment. He gritted his teeth, reaching around to the handcuffs hooked on the back of his belt. He wanted nothing more than to punch this little punk's lights out, but he couldn't. He couldn't jeopardize everything he'd planned so carefully. He stepped closer. "Justin Cooper, you are under arrest for the murder of Alan Spencer." At those words, Justin reached under his shirt and pulled out a switchblade. The blade snapped out and he snarled, "I don't think so." Then he shoved the knife under Greg's ribs. Greg doubled over but managed to reach for his gun before he fell. He held it in both hands, crouched awkwardly on the ground. "Don't move, Cooper," he ground out. "Sidney, signal the officers outside." His arms were shaking, and the pain was excruciating. Suddenly sweat was pouring down his face. His eyes never left Justin. "You have the right to remain silent." Sidney covered his mouth with his hands but nodded and ran outside. 221

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Justin froze, clearly considering if Greg would be able to shoot him or not. Greg's eyes narrowed. He hung onto consciousness by sheer force of will. A moment later three uniformed officers barged in. One started cuffing Justin and reading him his rights, another called in for an ambulance. When Greg knew that things were being taken care of, he collapsed on the floor with a grunt. Blood was flowing freely from the place where the knife was still embedded in his body. Sidney returned then, throwing himself onto the floor beside Greg. "The ambulance is on the way, baby. Oh, God..." He leaned down, pushing Greg's hair out of his face. Greg looked at Sidney, his eyes unfocused. He smiled. "Got him," he whispered hoarsely. "Told you I would." He winced as waves of pain went through him. He felt weak and his mouth was so dry. "I know. I love you, Greg. So much. You're going to be fine." Sidney's voice was shaky and tears streamed down his face. The paramedics arrived and Sidney had to get out of the way. As soon as he was lifted onto a stretcher, everything went blessedly black. [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Fourteen At first, they hadn't wanted to let Sidney wait for Greg in recovery, but Sidney was used to getting his way and he knew how to go about it. Now Greg was out of surgery, hooked up to an IV and looking pale and frail and completely un-knightlike. Sidney had never seen Greg like this and it scared him. He felt like if he just watched Greg, everything would be okay. The doctor had assured Sidney that Greg would be waking soon, and he intended to be the first thing Greg saw when he came around. He couldn't think past that moment. A few hours after surgery, Greg stirred. First his fingers flexed, and then his eyes snapped open. He looked around frantically. "Where..." he croaked. Sidney was immediately by his side. "You're okay, baby. You're in the hospital. You were stabbed, but you're going to be all right." Greg's body language instantly relaxed and his eyes half fluttered shut. "Oh, right. Justin," he said quietly. "I told you I'd get him, right?" he said, the corner of his lips twitching up. His eyes opened wider again and his gaze focused on Sidney's face. "My knight," Sidney breathed, beaming at Greg. "You did. You did it. My brave Greg." He loved this man so much it hurt. He wanted to be with him forever.

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Greg's fingers lifted, reaching for Sidney's hand. "He surprised me. That was bad," he said hoarsely. "I didn't think he had it in him." Sidney took Greg's hand. "But you got him. You made him reveal his plans and now Alan's murderer is behind bars. Thanks to you." Greg smiled. "Sorry if I scared you, baby," he said, giving Sidney's hand a squeeze. "Did they say when I'll get out of here?" Sidney had indeed been scared, but he was now reassured his Greg was going to live. "I don't know, but now that you're awake, hopefully it won't be long. I can get a room in the house all set up for you, we can have around the clock nurses come in." He wanted to take care of Greg. Greg snorted, then winced. "I got stabbed, Dave. I didn't lose a limb. I'm sure I'm not gonna need a nurse." His fingers moved up the inside of Sidney's slim wrist in a caress. "Mmm, so you don't want me fussing over you then? I could dress in a skimpy nurse outfit," Sidney teased, leaning closer. Greg blushed and laughed. "All sorts of very, very wrong things occurred to me in answer to that." "Sometimes wrong can be so good," Sidney purred, leaning closer. "You need to get well soon, baby," he added, making sure Greg could hear the need in his voice. "Yeah. I really do," he said softly. "But I think maybe I should sleep for a while, okay? You don't have to stay. You should get some rest." 224

