Who Said Witness Protection Was Boring? (Mobster Mayhem #2)

11. Kieran

11

Kieran

My pulse pounds in my ears. We found a clue!

I almost hug Matt. Since he barreled into my life, I’ve made more progress in my investigation than I did on my own for years. But I resist the urge to smother him, and instead prop my back against the bookshelf.

How does he do it? Or is it just luck? Pure coincidence? Considering it’s all connected to him and I wouldn’t have uncovered any of this without him, I think it goes beyond chance. Rescuing him was the catalyst, but it was only possible because I made it possible. Because I put things into motion and poked my nose where I had no business poking it.

And now we are doing the unthinkable. Us, two nobodies. We are trying to outplay the CIA at their own game. And if I’m being honest? It has me buzzing like a kid drinking his first whiskey.

I glance at Matt, who’s sitting on the couch and scribbling letters on a piece of paper. His attention is locked on my phone. He mutters something to himself every once in a while, then pokes the tip of his tongue out to wet his lips. I follow the movement. They are nice lips, objectively. Not that I care about something like that; it’s just an observation. They are full and come with an adorable cupid’s bow that I’ve been itching to rub with my thumb. Again, it’s not because I want to. I’m simply curious if his mouth is as soft as it looks.

Matt scratches his nose as his frown deepens. My attention darts to his beauty mark. Why is it there? It’s like a landmark on his face, a cute little thing that I can’t help but notice. And it makes me wonder things. Like whether he has any other ones… I haven’t found any more on his face, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t hiding in other places. I am pretty sure I spotted one above his right hip bone when I caught him walking around the house in just his underwear.

A surge of heat caresses my nerve-endings. With an inner groan, I snap myself out of it. Now is not the time to think about an almost-naked Matt. I was putting away dirty dishes and he just so happened to walk into the lounge in nothing but his gray briefs on. I looked for only a brief second, then ducked down behind the breakfast counter to give him some privacy. Turning around would’ve probably sufficed, but I was distracted and might have overreacted a little.

I cross my arms. In any case, I did nothing wrong. Besides, it was an accident.

Sure, Kieran. Then why are you making such a big deal out of it right now? Just forget it and move on.

That is exactly what I will do. Matt can walk around naked for all I care. I mean, I don’t even like guys. It makes zero difference to me if I am exposed to his perky little ass or not. Right ?

I swallow, my throat suddenly dry as images of said ass invade my thoughts. I’m pretty sure it’s the exact size for my hands. It would fit perfectly if I were to grope it. Or knead it. Not that I plan to. It’s a hypothetical thought I am entertaining because my brain is too tired to function properly. It’s the lack of sleep. If I could swing by my apartment for a couple hours and catch some shut-eye, I’d be back in shape in no time.

But sadly, I can’t do that. It’s not safe. This mystery and protecting Matt are my top priorities right now. I’ll just need to get used to the broken-up and restless sleep at the safehouse and the weird thoughts I’ve been having about Matt as a result of that.

Then again, not getting laid for so long certainly doesn’t help either.

“Kieran! I think—”

I jump at the feel of a hand on my shoulder, pushing off the bookshelf so hard I make the figurines clatter and shake.

Matt grips his wrist and aims a questioning look my way, his mouth pursing. “What was that? You okay?”

“Yeah, sorry. I was just… somewhere else.”

He hums, sounding both curious and suspicious. “Gee, am I boring you so much that you are spacing out already?”

If only he had any idea.

I tousle his hair, part because I know he likes it when I do and part because I like how silky and smooth it feels in my fingers. “Don’t worry, Hacker Boy. I’m pretty sure bored is the last thing I’d be around you.”

He perks up the moment the words are out of my mouth. “Oh, is that so, Agent Stevenson ? Now I’m dying to know what you are around me then,” he drawls, fluttering his long lashes at me innocently while his eyes light up with mischief.

I shrug. “Dunno. Haven’t thought about it,” I hedge, but it’s clear he won’t let me as he presses his delicate hand against my chest and prevents me from moving.

“That’s okay. I’m more than happy to help you. Does it start with H and end with O-R-N-Y ?”

I wrap my fingers around his hand and gently extricate it from me. “Careful there. You don’t want to bite off more than you can chew.”

His entire face lights up as he shoots me a shit-eating grin after licking his lips in the obscenest way I’ve ever witnessed. And the worst part? My dick gives an unsolicited twitch of approval.

Stay the fuck down, buddy.

“Is this a euphemism about how big your cock is? Because I looove massive cocks. Don’t let my size fool you. I’m very stretchy.”

Jesus Christ. How did we get here again? I was trying not to think about dicks and asses and Matt with his dick and ass on display, and he just had to go there. He’s such a menace.

