I want to give it to you always…
But we can’t have always.
Dash closed his eyes, wishing there was a future where they could be free to share moments like that for as long as they wished.
Emerson kissed him gently, his bodyweight heavy but not too much. Dash rather liked having Emerson on top of him in the after moments. He was like a big, furry weighted blanket that helped him reregulate his system.
Silence filled the room again. Comfortable silence where Dash’s brain didn’t spiral for some reason. He hadn’t spiraled after they’d fucked the night before either. Not when he’d been in Emerson’s arms, that is. His doubts had only returned once they were out of bed. If only he could spend the rest of the day in Emerson’s arms and stave off the outside world. There, anything felt possible.
Jaye Lachlin was still a priority—as well as more research on Jaye’s father and Crenshaw.
A flickering fear hit him. What if the attorney had him followed, checking up on him? What if someone was outside the boat even now, gathering more skeletons he’d prefer remain hidden.
“I really should go,” Dash said, tensing.
“We’re locked together.”
“I’m aware,” Dash said. “As soon as we’re not. I’ve got to go to work.”
“It’s the weekend,” Emerson mumbled, nuzzling his neck. “Take the day off.”
“Do you take the day off when there’s a fire?”
“I don’t fight those anymore, remember?”
Dash scoffed, fighting a smile. “I wish I could hide away for a day, but Jaye’s my fire. I need to find him sooner than later.”
Emerson lifted on an elbow. “I’ll make a few phone calls today. See what I can dig up for you.”
“Appreciated,” Dash said, looking up into Emerson’s eyes.
Why the fuck had Crenshaw chosen him? If he’d picked another P.I, Dash could’ve happily stayed for the day before he had to say goodbye. There was no reason to drag out their impossible situation any longer, though. They could never be together, not in any real way. Dash wasn’t going to lose everything because of his inability to tell Emerson Walker no.
The second Emerson’s knot deflated, he carefully pulled out of Dash.
“Mind if I take a quick shower?” Dash asked.
“Be my guest,” Emerson said. “Grab a fresh towel from the basket.”
After a kiss to Emerson’s lips, he crawled out of bed and walked to the bathroom, snagging his cell phone from the nightstand as well as a towel on the way. As he moved, Emerson’s cum slid from him, the drips slipping down his thighs. He closed the bathroom door and eyed himself in the lighted mirror.
He was covered in bite marks. A smile crossed his lips as he looked at all of them. His neck. His shoulder. His chest. Around one nipple. Lifting his phone to snap a couple of photos, he noticed a pile of voicemails and messages left the night before. Almost every one of them was from Mason.
Please tell me you didn’t go to you-know-where tonight!
Dash… Where are you?
Are you okay?
DASH!
Answer your fucking phone, Dash!
What the fuck was Mason going on about? He’d been dead set on Dash going to the Dragon alone, but everything had ended up fine. Dash had survived the experience. He didn’t needMason’s coddling or overprotective shit bringing him down right then.
I’m fine. I’ll call later.
After shooting off the quick text to calm Mason down, he opened the camera and snapped a few shots. Dash peeked at the photos and smiled. He’d been worried the marks wouldn’t show well on camera, but he could clearly see them. The evidence of their night might not remain, but the photos would.
