B4 Read online

  Andy smiled. “When’s the big day?”

  “We haven’t set a date yet,” Scott said. “And to be honest, I don’t want some big ceremony or anything. I’m thinking more like heading to Vegas.”

  “Yeah, yeah.” Edgar waved at this. “So he says. But I’m more of the opinion that if you’re only going to do this once, you do it up right.”

  “You think so?’

  Edgar eyed Sean. “Meaning?”

  “Just that everyone thinks they are going to do it once, but—”

  Andy bumped Sean’s shoulder with his. “Sean, come on.”

  Edgar snorted. “Nah, it’s all right. I’m used to skepticism. Especially because we’re guys.”

  “That’s not it,” Sean said. “Not even close.”

  “The point is, we’ll figure it out, and whether it’s a big thing or just running off to Vegas, we’re doing it.”

  Edgar paused as the dining staff arrived with their entrees. Once everything lay in front of him, Edgar dug into his burger, taking several bites before saying anything else.

  While he was happy for Edgar and Scott, Andy again speculated, since they weren’t exactly the best of friends, what motive the guys might have for letting them in on the announcement of their engagement. He decided to be the one to restart the conversation. “Anyway, my partner’s insensitive comments notwithstanding, and congrats and all that, but there’s a point in you inviting us out to tell us.” Andy paused. “Isn’t there?”

  Scott cut into his syrup-soaked pancakes. “There is. See, to be honest, Rivers has been on the fence about allowing us to continue being partners ever since we became personally involved.”

  “‘On the fence’ is putting it nicely,” Edgar added. “He thinks it compromises the team.”

  Andy felt a little queasy then as he exchanged a pointed look from Sean. He winced, then tried to hide it when he saw Scott looking at them through narrowed eyes.

  “Son of a bitch. You two!”

  “What?”

  Scott rolled his eyes. “Don’t give me that. You think I don’t know? You’re us. Okay, us, like six months or more ago, but us nevertheless. You’re doing it, right?”

  “Could you keep your voice down just a little bit, O’Hara?” Sean asked. “Okay, yes. Andy and I are involved. But it’s very recent, so could we just keep quiet?”

  Scott held up his hands in surrender. “I’m not going to say a word. And neither is Edgar. But I should tell you, that’s going to make this even more certain to happen.”

  Andy frowned. “What?”

  Edgar picked up their story. “We figure, once we make it known to the captain that we’re getting married, he’s going to want to split our team. And face it, you two are another detective team from homicide. When the two of us are separated, who do you think they’ll likely pair with us?”

  “Fuck.”

  Andy glanced at Sean.

  “Yep,” Scott agreed. “And once Rivers finds out you guys are also involved, that’s going to nail the deal, so to speak. Which is why we wanted to give you two a head’s up. And that was before we knew about you two. Now that we do? It’s probably a no-brainer.”

  “That’s just great,” Sean muttered.

  Edgar shrugged. “It is what it is, and Scott and I aren’t happy about it either. But we’ve been lucky to be partnered as long as we have. It’s not standard police procedure for couples to be partnered. Now, we know you two are working those murders of the elderly women, and you’ll want to finish that case, so we won’t make any announcements about our engagement until that case is finished.” He stared at them. “But it’s going to happen, guys. And we wanted you to know.”

  Sometime later, they watched as Scott got on the back of Edgar’s motorcycle and the two of them rode out of the parking lot.

  Andy shoved his hands into the pocket of his coat. He sighed. “Well.”

  “Yeah,” Sean said grimly. “They’re right, though. It probably will happen. Even if you and I hadn’t done anything.”

  “I know. I’d been thinking about it.”

  “Wait. What?”

  “Not seriously or anything.” Andy moved toward Sean’s car as his partner clicked the electronic lock. “But in the back of my head, I did think how strange it was that Rivers was allowing them to remain partners. He’s always seemed so ‘by the book.’ With them marrying, yeah, it’ll happen.”

  Sean got into the driver side and started the car as Andy slid in beside him. “What about Smith and Crane?”

