Deep in Your Shadows Page 24

  Myles fingers gripped Christian’s hips as he began pulling him down hard, his cries of pleasure and stiffening cock signaling the start of his release.

  “That’s it.” Christian slammed down on him as his own orgasm erupted, spilling over his hand. He gasped, head falling back as bliss rocked through him. “Come inside me, Myles.”

  As Myles’ climaxed, he cried out and thrust so hard that Christian was thrown forward onto the mattress, and the physical connection was broken. “Oh my God, Christian I’m sorry. Are you all right?”

  Christian laughed, his back jerking. “I’m fine. I hope you came at least.”

  “I did.” Myles pulled Christian back against his chest and wrapped his arms and legs around him. “I didn’t hurt you did I? That last aftershock just...I lost control.”

  “I guess. I’ve never had someone’s orgasm nearly catapult me across the room before.”

  Myles chuckled. “I’m sorry. But it was a fucking good orgasm.”

  Christian snuggled back into Myles’ naked body, enjoying the intimacy.

  They were silent for a time, just coming down, Myles rocking him slightly, his nose pressed against the back of his neck. “It’s not that I don’t want to,” Myles said softly.

  Christian turned his head. “What are you talking about?”

  “It’s not that I don’t want to look you in the eye when I fuck you. And it’s not that I don’t like when you say you’re mine. I’m just not sure I’m ready for it.”

  “Then let’s not talk about it,” Christian said, his mood sinking slightly. “Let’s just have this and bask in how good it is.”

  “Please just let me say this? Don’t shut me out.”

  Christian shifted so he was facing Myles, sitting cross-legged on the bed before him. “I’m listening.”

  Myles rubbed Christian’s bare thighs. “The way I lose control of my body when I’m with you. My senses. My judgement, everything. That’s never happened to me before. It’s not like me. I’m still trying to figure out what it means.”

  “You’ll find this hard to believe, but I’m not trying to be needy or push you,” Christian said. “This isn’t the usual me, either. I’m usually kind of a cold-hearted prick.”

  Myles laughed hard, shaking his head.

  Christian smiled. “I’m serious. I’ve only told one man I loved him in my whole life, and that was years ago. You say you lose control of your body when you’re with me? Well, when I’m with you, I guess I lose control of my heart. And I don’t know what that means either. I just feel it, and I can’t stop it.”

  Myles was silent for a long time, so Christian changed the subject. “At least our phones have been quiet.”

  “Yeah, I know. I was thinking the same thing. I feel like I should be out there though, helping with the search.”

  “It’s best to let Ogden handle it. Plus you’ll be no good without sleep.”

  Myles chuckled. “We’re not sleeping.”

  “But we will be. Soon.”

  Myles took Christian down onto the pillows with him, turning to face him. “I’m sorry I called you a liar. I just can’t accept your extraterrestrial explanation. Even if this guy is...different somehow, there could be another explanation. It could be some foreign government, or something closer to home, a secret project you don’t know about.”

  “We’ve had confirmation from another, reliable source that it is in fact extraterrestrial,” Christian said, thinking of Baz. “But to be honest, I don’t mind that you didn’t believe me and Ogden. Not everyone handles that information well. Believe me, don’t believe me, I don’t care. As long as you’re solid and feeling okay.”

  “I feel better than okay after this.” Myles stroked Christian’s cheek. “I’m gonna get cleaned up. Then we should sleep. It’ll be morning soon.”

  “And I doubt our phones will stay quiet for long.”

  Myles kissed Christian, deep and slow. “I do care about you. I do.”

  Christian’s breath caught. “I know.”

  When Myles left the room, Cuervo came in. She paused by the edge of the bed, giving Christian sad eyes, then looking up at the mattress. “I know,” Christian said. “That’s usually your spot.”

  She turned around three times then settled on the floor.

  “If he starts coming around more regularly, I’ll get you a bigger, really cushy dog bed, okay?”

  Cuervo groaned, then yawned. Christian yawned too, and by the time Myles returned from the bathroom, they were both asleep.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Myles stood looking out Christian’s front window at the morning sun, phone to his ear. “Nothing?”