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Sidney shook his head. "Nope. Not getting rid of me. I saw some of the male nurses eyeing you. Gotta protect you." He winked. He wasn't letting Greg out of his sight. Greg looked around the private room. "Well, at least they could bring you a bed or something," he said. "I'm gonna pass out soon, and I won't be very entertaining." "You don't need to do anything, baby. Just get well. Don't worry about me." Sidney smoothed Greg's hair back. "I love you, you know that?" Greg smiled up at him, eyes getting drowsy. "I know," he said quietly. "I love, you, too, Sidney." His eyes fluttered closed finally. Sidney barely left Greg's side until he was discharged. He'd healed nicely, and was just told to take it easy for a few weeks. They went back to Alan's—now Sidney's—house, and though it was a little weird at first he knew Alan had wanted him to be happy. He'd had some new furniture brought in, and rearranged while Greg was in the hospital. **** The first two days after Greg returned from the hospital, he was zonked out on painkillers most of the time. He sat up to watch some TV and cuddle on the couch with Sidney, but even at that, he frequently nodded off. On the third day, he was determined to wean himself off narcotics. He started substituting over the counter things like ibuprofen for his daytime doses, and he found the pain manageable enough. By the end of the week, he was only 225

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taking pills to sleep, and had given up the prescription altogether. He started physical therapy during the day on the second week. On his first day, he needed a nap afterwards, but when he woke up, he called out for Sidney. Sidney hurried in. "Sorry, baby. I was doing yoga. You okay?" He was shirtless, dressed only in thin, cotton pants that sat below his hipbones. Greg smiled. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt you. I'm okay. I was just wondering if you, um, would come here," he said, patting the spot next to him. "Anything for you, sir knight," Sidney replied, settling on the bed next to him. Greg had dreamed of Sidney, and he was craving his company. He'd come to rely on him so much, and though he felt like he was coming back into himself, he still felt intensely close to his boyfriend. He turned towards Sidney and slid an arm around him. "I missed you," he said, voice still groggy from sleep. "Mmm," Sidney said, snuggling up to him. "Missed you, too. How are you feeling?" "I feel good," he said, pressing his lips against Sidney's. "Not a hundred percent yet, but getting there." He nuzzled Sidney's cheek, trailing kisses along his jaw. He was feeling affectionate. Perhaps his beautiful lover brought it out in him. Whatever the reason, he just wanted that closeness. "Yeah, you definitely feel good," Sidney agreed, pressing against him gently. 226

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Greg moaned. "Mm, we're torturing ourselves. You know that, right?" His hand slid around Sidney's back, pressing him close. He slid his knee between Sidney's thighs, aching to be as close as possible. Sidney nodded, groaning as he pressed against him. "Sweet torture," he agreed. His hands roamed over Greg's body gently. Greg could feel that Sidney was hard, and he was quickly getting that way. "I wish I could do something for you, baby," he said, moaning softly. He kissed him again, languidly exploring the hot depths of Sidney's mouth. Because of where his wound was, he had to resist the urge to thrust against him, because he knew he'd regret it. Sidney was panting now. He rubbed against Greg's leg. "I know," he said. "But we'll have plenty of time for that soon. I'll just have to take care of this myself, won't I?" Greg sucked in a breath. "Can I watch?" he asked hoarsely. The idea was so hot, he thought he might be able to come just from that. He gazed into Sidney's eyes. "Please?" Sidney's breath caught at the idea. "My knight is kinky," he purred. "You wanna watch me take my hard cock in my hand and stroke it?" Greg shivered at the thought. "Fuck, yes," he said on an exhale. Even though the image in his head was mindbendingly erotic, he knew the real thing was going to be so much hotter than his imagination. Sidney smiled wickedly. He sat up and went to his knees. He ran his hand down his body, watching Greg's face. "This is gonna be hot..." 227

