Chapter 6
Hawk insisted on driving over with him to get the dogs on Saturday morning. Clint thought about refusing in light of the state of his apartment, but he wasn’t sure he’d have the nerve to go back if he left Hawk’s place alone, and no matter how crazy fast things were moving, he knew he’d never wanted anything more than a weekend alone with Hawk. So together they went.
“What happened here?” Hawk asked when he saw the holes in the walls.
“Bad day yesterday,” Clint answered as he put the key in the door.
Hawk’s large hand landed on his back, caressing him, and Hawk’s warm breath and soft lips skated across his nape.
“It started out that way,” Clint corrected. “Didn’t end up too bad, though.”
“No, not too bad.” Hawk laughed softly and kissed his neck again. “Those dogs sound like they want their daddy. Better open up before they scratch the door down.”
“Not sure it matters at this point.” Clint pushed the door open and happy dogs immediately rushed him, jumping on his thighs and whining their hellos. “They tore the place up yesterday afternoon.”
“Hey, pretty girls.” Clint dropped to his haunches and pet his pups, surprised they weren’t barking at the new visitor.
He was about to introduce them to Hawk when the man himself squatted next to him, held out his hand, and after a brief sniff, received licks.
“Aren’t you a sweetheart?” Hawk said to Fluffy who, despite her name and her loyalty was the furthest thing from sweet. “And you too,” he said to Speedy who had planted her one front paw on Hawk’s chest and licked his face.
The only visitor Clint’d had to his apartment was Ewan and both dogs had growled and barked at him so much that Clint had taken to putting them in the tiny, fenced yard during their hook-ups.
“They don’t usually warm up to people this fast,” Clint observed as he stood up.
“Well they must sense how I feel about their daddy and approve.” Hawk grinned at him and rubbed each dog’s head affectionately. “Thanks for making me look good, ladies,” he mock-whispered to the dogs. “I’ll pay you in steak later.”
“You know the way into their hearts,” Clint said, smiling at the picture Hawk made with his dogs and thinking theirs weren’t the only hearts Hawk had captured.
Forcing himself to look away, he walked into the living room and sighed when he found the same mess he had left the previous evening.
“Damn.” He dragged his fingers through his hair. “I was hoping it had magically cleaned itself up while I was gone.”
“Holy shit,” Hawk said from over his shoulder, apparently having followed him into the room. “Your dogs did this?”
“Yeah.” Clint walked into the kitchen to get a garbage bag. “They can be rowdy, but yesterday was bad, even for them. Maybe it was a full moon or something.”
“How did they knock over the refrigerator?” Hawk asked incredulously.
“That one’s on me.” Clint squatted next to the downed appliance. “Help me out here.”
“What’d this refrigerator do to piss you off?” Hawk mirrored his stance on the other side of the fridge.
“It sided with the wall after our kickboxing match,” Clint joked. “On three. One. Two. Three.”
In perfect concert, they lifted the refrigerator.
“Door’s shot,” Hawk pointed out as he pushed the door into place. “It’ll stay closed but it’s not operational.”
“I know.” Clint looked around the room. “The good news is the building is being demolished anyway, so maybe the landlord won’t notice.” He walked to the sink and got a trash bag. “Either that or my deposit is gone.”
“I’m pretty sure the holes in the wall already took care of that.” Hawk stepped over. “Looks like this is a two-person clean-up. You want me to do the living room or the kitchen?”
“Bet you regret coming over.” Clint placed his palm over Hawk’s chest and nuzzled his neck.
“Are you kidding?” Hawk circled his arm around Clint’s waist. “I got to meet your dogs, see where you live, and now I’m getting cuddles.” He dragged his lips across Clint’s face until their mouths met and then he slipped his tongue into Clint’s mouth. “Mmm. Perfect morning.”
“In that case, you take the living room.” Clint handed Hawk the garbage bag. “I think the kitchen’s worse.”
* * *
“Ready to go?” Hawk asked as he walked into the laundry room where Clint was bagging up the dog bowls and food.
“What’s that?” Clint tilted his chin toward the two duffle bags in Hawk’s hands, both straining at the seams.
“I packed your clothes and bathroom stuff.”
“You must have my whole closet in there.” Clint set the dog supplies down and walked up to Hawk. “I’m coming over for two days and I was planning on spending them naked.”
Hawk’s blue eyes darkened and his nostrils flared.
With his gaze glued to Hawk’s, Clint cupped the growing bulge in his jeans. “Hear something you liked?”
“You’re playing with fire, baby,” Hawk warned.
“Oh yeah?” Clint tugged on Hawk’s fly, popping all the buttons open. “What’re you going to do to me?”