  “Everything’s calm and peaceful,” Darwyn said. “No incidents in the night. People are out and about as usual. But those strangers are still running around, albeit quietly and dressed like idiot tourists. But they’re fucking everywhere. The helicopters are still making regular passes of the lake and the mountains too.”

  “Don’t let the strangers bother you,” Myles said. “They belong to that goon, Ogden. Just let them do their job. Sooner they finish, the sooner they’ll be gone.” Myles yawned.

  “Tired, Murph?”

  “It was a late night, barely got any sleep.”

  “Listen, why don’t you hang in, I can give you a call if anything significant happens. I’ve got the village covered, Murph, get some rest.”

  “No, I need to get out and show my face after the lockdown, people must be worried.”

  “They like my face just as well as yours,” Darwyn said. “Plus Tim is with me. I had to fill him in, he was freaking out about all the strange people trampling through the woods. But Murph, I wasn’t sure what to tell him. I said it’s an escaped criminal, but not sure that’s accurate. Is it?”

  “That’s accurate. Tell Tim I’ve given the other search party our cooperation, and to call me if he has any problems with them. I don’t care whose government ass they lick, you demand respect from them, and let me know if you’re not getting it.”

  “Okay. Get some rest.”

  After hanging up, Myles turned and saw Christian step into the living room, stuffing his phone in his pocket.

  “Any news?”

  Christian shook his head, his face grim. “Nothing yet. Ogden wants us all to say home where we’ll be safe. Or so he says, I think he just wants us out of the way. We’ve done our part, but we’re not soldiers, it’s his show now. He wants you to stay out of it too. But I suppose you’re about to blow out of here and do you sheriff thing regardless.”

  “Actually, Darwyn’s got it covered for now. I guess...I have a little free time.”

  Christian smiled. “Can we have a play date?”

  Myles approached Christian, squeezing his shoulders. “I’m dirty and grimy and wearing my uniform from yesterday.”

  “I have a shower and baggy clothes that will fit you. And I’ll feed you.”

  “All right.” Myles grinned. “If I have to feel useless, I guess I can do it here.”

  “I’ll put you to good use.”

  “Ha, I’ll bet.” Myles kissed him. “Towels?”

  “In the bathroom. I have to take Cuervo for a walk anyway.”

  Myles frowned. “Where do you walk her?”

  “In the woods just out back.”

  “Wait until I’m out of the shower. I’ll walk her with you. I don’t want you alone out there.”

  “You and your gun?”

  “Probably.”

  “This thing can paralyze people with a glance.”

  Myles rolled his eyes. “If you say so. But I’m coming with you. Give me ten minutes.”

  “All right. I’ll get you some clothes. My brave bodyguard.”

  “It’s a hell of a body,” Myles said as he headed for the bathroom. “I want to keep you in one piece.”

  After Myles showered, he joined Christian and they entered the woods behind his backyard. They hiked for a long time, making pleasant small talk, and it felt
good, having fun with Christian when neither of them was upset or shouting at the other. There was a trail, and the dog was clearly familiar with it, pulling on the leash at each bend and turn, until Christian finally turned her loose and let her run. She bolted, disappearing into the trees.

  “You look good in my clothes,” Christian said.

  Myles snickered. He was wearing loose jogging pants and a tie-dye Grateful Dead tee shirt. “I look ridiculous in your clothes, but they’re comfortable, thank you.”

  Christian looked good himself, in jeans and a green tee shirt, with a brown, zip-up hoodie that highlighted his beautiful skin and big dark eyes. Myles still found himself completely drawn to the man, and it was still an effort to keep his hands off him. But in the light of day, he also had other things on his mind.

  “Everything’s so peaceful,” Myles said. “The quiet woods. No phone calls yet. A happy dog. It’s hard to believe there’s a fugitive on the loose. Maybe we shouldn’t have walked so far out. We should head back.”