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Greg's eyes widened. He lay back, taking in a deep, shaky breath. "Everything you do is hot, baby," he breathed. His gaze followed Sidney's hand. "Mmm, you know how I love to show off," breathed Sidney, and he let his hand go lower, rubbing at his very obvious arousal through the thin fabric. "I do," he agreed. "Please, let me see you, Sidney. You're so beautiful." He was panting now, eager to see bare flesh, to see Sidney touching himself. It was a fantasy come to life. Sidney let his head drop back and his mouth open as he moved his hand to slide inside his pants. His hand, unseen, rubbed up and down his length as his eyes fluttered shut. "Mmm, Greg, so hot with you watching." Greg reached over, just grabbing a little scrap of the fabric at Sidney's thigh, and tugging at it. "Oh my god, you love to torment me, don't you," he said, but he was smiling. "Please, baby. Show me." Sidney was panting now, his eyes half lidded with pleasure. "You can look but you can't touch," he cautioned, and ever so slowly he pushed his waistband down to expose his hand, wrapped around his wet, hard cock. Greg moaned at the sight and the warning. He longed to touch Sidney, but he knew he would get carried away. He wouldn't be content just to touch. It was for the best, but he was still achingly hard just watching. "Okay," he croaked. Sidney thrust his hips forward as he pushed his pants down out of the way. "Is this what you want to see, baby? My cock, all hard for you?" He stroked slowly, teasingly. 228

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Greg whimpered, nodding. "Oh God, yes, Sidney." He was really coming to appreciate his boyfriend's exhibitionist tendencies, although he hoped he would be the only one to ever get this kind of show. Sidney let his head fall back, exposing a long, pale column of throat. He stroked slowly, teasing them both. "Mmm, Greg. I can feel your eyes on me. I wish I could feel your hands, your mouth..." He let out a deep moan, thrusting his hips forward, licking his lips. "Soon, baby. God, I want that so much." Greg licked his lips, his gaze moving from Sidney's beautiful face in the throes of ecstasy, to his elegant fingers stroking his rock hard cock. Sidney's sculpted chest was shiny with just a sheen of sweat. "My kinky knight. You like to watch me? And think about what I'm feeling, showing off for you like this?" His hand sped up just a bit. Greg nodded. "Oh God, yes. Can't you see how much I like it?" he croaked. He was fully hard, too, his erection tenting his boxers. "Mmm, yes," Sidney breathed, looking at Greg's arousal. "And I'm gonna take care of you, too, baby. But first I'm gonna get you so hot you could almost come without a touch." He moaned deeply as his hand sped up. "I think I'm almost there, already, baby," Greg said, eyes riveted to Sidney's body. He shifted, fingers flexing anxiously. Sidney was panting now, his breathy voice even more sensual. "You're so sexy, Greg, all I have to do is think of you 229

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and I get so hard..." His hand sped up on his stiff length and he moaned. "Almost..." Greg was squirming now, moaning at the sight. "Oh God, come, Sidney. You're so fucking sexy," he croaked. "You wanna see me come, baby?" Sidney moaned. "I'm gonna come for you." His cock dripped now, he was so close. "Yes," he whimpered. Greg could only lie there, achingly aroused, watching his beautiful lover. Sidney let his head drop back, and his mouth open as he gasped, "Wish I was inside you." Then his cock pulsed in his hand and creamy jets shot all over his hand and stomach. "Love you," he cried out as he climaxed, looking at Greg the whole time. "Oh, baby," he breathed. "You're so beautiful like this. I love you so much." He was still dying to be touched, but the sight before him was almost too breathtaking to interrupt. Sidney panted and smiled at his lover. "Not as good as you touching me, but..." He wiped himself off and lay next to Greg, carefully. "You liked the show?" he teased breathlessly. Greg nodded, wriggling closer to Sidney. "Oh yeah," he said, his voice deep with lust. "It left me a little, mmm..." He gazed into Sidney's eyes, running one hand up his lover's arm. Sidney looked down Greg's body, at the large bulge in his pants. "Looks like more than a little," he purred. "Is there something I can do for my brave knight?" he asked innocently.

