Games Boys Play

AMES

OYS

LAY

…Stephen grabbed his cell phone and dialed the dispatch office.

“Dispatch, this is Miranda. Stand by, I may need backup.”

He slid out of the car, shutting the door as quietly as he could. The

last thing  he  needed  was a spooked intruder  knowing he  was coming
and waiting with a gun just inside his house. He approached the front
door  slowly,  reaching  out  to  test  the  knob  silently.  Unlocked.  He
didn‟t  hesitate  and  reached  down  to  unsnap  the  clasp  on  his  holster,
though he didn‟t draw his gun yet.

As soon as he eased the door open, though, a rush of relief went

through him and he nearly sagged as the scent of food cooking hit his
nostrils and the sound of a very familiar voice humming came from
the kitchen. He reached into his pocket for his cell phone, which still
had dispatch on the line.

“Never mind, Kinsey. Everything‟s clear. Have a good night.”
He hung up and shut the door behind him, unbuckled his holster

and set it on the entryway table. “Zachary!”

A second later, Zach‟s smiling face appeared around the corner of

the wall to the kitchen. “Hi!” he chirped.

Stephen shook his head, affection rushing him. The boy drove him

fucking crazy, but goddamn, in such a good way. “Is there a reason
you‟re breaking and entering?”

Then Zach stepped out into view, and Stephen nearly choked on

his own tongue. Buck-assed naked, wearing nothing but an apron. Red
and white polka dots with a sassy red ribbon at the waist. Stephen
swallowed hard.

“And you‟re naked. Why are you naked? Not that I don‟t like you

naked…”

Zach gave him a knowing smile. “You love me naked…”

LSO

UTHERLAND

Gambling On Maybe

Letting In The Light

ITH

ARGUERITE

ABBE

629 Miles To Love

Entanglements

Fortunate Son

The Mask He Wears

Taking Chances

ITH

HELSEA

AMES

Blue-Eyed Soul

GAMES BOYS PLAY

FAE SUTHERLAND

MBER

UILL

RESS

LLC

http://www.AmberQuill.com

AMES

OYS

LAY

MBER

UILL

RESS

OOK

This book is a work of fiction.

All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the

author‟s imagination, or have been used fictitiously.

Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales,

or events is entirely coincidental.

Amber Quill Press, LLC

http://www.AmberQuill.com

No portion of this book may be transmitted or

reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in

writing from the publisher, with the exception of brief

excerpts used for the purposes of review.

ISBN 978-1-61124-266-9

PUBLISHED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

GAMES BOYS PLAY

GAMES BOYS PLAY

“If you‟re not wearing these, I‟m stealing them.”
Zachary West turned to find his best friend, Jordy, sitting cross-

legged on the floor in the dressing area, a pair of silver jeans in his
lap and a hopeful look on his face.

Zach laughed. “I‟m not wearing those. You can borrow them.”

He pointed a finger at his friend when Jordy began to beam.
“Borrow, Jordy. That implies giving them back at some point.”

Jordy nodded and grinned, hugging the jeans to his chest.

“Swear to Gaga,” he promised, face earnest.

Well, that was as good a promise as it got. Zach turned back to

his closet and pursed his lips in consideration, flipping through the
hangers. “It‟s got to be sexy, duh, and kind of trashy.”

“So, like ninety percent of your wardrobe?”

GAMES BOYS PLAY

“Whore,” Zach snapped back, throwing a hat at Jordy. “And

no. It has to be special.” He grinned and spun around to hold up a
frayed, repurposed denim jacket with an epaulet on one shoulder.
“I have a tryst.”

Jordy giggled. “You just like saying that.” He wrinkled his

nose at the jacket. “Not that.”

Zach stuffed the jacket back onto the overflowing rack of the

closet and let out a frustrated sigh. “I have nothing to wear.”

Jordy jumped to his feet with a happy sound. “That means one

thing—shopping!”

Zach shook his head with a wrinkle of his nose. “Can‟t. My

cards are maxed out. Again.”

Jordy slumped and sat back on the floor, reaching for a pair of

Zach‟s boots. “Bummer. So, where are you meeting him tonight?”

Zach grinned, bouncing a little as he pulled out another

potential outfit to try. “Him” was Sergeant Stephen Miranda,
Zach‟s big, brawny, ever so butch, in the closet police officer
boyfriend. “Oh God, it‟s this totally sleazy motel out by the airport.
Pay by the hour and everything!”

Jordy shuddered. “I have no idea what you find hot about

banging that man in every dark, trashy dive you can find. When
you have a perfectly good bed right here!”

Zach tugged on a sheer white top, turning this way and that in

the mirror. “Oh, you have no imagination. It‟s like…forbidden!
Naughty. I‟m his dirty little secret and it‟s crazy sexy.” Zach
tingled all over just thinking about it.

“Yeah, but he‟d totally be perfectly content coming here every

night to be with you.”

“Psshh,” Zach scoffed. “Who wants content? Content is boring.

Besides, if I have to hang out with him in the closet sometimes, it

GAMES BOYS PLAY

might as well be a closet that turns me on.” Stevie might be happy
to forget the games and just meet at Zach‟s place, but Zach had
promised himself weeks ago, when he and Stevie had met, that he
was going to sparkle and spice up that man‟s life.

Zach took his promises very seriously.
“Why don‟t you just talk to him about not hiding? It‟s 2011,

you know, not 1911.”

Zach gave Jordy a stern look. “That is not anyone‟s business,

not even mine. Stevie will come out when he‟s ready. I‟m not
going to pressure him, not even a little.”

Besides, Jordy didn‟t know all the details. It might be 2011 in

their  world—and  even  still  that  wasn‟t  always  pleasant—but
Stevie‟s  world  was lost in some  kind of time  warp  where  society
was still supposed to be the idyllic illusion…like the entire police
force  had  watched  one  too  many  episodes  of  Mad  Men.  Not  that
Zach could blame them. Don Draper was one sexy son of a bitch.

Zach had gotten a taste of the difference in their worlds almost

two  months  ago  when  they‟d  first  started  dating  and  one  of
Stevie‟s  coworkers  had  attempted  to  give  Zach  some  “friendly”
advice. In other words, basically told him to back the fuck off and
not  ruin  things  for  Stevie  with  his  faggotry.  It‟d  come  close  to
being  the  end  of  them,  but  luckily  for  Zach,  his  Officer  Hotness
wasn‟t nearly as brainwashed as the Stepford Police Force seemed
to think.

All in all, Zach didn‟t mind. They had fun, they had lots of hot

sex and they liked spending their time together holed up in Zach‟s
little apartment making out and ordering in and who the hell cared
what the Bigotry Police thought about “their kind”? They were too
busy enjoying each other.

Which was exactly what Zach intended for today. He turned

GAMES BOYS PLAY

back to the closet and pondered his wardrobe choices. He needed
to knock that man‟s socks off, as Tim Gunn would say. Suddenly,
he grinned.

He knew just the outfit for the job.

* * *

Stephen shook his head as he shut the motel room door behind

him, glancing around the shabby little room. Zach certainly had
imagination, if he could find this place sexy. Stephen knew,
though, that it wasn‟t the seedy room or the location that was sexy
to Zach; it was the adrenaline of sneaking around.

Zach had decided that if he was going to be a secret lover, he

was  going  to  do  it  all  the  way  and  have  fun  with  it.  Which
translated  to  quick,  fast  fucks  in  all  sorts  of  unsavory  places.  Bar
bathrooms.  Motels  frequented  by  hustlers  and  johns.  An  adult
bookstore. And each time, it was every bit as heart-pounding as the
time  before.  Zach  had  an  imagination  that‟d  put  any  porn  star  to
shame, and Stephen was the helpless, but very grateful, recipient of
all the benefits.

