::Good thing I’m all yours, then,::Vic thought. ::What’s say we take this home and keep it betweenus?::
Matt nodded, unwilling to break their kiss tospeak. Vic released one of his wrists to dip into the front pocketof Matt’s jeans, searching for the car keys. Instead, he found afirm length coiled in the bottom of Matt’s pocket. Against Matt’smouth, Vic whispered, “What’s this?”
“Yours,” Matt told him. Shaking his otherwrist free from Vic’s grip, Matt clung to his lover as if trying topress together as much of their bodies as he could. “Isn’t thatwhat you’re after?”
Vic planted a kiss in the curved spot betweenMatt’s nose and upper lip. “I was looking for your keys.”
“Other pocket,” Matt said.
Vic dove into the right pocket. Matt laughedand wiggled his hips, more hindrance than help, but Vic had toadmit he enjoyed his lover’s body moving against his. He felt thehot, heavy press of Sadie’s backside against his calves where shehad settled down. Fingering the key fob at the bottom of Matt’spocket, Vic asked, “These?”
Suddenly the shrill blare of a car alarmsplit the quiet evening around them. The sound set Sadie howling.Matt jumped away from the car he leaned against, grabbing at Vic.“Jesus. That’s my car.”
“Matty, hold up.” Vic tried to extract hishand from Matt’s pocket and couldn’t. Matt stood too close, andevery time Vic stepped back, he closed the gap between them. Boththeir legs were tangled up in Sadie’s lead—she was too busy tryingto match the wail of the alarm to move out of their way. “Matt, letme get your keys.”
The alarm started to cycle now,wah-wah-wah, an annoying sound that disturbed the stillevening. Sadie answered with a series of sharp barks that onlyadded to the cacophony. “That’s my car,” Matt said again, surprisein his voice. “I didn’t know we were leaning on it. Can’t you turnit off?”
“Can’t you give me the keys?” Vic shotback.
“Oh, sorry.” Matt tried to stick a hand intohis pocket only to find Vic’s already there. So he stepped back,finally, and held his shirt out of the way as Vic managed towrest his hand free, the keys caught between his first two fingers.It took another moment or two of hitting buttons at random tosilence the alarm. Sadie kept up her racket until Vic leaned backand scratched her ears—at his touch, she quieted, raising her headto whimper at him.
With a shaky laugh, Matt ran a hand throughhis dark, disheveled curls. “So that’s what it sounds like.I don’t think I’ve ever set it off before.”
Pressing another button, Vic unlocked thedoors, then opened the one on the passenger side for Matt.“Hopefully it won’t be the only thing you set offtonight.”
Before Matt could get in, Sadie scrambledinside and spread out along the back seat of the car. Then Mattdropped into the passenger seat, playfully biting at the front ofVic’s jeans as he did. “You set me off,” he teased. “Whyaren’t we home and fucking already?”
Why indeed?
* * * *
By the time Vic pulled into an empty spot infront of their apartment building, though, Matt dozed fitfully,head against the window. Sadie’s muzzle peeked from between thefront seats; she had nosed up under Matt’s hand, which now drapedover her head. When Vic disturbed her to pull up the hand brake, heplaced a finger to his lips for silence. “Shh. Let him sleep.”
Sadie whimpered in reply.
As gracefully as he could, Vic got out of thecar. Unfortunately, that meant he opened the door and sort ofrolled onto the street. Why anyone ever invented cars so damn lowto the ground, he’d never understand. Before he could close thedoor Sadie scramble out after him, nails clicking on the hardtarmac of the road. Vic snapped her lead onto her collar before shecould go too far and quietly shut the door. He pulled on the handleto ensure it was locked—he didn’t trust those damn electronic keyfobs—then ducked down to make sure the noise hadn’t disturbed hislover.
It hadn’t. Through the driver’s side window,Vic could see Matt still asleep.
So much for dessert, Vic thought,palming the keys as he skirted the front of the car. Sadie headedfor the bushes at the front of the building, and Vic let her go tokneel by the passenger side door. Carefully, he opened the door andcaught Matt before he could slide to the ground. With a shudderysigh, Matt buried his head against Vic’s chest, arms wrappingaround Vic’s neck to hold him close.
“I’ve got you,” Vic murmured. He eased an armbehind Matt’s back, the other under Matt’s knees, and stood withhis lover cradled like a child in his arms. For a second, Mattseemed too heavy—he was a grown man, no matter how strong Vic mightbe.
But then a burst of energy shot down Vic’sarms and across his back, invigorating him, as his superhumanstrength kicked in. Suddenly Matt felt weightless, a mere twohundred pounds when compared to the thousand plus Vic regularlybenched. Backing onto the sidewalk, Vic kicked Matt’s door shut,then shifted his lover in his embrace as he aimed the key fob atthe car. This time he was careful to push the right button, and theheadlights flickered once as the alarm beeped, signaling the carwas locked.
The noise startled Matt, who snuggled closerto Vic.
“Shh,” Vic told him, kissing the curls atMatt’s temple. “It’s okay. I’ve got you.”
He spoke the words mentally, as well, andthey seemed to soothe Matt, who relaxed. Vic called for Sadie, whotrotted to join him as he headed inside. Up the steps into theirbuilding, then up the stairs to their apartment. For one hairymoment Vic couldn’t see to get the key into the lock on the door,but he didn’t want to put Matt down and finally the damn thing slidinto place. Sadie ran ahead as Vic locked the door behind them andcarried Matt down the hall to their bedroom, where he deposited hislover on the bed.
Before he could stand, Matt grabbed the frontof Vic’s shirt and held him down.
