Wait Until Dawn by Bailey Bradford (chrysanthemum read aloud txt) 📗

to kick both their asses. If this is someone after McAlister, they don’t seem to care what they’re doing to you, so we should see if any of the victims were kind of jerks.”

Rich opened his mouth to reply but the stinging cold bloomed in his jaw, spreading rapidly up to his head and down through his chest. He tried to warn Chris, say something, but his vocal chords were as frozen as the rest of him. This is wrong! It’s close to noon, not dark! This can’t be happening!

He heard his name being called, faintly as if from far away, then his vision began shifting, images blurring until he couldn’t focus on any one thing. Then as suddenly as it began, the sensation left him. Rich blinked and found himself on his back, Chris straddling his hips. Chris’ hand was fisted on Rich’s chest.

“What happened?”

Chris exhaled an obviously pent up breath, the strength of it gusting over Rich. “One of them, the not McAlister one I think, because one second you were fine then the next your fingers and toes were freaking freezing. You weren’t responsive until I slipped this”—he tugged at the leather strap—“over your head. I kept the crystals in my hand on your chest. It worked.”

“This time,” Rich murmured, staring at that big hand clenched on his bony chest. “What happens if you’re not here?”

“I’ll be here, even if you tell me not to be.”

Rich wanted to laugh. How could this one man know him so well when no one else had got a clue until Chris had smacked them with it? A tap on the door followed by the door knob turning was all the warning Rich got that their time alone was coming to an end for now. Chris evidently saw the knob moving as well because he snarled and got off Rich long enough to pull the sheet over him. Rich murmured a quiet, “Thank you,” as Severo and Laine entered the room. Both men’s jaws dropped when they saw a very sexy, very naked Chris kneeling on the bed beside him. Rich felt justifiably smug. His guy was definitely smoking.

Chris’ lips tipped up in a grin as he tapped the PA. “Guess Laine agreed to the free peek?”

That was the first Rich had heard about a free peek, but he didn’t mind. Neither Laine nor Severo would touch, and there was nothing wrong with admiring. Of course, Laine looked more like he was queasy, what with the way his skin had lightened quite a bit from its normal tan. Rich glanced at Chris, who winked and tipped his chin toward the other two men. Rich watched with Chris as Severo took a step closer, his eyes drilling the piercing… At least, Rich hoped it was the piercing, but Chris did have an impressive cock.

“Laine?” Severo took another step closer, frowning slightly. “I think I want one of those, what do you think? Would you like it?” Severo turned back to his lover when Laine didn’t reply. “Oh shit!” He ran back and slid his arm around Laine’s waist. “I guess that’s a no since you look ready to pass out.”

“I don’t do that shit,” Laine grumbled. “That just, uh, I haven’t seen that before.”

“Not even in porn?” Chris beat Rich to the question.

Laine’s cheeks at least had some color to them, a deep red that made his silver eyes even paler. “I don’t, I never—I have him—” Laine pointed to his partner. “Why the hell would I need porn?”

“Aw, baby, you say the sweetest things,” Severo cooed while Rich rolled his eyes at Chris. Chris shook his head in return and twirled a finger beside his temple.

Rich agreed. Laine had to be crazy for dismissing porn. It could be a lot of fun to watch with a lover. Maybe he could slip a disc in the DVD player and surprise Laine sometime, or better yet, encourage Severo to, because Laine might find that he enjoyed watching porn with his lover.

Laine looked torn between being embarrassed or smug. He settled for impassive, evidently, because his expression was bland when he faced Rich. “First, tell your boyfriend to cover his junk up.”

“But I like it.” Rich couldn’t resist teasing, the flirt he’d buried a year ago rising easily to the surface as he gave Laine a smile he used to use to charm anyone, except for Laine’s secretary Doreen. She’d been pretty damn resistant to manipulation. Rich might have loved her if he’d been straight. “And it’s not junk, as you can see. He has a very fine set of balls and—”

“Rich!” Laine’s face was incredibly red and Rich snickered as he held up part of the sheet for Chris. “You always did like poking at me,” Laine accused as he kept his gaze on Rich.

“Well, yeah,” Rich admitted. “You were always so easy to get a rise out of.”

“Still is,” Severo chimed in, leering as he brushed a hand close to Laine’s groin.

Laine groaned and rubbed his forehead with one hand. “Can we all just, please, please be serious for a minute? Did something happen in here?” Laine’s pleading look said ‘Please don’t make that into the smut story it could be’. Rich was debating when Chris answered. As Laine listened to Chris’ retelling of the events, and their conversation leading up to it, he began pacing the small room.

“I still have the file, Rich, the one you brought with you. It had the reports on those Houston murders.” Laine touched Severo’s shoulder, a brush of fingers that Rich could see sent a shiver through Severo. “Baby, will you call Matt and ask him to get the file and bring it over?”

Matt. Shit! Rich could feel two sets of eyes on him, but there was only one he owed any explanation to, at least one besides Matt, who wasn’t around. Yet. Rich ignored Severo’s questioning look as he left the room, followed shortly thereafter by Laine, who’d only stayed long enough to tell