He had just tugged off his jacket to drape over the lone, rickety

chair in the corner when there was a knock at the door. Stephen‟s
heart raced as he hurried to answer it, chuckling as Zach slipped in
wearing a black trench coat and a jauntily cocked, plum-colored
fedora.

“Channeling the Rat Pack tonight?” he teased, as he shut and

locked the door before turning to Zach.

Zach‟s lips curved and he tossed the hat onto the dresser. “Not

exactly,” he said with a wicked little half-smile, fingers plucking at
the knot at his waist. “Unless the Rat Pack were a lot naughtier

GAMES BOYS PLAY

than we give them credit for.”

Stephen didn‟t have a chance to ask what he meant because

Zach had gotten his coat open and let it fall to the floor, and
Stephen had his answer.

“Jesus fucking Christ,” he breathed, eyes widening.
Zach stood there, wearing nothing but a pair of boots that

would make Julia Roberts proud, and a knowing smile on his face.
“Yes, I drove all the way across town like this.”

Which had been exactly what Stephen was asking in his head,

but his words had failed him.

Words weren‟t necessary, as evidenced half a second later

when they both moved at the same time and the resulting collision
ended with Zach wrapped around Stephen, lifted off his feet, and
Stephen stumbling toward the bed as they kissed.

Holy hell, the man drove him crazy. Only Zach would show up

all but naked, and only Zach would decide dating someone in the
closet meant a chance to play naughty sex games. He was like no
one Stephen had ever known and, truth be told, he prayed he never
got used to it. He got as much of a thrill out of Zach shocking him
as Zach did.

Zach moaned as Stephen tossed him onto the bed and then

followed him down, pinning him there and dipping his head to
devour the smooth arch of his neck.

“Ohh, fuck yes, more.” Zach panted, then laughed breathlessly.

“I couldn‟t decide on an outfit,” he explained with a wicked laugh.
“I take it you like my solution?”

Stephen growled, pushing Zach farther up on the bed and

nudging his slim thighs wide with his knees. “Like might be an
understatement, brat.” His voice was rough, one hand sliding down
Zach‟s thigh to encounter shiny black leather. “Where the hell did

GAMES BOYS PLAY

you get these boots? A hooker shop?”

Zach giggled, arching under him and slinking one booted leg

up to rest against  Stephen‟s shoulder in a  show of  flexibility that
made  Stephen‟s  cock  ache.  “Something  like  that,”  he  teased,
circling  his  hips.  “Are  you  going  to  take  them  off  or  fuck  me  in
them?”

Stephen groaned and shifted to flip Zach onto all fours, hauling

him up to his knees. “I think I might make you wear them for the
rest of your life, actually. Jesus, you make me crazy,” he
whispered, bending to nip at the nape of Zach‟s neck, the tender
skin sweet smelling and so soft.

Zach bit his lip, rocking back against Stephen, eyes closed and

breath panting. “Mmm, that‟s exactly what I was going for. Stevie,
damn it, you‟re wearing too many clothes,” he complained,
circling his hips against the bulge in Stephen‟s jeans.

When Stephen knelt up to fumble with the button and zipper,

Zach was impatient as always and scrambled around to bat his
hands away and get the job done, jeans around Stephen‟s knees, in
under five seconds. Impressive little thing.

Stephen was in the middle of tugging them the rest of the way

off when Zach got impatient again and nudged him off-balance
enough to send him tumbling back onto the saggy mattress as his
lover pounced on his cock like it was his favorite treat. Stephen‟s
pride swelled a bit because really, it kind of was. Zach didn‟t even
try to pretend otherwise.

But then, Zach didn‟t pretend much of anything. The man was

as free and unapologetic and uninhibited as anyone Stephen had
ever met. It was the thing he liked best about Zach, to be honest.
Among many, many others.

“Goddamn, don‟t suck it off, Zach.” He laughed, managing to

GAMES BOYS PLAY

kick the jeans, along with his shoes, the rest of the way off, while
Zach  worked  the  kind  of  magic  Stephen  had  never  even  known
existed  before  he‟d  met  him.  Zach  had  opened  his  eyes  to  a
hundred  different  things,  not  the  least  of  which  was  the  joys  of
having  a  twenty-six-year-old  lover  with  an  insatiable  appetite  for
all things pleasurable, whatever they may be. A true hedonist, and
damned  if  Stephen  wasn‟t  falling  for  him  more  and  more  every
day.

Zach lifted his head with a cheeky smile. “Are you giving me

directions, Stevie?”

Stephen laughed. “Hell, no,” he said, lifting his hips to bump

the head of his cock against Zach‟s damp mouth. “Just saying…”

The last time he‟d tried to give direction in bed, it had resulted

in Zach deciding his new favorite game was long, drawn-out
teasing and tormenting while Stephen cursed him to hell and back.
His lover didn‟t take well to being given orders, even when it was
something they both wanted. Stubborn brat, Stephen thought with
a grin.

Satisfied, Zach took Stephen‟s cock into his mouth again and

went  right  back  to  what  he  did  best—driving  him  crazy.  Magic,
that‟s  what  his  mouth  was,  and  Stephen  had  been  addicted  from
minute  one.  His  Zach  was  a  candy  drug,  and  Stephen  was  a
fucking junkie.

“Little bitch, you think you get to have all the fun?” Stephen

teased, rolling them and hauling Zach up to pin him face first
against the wall at the head of the bed. He knelt behind the young
man, hands locked firmly, but gently, around Zach‟s wrists, caging
them against the wall. “Maybe I want to play.”

Zach shivered, glancing back over his shoulder. “Mmm,

Stevie…I love when you get all alpha on me. I take it I‟m forgiven

GAMES BOYS PLAY

for the other afternoon?” His brown eyes sparkled with mischief.

Stephen groaned, shifting his hips down to rub his cock

between Zach‟s widespread thighs. “Forgiven? I ought to have you
arrested.”

Zach just laughed, a fearless, airy sound. “Only if you‟re my

cellmate, officer. I‟m far too pretty for prison, and we both know
it. Besides…I seem to remember someone other than me turning
that peep show stall into a real life porno.”

Stephen growled, bending his head to scrape his teeth along

Zach‟s shoulder, up toward his neck. “I won‟t be your cellmate,
but I‟ll make sure I‟m the one who—” He cut off when, abruptly,
his cell phone began vibrating on the dresser across the room.

“Noooo, no, no, no…” Zach whined, glancing back over his

shoulder. “Don‟t you dare. Stephen!”

Stephen gave him an apologetic look. “I have to, Zach. Hold

that thought.” He gave Zach a hard kiss and scrambled out of the
bed. It took him a few seconds to find his phone hidden under the
fedora Zach had tossed on the table, finally dragging it out from
under the hat and to his ear. “Stephen Miranda.”

* * *

Zach pressed his forehead against the wall, panting and trying

to catch his breath. For a second, he let  himself think it was going
to be nothing. A wrong number or a fellow cop wanting Stevie to
meet  for  drinks  or  something.  But  then  Stevie  got  that  tone.  That
very serious, brisk tone, and  Zach glanced back over his shoulder
to see his lover grabbing for his discarded clothes.

Shit. Shit, shit.
Part of him wanted to sulk. Flop down on the saggy mattress

GAMES BOYS PLAY

and  settle  into  a  sulk  of  extraordinary  proportions.  But  he  didn‟t.
Because  one  of  the  things  he  found  most  endearing  about  Stevie
was  how  dependable  he  was,  how  trustworthy  and  earnest.  Zach
adored  that  about  him.  Even  when  it  fucked  up  his  carefully  laid
plans to get himself thoroughly debauched this afternoon.

