Chapter Twenty-Two
Late the next day…
E ntering the expensive lobby of the first hotel they had stayed in, Crow headed toward the elevator. The man still had a room rented and Rebel’s new clothes were still hanging in the closet.
“Wait.” Rebel pulled Crow to a stop.
“What?”
“Have a drink with me,” Rebel said, but when he pulled on Crow’s hand the man didn’t move.
Rebel released his grip, tossed up his hands, and walked into the lounge. The woman smiled at him and he asked for a booth. He was very aware that Crow had followed and was on his ass right now.
Smiling, Rebel slid into the booth. He ordered a vodka soda with lime and Crow ordered the same. The place was noisy and filled with a working crowd in business attire and Rebel was glad he had had the chance to change into the clean clothes Crow had thoughtfully provided at the roadside motel.
The man really had thought ahead before coming to rescue him and Angel.
The waitress dropped off their drinks and Rebel ran his finger down the condensation on the glass. They stayed only long enough to finish their drinks.
“You did the right thing,” Crow said and Rebel nodded.
“I know. I don’t want her to hate me, though,” he said, pushing the elevator button.
“When she gets older, she will realize you saved her life.”
They stepped inside the empty car, and when the doors closed, Rebel moved in closer to Crow.
As the elevator raced upward, Rebel grabbed the front of Crow’s shirt and pulled.
“What?” Crow resisted and Rebel lifted on his toes and pressed his lips to Crow’s mouth.
“I haven’t kissed you in days.”
“A day,” Crow argued.
“No, it’s been more than twenty-four hours,” Rebel said, biting at the man’s bottom lip.
Crow resisted for another moment and then Rebel felt when the man caved. Those strong hands gripped his hips, fingers dug into his ass, and Rebel stepped between Crow’s widening stance and pressed closer.
“This is a very bad idea,” Crow muttered.
His head was saying one thing while his dick was saying another. If they did this, there might not be any coming back from it.
Rebel gazed up at him, licked his lips, and nodded. “It is, but only for this moment? You can do that, yes?”
Crow frowned as the door pinged open, but Rebel caught his hand and pulled him along the hallway to their hotel room.
When Rebel pressed the key card against the lock and pushed him into the hotel room, Crow could only follow.
Ending up at the king-sized bed, he was surprised to hear the jets go on in the Jacuzzi tub. Water from the bottom and sides sent bubbles pumping to the swirling surface.
The comment from Rebel about this being only for a moment had caught him off guard. And yeah, he felt offended. Was that what Rebel wanted?
Then so be it.
He would get his mind off of fucking Rebel and turn it to convincing the young man to try another way of life. Something outside of the realm of assassins.
“I’ve been thinking—” Crow began.
“I’ve been wanting to use this since the moment I saw it,” Rebel interrupted, pulling off his silky dress shirt and tossing it to the floor.
Crow’s mouth went dry and he jerked his eyes away from Rebel’s bare skin. Crow stripped in record time and left on his dark blue briefs.
He needed to get into that fucking Jacuzzi before Rebel noticed his hard cock.
Perhaps the warm water would help his raging dick, but he very much doubted it. He had been hard since the elevator kiss and having Rebel undress wasn’t helping. He sank into the water while Rebel was still working on getting off his boots.
Crow felt pride knowing that Rebel was wearing the clothes he had bought. He knew he shouldn’t feel that way, but there was no denying that he was extremely possessive when it came to Rebel.
And that could be dangerous for both of them. He wanted something permanent and Rebel wanted something for the moment.
Those two ideals didn’t mesh.
Crow tried to close his eyes, he really did, but when Rebel peeled his dress slacks down his legs and kicked them away, Crow couldn’t have looked away to save his fucking life.
Tiny black briefs molded to Rebel’s hips, tops of his thighs, and all the way in between.
And so help him God, Crow looked his fill.
Before walking his way, Rebel turned and snagged two waters from the mini fridge and placed them on the rim of the tub.
Rebel hissed when he climbed into the tub.
“It gets better if you just sink down,” Crow said with a slight smile.
