Vin would probably think Chris’ crush on him was funny. Or appalling. Chris had never been ashamed of his orientation, though, just guarded, and he wouldn’t start now. He threw back the covers, swung his feet to the floor, and marched to Vin’s room before he lost his nerve. Vin had a right to know that his gay partner wanted a piece of his ass. He’d be a little less careless with kissing Chris, but that would spare them both when the case ended.

Chris tapped on the door. “Vin, you awake?”

Chris entered his room soundlessly. Vin sprawled on his belly across one of the twin beds, naked. A streetlight glowed through the blinds to touch his body with a lover’s admiration, skimming the dips and silvering the rises. He slept with his face propped on folded arms allowing his black hair to spill like ink over his cheek, jaw and shoulders, reaching only the top of his back where the ends snaked in a twisted pattern on glowing skin.

Chris’ chest constricted with longing. Vin’s upper back sloped to a dip before the sudden rise of Vin’s round, sculpted ass. Chris’ gaze followed the perfect symmetry of Vin’s spine to the dark crevice hiding the sweet spot Chris wanted to nudge with his now insistent cock. Thick, rounded hamstrings, dimpled knee backs, wide square-ish calves to knobby ankles and pale soles shimmered in masculine beauty on twisted sheets.

As he watched, Vin bent a knee and shadows crept tantalizingly away from his upper thighs. Chris tried in vain, willed his eyes to adjust better than humanly possible, to see the sack nestled there.

“Vin?” he croaked.

Vin sighed in his sleep. Chris watched the light play on his ribs as they expanded and contracted on each deep breath.

“Shit. For a top detective, you sleep like the dead,” he whispered.

He sidled over to the bed. Like a kid unable to stop himself from reaching into the candy jar, Chris dragged the tips of his fingers from Vin’s shoulder blade to his hip. He hesitated, wanting to touch more, lower, but didn’t dare tease the sensitive skin of Vin’s cheeks and be caught doing it.

Closing his eyes to block Vin’s naked image, he managed to draw his hand back. “God, you are fucking magnificent.”

He left before he could change his mind and jumped back into his own bed. Pulling the covers up tightly under his chin, he turned away from the door to discourage himself from thinking about waking Vin with intimate caresses. Then he started counting sheep to distract himself.

Except the fence became Vin’s naked back, and the repetitive jumping of sheep turned into Chris dry-humping Vin’s ass.

Definitely not a sleep aid.

Chapter Four

Chris sighed, picked up his pillow and crammed it over his exposed ear. How many weeks was this assignment going to run? Chris would deserve a fucking medal when it concluded, for his show of restraint.

Many more kisses from Vin, and he’d be the first wife in history to tent her own dress. Not to mention the cum stains-from the inside.

Something fuzzy touched his wrist. Chris flung his arm to dislodge whatever vermin had crawled into bed with him. The pillow joggled off the side of his head and he heard the distinct snick of cuffs closing.

“What the fuck?” Chris bellowed.

His arm yanked upward forcefully and Chris twisted around to see Vin loop the long chain joining furry cuffs around several thick spindles. Wide, warm chest filled Chris’ vision. In a disjointed link of reality and surreality, he tried to piece together what was happening with what he knew. His free wrist held down, it all came together in a matter of seconds when the final furry cuff closed and locked on his other wrist.

Vin sat back, surveying his work.

Chris tugged instinctively. Metal scrapped wood, but he couldn’t lower his arms.

“What the fuck?” he bellowed again.

“Actually, I don’t sleep like a rock,” Vin said.

Chris’ eyes widened, his heart kicked up in crazy tempo, and his ears rang with the realization that Vin had heard everything, and well enough to comment on the few words Chris had spoken. “Shit.”

Vin sat by Chris’ hip in dark silhouette.

Two nights on duty and Chris’ partner felt he had to cuff Chris in order to avoid sexual harassment in his sleep. That didn’t bode well. In fact, it sucked big and hairy.

“So now what? You going to leave me chained up all night to protect your modesty?” Chris asked.

Vin nodded. “Yeah, you’ll be chained up all night.” He stretched, reaching for something just out of Chris’ sight, and with a click, soft yellow lamp light filled the room.

Chris sucked in a sharp breath. Vin was still naked. And holy fucking missile silos, Vin was hard.

Vin reached behind him and dropped the orange makeup kit on Chris’ sheeted stomach. He arched a brow and pulled out the box of condoms and lube the agency boys and thrown in with Chris’ wardrobe.