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Greg laughed breathlessly. "Yeah. I think so. What do you think?" he asked, fingers brushing along the side of Sidney's neck. Sidney reached out, drawing his fingers delicately along the bulge. "I know I can take care of you, Greg," he said. "But you have to promise to lie still and not hurt yourself." Greg whimpered, his body tensing. "I'll try," he said. Staying still was a challenge, especially with Sidney touching him like that. "It's not gonna take very long, anyway," he said, letting out a self-deprecating laugh. "Mmm, that's sexy, baby," purred Sidney. He shifted, sitting up and positioning himself nearer his target. "You're so hot for me that you have no control." Delicately, Sidney slipped his fingers under the elastic waist of Greg's pants and drew it down slowly. Greg rested back against the mattress, looking up at Sidney. "I feel so helpless," he whispered. He couldn't do much more than lie there, although he probably could have jerked Sidney off. But watching had been so hot. It had taken all his control not to touch himself. But he wanted Sidney to touch him. "Mmm, just relax and let me make you feel good, Greg. You're not helpless. Unless you want to be." He winked at Greg, and gently pulled the loose pants completely off. Greg sucked in a shaky breath. "I can't wait until I'm well and we can, you know." He felt himself blush. It was hard to believe they still hadn't actually had sex.

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Sidney grinned wickedly and raised an eyebrow. "You know?" he teased. He leaned down and hovered over Greg's cock, licking his lips. Greg groaned loudly. "Ohhh, ummm, m-make love," he said hoarsely. He knew he was still blushing. His hips lifted almost imperceptibly off the bed. "Oh God." Sidney nodded and ever so slowly licked a line up Greg's length. "You wanna fuck, don't you, baby?" he breathed when he'd finished. Greg gasped at the hot tongue on his cock. "Oh, yes. I really, really do," he moaned. "I want to feel you inside me, Sidney. I want to be yours completely." His eyes rolled partially back in his head and his body arched needily. Sidney whimpered but said, "You have to lie still, baby. So I can do this." He sucked Greg's cock quickly into his mouth. Greg nodded, doing his best to be still. He bit his lip when the hot wet suction engulfed his aching cock. He was breathing hard. "I'm trying. All I can think about is your beautiful cock sliding deep inside me." He loved hearing Sidney whimper, and he knew it was because of what he'd said. He wanted more. Sidney moved slowly, sucking Greg in, then pulling back. He shifted, gently easing Greg's legs apart and settling between them. He trailed a hand up the inside of his thigh. Greg parted his legs easily, reaching up above his head to hold onto the headboard. His fingers gripped it tightly, helping him to focus on not thrusting up. His wound was the last of his worries right now, but he didn't want to aggravate it. That would only set them back more. 232

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As Sidney lavished attention on Greg's rigid cock, he brushed his fingers over Greg's entrance. All the while, he looked up at his lover, making eye contact. Greg stared down at Sidney's beautiful face, his own expression twisted with passion. "Oh God, baby, so close. So very close." He started to shiver, putting all his energy into not thrusting into Sidney's mouth. Sidney teased Greg's entrance as he took him deep into his mouth. He sped up, using tongue and lips and hands fully. Greg started to shake and he tensed. "Oh, I, Sidney, I'm, ohhhhh." He couldn't hold back any longer and he hoped it was enough warning. He started to come hard, pulsing into Sidney's mouth. Sidney moaned and swallowed, taking every drop Greg gave him. Finally he licked him clean, and moved back up beside him, smiling. Greg licked his lips and rolled towards Sidney, sliding an arm around him. "Soon, baby," he murmured. "God I love you so much." Sidney cuddled carefully against him. "I'd wait forever for you," he breathed, gazing into Greg's eyes. Greg stared back at him. No one had ever made him feel the way Sidney did. "Luckily it's not gonna be that long," he said quietly. Sidney smiled, adoration evident in his eyes. "And I'll be ready." [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Fifteen As Greg continued to make great progress at physical therapy he became more mobile, less fragile. The weather was perfect and they spent a lot of time on the deck and walking around the grounds. They kissed and touched but they still hadn't made love. "I could totally get used to this, you know. If you keep waiting on me hand and foot, I might never wanna go back to work," Greg joked. Sidney had just brought him an iced tea, and he was lounging on a small loveseat on the deck, overlooking the Hollywood Hills. He patted the spot next to him. Sidney curled up next to him, sipping his chai. "I don't mind if you never go back to work, sweetie. The police department can do without you for a while." He leaned close, kissing at Greg's neck. Greg shifted to put his arm around Sidney's shoulders. "Well, I have to go back eventually." He tilted his head away to allow Sidney more access. "Mmmno, you don't have to, strictly speaking," Sidney said against Greg's skin. "But I know you want to." He would never try to come between Greg and his work. "But you have to be sure you're fully healed." "I'm feeling pretty healed," he said. "And, you know, parts of me were never really injured." He turned his head, nudging Sidney back. 234