Before he knew what hit him, Clint was flipped around, shoved against the washing machine, and disrobed from the waist down.
“I’m going to fuck you.” Hawk pinned Clint’s wrists against the washer, suckled on his ear, and thrust his groin against Clint’s bare ass.
An involuntary sound escaped Clint, one he refused to characterize as a needy whimper no matter how much it resembled exactly that.
“Sounds like you agree with my plan.” Hawk licked a swath up his neck and then bit it. “Don’t move.”
The heat of Hawk’s body slid away, Clint heard his duffle being unzipped, and then Hawk was back, spreading his ass open with one hand and slicking his hole with the other.
“Glad I found your lube,” Hawk rasped.
“Me too.”
“You good without a rubber?”
“Fine on my end.” Clint grunted when a finger was pushed into his hole. “But you know I was fucking Ewan up until a couple of weeks ago.”
“You go bare with him?” Hawk asked as he twisted his finger and brushed against Clint’s gland.
“Never,” Clint answered breathlessly.
“He ever top?”
“Nuh-uh.” Clint shook his head.
Hawk’s finger came out and a slick, hot cockhead pressed against Clint’s hole instead.
“There been anyone else?”
“Not in close to a year.”
“Then I’m not worried.”
Slowly, Hawk pushed inside, his long, thick cock spreading Clint open inch by inch.
“Oh fuck,” Clint moaned, dragging each word out. “I missed this.” He widened his stance and tilted his ass up, giving Hawk as much room as he possible. “Feels so good.”
“Christ.” Hawk bottomed out and laid over him, his chest against Clint’s back and his mouth next to Clint’s ear. “Nothing’s ever felt this good.” He trembled and circled his hips. “Not sure how long I can last inside you, baby. You’re so damn hot and tight.”
“’S okay.” Clint clenched his ass, adding sensation to Hawk’s dick and making him gasp. “I’m already close.”
“Going to be hard and fast,” Hawk warned as he straightened. He gripped Clint’s hips and moved him back until Clint’s cock hung over empty air and only the upper half of his chest lay on the washer. “Brace yourself.”
Clint grabbed onto the sides of the washer as Hawk made good on his promise, pulling out of his hole and slamming back in, his pace punishing and relentless.
“Ah, ah, ah!” Clint shouted, the pleasure and passion too big to keep inside.
Behind him, Hawk grunted and panted, somehow managing to plunge in even deeper while grazing Clint’s gland on every pass.
“Going to fill you up.”
“You already are.” And not just his ass.
“Clint,” Hawk moaned. “Love you.”
“Oh, Jesus, please,” Clint begged, knowing all he needed was one touch to his cock and he’d explode, but unable to release his grip on the washer to bring himself off.
“I have you.” Hawk snaked one hand under Clint’s belly and tugged him up to a standing position, his back pinned to Hawk’s chest, and then he took hold of Clint’s dick and stroked while he continued pumping in and out of Clint’s body.
“Hawk!” Clint shouted as his balls tightened and his cock throbbed. “Yes!”
Thick cream shot from his dick, hitting the underside of his chin, his chest, and his belly. Behind him, Hawk made a strangled sound, shoved all the way inside, and stilled as hot fluid filled Clint’s passage. They stood together, hearts racing and breaths coming out in loud gasps.
When he finally regained control of his muscles, Clint twisted his head and looked at Hawk. “Now I’m ready to go.”
Hawk snorted and kissed the back of Clint’s head. “Remember what I said about a high sex drive and a great sense of humor?” He nipped Clint’s ear. “I was right.”
* * *
If Clint thought he was falling too quickly for Hawk, his dogs were even worse. Fluffy and Speedy immediately settled into Hawk’s warm pueblo, curling up on the rug in front of the fireplace and showing no inclination to continue their recent furniture destruction tendencies. When Monday morning came around, neither dog wanted to go.
“Leave them here,” Hawk said. “You’re coming back for dinner anyway.”
“When did we make dinner plans?”
“I’ve got way more planned for us than dinner,” Hawk said softly.
Even if Hawk hadn’t repeatedly told him as much, Clint would have figured that out when he’d gone to get his toothbrush out of one of the duffle bags Hawk had packed and found his entire closet stuffed inside. The responding glow that had spread through his chest had lasted the entire weekend and showed no indication of waning.
“You saw what they did to my place. Are you sure you want to leave them unattended with all your nice furniture?”
Hawk was dressed for the office in one of his perfectly fitted suits and Clint wanted to tear it off him and go back to bed. Two days of continuous contact had made him crave the man even more. He satisfied himself by straightening Hawk’s already straight collar.