“I‟m sorry,” Stevie began as he hung up the phone and shoved

it into the pocket of his still-unfastened pants.

Zach gave him a small smile and shook his head. “It‟s okay.

Go…it sounded important.” Zach grabbed for his trench coat and
slipped it on.

Stevie slid his arm around Zack‟s waist and pulled him close,

free hand tilting his face up to meet Stevie‟s eyes. “So are you. I‟ll
come by tonight after work, okay? It might be late though…”

Zach smiled and slid his arms around his lover‟s broad

shoulders. “Late‟s good.”

Stevie grinned. “Good.” He bent and gave Zach a firm,

lingering kiss before letting him go with a groan. “I have to get out
of here before I change my mind. You can get home okay?”

Zach nodded, tugging the coat around himself more tightly.

“Of course. Go on, babe. I‟ll see you tonight.”

Another quick kiss and then the door shut behind Stevie. Zach

sighed,  glancing  around.  The  room,  which  had  seemed  so  darkly
sexy  just  minutes  before,  looked  like  what  it  was  now—a  dingy,
faded,  cheap  motel  room.  He  sighed.  Oh  well,  he‟d  just  have  to
make  sure  the  next  tryst  was  even  better—to  make  up  for  this
aborted one. He had a million ideas; it was all a matter of choosing
the right one.

Stevie wasn‟t going to know what hit him.

* * *

GAMES BOYS PLAY

“No. Absolutely not. Zach, I mean it. No.”
Stevie was using his “serious business” tone and the face to go

along with it. It was very hard not to giggle when he did that.
Mostly because Stevie kept on thinking it might work when all
facts—and past attempts—pointed to no.

Zach let out a sigh. “It‟s kind of your own fault, you know. It

was basically your idea.”

Stevie‟s eyebrows shot up at that. “Now I know you‟ve lost

your mind. At no time did I ever suggest role-playing a hustler and
a cop, with uniform and my patrol car included, Zachary!”

“Oh, I think you did.” Zach crossed his arms in a huff. “You

said my boots were hooker boots. Then you said you ought to
arrest me.” He gave Stevie an expectant look.

Stevie just gave him a blank one back. “How is that me

suggesting you pretend to be a hustler, I pick you up for soliciting
and then „let the charges slide‟ in the backseat of my patrol car?”

“Well, what did you expect? The dots connected in my mind.”
Stevie laughed, shaking his head. “Of course they did. But no,

Zach—A, it‟s too dangerous and B, it‟s too freaking dangerous.
Also, illegal.”

Zach wasn‟t sure whether to go for a scowl or a sulk. Both

worked equally  well to get him  what he wanted, usually. He went
for  the  scowl,  since  he  was  already  huffing  and  was  legit  a  little
annoyed  Stevie  wasn‟t  seeing  how  amazing  this  idea  was.  “Um,
maybe you‟ve forgotten the sex in the bathroom at O‟Malley‟s last
week.  Or  the  very  tryst  you  said  you  should  arrest  me  for—the
peep  show  at  the  adult  bookstore?  Pretty  sure  there‟s  some  law
against that.”

Stevie wanted to give in, Zach could tell, and that was the crack

he needed. Now he just had to wedge his idea in there until the

GAMES BOYS PLAY

whole wall came tumbling down. Kind of like how he‟d gotten into
Stevie‟s life in the first place—sheer will power and determination.

“The patrol cars have GPS, Zach. Even if I wanted to use one

off-duty for…personal use, I couldn‟t.”

Zach pursed his lips, pondering that. Stevie wouldn‟t ever lie to

him, so Zach began to rethink his plan. “Okay…what if you were
an undercover cop? What do you call it, plain clothes?”

Stevie relaxed a little, and Zach knew he had him.
“Yeah. That could work…except I‟m not a very good actor,

Zach. I don‟t ever do undercover for that exact reason.”

Zach laughed and slid his arms around Stevie‟s neck. “You

don‟t have to convince the Academy, Stevie. Just me.”

“I cannot believe I‟m even thinking about agreeing to this.”
Zach grinned so wide it almost hurt. “Oh, please. I could have

told you you‟d be giving in within ten minutes!”

Stevie bent and kissed him and then lifted his head again.

“You‟re very lucky I adore you, boy.”

Zach just grinned. “I know! So…there‟s no law against using

your handcuffs, is there?”

* * *

Stephen glanced over at Zach in the passenger seat, heart

racing. “Are you sure?”

Zach gave him that signature wicked, sweet smile and opened

the passenger door. “I‟m positive. Here, I don‟t need this…” He
tugged the belt of his trench coat open, and Stephen held his
breath, half-expecting the same “bare-assed naked with only fuck-
me boots” look from the motel.

It wasn‟t quite that indecent…but close.

GAMES BOYS PLAY

Actually, it was pretty similar to the outfit he‟d been wearing

the  night  they‟d  met.  A  fishnet  top  that  was  torn  strategically  to
reveal a nipple here, a swath of tummy there, cutting off just below
his  belly  button  and  leaving  his  lower  abdomen  bare  since  his
black  leather  shorts—Zach  affectionately  called  them  scandal
pants—clung  dangerously  low  on  his  slender  hips.  They  left  very
little to the imagination, especially considering that they appeared
to  be  no  more  than  four  inches  from  top  to  bottom.  When  Zach
turned in a cheeky pirouette, Stephen nearly choked at the amount
of  ass—beautiful,  pert,  gorgeous  little  ass—that  was  bared  in  the
next-to-nothing shorts.

“You can‟t be serious…”
Zach winked. “As a heart attack, babe.”
“You‟re going to give me one.”
“Better not be before you fuck me. Now shoo…circle the

block, get into character, then come pick me up.” He waved his
hand and tossed the coat over the front seat into the back before
stepping back onto the sidewalk and shutting the door. “Go.”

Stephen glanced around, not at all sure this was a good idea.

What if something happened while he was circling the block to
pull back around? But he looked at Zach, who looked so fucking
hot Stephen might just implode, and knew they both were going to
enjoy this little game way too much to stop now.

“Got the mace?”
Zach held up his hand, a small can tucked against his palm.

“I‟ll be fine. Just hurry up.”

Stephen nodded and gave him one last head to toe look, cock

aching already, and pulled away from the curb. He wasn‟t entirely
sure how he was supposed to get into character. He was playing a
cop. He was a cop. His lips quirked in amusement. It really wasn‟t

GAMES BOYS PLAY

possible to adore anyone more than he adored Zach. Everything
about him was the nuttiest, yet most brilliant thing Stephen had
ever known. Crazy and amazing. That was his Zach.

He made a slow circuit of the block, grateful he didn‟t see any

outright  crime  going  on  that  would  have  forced  him  to  stop  the
game  and  do  his  duty.  As  he  turned  the  corner  where  he‟d  left
Zach,  his  heart  almost  stopped  when  he  didn‟t  see  him  at  first.
Then  Zach  shifted,  pulling  away  from  the  shadowed  wall  and
moving with a slow sway toward Stephen‟s car.

Good God, the man redefined the word slink.
His mouth went dry and his cock was as hard as he could ever

remember it being as Zach worked his strut up to the passenger
side and leaned forward, arms crossed on the rolled down window.
Stephen could just imagine the view from behind and bit back a
groan.

“Lookin‟ to party, handsome?”
Stephen cleared his throat, reminded yet again why he‟d been

turned down several times for undercover work. “Um…yeah.”
Very clever, he thought. Totally believable.

