He’d probably spend his time working out, which would at least ease the psychic pressure building inside him. The gene therapy he’d undergone while the PWP had been active had expanded his talent. He’d only been able to move a few inches off the ground before the program, and the stress from doing even that little bit had produced nosebleeds. Now he could rise dozens of feet into the sky and float without fear of falling. Tomorrow he’d exercise and ignore the computer for once.
Hell, anything was better than crunching more numbers.
Back on the couch, he pulled a blanket over himself and started to drift into a light nap when a knock came at the door. A heavy hand rapped several times, and then the doorbell rang unceasingly.
Gavin tossed aside the blanket, rolled to his feet, and stalked to the door. “Hold on.” Jesus, give me a chance to reach the doorknob at least. He yanked open the door. “What the…hell?”
He stared in shock at an annoyed Aidan Marshall glaring down at him. Without asking, Aidan muscled past him and stopped in the center of the living room. “Nice. Not what I expected.”
Gavin shut the door and frowned as he joined Aidan in the middle of his living room. “Expected? Why are you here? What do you want?”
Aidan didn’t answer. Instead he turned to face Gavin, his intense scrutiny more than uncomfortable. There was an almost personal aspect to his study that alarmed Gavin, because he sensed a toughness in Aidan that would extend beyond the normal day-to-day. He’d be tough with his boyfriends. Demanding. Sexually aggressive.
Not good thoughts to be thinking with the mind reader so near.
Fortunately, Aidan didn’t react at all. The hulking blond circled him, his gaze roaming from Gavin’s hair to his toes. Gavin shivered—from excitement, not the cold—wishing he’d thrown on a sweatshirt to cover the plain white tee he wore.
“You have nice feet.”
“O-kay.” Gavin didn’t know what the hell Aidan was doing in his condo. He followed the man’s gaze to his bare feet, suddenly noticing the cold. Ignoring Aidan for the moment, he turned and moved to the fireplace. With the flip of a switch, he ignited the gas logs.
When he turned around, Aidan was right there, caging him between the mantel and his hard body.
“What—”
Firm lips cut him off. Holy shit was all he could think as Aidan Marshall took command of his mouth. Who knew he could kiss like that, or that the chemistry between them would turn combustible between one heartbeat and the next?
Aidan’s domination flipped that switch inside Gavin that responded to another’s mastery. His secret kink, and the reason he’d rarely found a decent sexual partner. No one could deal with him. Or so he’d thought. Aidan seemed to be handling him just fine.
The kiss deepened, and Gavin couldn’t help the groan that left him, even as he tried to mentally disengage. He didn’t like the man, couldn’t stand his…
“That’s it,” Aidan crooned as he slid a hand between them and cupped Gavin’s erection. “You’re a big boy, aren’t you?”
Fuck if he could think beyond the need to come. Aidan slid his tongue past Gavin’s lips and seduced him with ease. He stroked and led, and Gavin helplessly followed. The hand over his cock grew firmer, rubbing and pushing through the denim. To his astonishment, he felt Aidan’s arousal grinding into him as well.
The sheer unreality of the moment shocked him into taking charge. He ripped away from Aidan and shot into the air so fast he almost hit his head on the vaulted ceiling. Embarrassed, aroused, and confused, he allowed himself to drift lower so that his feet remained level with Aidan’s throat.
“Well, now. Never would have expected that.” Aidan grinned, his brown eyes dark with lust. “You’re a surprise, Gavin.”
“What the fuck are you doing?” Furious that he sounded out of breath and that he’d responded to Aidan of all people, he remained in the air, wishing he had the ability to make Aidan disappear.
Aidan’s grin left him. “We have business.”
“Bullshit. I had enough of you today. Get lost.” He paused. “And don’t touch me again.” Bad enough he had the guy in his brain, but now his touch was branded on Gavin’s cock. His secret fantasies loomed perilously close to turning into a nightmare. If Aidan knew how many times he’d starred in Gavin’s X-rated dreams…
Aidan didn’t move. He didn’t blink.
In a split second, he leaped forward and grabbed Gavin by the ankle. One hard tug and Gavin fell to the ground. His ass landed first, but Aidan managed to cradle his head so Gavin didn’t knock himself unconscious. Still, he’d hit. Hard.
Before he could catch his breath, Aidan straddled his belly and pinned his wrists to the wood floor. “I’m trying to do you the courtesy of not looking into your mind, but you broadcast like crazy. You have to learn how to shield yourself better if this is going to work.”
“Damn it.” Gavin tried but couldn’t pull his hands free from the behemoth holding him down. He wished like hell this position wasn’t something straight out of his hidden desires, where, after holding him down, his partner would force him to suck cock. A collar and leathers were also involved, some nipple clamps… He cleared his throat and prayed he wasn’t showing the blush working its way over his cheeks. “What’s going to work?”
“You and me on the Chronicles case. I found it again. We’re going to hit a party in California in a few days. Until then, we have to come to some terms. Partner.” Aidan choked on the word.
“What?” Was he dreaming? Gavin wanted a big man to take charge and order him around, but not the blond jerk who poked fun at him all the time. Well, not the Aidan he knew in real life. He wanted the Aidan he jacked off to, the arrogant yet tender dream of a Dom who didn’t exist.
Aidan sighed. “Trust me. I worked like hell to figure out a way not to use you, but if I don’t, I’m off the case too. So it’s you and me, working to get the book back.” He leaned forward and tried to kiss Gavin again, but Gavin turned his head and fought for control of his whacked-out libido. Great time for his sexual hiatus to come to a close. But with Aidan?
Instead of forcing his face back, Aidan chuckled and sucked Gavin’s earlobe. The action had a direct impact on Gavin’s cock. To his horror, the hint of an orgasm crept closer.
“We’re going undercover to a kinkfest. We have to pretend to be partners. Sexual partners, the kind where I control and you submit,” Aidan whispered and stuck his tongue in Gavin’s ear. “Hmm. Yeah. I think this just might work.”
“Wait.” Gavin tried like hell to move Aidan, but the big bastard didn’t twitch, despite Gavin’s gyrations.
“That feels good. Keep doing that.” Aidan chuckled, the unfamiliar humor as startling as this facet of the man himself. “Look, this isn’t me dicking around with you. We’re going to have to get dirty to get the book back.”
“I—Get off me.” When Aidan didn’t budge, Gavin gritted his teeth. “Please?”
Aidan sat up and released Gavin’s hands. But he didn’t move from his position right over Gavin’s crotch, and the pressure was unbearably erotic.
“Okay. I’m not getting off, mind you, but I’m off.”
“Smart-ass. All the way off my body.”
“No. I’m not kidding about this. I wouldn’t have taken it this far, but I needed to know.”
“Know?”
“If we’re compatible. I mean, you’re cute and all, but submission is a tricky thing.”
“You think I’m cute?” Gavin’s voice cracked, and he flushed.
Aidan laughed. “Yeah. Especially now. That innocence is so tempting. Jack was right. You do look a lot younger than you are.”