“I’m not worried about the dogs.” Hawk kissed him, took his hand, and led him outside. “They’re smart enough to realize they’re home.”
Clint might have argued, but they both had to get to work. Besides, he suspected Hawk was right.
“You want to drive in together?” Hawk asked. “I’ll probably end up making one of my regular visits to the station around quitting time anyway.”
“Why do you have so many meetings there?” Clint asked. “I’ve always wondered.”
“Meetings?” Hawk laughed and shook his head. “Baby, haven’t you figured out by now that I go there to talk to you?”
“Oh.” Clint blinked in surprise but when he examined his feelings, expecting to be worried, he found only happy warmth. “Sure. And if you need to work late, there’s always plenty to keep me busy.”
Hawthorne had a low crime rate, but two weeks of vacation meant a full desk waiting for Clint. Thankful for the distraction, he dug in, efficiently making his way through the mountain of work and doing his level best not to daydream about Hawk like a lovesick teenager. He had been mostly successful by the time six o’clock rolled around.
“Hi, Hawk,” Sally said.
Clint looked up from his computer and saw Hawk walking into the office. His suit coat was flung over one shoulder, his tie was loose, and his shirtsleeves were rolled up, exposing his thick, corded forearms. Even the man’s arms were sexy.
“How are you, Sally?” Hawk looked at him, his eyes sizzling, and then he leaned against Sally’s desk and focused on her. “Things going all right with Earl?”
Despite having spent five days a week, nine hours a day for two years with Sally, until that moment, Clint had never seen her blush.
“Ya were spot on about him, honey.” Sally put her hand on her chest and sighed. “He’s the cat’s meow.”
“I knew you two would hit it off.” Hawk smiled at Sally. “I’m glad it’s working out.”
Hawk walked over to him and Clint realized he’d stood up in anticipation, but anticipation of what? Did he think Hawk was going to kiss him in the middle of the station, with Sally looking on, the sheriff in his glass-walled office, and other police officers wandering around? Disappointment flooded Clint and he kicked himself for once again putting himself in a position where he had to hide.
“Hey,” Hawk said quietly as he approached. “You okay?”
Swallowing hard, Clint dipped his head as a silent yes even though he wasn’t sure if that was an honest answer. He gripped the side of his desk to keep himself from reaching out to Hawk, the desire instinctive after their passionate weekend.
“You sure?” Hawk kept walking until he was only a breath’s distance from Clint, much closer than a colleague or even a friend would stand.
In a flash of clarity, Clint realized that even though he had used Ewan’s refusal to come out as an excuse to stop seeing him, he wasn’t certain what he would have done if Ewan had agreed to be public about their relationship. When Clint had put his military career behind him and moved to a new state for a fresh start, he’d told himself he was done living on anyone else’s terms except his own. He wouldn’t hide, wouldn’t pretend; he’d just be himself and let the chips fall where they may.
But then he’d been too busy getting settled into his new job and new town to make friends or date or do anything other than be a cop. And when he’d finally had time to devote to a social life, he’d chosen a guy who was so deep in the closet there wasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell of getting him out. That hadn’t been an accident, Clint realized, it had been a shield. Much like the shield he had thrown up every time Hawk had made himself vulnerable by confessing his feelings and sharing his desires for a future by Clint’s side.
“I’m sure,” Clint said as he cupped his palm around Hawk’s neck in a move that spoke of a lover’s familiarity.
The smile Hawk gave him in response lit up the room.
“Good,” Hawk said.
Although Clint had accused Hawk of being insane and firmly insisted that nobody uprooted his life to be with a guy he didn’t know and declared his love to someone before the first date, those things clearly made Hawk happy. More than that, they made Clint happy. And he’d never been truly happy in his safe, sane life.
“You know, I was thinking today.” Clint licked his lips. “I need to find a new place to live.”
His eyes sparkling, Hawk held onto Clint’s hip. “Yeah?”
“Uh-huh.” Clint nodded. “Most of my clothes are already at your place and my dogs like it there, so I should probably go ahead and pack the last of my boxes and move in.”
“Definitely.” Hawk’s expression was a mixture of amusement and fondness. “It’s the only practical thing to do.”
“Right.” Clint swallowed down his nerves, gazed into Hawk’s adoring blue eyes, and plunged ahead, knowing he’d have company on the emotional jump he was about to take and the lifetime journey that would follow. “Plus, I’m in love with you.”
Hawk beamed. “I love you too, baby.” He leaned his forehead against Clint’s. “We’re going to have a great life together.”
If Clint knew one thing about Hawk Black, it was that when he set his mind to something, he made sure it happened.
“I have no doubt.” Clint threaded his fingers with Hawk’s. “Let’s go home.”
The End