Zach looked like he was trying not to smile, managing to keep

the  seductive  expression  on  his  face.  Was  he  wearing  makeup?
Stephen  thought  so,  and  more  than  just  the  usual  lip  gloss.
Eyeliner,  definitely,  and  maybe  some  kind  of  smoky  eye  shadow,
making  his  brown  eyes  look  even  larger,  more  sultry.  God  damn,
he fucking loved when Zach did his face all up like that.

One perfectly manicured brow lifted and his pink, glossed lips

curved. “This your first time, honey? Why don‟t you just tell me
what you want?”

Stephen let his gaze rake over Zach, what he could see of him

anyway, then met his gaze again. “Why don‟t you tell me what you

GAMES BOYS PLAY

have to offer?”

“Anything and everything, if you‟re generous enough.” Zach

took a step back, hands skimming down his sides, drawing
Stephen‟s gaze. “How much is all this worth, handsome?”

Stephen almost answered, Anything, but that wasn‟t what an

undercover would do. Zach had to specifically offer sex of some
kind in exchange for money, so Stephen began to try to lead him in
that direction. “What‟s your specialty?”

Zach stepped back up to the car, leaning on the open window

frame again. “Honey, my specialty is whatever you like best. I‟ll
tell you what. Full service for whatever is in your wallet.”

Got him. Stephen grinned. “I might only have five bucks and a

picture of my boyfriend.”

“Oh, I doubt that. You wouldn‟t be down here trawling with no

money to spend. What about it, handsome?”

Stephen nodded. “Deal. Get in.”
Zach grinned and obeyed, climbing into the passenger seat, and

Stephen rolled up the window as he pulled away from the curb.

“So, show me what you‟ve got in your wallet, honey.”
This was very familiar, and Stephen bit back the chuckle as he

pulled out his wallet and handed it over to Zach, who had his feet
propped on the dash, boots hugging his bare, slender calves.
Except this time it wasn‟t his money and driver‟s license wallet
that he handed over, it was his badge and police ID wallet.

Zach froze when he flipped it open, eyes widening. “Oh, shit.”
Stephen fought the urge to snicker. Zach sounded so dramatic

when he said it. “Oh, shit is right. Looks like we have a dilemma,
don‟t we?” He turned onto the freeway on-ramp, heading south.
Eventually the interstate would lead to Tucson, but they weren‟t
going nearly that far.

GAMES BOYS PLAY

Zach gave him a withering look. “What‟re you gonna do?

Arrest me? I‟ll be out in less than an hour, and we both know it.”
He crossed his arms over his slender chest. “Go ahead.”

Stephen shook his head, snatching his badge and ID back. “No,

I‟m not going to arrest you.” He gave Zach a smirk, trying not to
snicker because the dialogue was becoming a little ridiculous in his
mind. “I can think of much better uses for my handcuffs and your
talents.”

God, it was like a bad porn flick. But Stephen couldn‟t deny

that he was having fun. And from the way Zach‟s eyes sparkled, he
was, too. Lord, the things the boy talked him into.

Zach pursed his lips, giving Stephen a look that was a cross

between annoyed and turned on. “I bet you can. So what‟s your
plan, officer?”

Stephen didn‟t actually have one, but he didn‟t say that. “My

plan is that you stick to our deal. Full service in exchange for what
was in my wallet. Unfortunately for you, none of it was money.”

Zach glanced around as Stephen pulled off the interstate, his

eyes widening as he realized where they were going. “A public
park? Isn‟t that a little risky for a fine, upstanding citizen like
you?” His voice was taunting and smug and made Stephen want to
kiss him senseless.

“Yeah, well, my boyfriend keeps telling me life‟s no fun

without a few risks.”

Zach laughed, glancing over at him. “I‟m sure he‟ll totes be

proud of you for this one.”

Stephen pulled into one of the small, off the main trail parking

areas, in the shadows away from the one dim light. He grabbed
Zach‟s wrist and grinned. “You have no idea. Come on…out.” He
climbed out and proceeded to pull Zach across the front seat and

GAMES BOYS PLAY

out the driver‟s side. He wouldn‟t put it past the brat to try to bolt
and lead him on a chase if he‟d come around instead.

Zach glared at him, stumbling a little in his high-heeled boots

as Stephen led him along the trail toward where he knew a solitary
park bathroom awaited. “You are going to regret this, I swear to
God. Fucking asshole cop.”

Even as he said it, Stephen could hear the faintly gleeful tone in

his voice.

Stephen just laughed. “I‟m not going to regret anything, I

promise.”  He  wondered  vaguely  what  had  gotten  into  him  as  he
spotted  the  bathroom  up  ahead.  He‟d  never  been  into  any  of  this
before  Zach.  Public  places,  the  danger  of  possible  discovery,  the
thrill  of  taking  a  risk…Zach  had  given  him  that  and  sometimes
Stephen wondered how the hell he‟d managed to live without it—
without him—for so long.

* * *

Zach could hardly breathe, his heart racing. He couldn‟t stop

the soft moan as Stevie dragged him into the bathroom and kicked
the door shut. There was no lock and, oh God, that just made it
even more dangerous…and even sexier. He bit his lip and peered
up at Stevie in the flickering light of the lone, bare bulb over the
sink.

“Now what, officer?”
He knew what, though, and so did Stevie, who just grinned in a

way that made Zach‟s whole body tremble. The next thing he
knew, he was crouched down and Stevie had his pants open, cock
hard and the head slick in the dim light. Zach felt a little faint as,
rather than his normal, very polite urging, Stevie instead fisted his

GAMES BOYS PLAY

hand in Zach‟s hair and pushed his cock into his mouth. Oh God,
this is so fucking hot.

His hands came up to steady himself on Stevie‟s thighs, and

Zach lost himself in the fantasy come to life. Oh, the bathroom was
disgusting, the park was way too public, and the danger was very
real—it was addictive, the rush of it all. And he wasn‟t the only
one who thought so. Stevie‟s hands shook he was so turned on.

“That‟s it…suck, little whore.” Stevie groaned, thrusting his

cock deeper into Zach‟s mouth.

Zach thought he seriously might faint right then and there when

the rough growl and the nasty words came out of his Stevie‟s
mouth. Good Lord, what had gotten into him? Then Zach preened
inwardly…he had, that‟s what.

Whatever the reason, Zach‟s cock was harder than it‟d ever

been before and he would have begged Stevie to keep going, to say
more, except his mouth was a little busy being fucked. And that‟s
really what it was. Not a blowjob, not a nice, ordinary sucking
off—Stevie was fucking his mouth like he owned it and, God…he
kind of did at that moment.

It didn‟t last long, probably because Stevie didn‟t think he’d

last long, but when Zach was tugged to his feet, the encounter was
anything  but  over.  Instead,  he  was  turned  and  pinned  against  the
door by that big, strong body he knew so well and could never get
enough of. He moaned into Stevie‟s mouth, gasping when he was
lifted  off  his  feet  and  his  shorts  yanked  down  to  dangle  off  one
foot.  Oh, God… If he  could have  spoken, he‟d be  chanting, Yes,
yes, yes.

Zach broke the kiss with a whimper as Stevie pushed one

finger into him. There was no pain, his finger was slick, and Zach
realized that somehow, when he‟d been busy being kissed

GAMES BOYS PLAY

mindless, Stevie had managed to make use of the lube he‟d put in
his pocket before they‟d left. Oh, thank God. Zach didn‟t fancy a
true rough, anonymous fuck.

“Son of a bitch,” he snarled, fingers digging into Stevie‟s broad

shoulders.

“Filthy slut,” Stevie growled back, a second finger joining the

first.

“I hate you.” Zach let out a sharp cry, and a split second later,

his mouth was covered by Stevie‟s free hand. His stomach flipped
in arousal.