  Andy snorted. “What about them? First of all, like the guys said, the minute the captain knows about us, it’s a done deal, but even if that never happens, Rivers knows that the only ones who get along with Smith and Crane are Smith and Crane. And even that’s barely.”

  “Yeah.” Sean sounded like agreeing was painful, and honestly, Andy was right there with him.

  He didn’t want to be separated from working with Sean. He didn’t regret what they’d done, and hoped Sean didn’t either, but in reality, even if they hadn’t, well, the writing was on the wall.

  Sean glanced at him. “What are you thinking?”

  “I don’t know. Just…about everything, I guess. Us. Where we’re going.”

  “Back to your house, at the minute,” Sean quipped.

  “Ha. And I hope you plan to stay.”

  Sean smiled. “I do. I was about to ask if it was okay if I did.”

  He returned the smile. “It’s okay.”

  “I’m glad.” Sean blew out a breath. “Whatever happens on the force, I don’t want that to change things between us.”

  “I don’t either.”

  “Okay. Because I know, well, maybe I’m getting way ahead, we’ve just started something—literally—last night, but—”

  “Sean. I know. I agree.”

  He laughed. “I’m arguing with myself here, aren’t I?”

  “Pretty much.”

  A short time later, Sean pulled his car into Andy’s driveway and turned off the engine. He turned in the seat to face Andy. “I want to spend all night fucking you.”

  The words weren’t loving or romantic or anything like that, and yet, they sent a shiver right up Andy’s spine, and he found himself eager to get into the house.

  His hand was totally not shaking as he turned the key into the lock of the front door. Sean had his hand on the small of Andy’s back and it felt like a hot brand there.

  Once inside, Andy was surprised when Sean kicked the front door closed, then locked it.

  He found himself pushed against the nearest wall, with Sean’s tongue in his mouth only seconds later. Sean grabbed his wrists and held them above Andy’s head as he ground their bodies together.

  “Holy shit,” Andy gasped when Sean broke away enough to allow him to speak.

  Sean laughed. “I’d like to fuck you right here, right now.”

  “You got the goods?”

  “I was a Boy Scout,” Sean assured.

  Andy had never been taken against a wall. He’d had his fantasies, but never actually had those come true. He moistened his lips with his tongue. Yeah, he had a lot of fantasies. He went to lower his arms to remove his shirt, but Sean shook his head.

  “Let me.”

  The shirt was inched up from his abs with an aching slowness that made Andy want to push away Sean’s hands and pull it off himself. But finally, Sean tossed it aside toward the living room.

  He paused to devour Andy’s mouth again, though even then his hands moved to the waistband of Andy’s jeans, working at the zipper. Then Sean’s hand shoved inside his open pants, groping Andy’s swelling erection.

  “Fuck, keep that up, I’m going to come right now.”

  “That’s not such a bad idea,” Sean murmured against his lips. “Kick off your shoes.”

  Andy shifted his legs so he could maneuver his shoes off his feet. The second one was easier than the first. With Andy’s shoes out of the way, Sean took a step back, peeling the jeans dow
n Andy’s leg and letting them land at his feet.

  Now Andy was left only in his socks and underwear, but not for long. Sean smirked and removed those too until Andy rested naked against the wall, his exposed cock rising between his legs.

  Sean gave it a playful pet, before reaching into the back pocket of his jeans for his wallet. He plucked out a lubed condom, but gave Andy a doubtful look.

  “Think what’s on here is enough?”

  Andy shook his head. “It’ll do in a pinch, but there’s no need. Go into the bathroom off the hall and get the lube. It’s under the sink.”

  Sean nodded. “Stay exactly where you are.”

  Andy continued leaning against the wall, but while Sean was gone, he wrapped his fist around his shaft, sliding his fingers along the length. He couldn’t stop the moan from escaping his lips.

  Fuck, he really was ready to come.

  Sean returned, and to Andy’s delight, he had removed all his clothing and had already rolled the condom onto his dick. He loved efficiency.

  Sean raised an eyebrow. “What are you grinning over?”

  “You. You’re already to go. I like that.”

  “Yeah?” Sean kissed him deeply. “What else do you like, Detective?”