“Stop this,” I groan, adjusting myself. His gaze drops to my semi, taking on a dark edge. It transforms his entire demeanor, turning him from a harmless puppy with a big mouth to a starving wolf that I’m not sure I can stave off. “Just shut up.”

I’m vibrating. He drives me crazy. And he picks the most inappropriate times to do it. Who in their right mind flirts in the middle of a break-in? Someone could walk in on us at any moment. The security guard. A neighbor. The CIA after figuring out what we are up to. The danger of us being busted is very real.

But real isn’t the only thing it is. It fucking turns me on.

“Why don’t you make me shut up, Agent Stevenson ?”

His purring tenor goes straight to my dick. And when he coils his hand around my bicep and steps in while breathing me in, I just lose it.

His words, his eyes, his touch, his smell. They are exhilarating. Too much, too powerful. I’m at their mercy—at his mercy—as adrenaline and arousal mix within me.

I kiss him. It’s the only thing I can do. Nothing else matters right now.

He yelps, his eyes going wide, and instinctively tries to push me away. I don’t let him. I can’t. I want him. I’m out of my mind to but I do. I don’t know what he did to me, but I’m on fire. I need to taste him, right now. To give him what he wants before the curiosity I’ve been fighting off for the past days consumes me and turns me into something I cannot control.

Bringing my hand to the back of his head, I pull him closer. He whimpers and throws his arms around my neck. He has to stand on tiptoes to reach, and that triggers something inside me. An animalistic need to protect him and make him feel good. I deepen the kiss. He opens for me on a moan as our tongues meet for the first time.

It’s electric. I feel it with my entire body. He tastes somewhat sweet—like that hazelnut ice-cream he likes. He’s eager to let me explore him and I surrender to his pull, mapping every corner of his hot mouth. It’s like a drug. Ten seconds is all I need before any leftover thoughts to stop this vacate me.

I’m kissing a guy. It should be weird. It shouldn’t be my thing. But it’s neither. It’s like kissing a woman, except it’s more aggressive. More violent. Matt gives as much as he takes. He might be small, but he’s definitely a man. He battles me for control, giving in here, attacking there. It puts my nerves on edge as I don’t know what to expect. My stomach twists with anticipation.

I need more. This is addictive.

Stepping backwards, I plaster my back to the wall. He leans his weight on me and it causes his erection to press against my thigh. It’s hard and hot like it was that morning. I flex my leg. He rubs against it and pants appreciatively, the sound sliding down my throat and making my chest tight.

It’s weird. I wasn’t interested in trying anything with a guy. I’ve always thought I liked girls. Dicks were never my thing. Plus, I was too busy to do much more than an occasional hookup since starting my job at the Agency. But Matt… He’s so damn sexy. Silly too, in the way he’s always trying to flirt with me. He’s a giant dork. He doesn’t shut up. But even though I normally find these things annoying, I’ve really enjoyed his company so far. I like having him around. I like our back-and-forth. And I most definitely like kissing him. In fact, I’m enjoying it so much it’s starting to scare me.

As we part for air, I snake my free hand to his bubble butt and give it a firm squeeze. Goosebumps cover my back from how good it feels to hold it. I’m in over my head, I think. I miscalculated. I probably shouldn’t have kissed him, because I have no idea what I should do now.

“Wow,” he exhales, shivering in my arms. “Okay. This was… Just wow. I didn’t expect you to actually…”

I feel the smile as it begins to form. I try to stop it, but it overrules my efforts as I tilt Matt’s head back and wipe the wetness off his soft but slightly swollen lips with my thumb. I run it over his cupid’s bow just like I wanted, too.

“I warned you.” I chuckle. “Now you’ll know better.”

He beams, radiant like the Sun. “Oh yes. Definitely. I learned my lesson. All I need to do is annoy you enough, and you’ll shut me up with your sexy mouth. Gotcha.”

“ Matthew ,” I chide, letting my voice come out stern and authoritative.

“Oh, fuck. Don’t do that or I’ll pop another boner.” I eye his still very present erection. He pulls on his bottom lip. “Okay, fair point. But you can’t blame me for this after the mind-blowing make-out session we just had. Shit, Kieran. I think you’ve ruined me for everyone else. You’ll have to take responsibility now.”

Shaking my head, I tuck a stray lock of his longish bangs behind his ear and clear my throat. I’m such a fool for thinking kissing him would actually shut him up. Strangely though, I don’t mind it one bit. It might be because I am still processing what I did, or because I’m trying to figure out what it means for me to have kissed a guy and enjoyed it, but at any rate, all of this will have to wait. We are on the clock, and we need to get a move on before the guard realizes we aren’t chilling in the courtyard anymore.

I take a deep breath, center myself, and chase away all the currently irrelevant thoughts. “I’ll think about it. But first, we have a code to solve.”