“No, you don‟t.” Stevie didn‟t expound on that response, and

Zach broke role long enough to press a kiss to the palm of his
lover‟s hand in answer. No, he didn‟t hate Stevie. He fucking
adored his man more than he‟d ever thought possible.

His breath panted and Stevie was just looking right into his

eyes  while  he  drove  Zach  mindless.  His  eyes  closed  briefly,  but
flew open again  when Stevie  began thrusting  his  fingers hard and
fast,  as  if  demanding  his  attention.  Like  Zach  could  focus  on
anything else!

The pleasure was mind-bending and Stevie was merciless,

driving Zach right to the brink and then, abruptly, his lover
withdrew, leaving him empty and wanting. It was a damn good
thing Stevie had his mouth covered because Zach let out a muffled
string of curses that would make a sailor blush.

That all ended a second later, though, when he was back on his

feet, and Stevie turned him to face the door. Zach‟s heart leapt and
he didn‟t even think about it, automatically spreading his legs,
leaning forward and tipping his ass up as much as he could.

“Fuck me,” he whispered, breathless with want. He‟d never,

ever, wanted Stevie more than he did right then.

GAMES BOYS PLAY

Thank fucking God, the feeling seemed to be mutual because

he felt the cool slick of lube against his entrance, the heat and
strength of Stevie‟s big body against his back and then, finally, the
hard press of cock inside him, slow and deep. An empty condom
wrapper fell to the floor to join the rest of the lingering evidence of
countless sins there.

Zach‟s fingers curled against the bathroom door, forehead

pressed to the cool metal as, inside the bathroom, the heat
ratcheted up and sweat slicked their skin. He trembled, hips
pushing back, and moaned.

“Fuck…more…” Role? What role? All he wanted was Stevie

to fuck him until he couldn‟t stand.

His lover didn‟t say anything, just gave him what he asked for.

Zach‟s  heart  thumped  hard  as  Stevie‟s  strong  arms  came  around
him,  holding  him  close  as  he  thrust,  hard  and  deep,  jolting  them
both  against  the  door  with  every  movement.  Zach‟s  head  tipped
back  against  the  other  man‟s  shoulder,  breath  panting  heavily.
Stevie  took  the  opportunity  to  have  his  way  with  Zach‟s  neck,
sending a flood of shivers through him.

It was intense…but it wasn‟t fast. Maybe it should be,

considering  where  they  were,  but  it  was  like  Stevie  could  read
Zach‟s mind and knew he wasn‟t in any rush to be finished. It was
all  so  much,  felt  so  good  and  somehow  he  felt  more  connected
with  Stevie  there  in  that  filthy  park  bathroom  than  he  did  in  his
own bed. Maybe it was the contrast between their surroundings—
rough  and  cold  and  dirty—and  the  way  he  felt  in  the  moment—
cherished.

Loved.
The instant the word entered his mind, Zach‟s throat tightened

and his eyes stung behind his closed lids. Oh, Jesus…Stevie loved

GAMES BOYS PLAY

him. Zach could feel it like his own heartbeat, pulsing through him.
His lover didn‟t have to say a word, and didn‟t, but Zach heard him
loud and clear.

“I love you, too,” he whispered.
Stevie‟s thrusts faltered, the other man going still behind him,

as if holding his breath. Zach swore his heart grew two sizes right
that  moment;  he  loved  Stevie  so  much.  He  knew  Stevie  was
wondering  if  he‟d  heard  Zach  right,  if  he‟d  imagined  it,  and  that
little  doubt,  the  uncertainty  in  a  man  who  made  it  his  job  to  be
strong, made Zach want to hold onto him and never let go.

Maybe he would.
Stevie turned his face against Zach‟s cheek, his breath rough

and uneven. “Don‟t…don‟t say it, Zach, if you don‟t…”

Zach shook his head, one hand coming up to sink into Stevie‟s

hair behind his head. “I do. I fucking do, Stevie.” His eyes
squeezed shut and he turned his head to brush a kiss to Stevie‟s
firm, warm lips. “I do,” he whispered again. Then he grinned and
caught Stevie‟s lip between his teeth.

Stevie growled, and before Zach could protest, he‟d withdrawn

already. But not for long as he turned Zach, hauled him off his feet
and pinned him back against the door again, sinking inside with
barely a pause.

Zach laughed, arms and legs winding around him, and clenched

tightly. “Finish what you started, officer,” he insisted, hands
slipping between them to get Stevie‟s shirt open and get his eager
hands on all that gorgeous skin, the dusting of hair tickling his
palms.

Stevie kissed him then, hard and demanding, and his hips

matched the devastating rhythm of his warm, rough tongue. Zach
didn‟t care if he could walk when they were finished; he‟d never

GAMES BOYS PLAY

felt anything like this. Like Stevie. It was like winning the fucking
boyfriend lottery or something. All his.

The slow, sweltering fuck of just seconds ago was gone,

though, replaced by a need so intense it took his breath away. Their
bodies strained together, with each other, toward each other, over
and over, rocking the door on its hinges. Zach had the vague
thought that he‟d die laughing if it broke.

Stevie didn‟t seem to even notice and, within seconds, Zach

had  forgotten  he  knew  how  to  breathe,  let  alone  laugh.  His
fingernails  scraped  along  Stevie‟s  bare  chest,  breaking  the  kiss
with a sharp gasp as his head fell back against the door and Stevie
latched onto his throat. Oh, God, he was going to have marks. He
could  hardly  fucking  wait  to  admire  them  in  the  mirror.  Marked.
Claimed. Stevie‟s.

“Fuck, fuck…Stevie…hurry…” He panted in a harsh whisper,

biting his lip to keep from screaming. He moved between Stevie
and the door, meeting his thrusts, returning them, clenching and
twisting against him as they hurtled toward orgasm.

And then he was there and, oh God, Stevie must have known it

because his eyes widened slightly and the next second his big hand
was over Zach‟s mouth again, green eyes dark and intense in the
dim light as he silently urged Zach to come for him. He didn‟t say
a word, but just like before, it was as though Zach could hear him.
And he could do nothing but obey.

He came so hard the edges of his vision went blurry, sucking in

breath through his nose and keeping his gaze locked with Stevie‟s.
Halfway  through  the  most  mind-numbing  orgasm  he‟d  ever
experienced,  Stevie  shuddered  and  his  hips  jerked  and  he  came.
The look on his face was amazing. The way his features tightened
and  his  lashes  fluttered  and  his  mouth  dropped  open  in  a  silent

GAMES BOYS PLAY

shout. Zach‟s tongue slipped out to taste the salty skin of his palm,
heart racing so fast he thought it would explode.

Thank God Stevie was so strong because, otherwise, Zach

would  have  landed  on  his  ass  on  the  filthy  bathroom  floor  when
Stevie  relaxed  his  grip  and  leaned  against  the  door  in  a  visible
struggle to regain  his breath.  But, even semi-boneless,  his  Officer
Hotness held him without so much as a muscle tremor. Zach loved
that.

Zach loved him.
He pressed his forehead against Stevie‟s shoulder and, while

his  lover  recovered,  used  the  brief,  breathless  moments  to  try  to
wrap his mind around what had just happened. It was supposed to
be just fun. Games to make the hiding less stifling, more exciting.
And  Stevie…he  was  the  best  man  Zach  had  ever  known  and  not
for  one  second  had  he  ever  imagined  he  would  manage  to  snag
Stevie‟s heart.

His cock, sure; his attention for a while, absolutely. But his

heart? Oh, God, a man like Stevie didn‟t give that out like candy at
Halloween to just anyone who had a craving. Zach was more afraid
of that than he was of loving Stevie in return. He was one hundred
percent sure that his gentle, loveable, sweet officer was the one
whose heart was at risk here…because Zach couldn‟t recall the last
time he‟d loved anything for more than one season.