His stomach twisted in knots. Did Vin pull them out in invitation or condemnation? “You already knew about those things. You saw the gag gifts before I did.”

Vin’s expression turned inscrutable. He rested his hands lightly on his massive thighs and seemed to wait for Chris to explain.

Chris licked his lips nervously. He tested the cuffs again. They rattled in the silence between them.

“You came into my room,” Vin said, after a moment.

“Couldn’t sleep.”

“Why did you come into my room?”

“I thought you’d be awake and I needed to tell you something about the case. I swear,” Chris explained. Foreboding etched worry in his belly.

Vin folded his arms across his chest and tucked his chin.

“I, uh-fuck man, not like this. At least allow me some dignity when I’m talking to you.” Annoyance gave Chris something to hang on to. To fight with.

“I’m waiting. Can’t image how the case has anything to do with touching me or commenting on my body.”

Chris searched his brain for an explanation that would make the truth more palatable to Vin. His silence answered guiltily for him.

“I thought about it after you left. Couldn’t come up with anything to explain it, case or no case, that didn’t sound sexual. I tried, Tarp. I tried to think of any possible meaning to that one, and couldn’t do it. S’why I’m here. Trying to get the truth. You gonna give it?” Vin asked.

Chris huffed. “Probably not anything you’re going to like.”

“I’m awake. What did you have to say?”

“We can talk about this in the morning. Clearer minds, fresh start, all that,” Chris hedged. “And you can rest assured that I won’t lay a hand on you.”

“You got me up. Let’s hear it.”

“Fine.” He rolled his eyes. He yanked on the cuffs again. “Seriously?” he asked, holding up his wrists and delaying the inevitable.

When Vin didn’t move or alter his expression in anyway, Chris licked his dry lips one last time before confessing. “I’m gay. As my partner, I though you should know that before we play the happy couple and start making out again.”

“Why is being gay a problem?” Vin asked, flatly.

“Wow. You just aren’t going to make this easy for me, are you?”

“No.”

“Of course not. It wouldn’t be a problem, never has been a problem with any agent I’ve had to team up with for regular cases. This may be my first undercover gig, but it’s not my first partnership. It’s a problem now because I’m way too attracted to you and it pisses me off.”

“Ignore it,” Vin said. His expression shifted thoughtfully.

“I would fucking ignore it if you didn’t keep deep-throating my tonsils and walking around like a half-naked god, leaving me with the mother of all hard-ons. Capisce?”

“Capisco,” Vin answered back that he understood. “You want my ass.”

“It’s a great ass,” Chris agreed, lamely. And he was fairly certain Vin was about to hand him his.

“Haven’t seen much of it.”

“Take my word for it.”

Vin leaned forward, bracing himself on his hands at each side of Chris’ chest. “I will.”

“And now you’ll uncuff me?” Chris asked.

“No.” Vin quirked a smile. His cool blue gaze flitted over Chris’ face thoughtfully. “Why did you tell me to stop when I kissed you in front of the house?”

“Have you ever tried tucking your cock and then getting a hard on? Just about fucking killed me.”

“Thought you’d stop me tonight.”

“Wasn’t tucked,” Chris said, his voice hitching. His gaze slid to Vin’s mouth. “Fuck. You going to quit asking me questions anytime soon? It’s the middle of the night, for fuck’s sake.”

“Inhibitions retreat when fatigued.”

“Who are you trying to un-inhibit? Me or you?” Chris asked. The cuffs were becoming a tired addition to the conversation. Vin either needed to let him go or tell him what the fuck he wanted already. Hadn’t he already confessed the worst of it?

As though in slow motion, Vin lowered his head. Chris’ breath caught. Was Vin going to explore his sexuality on the confirmed gay man? He didn’t look to be teasing. Aside from the furry handcuffs anyway.

The heat of Vin’s breath teased Chris’ lips and he relaxed his mouth to take whatever Vin decided to bestow. God, Vin was a fucking wet dream. Faraway, up close, on his damn head, Chris suspected.

Vin sweetly molded their lips together.

Chris groaned, lost in the warm stubbly slide of parted lips on parted lips through heated gasps. Their tongues touched almost timidly before another pillowy testing of their mouths against one another. When Vin finally broke the kiss and sat up, Chris felt almost as light-headed as he had last time, when Vin had all but devoured his mouth.

“Fuck,” Chris whispered. “You’re clearly into torture.”

“You liked that, did you?”