  “You…inside me,” he said breathlessly.

  “In a minute.” Sean winked, then suddenly dropped, kneeling in front of Andy.

  Andy sucked in a breath. “Sean?”

  And then Sean swallowed him down, sucking him deep. “Oh. My. God.”

  Frantically, Andy started fucking Sean’s amazing mouth, fingers gripping his head, urging him on. There was no way he could last long like this. It was too much and he was too turned on.

  Then he felt Sean’s fingers, slicked with lubricant, probing at his entrance, sliding in, and he lost it, yelling Sean’s name as he pumped down the other man’s throat.

  Before Andy could even recover, his whole body shaking, his legs feeling weak, Sean rose, lifted Andy’s legs, seemingly effortlessly, and shoved inside him.

  Andy clung to Sean’s shoulders as the man rocked into him, slamming him against the wall, over and over. Their mouths fused together, Sean’s tongue shoving inside Andy’s mouth much like his dick shoved into his ass.

  Just when Andy thought he couldn’t take anymore, Sean growled low, pumped two more times inside him, and leaned forward to bite Andy’s shoulder as he came.

  They stayed locked like that for a moment, both of them panting heavily, until finally, slowly, Sean withdrew and lowered Andy to the floor, back on solid ground.

  “Mmm.” Andy closed his eyes, still hanging onto Sean. “Sorry.”

  A warm chuckle. “What the hell are you sorry for?”

  “I didn’t give you any warning before…” He shrugged.

  “Oh. Who cares? But Jesus, I feel like I’ve run a marathon and my legs feel like spaghetti.”

  Andy opened his eyes and grinned. “Mine, too. We should move this to the bedroom.”

  “Uh-huh. Our clothes are scattered everywhere.”

  Andy let go of Sean and surveyed the mess of his living room. “Big deal. We’ll pick everything up later. Right now, I want to go to bed, recover some, and start all over again.”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  They entered Andy’s bedroom, and Andy didn’t fail to notice that Sean had picked up the lube.

  “Hey, Andy?” Sean spoke just as Andy was pulling off the quilt from his bed.

  “Yeah?”

  Sean looked suddenly shy and awkward, which was really strange for him. “You doing anything Saturday afternoon?”

  “I dunno. Why?”

  “My sister’s having a thing. A barbecue with her husband and kids, and well, me. I thought, maybe, you know.”

  Andy smiled. “Are you asking me to your family’s barbecue?”

  Sean shrugged. “If…you’re available. Yeah.”

  “I’d love to go.”

  Sean’s look was oddly quizzical. “You would?”

  “Of course. Why would you think I wouldn’t?”

  “It’s a little like meeting my family.”

  Andy nodded. “It’s exactly like meeting your family.”

  “And you still want to?”

  Andy laughed, because a dorky Sean was cute. He seemed so surprised Andy would want to meet his family. “Yeah. I still want to.”

  Chapter 7

  Sean didn’t know why he was so nervous bringing Andy to his sister’s house. Back when he and Mindy were together, it had been the most natural thing in the world to bring her to meet his family.

  Of course, Mindy was the “expected,” being female, whereas Andy was most definitely a guy. Yeah, Moira and her husband, Phil, were aware of Sean’s attractions, but Sean always guessed that Moira imagined him one day settling down with a woman. Not that he was thinking of settling down. Not yet, anyway.

  Nevertheless, Sean got the feeling his family accepted his bisexuality with the assumption that it would never become a permanent thing, and he wouldn’t end up with a guy. But maybe he was being unfair to Moira and Phil.

  Sean had yet to tell his sister that Andy was more than his partner on the force, and of course, though he had told her he was bringing someone, he had not said it was Andy.

  Now, he turned to Andy as they sat in the car in front of Moira’s house. “Uh.”

  Andy, surprisingly, gave him an encouraging smile. “Uh?”

  He slapped the steering wheel. “Moira.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “I didn’t tell her that I was bringing you today.”

  Andy nodded. “Okay, so she doesn’t know she has an extra guest.”

  Sean winced. “No. Well. I told her I was bringing someone, just not you.”

