7. Kieran
7
Kieran
Matt dozes off on the zebra couch, clutching the box which now contains the actual asset—a USB drive. I retrieved it from the car twenty minutes ago under the pretense of grabbing a bottle of water. Then I handed it to him, as per our agreement.
Sighing, I get up from the armchair and grab a blanket from the stack on the second couch. I toss it over his body. It would only make my job more difficult if he got sick, so I might as well ensure he doesn’t. I do envy how he can just fall asleep like this, in an unknown house and after being chased in the middle of the night, only to have his life forcefully changed.
I sit again, pull my phone out and take a sip from my now lukewarm coffee. I was so absorbed in watching the man fall asleep, I forgot all about it, so now it’s shit. But I still drink it as I need the energy boost from the caffeine if I am to function somewhat normally today. I should grab a couple of energy drinks on the way to HQ, too.
When I reach for my other pocket, I find I’ve run out of cigarettes. Just great. I can feel my nerves pulsating across my head, and I can’t even dull out the sensation by inhaling that toxic shit. It’s not my day today and I fear it will only get worse.
My phone shows just after eight a.m. when I unlock it. No missed calls. Not that I was expecting any. There is one message though, and it’s from the CIA. After authenticating myself, I access the encrypted internal app.
Notification for Case ID: MLMB-S001486532.
The case is now under the jurisdiction of the Internal Recon Intelligence Service (IRIS). Director Antony Kelly, Agent Code: DI-S831437A, has been appointed as case lead .
Additional notes I’m just curious.
That second option gets my blood thrumming. Now that I have acknowledged my interest in finding out what’s on the device, I see no way around it. It’s way more exciting than watching TV, so I guess it’s decided.
“Matt?” I repeat a few times, testing to see if he will wake up.
He doesn’t. I wave my hand in front of his face next. No reaction. A thrill slides down my back. Okay, he’s out cold. I can do this. I’ll get the USB, copy it to my tablet, and then return it to him before he wakes up. He won’t even know what I’ve done.
Carefully, I position myself so I hover above him. One of my knees ends up between the backrest and his ass, and the other one is balanced on the edge of the couch. Since he’s clutching the box to his chest, I need to be very slow so I don’t stir him awake.
Gently, I slide my fingers under his and try to pry the box. He’s squeezing it in a death grip, which complicates things. But if I can just loosen his hold a little, I am positive I can slide the box out.
I make progress very slowly. Sweat beads my forehead and neck. My breathing is measured, just like my movements. After a couple of minutes of fumbling, I almost have it. Just a bit more. I lean in, so I can get a better look at the way his hands are coiled around the thing. If I lift the index finger and push the thumb out, I should be able to snatch the box—
“ Freeze ,” Matt commands in his sleep-laced voice.
I go completely still. His warm breath caresses my ear, sending shivers down my back. One of his hands envelops mine in a tight hold. I try to slip free, but the precarious position I’m maintaining gives him leverage. I can get away, but I might hurt him in the process. And I don’t want that, so I’m kind of trapped on top of him.
“Just what do you think you are doing, Agent Stevenson?”
I swallow hard, my heart banging like mad. Uh-oh, this was not supposed to happen. “It’s not what it looks like, I promise.”
“ Really ?” He puffs air into my ear—this time intentionally—and rolls to his back, effectively causing me to straddle him.
My dick accidentally rubs against his. The action sends a surge of tingles to my balls. Oh shit . My legs immediately rock back and forth without my input, chasing after a repeat of the electrifying sensation. He cocks an eyebrow, smirking as he slightly arches up and rolls his hips.
“And what does it look like exactly?” that sassy mouth asks as he licks his plush lips in the obscenest way I’ve ever seen.
For a couple seconds I can’t look away from them. But then I force myself to, using his cute beauty mark as a distraction. He wrinkles his nose and shifts under me, slightly changing the angle of contact.
I bite down the groan that wants to come out. It’s one of frustration with only a tiiiiiiiiiny bit of strictly friction-induced arousal, but I’m not entirely sure it will sound that way and not like something else. And I wouldn’t want to give him the wrong idea. I really wasn’t trying to do anything. I mean, it’s not only unprofessional to mess around with the witness you are supposed to protect, but also, I prefer the ladies. And they have to be awake and willing. I kissed a guy once and kind of touched his junk through his clothes, but it was quick and it didn’t do much for me. Plus, I chickened out because we almost got caught. Times were different back then. I was a dumb kid that wanted to fit in with the cool jock type, so I blocked out that experience from my brain. I pretended it never happened and stuck to the female portion of the human population for my intimate encounters.
Not that there have been many, now that I think about it. I’ve been way too busy since I started working at the Agency. My ex left for that precise reason.
“ Your work or me, Kieran. You come home late and leave early. I barely see you! So choose, me or the Agency ,” she’d demanded just a couple of months after my appointment at the CIA.