He was going to break Stevie‟s heart…he just knew it. And it

was the last thing he wanted to do because, goddamn it, he loved
the man like he loved his new Gareth Pugh coat. Okay, more than,
even. Shit, shit.

“You okay?” Stevie‟s voice was rough and gravelly, sending

shivers down Zach‟s spine.

“Oh, yeah,” he panted out softly. “More than fine.” Having a

GAMES BOYS PLAY

mild panic attack inside, but otherwise fine. Freaking out trying to
understand how this had happened, but yeah—fine. He lifted his
head and leaned his head back against the wall, meeting Stevie‟s
eyes. He couldn‟t help but smile, despite the turmoil. He loved the
hell out of this man, and especially now when he looked all tousled
and well-fucked and sexy/adorable. “Hey.”

Stevie‟s lips curved in a slow grin. “Hey, yourself.”
There was a moment of silence broken only by scuffling

sounds  and  low  whispers  mixed  with  laughter  as  they  tried  to
untangle  themselves  without  anyone  falling  down.  It  took  a  few
minutes  and  a  handful  of  paper  towels,  but  eventually  they  were
fairly  presentable  and  clothes  were  mostly  in  place.  Zach  met
Stevie‟s gaze and smiled, reaching up to touch his cheek.

“I meant what I said, Stevie.”
Stevie caught his hand and turned to brush a kiss to the inside

of his wrist. “I know. So did I.”

Zach gave him a teasing smile. “Well, technically you didn‟t

say anything. I just assumed…”

“You assumed right.”
And that was what Zach was afraid of. Fuck. What was he

going to do?

* * *

“You‟re going to stop being a fucking whiny martyr and love

him back. Oh, my God, I cannot even believe I have to tell you
this.” Jordy gave him a withering look, and Zach cringed inwardly.

“You aren‟t looking at the big picture here. Would you stop

going all Harlequin on me and look past the vague idea of „happily
ever after‟ to focus on the here and now?”

GAMES BOYS PLAY

Jordy plopped down on the bench outside their favorite shoe

store.  “Fine.  The  here  and  now.  Let‟s  look  at  this  critically,
m‟kay?”  He  held  up  one  finger.  “One—totally  sexy,  majorly
adorable,  ridiculously  nice  guy  who  spends  his  days  saving  lives
and catching bad guys and being a legit hero is madly in love with
you.  Two—…  There  is  no  two,  Zach,  Jeez,  how  is  this  a
problem??”

Zach knew Jordy was right. He did. But he‟d never been this

scared in his life. “What if I mess it up? What if I break his heart?”

“You won‟t. This is not some boyfriend du jour we‟re talking

about, here. This is Stevie. Officer Hotness. He is so not just any
boy.” Jordy grinned. “He‟s a man. Lucky bitch.”

Zach snickered. “Jealous.”
“You have no idea.”
Zach sighed, chewing on his thumbnail. “I know you‟re right.

But this is major. Like, big time stuff. You‟re right; he‟s not just
any other guy. He never was.”

Jordy turned slightly toward him on the bench, eyes eager. “So,

what‟re you going to do?”

Zach wasn‟t sure. He‟d never been in love before. But he was

going to have to learn. What did in love people do? “Well, I‟ve
caught him, even though I didn‟t mean to…so now I have to keep
him.” Which meant stepping up his game. That was going to take
some doing.

“How?”
Zach shrugged, giving Jordy a worried look. “I don‟t know.

But I‟d better figure it out.”

* * *

GAMES BOYS PLAY

“Momma?”
“Zachary! Oh, my goodness, hold on and I‟ll get your father…”
Zach smiled. “No, don‟t, Momma. I called to talk to you.”
There was a moment‟s pause on the other end that made his

heart clench a little.

“Oh. Oh, well, alright. How are you, dear?”
Zach bit back the sigh. Some things never changed, no matter

how much you wished they would. “I‟m good. Really good,
actually.”

“Do you need money, Zachary? I can get your father. You

know he handles all the finances.”

Zach let out the sigh this time. “No, Momma, I don‟t need

money. I‟ll talk to Dad after, but I really wanted to talk to you. Do
you have a minute?”

Finally, she seemed to relax a little and he could hear the faint

sound of a chair being pulled out. He could imagine her sitting in
the  sunny  kitchen  back  home  in  Texas,  with  Dad  probably  in  his
“study” avoiding her. They loved each other, but Zach didn‟t know
how  much  they  liked  each  other.  After  thirty-five  years  of
marriage,  though,  you  just  didn‟t  walk  away,  at  least  not  if  you
were his parents.

“Of course, dear. Is everything alright?”
“Everything‟s fine, like I said. I just…” He took a deep breath.

“I met someone, Momma.”

Another moment of heavy silence. His parents hovered on the

line of acceptance because they did love him, but they still
harbored the hope that Zach would “snap out of it” and become the
son they had wanted.

“You have? Is he…nice?”
Zach smiled, fiddling with the fringe on the pillow in his lap.

GAMES BOYS PLAY

“More than nice. He‟s amazing. He‟s a police officer.”

“Oh! Is he? Well, that‟s wonderful, dear. I didn‟t know…” Her

voice trailed off, but Zach could finish the sentence in his head.
Didn‟t know gay men could be upstanding citizens like police
officers and firefighters and heroes. He bit back another sigh. Why
had he bothered to call?

“Yeah. Well, he is. And I think it‟s—No, I know it‟s serious. I

just thought, you know, that you‟d like to know. We‟re in love.” It
was something he felt ought to be shared with one‟s parents, right?

“I‟m happy for you, Zachary. I really am. He sounds like a very

good man. What‟s his name?”

“Stevie. Stephen.”
His mother laughed a little. “You and your nicknames. I‟m sure

a man like that doesn‟t enjoy being called Stevie, Zachary.”

Zach resisted the urge to snap. “He doesn‟t mind.” This was a

bad idea. He‟d halfway hoped for some kind of advice, maybe on
how  to  navigate  this  uncharted  relationship  territory,  but  he
realized  now  how  ridiculous  the  idea  was.  His  parents  barely
spoke.  What  did  his  mother  know  about  keeping  a  relationship
working? Even if she‟d wanted to give advice…when he thought it
was pretty clear she didn‟t. “I‟m sorry, Momma. I should go.” He
paused, then smiled sadly. “I love you.”

“I love you, too, dear. You hold onto that man, Zachary. He

sounds like a catch. Take good care of him.”

Like he was some fifties housewife or something. Zach shook

his head. “Sure, Momma. Say hello to Dad for me.”

He hung up, feeling no better than he had before. Well, she‟d

given him some advice, anyway. Take care of Stevie. How do you
take care of a man who spends his days taking care of everyone
else? he wondered.

GAMES BOYS PLAY

* * *

Stephen frowned as he pulled up into his driveway, heart

kicking up at the sight of lights on through the front window of his
condo. He knew for a fact that he‟d turned off every light before
he‟d left this morning. He‟d gotten a massive electric bill just
yesterday, so he‟d been more aware than normal of shutting things
off.

So why were they on?
He grabbed his cell phone and dialed the dispatch office.

“Dispatch, this is Miranda. Stand by, I may need backup.”

He slid out of the car, shutting the door as quietly as he could.

The last thing  he  needed  was a spooked intruder knowing  he  was
coming  and  waiting  with  a  gun  just  inside  his  house.  He
approached  the  front  door  slowly,  reaching  out  to  test  the  knob
silently. Unlocked. He didn‟t hesitate and reached down to unsnap
the clasp on his holster, though he didn‟t draw his gun yet.