  “If Cuervo doesn’t get her three miles a day she’ll go stir crazy and tear up the house. We’re fine. We’ll head back in a minute after she’s done her off-the-leash exploration bit. I don’t think the fugitive is interested in my dog.”

  “Right. If in fact he is a fugitive. You still haven’t given me all the facts.”

  Christian grabbed Myles’ hand as they walked. “I told you what it was. You choose not to believe me, that’s on you. This isn’t a human, so who knows what it’s capable of. It could be anywhere. It could be fucking gone by now.”

  Myles snorted. “Think he phoned home? Called the mother ship to come get him?”

  “Doubt that,” Christian said. “Their ships aren’t allowed inside the perimeter here. Since the lake crash, the...someone else should be keeping a close eye out.”

  Myles stopped walking. Christian took a couple of steps then turned back. “You actually do believe this, don’t you? Either that or you’ve got a very rehearsed script.”

  Christian sighed, frowning. “I give up. What do you want me to say, Myles?”

  “You know what I want you to say. I want you to tell me the truth. You say you’re in love with me for Christ sakes, you get naked with me, but you still keep lying to me. Even after I signed that ridiculous nondisclosure agreement.”

  “Oh, here we go again. Okay. We gonna have it out now? Here in the forest?”

  “I’m just asking questions, not starting a fight.”

  Christian stepped toward him. “Do you know how badly I wanted to share this with you? How I hated lying to you when you were so suspicious? I’m fine with you not believing in aliens. But I don’t know where to go from here if you still don’t trust me. This is totally fucked.”

  “I want to trust you. I want to know you.”

  Christian took Myles’ hands. “You do know me. I swear. This is it. This is me.”

  “Then why do I feel like I’m still getting the protocol speech? Stop worrying that I’m gonna shatter or freak out, and just talk real with me.”

  “I’m trying, to, Myles. We’ll get there, okay? I want us to be able to get past this.”

  “I’m still here, aren’t I?”

  Christian leaned in. “Do you want to be here?”

  Myles grinned. “I want to be here, especially when you look at me like that.” Myles looked over Christian’s shoulder when the dog reappeared on the trail up ahead. She was bouncing in a strange way, her mouth open. “What the hell is up with your dog?”

  Christian turned around and laughed. “Ah, there must be someone else out here. That’s her excited dance she does when she sees someone she knows.”

  Up at the next bend in the trail, Elliot and JT appeared, coming around the corner. Elliot waved, then leaned down to rub Cuervo’s ears.

  “See?” Christian laughed.

  “What are they doing out here?”

  “Probably the same thing we are. JT’s house isn’t far from here.”

  “Hey!” JT called out as they walked up to greet Christian and Myles. “Thought you were supposed to be staying indoors?”

  “Thought you were, too,” Christian said. “Guess we’re all going a little stir crazy.”

  “Hey, Sheriff,” JT said.

  “Hello. You can call me Myles.”

  JT raised his eyebrows at Christian, who rolled his eyes. “You guys heard anything?” Christian asked.

  “We saw something down by the marina,” JT said. “In the water.”

  “What?” Christian stepped forward.

  “It was an otter,” Elliot said.

  “Elliot thinks it was an otter,” JT said. “I only caught a glimpse, but I swore I saw someone climb out of the water and take off into the woods.”

  “Did you tell Ogden?”

  “Of course. His gorillas are searching that area, but nothing so far.”

  “Great,” Christian said. “Ogden tells me to stay home, and you guys are crawling all over town, thick in the chase.”

  “It was an otter,” Elliot repeated.

  “If it’s any consolation,” JT said, “Ogden just yelled at us and told us to go home. Guess we’re not needed now that we completely fucked up the...” He looked at Myles. “Is he?”

  “Yes,” Christian said. “We met with Ogden last night. Myles signed the nondisclosure, but he doesn’t believe anything we’ve told him.”

  “Myles can speak for himself,” Myles said.

  “I’m sorry, Sheriff...ah, Myles,” JT said.

  “You really think you saw something at the marina?” Christian asked.

  “As I said, it was only a glimpse. But it gave me a bad feeling.”