We’d been dating for two years and had started living together six months prior. Things were fine while I was in Witness Protection, and she knew how important the CIA job was for me. I’d warned her. She’d assured me she was okay with it and wanted to support my dream. And I’d believed her since everything had been peachy until I actually landed the job.
But anyway. I’m over that. We just wanted different things and weren’t a good match. There is no beef between us and we sort of keep in touch—she’s getting married in December and I’m even invited to the wedding—but I haven’t really been with anyone else since the breakup. It’s easier that way. I’ve had the occasional encounter with an interested girl at a bar, but for the last half a year I’ve perfected my hand technique.
So yeah. You can’t blame me for getting a little carried away. It’s purely a physical reaction to my junk touching Matt’s because my body hasn’t had any contact with another person for ages. There’s nothing else. The fact that we are now mutually dry humping each other is completely irrelevant. Matt is just having a similar reaction because, as far as I know, he hasn’t had a girlfriend or a boyfriend in a while. That’s what his file said, so I’ll go with that.
“You still with me, agent? You seem to be getting a little distracted.”
I clasp his waist and straighten my back, trying to still him. The change in position causes me to put more of my weight on him, which in turn intensifies the rubbing.
Well, fuck.
“Stop moving!” I growl in a voice that doesn’t really sound mine. It’s raspy and low as if I’m trying to seduce him.
“ Rawr , you sexy dinosaur! Where did that voice come from, Agent Stevenson? You’ve been holding out on me,” he laughs, propping himself on his elbows.
God help me . I should’ve never tried to steal— borrow —the damn box.
Matt’s eyes sparkle with amusement, like gems under sunlight. I want to wipe the shit-eating grin off his face, but that’s kind of hard to do when I’m the one who got caught in this very compromising position.
Okay. It’s time for a Plan B.
“Well,” I croak, then clear my throat. “This is one big misunderstanding. The blanket slid off. I didn’t want you to get cold, but then I tripped.” I tilt my head at the coffee table that’s been pushed out a bit so there’s space to stand up. “I almost fell on top of you, but managed to land on my knees and not squish you.”
He pouts and narrows his eyes, squeezing my hand that’s still wrapped around the box and his fingers. “Then what is this doing here?”
I school my expression as best as I can, given the circumstances. “Now I know it might look like I was trying to take the box, right? But that’s not it at all. Plus, even if it was the case, hypothetically, it wouldn’t have been because I wanted to snatch it from you. It’s more of a temporary borrowing it situation. But, again, that’s not what I was doing. I just lost balance.”
He gapes at me, suddenly serious and speechless. And then he starts laughing, his entire body vibrating with the sound. It’s loud and free and it lights up his face. He beams , for the first time since I saved him last night, like some human manifestation of the Sun.
I can’t tear my eyes away from him as peals of laughter continue to leave him. I can’t get off him either, even as his grip gradually loosens and he lets go of my hand. Or is it partially because I don’t want to let go? Does it matter?
Something blooms inside my chest as I watch him. It leaves me breathless and I struggle to get enough air to my lungs. My stomach fills with butterflies. It’s like I’m experiencing the day of final tests at the CIA all over again. Like I haven’t slept for an entire week and have drunk ten energy drinks. I can’t comprehend what this feeling is, but I also can’t stop it. It’s just Matt laughing at my stupid attempt to spin a ridiculous lie no one would ever believe, but it’s like I’ve been hit by a hurricane.
What the hell is happening to me?
“Kieran, you OK there?”
The seriousness in Matt’s voice along with the hint of concern it carries knocks me out of my stupor. I scramble off him, scurrying away until the backs of my knees hit the second couch and I collapse on it. With a hand over my face, where warmth has begun to gather, I focus on regulating my inhales and exhales.
“I’m fine. Just need some coffee.”
I watch him sit up and cross his legs under him through the gaps between my fingers. He places the box on the table. “Did you sleep?”
“Not yet.”
A silent pause settles between us. It’s awkward and a little heavy, but I have no idea how to explain what I was doing. Whatever I say will sound like an excuse, or like I’m trying to fool him.
“You know, if you wanted to see what’s on the USB, you could’ve just asked,” he says, eyeing me intently. “Assuming that’s why you were trying to steal it from me. Or was that talk about trusting each other just for show?”
“No! I meant it,” I blurt out instinctively before my brain can regulate my reaction. “It wasn’t just for show. But I wasn’t trying to steal it. I was just going to borrow it and copy the contents on my tablet so I could have a look.”
He nods. “That’s pretty much still stealing it.”
“Sorry.”
Another minute or so of silence that gets under my nerves ensues. Luckily, it seems like Matt has more stuff to say.
“I was actually awake and saw you contemplating what to do,” he volunteers.
“Why’d you pretend you were asleep and let me get this far, then?”
