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seem close to Aidan and Zane, even if he did give Aidan shit almost constantly.
Oh Geez. He was jealous, wasn t he? Todd peeked at the other couples just in time to
see more of those suspicious looks. Okay, he wasn t jealous, or not just jealous, anyways.
Todd averted his gaze and took another bite of his burger. He slipped into cop mode, as
he thought of it. It was as if he stepped outside of himself and viewed everything that had
happened and was currently going on. And his conclusion was, he was most definitely
suspicious. Something was going on, some secret between the other four men from which
Todd and Adam were excluded.
Todd tried not to think why that might be, but even he couldn t keep his mind out of
the gutter all the time. He excused himself from the table and gave Adam a look he knew his
lover wouldn t misinterpret.
 Gotta go check for messages, Todd offered as an explanation.  I left my phone in the
car on the charger. I don t know what I was thinking.
The story had the benefit of being the truth, too. He walked off and heard Adam make
some borderline lewd quip about following Todd out for a grope. Todd heated from the
inside out with arousal. Even though he knew Adam was joking, his words still sent a flare
of want up from Todd s groin that seeped out through his pores. It wasn t just the humid
Texas evening that had Todd breaking out in a sweat.
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He heard the front porch screen slap shut seconds after he went through it. Todd
stopped walking then and turned around to wait for Adam only to find himself the recipient
of a very thorough groping.
 Didn t wanna be a liar, Adam proclaimed, his voice rich with laughter and lust as he
palmed Todd s balls and squeezed his ass.  Think we have time for a quick blow job? I bet I
could have you spilling down my throat in under five minutes.
 More like under three, Todd wheezed, his chest tight as need coiled his insides. His
dick had gone from nice and content to raging hard so fast he was surprised he hadn t hurt
himself, and the sheer naughtiness of Adam fondling him like this while their friends sat
inside, less than twenty feet away& Well, he was both very turned on and very terrified.
Adam grinned and rubbed him for a second before planting a sloppy, wet kiss on
Todd s lips. He stepped back and patted Todd s ass.  As much as I d love to suck you dry, I
really want to know what the hell is going on!
 So it s not just me, Todd said before biting back the whole  being a jealous dickhead
part.  Do you& Do you think maybe Gabe and Mika, you know, with Aidan and Zane? His
cheeks burned uncomfortably but he knew Adam wouldn t laugh at him for being a perv for
wondering.
Adam cocked his head to the side and peered at some point to Todd s left. He hummed
slightly and tapped his thigh. Then he shook his head.  No, I don t think so. As possessive as
Mika is, and as& Come on, can you picture Gabe sharing Mika? No, those two would kill
anyone who tried to fuck with the other. Now, I don t know Aidan and Zane, but I just can t
imagine Mika or Gabe putting up with anything like that.
 Whew. Todd s relief was probably exaggerated but he didn t care. Gabe and Mika
were his proof that a couple could have a happy, monogamous relationship. A stable
relationship.  Well, then, I m afraid someone in there might have done something illegal. Or
they re hiding something from us, from me at least. I don t like it at all.
Could that be the reason for the secretive looks? Had Gabe and the others been judging
Adam s frame of mind, and Todd s, even? But Todd thought about Gabe s joviality earlier.
Surely, even though Gabe didn t know Jameson, he wouldn t be so happy and Gabe-y if he
had such horrible news for them?
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Adam sighed and hooked his arm through Todd s.  I think you re right, sort of. They re
hiding something, but I don t think it s illegal. I m afraid&  Adam s voice cracked and Todd
had to hug him, had to hold him for a moment. Adam s breath was warm against Todd s
chest when he spoke.  I m afraid Jameson is dead, and they don t want to tell us.
 I don t think that s it, Todd said. He cupped Adam s cheek and tipped his head just
so for a kiss. Adam relaxed against him. It was one of those perfect moments Todd knew
would remain branded into his memory, the two of them standing under the moonlight,
kissing, loving as they leaned on each other.
A sharp outburst, a shout answered by another, snapped him out of his reverie. He and
Adam both leapt back, as if they d had anything to do with what was, obviously, a heated
argument coming from inside.
 What the hell? Adam muttered.  Grab your phone.
Todd ran over to the vehicle and quickly got his phone. He could still hear arguing,
although he couldn t make out the words. And he definitely heard Gabe s voice. The other
low rumbles were hard to place to their owners. In fact, it almost sounded like a bunch of
growling to Todd.
 What the hell are they doing in there? Adam huffed as he darted up the porch steps.
 Sounds like a bunch of snippy intact male dogs in there! Men!
Todd snorted even as he ran up the steps behind Adam. He almost tripped when he
caught sight of Adam s fine ass flexing in front of him. They thundered over the porch and
into the house then stopped right inside.
 It s totally quiet now, Adam whispered, and, even so, he sounded damned loud to
Todd.  Gabe s never quiet. Do you think they killed him?
Todd knew Adam was joking, but his heart still rolled over in his chest. He cocked his
head and concentrated on listening.  No, they d have had to kill Mika too, and there wasn t
enough noise for all of that to be going on. He gestured towards the kitchen and held out a
hand behind him. Adam gave him an arch look but didn t argue. He moved in behind Todd
and took his hand.
Together they crept down the hallway, Todd feeling like a total idiot for doing so. This
was, after all, his buddies home, and one Todd had found refuge in when he d been
younger. And, okay, even as an adult at times. Why was he sneaking around?
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Adam squeezed his hand and Todd stopped worrying about what noise they might
make. It was too silent in the kitchen surely everyone could hear his pulse since it was
thudding like a damned gavel in his head?
Todd entered the kitchen only to stop immediately. There was no blood, no dead
bodies, but there was at least one broken dish. If he d had to bet, he d have figured Gabe had
thrown it at someone& someone other than Mika. None of the other four seemed to notice
him or Adam. They were all too busy standing stiff, chests puffed out, glaring at each other
in some battle of the wills or testosterone&
Then he heard it, and so did Adam judging by the way he grunted and edged up
against Todd s back. A low, rumbling growl. Todd looked for Iko, but the dog was nowhere
to be seen. Besides, Iko had better manners than to act like that. He darted looks from one
man to the other and finally pegged Mika to be the one making the noise. Made sense, he
supposed. Mika could be a snarly guy, possessive and rough and perfect for the more
boisterous Gabe. But what had set everyone off?
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Chapter Twenty-Six
 I m going to tell him, Gabe announced, and for some reason goose bumps broke out
all over Todd s skin.  No, I m going to tell them.
Aidan puffed up even bigger, and his partner, Zane, laid a hand on his back and
whispered rapidly in his ear. Aidan shook his head sharply and Zane bit his bottom lip, as if
forcing himself to quit trying to talk some sense into his man.
 You know why&  Aidan cut his eyes towards Todd, and Todd felt the look like a
threat. He automatically reached for the reassurance of the gun at his hip only to remember [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]