As soon as he eased the door open, though, a rush of relief

went  through  him  and  he  nearly  sagged  as  the  scent  of  food
cooking  hit  his  nostrils  and  the  sound  of  a  very  familiar  voice
humming  came  from  the  kitchen.  He  reached  into  his  pocket  for
his cell phone, which still had dispatch on the line.

“Never mind, Kinsey. Everything‟s clear. Have a good night.”
He hung up and shut the door behind him, unbuckled his

holster and set it on the entryway table. “Zachary!”

A second later, Zach‟s smiling face appeared around the corner

of the wall to the kitchen. “Hi!” he chirped.

Stephen shook his head, affection rushing him. The boy drove

him fucking crazy, but goddamn, in such a good way. “Is there a
reason you‟re breaking and entering?”

GAMES BOYS PLAY

Then Zach stepped out into view, and Stephen nearly choked

on his own tongue. Buck-assed naked, wearing nothing but an
apron. Red and white polka dots with a sassy red ribbon at the
waist. Stephen swallowed hard.

“And you‟re naked. Why are you naked? Not that I don‟t like

you naked…”

Zach gave him a knowing smile. “You love me naked. And I‟m

not, by the way.” He turned in a full circle, revealing that he was,
indeed, not fully naked, but instead was wearing a pair of
scandalously tiny boyshorts that, Stephen was willing to bet, came
from the women‟s department. He‟d certainly never seen anything
so pretty hanging out next to the tighty-whiteys.

“I stand corrected.” He shook his head again and smiled,

coming forward to pull Zach in for a hug. “Sorry, you just startled
me is all. What are you doing here? Mostly naked?”

Zach had only been to his condo a few times. He claimed it had

no soul, which Stephen couldn‟t really argue with. He‟d never
done much to really make it feel like a home. It was a stark
contrast to Zach‟s tiny, but vibrant little studio apartment.

Zach grabbed his hand—the other was holding a spatula, of all

things—and pulled him into the kitchen. Which was…a disaster
area. Zach held up both hands in a placating gesture and offered a
charming smile. “Now, don‟t freak out. I‟m cooking you dinner!”

Stephen had no words. Zach, who he didn‟t think had ever

turned on the stove at his own apartment, was cooking. Cooking?
“Um…that‟s very sweet, but…why?” And should he call Poison
Control now or after the main course?

Zach gave his shoulder a shove. “Because I‟ve never cooked

you dinner before. And I thought I should. So I did!” He spun on
his heel and hurried over to the stove, where he poked the spatula

GAMES BOYS PLAY

at a smoking pot. “And I didn‟t break in, by the way. For a police
officer, you sure are predictable.” He pointed to the island
countertop, where the hide-a-key fake rock from his bushes sat,
getting dirt all over the place.

Stephen didn‟t know what to make of this. He didn‟t mind

Zach  being  there,  in  his  kitchen,  cooking  for  him  when  he  came
home.  It  was  really  sweet,  and  a  welcome  change  to  the  silence
that  usually  greeted  him.  He  didn‟t  even  mind  the  mess,  and  he
sure didn‟t mind the vision Zach made almost naked—even though
that couldn‟t be a very safe way to cook.

He just didn‟t understand what had spurred it. Of course, he

really needed to stop trying to predict what Zach would or
wouldn‟t do next anyway. He was never right. The young man had
a habit of shoving him right out of his comfort zone and making
Stephen forget he had ever been reluctant to leave at all.

So he smiled and wiped the dirt off the counter, then dropped a

kiss to Zach‟s cheek. “Well, thanks. What are you making?”

“Pasta! Because I heard it was easy.” Zach‟s nose wrinkled,

and Stephen smothered a laugh. “I think I was lied to.” He turned
in a circle, scanning the room, then gave Stephen an exasperated
look. “Where‟s a big bowl to put the spaghetti in?”

He pointed to the cupboard beside the stove. “Up there. Here, I

can—”

Zach cut him off with a shake of his head, turning to fling open

the cupboard. “No, I‟ve got it!”

Stephen lifted his brows, watching in amusement as Zach

stared up at the bowl, which lived on the very top shelf. He waited
for Zach to ask for help, but instead, the young man stretched up
on tiptoes to try to get it, fingers wiggling as if he could make them
grow.

GAMES BOYS PLAY

“Are you sure you—” He cut off the question at the sharp look

from Zach.

“I just need something to nudge it is all.” Zach scanned the

counter and grabbed an unused spatula.

Uh-oh.
Stephen cringed as Zach stretched up again to swipe at the

bowl. “Not that this isn‟t fun for me to watch and all, but down this
path lies a broken nose or a broken bowl.”

“Nobody asked you! I can get it…jeez. You tall people…”
Stephen laughed. “Alright, if you need me I‟ll just be over here

ordering you a stepstool off Amazon.”

Zach let out a huff and finally admitted defeat, dropping the

spatula onto the counter. “It‟s pointless anyway. The spaghetti‟s all
ruined.” He gestured morosely at the stove, and Stephen got up to
look.

“It‟s not too late to order in,” Stephen offered, lifting his brows

at  the  clump  of  stuck  together,  not-quite-cooked  spaghetti.  It
looked like  whatever water there‟d been had boiled away, and he
reached  to  shut  the  burner  off  as  the  spaghetti  began  to  smoke
slightly.

Zach stiffened and shook his head. “No, I can do this. Let me

just get another pot…”

Stephen chuckled and caught him around the waist before he

could, nuzzling the side of his neck. “It‟s alright, Zach. I don‟t love
you for your cooking skills.”

Zach pulled out of his arms abruptly and spun on his heel.

“Then why do you?” he snapped. Immediately, his expression
changed from annoyance to worry and he rushed forward. “I‟m
sorry. I didn‟t mean to snap. I can do this, Stevie. I can cook you
one meal!”

GAMES BOYS PLAY

Stephen frowned. “I know you can…” He smoothed one hand

down Zach‟s bare back, concern filling him. What had gotten into
his wild boy? “What‟s wrong, Zach? Why all of a sudden the
desire to become a happy homemaker?”

Zach scowled at him. “I‟m failing at it, aren‟t I? Of course I

am,  goddamn  it.”  He  whipped  off  the  apron  and  threw  it  at
Stephen.  Of  course,  it  was  a  wispy  bit  of  ribbon  and  froth,  so  it
didn‟t have the impact Stephen was sure he‟d wanted and Stephen
simply  caught  it  out  of  the  air  and  then  shut  off  the  rest  of  the
burners before turning to follow his lover, who was stomping into
the living room.

“Zachary, since when have I cared whether or not you can cook

more than a bowl of microwave ramen noodles?” He was
completely lost and he didn‟t like the feeling.

Zach dropped onto the couch in a full-on sulk and chewed on

the side of his thumbnail. “Since you went and fell in love with
me, maybe!”

Was that what this was about? “What does me loving you have

to  do  with  you  cooking?  I‟m  not  the  only  one  in  love  here,  you
know. I‟m pretty sure you said it back.” He remembered it clearly
and  wasn‟t  likely  to  ever  forget  it.  His  Zachary,  clinging  sweaty
and  breathless  to  that  filthy  bathroom  door,  saying  the  words.  It
was etched in his mind.

Zach just about deflated, which was not the reaction Stephen

had expected. Oh, shit. Was he regretting saying it? Did he not
mean it? Stephen‟s heart raced suddenly, trying not to think the
worst.

“I know, but that‟s not the point. I love you; how could I not?

But you loving me…that wasn‟t supposed to happen.”

Stephen sat down, mentally throwing his hands up. “I give up,

GAMES BOYS PLAY

Zachary. I have no idea what you‟re talking about.”