He shrugs. The movement causes some of the longer locks of his hair to flop forward. He tries to shake them away, but when that doesn’t work, he has to use his hand.
“I dunno. Guess I wanted to see you try.” He spreads his knees wider and wiggles his eyebrows at me while cupping his junk. “Plus, it’s been months since I got some action. Do you think you’d be up for another round?”
I roll my eyes and throw one of the cushions at him. It hits him in the head. What a clown . “Nice try, muffin. But I told you that you aren’t my type.” I shake my head at his puppy eyes. “Besides, I prefer pussy.”
“Uh-huh. That’s what my ex used to say at the start, too.”
I toss another pillow. He dodges this one. “Good for him. But he wasn’t your security detail, and neither was your life in danger.” I point at him and then at myself. “You and I will keep things professional . I shouldn’t have tried to take the box from you. I apologize for that. From now on, no more slip-ups. Both from me and you.”
He hops up and stretches, causing his baggy top to ride up his torso and expose his flat stomach. There are signs of muscle definition, but he’s nowhere near as fit as me. Perhaps I could arrange a gym session for him at the HQ a couple times a week. Or I could get the extra equipment I have at my place and set up a home gym here. If he’s interested, I’m pretty sure I can get him buffed up enough to handle a motorcycle.
“Sure, tell yourself that if it makes you sleep better at night,” he says with a grin and folds his arms.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing. Don’t mind me.” He picks up the box and tosses it inside the tracksuit bottoms’ pocket. Then he glances out the window, wrinkling his nose, and pulls out his new phone. The old one got confiscated so the CIA techies could check it. Chuckling, he trains his gaze on me. “Okay, partner , we’ve got about two hours before the meeting with your boss. Let’s take your car for a spin and get us some food. I’m starving.”
I vacate the couch and grab my keys from the breakfast counter where I left them. “Hey. Before we go, let’s make a copy of the data…”
He pauses, giving me a meaningful look. “Shit. That’s a good idea, but should you be suggesting it? Isn’t it against the rules?”
It is against protocol, yes. I could get in real trouble. But this is also the closest I’ve ever been to an actual clue about my parents’ accident, so I’m willing to take that risk. As long as Matt agrees to keep his mouth shut, the CIA won’t ever know what we’ve done.
“You can look at is as proof that I’m trustworthy,” I shoot back and hold my hand out.
After a couple seconds of deliberation, Matt hands me the USB. I disconnect my tablet from the network, switch to airplane mode and make a copy of the drive’s contents onto a different USB via it. We have to leave though, if we want to sell our story about visiting the hiding spot, so we decide to look at the data later.
In the hall, I put my shoes and jacket on, then open the door for him. He skips out of the house, humming some song as I lock up. While I speak to the two agents and send a text to Director Kelly, he waits inside my car.
“So, what do you feel like? There’s a killer sushi place near the 7th ave subway station. You ever been there?” I ask.
“Nah. Only heard that it’s good.” He shifts in his seat and angles his body toward me as I back out of the driveway. “Can we do something else, though?”
I signal right and turn, focusing on navigating the busy traffic. “Like what?”
“I could go for sausage. Or hot dog.”
I snort. “Knew this was coming.”
“Something else would be too if someone didn’t cut my morning fun short.”
I walked right into that one, didn’t I? “Do you ever shut up?”
He hums thoughtfully. I glance his way just in time to see the grin materializing on his face. The way his muscles work together to make it happen is kind of fascinating “I do. When I’m sucking co—”
I turn the music’s volume up. “Forget I asked. If you stay quiet for thirty minutes, the food is my treat. You can get whatever you want, I’m paying.”
He jumps up in excitement in his seat. “Seriously? And I can get whatever I want?”
“I just said that, didn’t I?”
“But are you sure? Also, let me tell you—I’m very experienced. I’ve slept with like fifty guys. You’re missing out.”
I fight off a smile. “I am sure. It’s my treat. Now, are you gonna shut up or not?”
He zips his mouth. “I’m shutting up for the next thirty minutes. But no backsies, okay? This was your idea.”
I don’t know why he’s making it such a big deal that I offered to treat him. I mean, even if he got extra sides or whatever, it’s not like he can eat a lot. He’s kind of small. At most, I’d be paying twice what I normally do.
Forty minutes later, he proves me wrong as he inhales two hot dogs, a milkshake, a sundae, a slice of cheesecake and four scoops of ice cream. I have no idea where he puts it all or how he’s still so tiny with that appetite.
We head over to HQ once it nears the meeting’s time after dropping by an Asian store for some candy and snacks. We are doing a movie night tonight apparently, and movie night requires snacks. I’m somewhat interested in the film he wants to watch, so I don’t protest. And even though I’m still mostly shocked at how many desserts he ate, part of me finds it kind of cute.