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"Oh really?" Sidney purred, licking his lips. "And what parts are those, exactly? Perhaps I should check them out, detective." "Are you going to be in charge of that investigation?" he asked, grinning. "I think I can handle activities that require me to lie on my back at this point, don't you?" Sidney giggled. "And just what sort of activities would you be referring to?" he breathed, letting his hand trail down Greg's chest. Greg laughed and turned more towards Sidney. "You know. Like, sex?" he said, leaning in to kiss Sidney's lips. "Oh, sex. I think I remember that." Sidney was already getting aroused just from kissing Greg and touching him. "Yeah? Been a while, huh? Does your boyfriend not take care of you, or what?" he asked. "Nope," Sidney shook his head solemnly. "He and I have never even had proper sex. Never gone all the way." Greg gasped in mock surprise. "Dude. You should dump that loser." "What, for you?" Sidney smirked. "You think you can handle me?" Greg made a little snorting sound. "Please. Don't even make me laugh. I'm a cop, sweetheart. I can handle whatever you can dish out." Sidney raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? Can the tough cop take a big thick cock up his ass?" Greg leaned forward to put his drink down, then slid his arm around Sidney's waist. "There's only one way to find out, isn't there," he murmured against Sidney's lips. 235

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Sidney moaned. He'd wanted to make love to Greg for ages now but he was prepared to wait. But now he was instantly rock hard. "Are you sure you're ready?" he said hoarsely, his mouth dry. Greg nuzzled against Sidney's cheek. "I think so," he whispered. "I'd like to give it a try." Sidney was close to panting now. "I'm not going to try to talk you out of it," he said breathlessly. He was aching now, thinking about finally making love. Greg leaned back and stood slowly. "I think I need to go to bed now. I need my rest you know," he said, winking broadly. "Would you help a poor, wounded police officer?" Sidney stood as well, holding his hand out to Greg. "Oh yes, I think we need to get you to bed right away. Wouldn't do for you to get overtired." Greg grinned and slid his arm around Sidney's back as if he was using him for support. "You're too good to me." "Oh, yes, I will be very good to you, I promise," breathed Sidney as he led Greg inside. He couldn't think too much about taking his love. He had to last. Greg walked beside Sidney to the bedroom. He kicked off his shoes when they got there, then pulled off his t-shirt. The scar was no longer bandaged. A neat line of stitches, only about an inch long, showed a few inches below one nipple. Sidney traced his fingers over Greg's chest reverently. "My knight," he sighed. "Do you know how unbearably hot that is that you were injured, essentially protecting me?" "He's lucky he stabbed me and not you, or he'd be dead now," he said gravely. 236