* * *

God, it had all made perfect sense earlier, but sitting here in the

moment, he felt like an idiot. And now he had to explain how
much of an idiot he was, as if Stevie needed more evidence of how
not loveable and good for him he was.

“I kind of knew I was going to fall in love with you, Stevie.

You‟re  brave  and  smart  and  wonderful  and  gorgeous…a  deaf,
blind mute would fall for you. I just wasn‟t…I don‟t know how to
be  somebody  someone  like  you  loves.”  His  eyes  burned  and  he
blinked  hard  to  try  to  hide  the  unshed  tears  he  refused  to  let  fall.
“I‟m just me.” And how did that even remotely live up to the kind
of trust Stevie was putting in him, giving Zach his heart?

Stephen exhaled softly, reaching out to brush his hand over

Zach‟s hair. Zach couldn‟t help but lean into the touch. “Zachary,
„just you‟ is an amazing thing. How do you not know that? I was
pretty sure you knew that.”

Zach shrugged one shoulder. “I do, sort of. I mean, I‟m pretty

fabulous, of course, but that‟s not the same as being…” He
shrugged again. “Worthy.”

Stephen smiled a little. “So you thought you‟d cook me a meal

and become the gay Martha Stewart and…what, exactly? I‟d
realize I made the right choice falling in love with you?”

Oh, it sounded so stupid. “Don‟t make fun of me, Stevie.”
Stevie‟s smile faded, shaking his head. “I‟m not, Zach. I

wouldn‟t. It‟s just that you forgot one important thing.”

“What?”
“I didn‟t „choose‟ to fall in love with you in the first place. So,

GAMES BOYS PLAY

right  or  wrong,  bad  idea  or  not—and  for  the  record  I  think  it
definitely  falls  in  the  „right‟  and  „not‟  categories—I  love  you.  A
meal  cooked  in  your  underwear,  while  certainly  appreciated,
doesn‟t change anything.”

Zach bit his lip. “I‟ve never loved anything, or anyone, longer

than a season, Stevie. It‟s like my attention span lasts only as long
as the last Prada collection,” he whispered.

Stevie straightened with an incredulous look on his face.

“That‟s not true.” He shook his head. “You and Jordy are the best
friends I‟ve ever seen. Are you telling me you don‟t love him?”

“Well, that‟s different. That‟s Jordy and—”
“And what about Mr. Mendez in the building next to yours?

You don‟t give a big fucking damn about him every time you bring
him that organic soup you know he loves, but can‟t afford? And
your parents, who you talk about when you‟re feeling blue and I
know you don‟t see as much as you wish. You don‟t love them?”

Zach squirmed a little. “Stevie, that‟s not what I meant. I

meant…”

“You‟re ignoring facts, and I‟m a cop, Zach, so I can‟t allow

that.  Everything  gets  taken  into  evidence.  You  love,  maybe  more
than  most.  because  you  don‟t  even  realize  you  do  it.  And  people
love  you  back  so  much  the  sun  doesn‟t  shine  until  you  fucking
smile. Don‟t you know that?”

Zach thought about it for a minute. How much he did love

Jordy, who wasn‟t nearly as flighty as people assumed.  And how
much  he  did  miss  his  folks  and  love  them,  even  though  they  still
sort  of  thought  he  was  weird  and  possibly  some  kind  of  deviant
just  because  he  was  the  gayest  of  the  gay  boys.  And  the  other
people  in  his  life—his  friends  at  work  and  the  people  in  his
apartment  building  he‟d  gotten  to  know  well  over  the  past  four

GAMES BOYS PLAY

years living there. Did all that count? Stevie said it did.

“Just because you‟ve never been in love doesn‟t mean you

don‟t know how to love someone properly, Zachary. Hell, I‟m not
exactly  the  authority  on  how  to  make  a  relationship  last.”  Stevie
cupped  his  cheek  and  gave  him  one  of  those  heart-melting  warm
smiles.  “You  better  believe  I‟m  going  to  learn,  though,  because
I‟m not letting you go.”

“That‟s what I was trying to do, to learn, to do it…right…I

don‟t know. It doesn‟t seem to make as much sense now as it did
when I thought of it.” He felt a little foolish.

Stevie didn‟t laugh at him, though. Instead, he pulled Zach

closer and wrapped him all up in his strong arms, which inevitably
made Zach feel better. “I don‟t want you to cook unless you want
to. I don‟t want you to be anyone or anything but who and what
you are. Believe me, if I wanted a “happy hands at home” kind of
queen, I could go get one. I don‟t. I want you, with your burned
pasta and smudged makeup and hooker boots up to there.”

Zach couldn‟t help the smile, turning slightly to drape one bare

leg over Stevie‟s lap. He wiggled his toes and tipped his face up to
look at him. “I‟m not wearing those right now…bare toes okay?”

Stevie wrapped one big hand around Zach‟s foot, his thumb

stroking the sensitive arch. “Better than okay. Speaking of
okay…are we?” He looked so concerned, and Zach warmed up
inside. He nodded.

“Yeah. Better than.” He leaned in and caught Stevie‟s face in

both hands, kissing him long and slow.

So okay, he was in love. No, they were in love. Neither of them

really knew what they were doing, but come on, if anyone could
figure it out, it was the two of them. Even if they had to come up
with new definitions all their own. In fact, Zach liked that idea a

UTHERLAND

Fae  Sutherland  has  always  dreamed  of  being  a  published  author,
starting her  writing career off at age 11 with a series of stories so
bad  only  a  6th  grader  could  have  written  them.  She  has  since
progressed  to  more  serious  writing,  though  always  keeping  that
dash of irreverence and fun (and a hell of a lot more heat!).

Fae  is  perhaps  best  known  for  her  many  books  co-written  with
Marguerite  Labbe.  Between  them  they  are  the  award-winning,
bestselling  authors  of  multiple  novels,  novellas  and  short  stories.
Fae also writes with Chelsea James. Currently, Fae is focusing her
writing on solo work.

When Fae‟s not working on new stories to make her readers sweat,
she spends her time on website design, spending too much time on
Twitter,  and  watching  oodles  of  Food  Network  with  her  beloved
life  partner.  If  there‟s  any  time  left  over,  it‟s  spent  snuggling  the
cat.

Find out more about Fae at http://faesutherland.com.

* * *

Don’t miss Gambling On Maybe

by Fae Sutherland,

available at AmberAllure.com!

When Phoenix police officer Stephen Miranda offers tipsy Zachary
West  a  ride  home  one  Friday  night,  he’s  just  doing  his  job.  He
doesn’t expect to unleash a glittery whirlwind on his orderly, very
homogenized life. From minute one, Zach is like nothing Stephen’s
ever known and like everything he’s secretly craved.

Zach doesn’t hide  who he  is  for anyone’s comfort,  even his own,
but  for  a  chance  at  a  man  like  Stephen,  he’d be  willing  to  be  an
“undercover lover.” But while Stephen lusts after the vibrant man,
hooking up with a guy who’s never used his “closet” for anything
but fashion isn’t going to do his straight-acting routine any favors.

The sex is sizzling, no doubt, but Stephen wonders if there’s more
to his relationship with Zach that’s worth gambling on…

MBER

UILL

RESS

LLC

OLD

TANDARD IN

UBLISHING

UALITY

OOKS

OTH

RINT AND

LECTRONIC

ORMATS

CTION

DVENTURE

USPENSE

HRILLER

CIENCE

ICTION

ARK

ANTASY

AINSTREAM

OMANCE

ORROR

ROTICA

ANTASY

GLBT

ESTERN

YSTERY

ARANORMAL

ISTORICAL

IRECT

AVE