  “You mean me, a guy.”

  “Yeah.” He blew out a breath. “I mean, she knows I’ve seen guys before but—

  “She thought it was a phase?”

  He smiled crookedly. “Not exactly, but sorta. Anyway, sorry. I should have told her. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I don’t blame you if you’re mad, Andy.”

  “I’m not mad, Sean. I know about bi-erasure. I’ve experienced it. And I know it can be awkward figuring out how to handle family and friends about it. Let’s just go in and deal with it as best we can.”

  Sean gave him a quick kiss. “Thanks. Thank you. Really.”

  Andy patted Sean’s leg and opened the car door.

  It was a nice day. Sunny and clear with hardly any breeze coming off the ocean. It was one of those absolutely perfect Haydon Cliff days that didn’t come near often enough.

  The two of them walked up the winding cobbled path to Moira’s front door. Sean exchanged a smile with Andy, then rapped on the wood.

  He could hear the footsteps within the house just before the door opened to reveal his red-haired, freckled sister, wearing shorts and a T-shirt, her feet bare.

  “Sean! There you are.” She pulled him into a hug.

  “We’re not late,” he grumbled, returning her embrace.

  “Well.” She laughed, then pulled away and eyed Andy. “Hello. I’m Moira Abernathy, Sean’s sister.”

  “Andy Mantegna.” He shook her extended hand.

  The momentary confusion on her face cleared, annoying Sean. “Oh. You’re his partner on the force. I thought when he said he was bringing someone, he meant bringing someone.”

  To his credit, Andy’s smile didn’t slip one notch. “He did mean that, Moira. Sean and I are seeing each other personally.”

  Her eyes got wide, then she put her hands over her mouth and shook her head. “I’m so sorry, Andy. You must think I’m the biggest idiot. God. It just never occurred to me. Sean went with a girl for so long and—”

  “Shut up, sis. Seriously. You’re just making it worse. Are we coming in or leaving?”

  She turned bright red and Sean almost felt sorry for her. “Of course, you’re coming in. I’m sorry.”

  “No big deal,” Andy assured her ki
ndly.

  They stepped into the house after her.

  “Phil and the kids are out in the backyard. There’s chips and dip, some cut up fruit out there. I’ve got sparkling water, soda, beer, wine, and rum and juice, if you want something more tropical.”

  “A beer would be great for me.”

  Sean nodded. “Sounds good. Make that two. We’ll head outside.”

  Andy touched Sean’s arm as they were about to go outside. “Give her a break, okay? I don’t think she means any harm.”

  “I know. And it’s mostly my fault anyway. Now we have to deal with Phil.” Sean laughed a little.

  “More of the same?”

  “I don’t know. He did some acting when he was younger. He might be less obvious.”

  Andy’s lips twitched. “Hard to beat your sister, anyway.”

  As soon as they walked into the yard, Phil, who sat under an umbrella, looked over. Phil Abernathy was an African American man who met Moira when they both worked at Haydon Cliff Hospital. Both were registered nurses. They’d fallen instantly in love, to hear them tell it, and married six months later.

  Shanna and Ryan, who’d been tossing a big round ball to each other, jumped excitedly. “Uncle Sean! Uncle Sean!”

  Phil stood and extended his hand first to Sean, then to Andy.

  “Good to see you, Sean. Thanks for coming. You can help me grill.” Phil grinned. “You must be the guy Sean’s seeing.”

  Sean couldn’t help but smile. Maybe Moira had texted her husband from inside, Sean didn’t know. Whatever. “That’s right. This is Andy Mantegna, who also works with me.”

  Phil nodded. “I’ve heard about the…” He dropped his voice, eyeing his kids. “The murders. Terrible.”

  “Yeah, sure is.”

  “Have a seat, both of you. Help yourself to some chips and onion dip. I think the kids ate most of the fruit.”

  The sliding door opened. Moira came out, arms full of four beers. Andy hurried over to her. “Here, let me help.”

  And when he smiled at her, the damn dimple creased his cheek, and Sean’s sister was suddenly smiling back just as brightly, seemingly forgetting all about the awkwardness from before.