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Sidney whimpered. "You'll have to stop that or I'll come before we even start," he panted. "Just telling the truth," he said, reaching out to brush his knuckles against Sidney's cheek. He took half a step closer and slid both hands under the hem of Sidney's shirt, easing it up. They'd explored each others bodies many times, but the anticipation was still intense. They were going to make love. He was going to be inside Greg. He let Greg take his shirt off, and reached out to do the same for him. Greg gazed into Sidney's eyes. "Sorry you had to wait so long," he whispered. He leaned close and pressed a light kiss to Sidney's lips. Sidney smiled against Greg's lips. "You're worth waiting for," he breathed. They'd waited, but Greg's injuries had delayed them even more. "I just want you to be ready. Do you want it as much as I do, Greg?" "The only reason I wanted to wait was so that there was nothing standing in the way of committing to each other completely. I've always wanted you." He wriggled out of his jeans, kicking them away. "Can you see how much I want you?" Sidney looked down at Greg's beautiful cock, hard and ready for him. "Oh yeah, I can see," he breathed, reaching down to stroke him. "Wait till you feel how much I want you. Deep inside you." Greg let out a breathy little moan when Sidney touched him. "I love you, Sidney," he whispered. He reached for the button on Sidney's jeans and tugged it open. 237

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"Love you, too, Greg, so much." Sidney had never felt like this about anyone. He helped Greg get his jeans off and then they were both naked. Greg sat on the bed, easing back, lying down. "I'm all yours, Sidney. I want you so much. Please. Make love to me?" he asked. Sidney swallowed hard. He'd never wanted anyone this much. He'd never been in love like this before. This was who he was meant to be with. He went to the bedside table and pulled out the lube and a condom pack. He lay next to Greg and smiled. "Let's get you ready." Greg nodded. He turned partly towards Sidney and leaned in to kiss him lightly on the lips. He cupped Sidney's face in his hand, gazing into his eyes. "This is gonna be so fucking hot," he whispered. Sidney nodded. With trembling fingers he traced over his lover's skin. Nothing had ever meant so much. He'd had sex hundreds of times. But not once had he ached for it like he did with Greg. "My love," he breathed. Then words weren't enough, so he leaned over and kissed Greg, pushing him back onto the mattress. Greg laid back, hands sliding around Sidney's shoulders. He pulled his knees apart, exposing himself to Sidney's ministrations with a low moan into the sweet kiss. Slowly and carefully, Sidney stretched Greg, slick fingers moving in and out of him as he watched his face intently. Greg bit his lip, arching, gaze never leaving Sidney's face. He spread his legs as far apart as he could, panting softly. "I can't wait, baby." 238

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"Neither can I," Sidney replied. He had three fingers inside Greg. "How does it feel?" He knew it had been a long time since Greg had done this and he didn't want him to feel any pain at all. Greg smiled like he understood. "It feels wonderful, baby. Just go slow. You don't have to worry." He stroked his fingers through Sidney's hair. "I want it to be perfect," Sidney explained, twisting his fingers around as he moved them. Greg's breath hitched and he arched up. "Ohhh, mmm. Yeah. It will be. Sidney. Anything with you is perfect." "Better than perfect then. I want to be the best you've ever had, Greg." He withdrew his fingers gently. Greg raked his fingers through his hair. "I just I hope it's as good for you as I know it will be for me," he said quietly. Sidney could only stare at Greg. "It's you, Greg. How could anything with you be less than perfect?" Greg blushed. "Well, you, too," he said, laughing breathlessly. Sidney settled next to Greg and stroked his skin gently. "It's going to be amazing," he promised. "Because we're in love." "I want you so much, Sidney," he breathed. "I've never wanted anyone like this before. You're like a fantasy come to life." Sidney whimpered. "You sure know how to make a boy feel good," he said. "I want to be your fantasy. I want to be everything to you." 239

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"Take me, please, Sidney," he whispered. "I need you." He stared into his lover's eyes. Sidney opened the condom pack and slipped it on. "Need you, too," he breathed. They were going to make love, finally. He leaned in and kissed him again, rolling partially on top of Greg. Greg put his hands on Sidney's hips, encouraging. His legs shifted to accommodate Sidney, gripping around his slim hips. He kissed back with a low moan, hands smoothing up his back. It was so perfect. Greg's body yielded to his and he was almost perfectly in position. He shifted, and his cock was pressed against Greg's entrance. He stared into his lover's eyes from inches away and whispered, "I love you." Then he pressed upward, entering him gently. Greg gasped and he stared into Sidney's eyes, his every reaction obvious on his face. "Oh God, it's been such a long time," he breathed. "Tell me if it hurts," Sidney said, his voice strained. He could already feel the friction, the absolute ecstasy of taking Greg, and he knew it was going to take all his control. "Doesn't hurt," he croaked, shifting his knees higher. He was breathing in shallow gasps. "Feels amazing, baby." His hands smoothed up and down Sidney's back. Sidney was all the way inside Greg now, and he stopped, panting. "Oh God, feels so tight, so good." He pulled out a little and thrust back in, moaning deeply. Greg whimpered, his own rock hard cock lying flat against his belly. "Sidney. Love you." 240