  “But if it’s still hanging around the village...why?”

  Elliot cocked an eyebrow. “Think, Christian.”

  Christian frowned. “It’s looking for the craft.”

  “Which went bye-bye,” Elliot said. “I suspect that will lead to more angry nastiness when it figures it out.”

  “Well what did it expect?” JT said. “That the craft would just be sitting there, waiting for it to come back? It left its companion there unconscious so that any horrible thing could have happened to it.”

  “And thusly,” Elliot said. “Any horrible thing did. I doubt it’s concerned with its former companion. It likely just wants the craft.”

  “I figure it did just expect to stroll back in and retake the craft,” Christian said. “If the one we encountered, which was only at half-strength, could drop a handful of soldiers where they stood without touching them, then this rogue escapee probably saw no challenge to going back to get his ride home. Except his ride home has been destroyed, and he likely doesn’t know it.”

  JT nodded.

  “Anyone heard from Baz?” Christian asked.

  “Not a word,” JT said. “I’m sure he would have contacted us if his bug-eyed cronies had any luck, so I guess we’re not the only failures at finding rogue aliens.”

  Myles head swiveled back and forth as he tried to follow the conversation.

  “Christian,” Elliot said. “Your man looks freaked out.”

  “Myles doesn’t believe in aliens.”

  Elliot raised his eyebrows at Myles. “Seriously?”

  Myles nodded. “It’s a bit much to swallow.”

  “That’s what he said.”

  “Elliot, stop,” Christian said. “Myles is entitled to his opinion.”

  “I thought he’d been read in!”

  “I was informed that the fugitive we all seek is an extraterrestrial,” Myles said. “I just can’t buy that.”

  JT shook his head. “Right now? I wish I didn’t believe in aliens. Our job is usually far less stressful than this.”

  Myles frowned. “So you all...you’re all sticking with the same story. That there’s an extraterrestrial loose in our village.”

  JT chewed his lip, and Elliot remained quiet. “You should head home,” JT said to Christian. “We’ll call you if we hear anything
.”

  “You head home too, you boneheads!” Christian said. “If you’re gonna go traipsing through the woods you should at least have one of Ogden’s soldiers with you.”

  “We could say the same for you,” JT said.

  “I have Myles.” Christian smiled. “He has a gun.”

  “Ooh,” Elliot said. “Can I touch it, Myles?”

  “No.”

  Elliot grinned. “Bet you let Christian touch your gun.”

  “Elliot!” Christian shoved Elliot’s shoulder. “You’re talking to the sheriff, show some respect.”

  “That’s all right,” Myles said. “It’s true. Christian can touch anything of mine he wants.”

  “Wow.” Elliot laughed. “Nice work, Christian.”

  Christian put Cuervo back on her leash. “We’re heading back. Call me if you hear anything.”

  “Will do,” JT said. “Bye, Myles.”

  “Bye.”

  “I’m sorry about Elliot,” Christian said as they headed back up the path toward the house. “Like you, he gets a charge out of catching people off guard.”

  “Elliot doesn’t bother me. It’s just a lot to take in. That these people I’ve been living among for two years, you included, are part of some...shit, I don’t even know what. Does your organization have a name?”

  “If it does, it’s never been revealed to any of us.”

  “Well, they’ve certainly got clout if they can march in and take over an entire village. Although they didn’t really march in, did they? They kind of slinked. Even now, they’re creeping around in the shadows. That’s why I don’t believe any of it.”

  Christian shook his head. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean that if there were an actual extraterrestrial loose around here, this place would be crawling with soldiers and they’d be tearing the place apart.”

  Christian chuckled.

  “That’s funny?”

  “Myles. Sweetheart. The village is crawling with soldiers. And they’re sure as shit tearing the place apart. The fact that the average villager can’t see it, that they didn’t come in like a bull-run kicking up dust, is because they’re good at what they do. Their entire dogma is that if you stay under the radar you get bigger rewards. I’m proof of that. Did you know about me, JT, and the others? You’ve been here two years. Did you have an inkling?”