“That sounds like a lovely idea. Didn’t you say you wanted to chat with Julie and get her number for Kat?” Speed recalled.
“I did…” Blake said, smiling as he read Speed’s thoughts. “Meet you there in half an hour?”
“Perfect. I want to see what Sloan’s heard fromAgent Beesley,” he said and Blake pulled a face.
“Why do you always say his name like that?”
“Because he’s a Fed and I don’t trust him.”
“I like him.”
“You like everyone.”
“I try to!” Blake boasted as he backed away, then swept Aiden into a waltz, making him yell in protest. Speed laughed as he made his way through the gathering on the lawn to join Sloan and Marston by the drinks.
“I’m so glad the two of you could make it,” Speed said, passing his jar to Marston so he could refill it from a tall glass pitcher.
“Alon flew with us and had a bomb-proof Escalade waiting when we landed on that scary little runway a few towns over,” he said, not that Speed was surprised. Everyone was at a heightened state of alert but Blink wasn’t taking any chances with Marston.
“I’m glad you’re both back and you’re in safe hands,” Speed said and toasted Marston before turning to Sloan. “What have you heard from Agent Beesley since you’ve been back?”
“Blessedly little!” Sloan took a sip from his drink and didn’t seem to have a care in the world as he smiled at his husband, then at Denver and Ezra. “I put Atlas Beesley in charge because I knew you’d all be in safe hands with him keeping an eye on things. He’d feel a lot better if he knew where Leary was. But I’m sure Beesley will have an ironclad case ready by the time Leary is found and brought in.”
“I wish everyone would stop worrying about where Francis is,” Speed sighed. “He’s like a tumor. No news is good news and you know you’re in trouble when he shows up.”
“I’d like a little warning, myself,” Marston scolded but Speed gestured dismissively as he made his escape.
“I’ll tell you when it’s time to worry,” he said, not wanting Francis or the group’s paranoia in regards to his whereabouts to ruin their afternoon.
Francis was the last thing on Speed’s mind when he slipped into the shed and found Blake in the darkness.
“It’s going to be our turn soon!” Blake whispered as his lips nudged Speed’s.
“I still can’t believe it and I keep waiting for the bubble to burst or for all of this to unravel.”
“Won’t happen,” Blake vowed and kissed Speed until they were breathless and impatient. They had their flies opened and Speed was sliding into Blake’s tight heat just a few moments later. It didn’t take them long to get off and Blake was drunk and still blushing when they said their farewells and climbed into the back of Sage’s Subaru a few hours later.
“Lavender and Toly beat us home,” Speed noted when they were let out at the end of their driveway. Lights were on at Holderson Manor and at Toly and Wilder’s.
“What happened to Bertie?” Blake cried, tripping up the lawn to right the toppled plastic flamingo. “Oh, no! His leg’s broken!”
“Not Bertie! Who would be so childish?” Speed wondered out loud, cutting his eyes at the house across the street. Bertie was no longer guarding the corner of their house and the flower bed had been trampled as he was ripped out.
“Is there a problem?” Lavender asked as he came out onto his front porch.
“Nice try but I’m not getting rid of them!” Speed called back but Lavender threw up his hands and went back inside. “I’m not letting him or Francis ruin a perfectly lovely day,” he said to Blake, feeling a bit drunk and drowsy himself.
“That’s right!” Blake said and threw an arm around Speed’s neck. “Take the high road. It’ll get you laid every time.”
“Will it?” Speed asked as he stumbled up the steps with Blake and punched in the security code to unlock the front door. It turned into a strained groan as Blake fondled Speed’s hard-on and nibbled on his ear. “Just a minute!” He giggled and became distracted by Blake’s wandering hands. He turned and captured Blake’s lips for a quick kiss, causing them to crash into the door jamb.
“Just a minute,” Blake agreed. He held onto Speed’s face and took the kiss deeper until they were both breathless and desperate. “We should get inside before we really make a scene and piss Lavender off.”
“You know, I might be up for that if I wasn’t afraid of scarring Toly,” Speed said and they practically had to carry each other into the house and up the stairs; they laughed so hard and for so long.
ChapterFourteen
There was something about weddings.