“No way, I have to do this in increments,” Rebel laughed, and then his arms waved about to keep his balance.
Crow caught Rebel’s wrist to balance the young man and received a smile for his efforts.
That smile killed him.
This attraction had been ramping up like nothing he’d ever felt before. He’d never been indecisive before, but he was now.
Since the lounge downstairs, Rebel’s smiles had been coming often accompanied by teasing laughter. Of course, it had something to do with the vodka, but for him, it was a win. And Crow reveled in it.
He was fiercely glad to see and hear each fucking giggle or laugh because it meant that Rebel might possibly be healing from his traumatic past, or at least starting to heal.
That also meant that Rebel trusted him. At least, he liked to think so.
At his touch, Rebel’s eyes glittered with something untamed and wild, and Crow slipped his hand further up the man’s arm. Sliding his palm over wet skin until he could wrap his hand around Rebel’s bicep.
“I’m good,” Rebel mumbled and slid his arm away.
Crow missed the contact and dropped his hand beneath the water, hiding his clenched fist.
Across from him, Rebel eased down with a sigh, leaned his head back, and closed his eyes. Thick dark lashes sat like crested moons on his cheeks and the dark fall of curls shone like onyx beneath dim lights overhead.
Rebel’s lids slowly lifted and Crow was caught staring.
“Where did you grow up?”
The question was so left-field, it took him a moment to formulate an answer.
“West Texas,” Crow said.
“I did detect a hint of an accent.”
“We were transplanted there from Oregon as kids.”
“We?”
“Me, my brother, and sisters. Dad was in the military, he got stationed out there so he packed us up and we lived in Army housing.”
“And your mom?”
“Yes, my mom too. Well, she’s technically my stepmom, but she’s the only mother I’ve known.”
“You lost your real mom?”
“She was killed by a drunk driver when I was three, so I don’t remember her much.”
“Are your sisters and brother stepsiblings then?” Rebel’s head tipped, curiously.
“I have a sister from my mother and the other two are from my stepmom and dad.”
“So y’all lived in Texas,” Rebel drawled and damned it was cute as fuck.
“Mhmm,” Crow said, not fighting his own smile.
“And you went into the military because of your dad?”
“No, not really. I went to college and got a degree and then I joined the Army at twenty-two.”
“How long did you stay in?”
“Seven years, then joined Genesis.”
“So, you’re twenty-nine?” Crow grunted.
“No, thirty, way too old for you.”
“Twelve-year gap,” Rebel agreed, and Crow wondered if the man had suddenly realized what he already knew. He was a hell of a lot older than Rebel.
So maybe wanting something more wasn’t the way to go. Maybe Rebel’s idea of just for the moment made more sense.
Crow suddenly realized this was a huge fucking mistake.
Rebel pulled his wet fingers at his bottom lip. It was a nervous habit that Crow had started to notice the more time they spent together.
Regret filled his gut, and he got ready to put separation between them.
This needed to end now.
“I wish I knew who my parents were.”
The man’s voice was raspy and hoarse and the words took Crow by surprise. But he had the answer, and he would do anything in his power to help Rebel find his real parents.
“Genesis can find out,” Crow said. “They find people for a living.”
Granted, it was bad people who needed to be eliminated, but finding Rebel’s parents wouldn’t take much. Crow imagined he’d stop by the fake mom’s house and get some information from her and he’d know where to start.
“Really?” Rebel whispered, his eyes wide. Both hands flew to cover his mouth.
Crow tried to resist, but this pull between them was too strong. He reached across the small distance and pulled Rebel toward him through the water.
“Yeah, really,” he said, the promise coming out thickly.
Rebel floated on the water closer and closer until his legs were brushing against Crow’s and in another moment, Crow had the younger man much closer.
“This really isn’t a good idea,” he said roughly, trying to be the voice of reason. Then, reluctantly, he gently pushed Rebel away.
“What if we don’t make it a big deal?” Rebel said, coming to his feet and moving closer.
When Rebel’s palm slid over his chest, Crow’s head almost exploded.
“Like just for the moment?”
“Yes…friends with benefits until we part.”