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"Oh, Greg. Love you so much." Sidney began to thrust harder. He just couldn't believe they were finally making love fully, and it was so very perfect. Greg wrapped his legs around Sidney's body. His fingers curled around the back of his neck, sinking into his soft hair. In between quiet moans, he licked his lips. "So fucking beautiful. Feels so, oh God, so perfect. Like my body was made for you, baby." "You were made for me. And I was made for you. Oh, Greg..." Sidney thrust harder, heart and body aching with love for this man. He couldn't look away from Greg's handsome face and his gorgeous hazel eyes. Quiet, needy sounds came from Greg with each deep, body-claiming thrust. His gaze scanned Sidney's face as his body was rocked with the other's movements. "So close, baby," he panted. "Touch me?" Sidney moaned and reached between them. "Never felt anything so good," he panted as he began to stroke. It was all he could do to get the words out coherently. Greg's eyes widened as he let out a louder moan. His hips jerked up in a natural rhythm with the thrusts and the strokes, and in a moment he was trembling. "Oh fuck. Sidney." The passion in Greg's voice pushed Sidney even closer to the edge. "Feel good, baby?" he gasped. "Like to be fucked by me?" He never wanted this to end, but it wouldn't be long. "Yesss. Sidney. Ohhh," he panted semi-incoherently. He gripped Sidney's shoulders hard, fingers digging in to bunched muscles. 241

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Sidney leaned down to kiss Greg as he thrust into him. He moved faster, thrusting and stroking, straining for release even as he strived to give Greg everything he had. Greg whimpered loudly against Sidney's lips, his body shuddering violently. "Mmm," he moaned as he started to pulse over Sidney's fingers and his own belly. Sidney felt Greg start to come, and he gasped and pulled back, wanting to see his lover's face. He kept thrusting as Greg climaxed, drinking in every moan. Greg breathed hard, his gaze never wavering, even through the pinnacle of his climax. His limbs were shaking with strain, but his eyes were shining with love. It was the look in Greg's eyes more than anything else that pushed Sidney into his release. He cried out his lover's name as he let go, pleasure washing over him as he pulsed inside Greg. Greg relaxed into the mattress with a shuddering sigh. His lips curled up slowly. "That was amazing," he murmured. He stretched his arms up over his head. Sidney smiled back. "Yeah. It was." He lay next to Greg, sighing as the pleasure still rang through his body. He looked into Greg's eyes. "But then I always knew it would be, with you." It had been worth waiting for. Greg turned on his side to face Sidney, biting his lip. "Was it the best you've ever had?" he asked. "Of course!" Sidney exclaimed. "Oh my God, Greg. It was so much more than anything else I've ever..." Words failed him and he had to kiss his love. 242

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Greg kissed Sidney back, melting against him. He wrapped his arm around him, flattening his hand in the middle of Sidney's back. "I love you," he whispered, when he pulled back to take a breath. Sidney could only gaze at him. "My Greg. You are my knight, and the love of my life. I can never thank you enough for saving me, proving me innocent, and loving me. But I want to try, for the rest of my life." Unshed tears shone in his eyes; he was overcome with emotion. Greg pressed a light kiss to Sidney's lips. "I always knew I could believe in you, right from the start, baby. And I'll never stop." [Back to Table of Contents]

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About the Author Inspired by the important things in life: beauty, love, and passion, Jade has spent several years writing erotic fiction. The forbidden nature of homoeroticism has been the basis for many megabytes of fiction that has delighted a wide circle of online readers. Please feel free to visit Jade at www.JadeFalconer.com or on MySpace at www.myspace.com/jadefalconer.

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