My words seem to click, because his blissful expression changes to one of determination. “Yeah, right. I think I solved it before you—”

He outright blushes at me and that almost undoes my resolve. Fuck me, when did he get so irresistibly cute? Is it because we kissed, and I had a bit of an epiphany? Or was he always this damn adorable and I was just foolishly trying to pretend I didn’t notice? As much as I’d love to solve that mystery, now is not the time for introspection, so I persevere, prompting him to continue with an expectant look.

“Uh, so, I think I have the words. I had to figure out which were the correct ones, because part of the game is differentiating those from the fake ones that aim to confuse you. It’s actually quite fun, but you have to be careful because if you miss the hint, it’s very easy to get them wrong.”

“And you are sure you didn’t?” I ask, arching an eyebrow.

He smiles proudly. “So, the truth is that I’m really shit at puzzles, okay? Except this one. I half-suspect Chrissy designed it this way on purpose, so it could be one thing I could beat her at. Anyway, once you have the words, you have to figure out what they mean. It’s usually a clue, that if deciphered correctly, will get you to your objective.”

Somehow, I can see that. I didn’t know Christine Bauer and I don’t know Matt that well either. Yet . But I can tell from the way he speaks about her that they were close and loved each other.

Matt holds up the piece of paper he was scribbling on, directing my attention to it. I read out loud, “Bike. Red. December-July-August. Old Pier. Key. Alice in Wonderland. Glass.” It tells me nothing. “Do you know what any of this means? It sounds like a riddle.”

“And I told you I suck at those. But, the book is here…” He picks up the Alice in Wonderland Special Edition I was leafing through earlier. He places it on the shelf, next to the glass dragon figurine. “And this is the only thing made of glass on the shelf. So, glass, then Alice. Next is key .” Retrieving the figurine, he inspects it. “I think we need to smash it.”

I’m not in the habit of breaking other people’s possessions, but I think that Matt might be right. He mostly seems to know what he’s doing so far.

Unlike me. I don’t know what I’ll do now that I kissed him. Part of me wants a repeat ASAP, but the other half is still in a bit of a self-induced shock. I’ve never experienced such a primal urge to do something before, least of all to assault someone’s very willing mouth. It’s like something came over me, like I was possessed, drawn to him like a moth to candlelight. And the icing on top? I loved every damn second of it.

I force myself to focus on the here and now again. On our mission. Matt is twiddling his thumbs while observing me. I think he is nervous. Maybe even affected by the kiss the same way I am… I think I’d love that.

“Okay. Let’s smash the glass dragon.” I nod at the pretty ornament.

He nods back and throws the delicate but chunky figure on the floor. It shatters into pieces of various sizes that scatter on the carpet and tiles. Among them is a key with a black key cap that has a familiar-looking red pattern around the edges. He picks the little object up.

“Um, I don’t know where this might be for.”

“Give it here.” I inspect the key, positive I’ve seen this exact cap pattern somewhere. “What were the next words from the riddle? After key.”

He reads them off the paper. “Old Pier. December-July-August. Red. Bike.”

“Old Pier… Can you look that up? It sounds like it could be a place.”

“One sec.” He grabs my phone. His eyes dart left and right, focused on the task. Soon enough, a smirk shoos the concentration away from his face. “Oh. Lookity look. There is a self-storage facility in Hastings. It’s by a MC diner called The Old Pier.”

Well, now. Things are starting to look up. If the passcode is for a storage unit, then the key must unlock something inside it.

“You think that’s where we need to go?” he asks as I tuck the keys in my pocket and catch his still-agitated gaze. I’m pretty sure it’s lingering arousal from our kiss.

A second later, I am convinced it is as his greens dip to my mouth and stay there. Does he want to kiss me again? Already? Should I let it happen?

Head in the game, Casanova. Leave the experimentation and pondering for later. You can have your existential revelations at the safehouse. It’s not like you can even sleep unless you are in your own bed.

“What were the next words? December, July, August? That must be our access code. 12-07-08.”

He bounces back-and-forth on his heels. “Shit. We have a destination then. Let’s go!”

I gather the biggest pieces of glass, not wanting to leave any obvious traces that we’ve been here. “Not yet.”

He aims an amusingly dramatic frown my way. My stomach squeezes with the urge to kiss the space between his eyebrows, but I resist it like a champ.

“Why the hell not? We are this close.”

“We are.” I herd him out the apartment, making sure it’s locked before we head back out through the fire exit. “But we are also supposed to be at the shopping center, getting ready to go back to the safehouse.”

“Shit. I forgot about that. You think they’ll let us go out again? That Kelly guy didn’t seem particularly stoked that we wanted to go shopping.”

“I doubt it, sweet pea.” I consider our options, a plan forming in my head. “That is, unless we gave them one hell of a good reason to say yes.”