Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 8

was the fun in that? It wasn't often that his intimidating partner let his softer side show. Hell, Nathan was only one of the few who knew the guy had one.
    "No. About, you know…" Harlan trailed off, his gaze everywhere but on Nathan.
    "No, I don't know," Nathan insisted quite innocently.
    With a discreet glance around to make sure no one was within earshot, Harlan leaned into Nathan, and whispered hoarsely. "About us, you pill."
    "Oh, that . Well, that's easy."
    The most charming, panicked expression crossed Harlan's face and Nathan couldn't help himself. He grabbed Harlan's arm and dragged him into a narrow, blackened alley between two houses. Before his partner could get a word out, Nathan pushed him up against the wall and crushed their mouths together in a searing kiss. That was all it took for his lover to melt in his arms. Harlan's lips parted and he gave himself over to Nathan just as he always did. At least until Harlan's desire got the better of him and he took over. Not that Nathan minded.
    Harlan pulled back, his hazel eyes looking puzzled and lost, just as they had the first time Nathan had kissed him behind Unit 303's warehouse in Verneuil. Nathan had never expected to make it out of France, and at the time, he hadn't much cared if he did. That was until he'd met Harlan Mackay, a twenty-three-year-old kid from Michigan who barely said a word, but with eyes as expressive as that, didn't have to. When his nose wasn't stuck in some kind of vehicle's engine, it was in a book, which was what had caught Nathan's attention in the first place. There was something about seeing a mug as hardboiled as Harlan enthralled by the adventures of Sherlock Holmes that got Nathan all hot and bothered.
    "That's how Julius knew," Nathan murmured, giving Harlan's jaw a nip with his teeth.
    "What?" Harlan asked breathlessly.
    Nathan chuckled and nuzzled his face against Harlan's neck for the briefest moment, just enough to breathe in a lungful of that intoxicating scent. He loved the way Harlan smelled, that mixture of soap and musk that was only his lover's. "The way you look at me sometimes that little bit longer than you should. Most folks wouldn't notice, and if they did, they'd just take it for camaraderie. But fellas like Julius, they notice, and they know it for what it is."
    Harlan's mouth twisted into a frown. "Swell."
    "Don't worry, tough guy. The kid ain't gonna squeal. Not after what you did for him tonight. Besides, if some mug ever got wise, you really think he's gonna have the hutzpah to come up to you and tell you he thinks you're queer?" That got him a deep rumble of a chuckle, the kind that went straight to Nathan's groin. His gaze went to Harlan's lips and he licked his own. "Say, uh, how about we eat in tonight?"
    "Yeah?" Harlan's brows shot up. It wasn't often that Nathan passed up on a good meal. "But I thought you wanted steak?"
    "You know there's only one thing I love more than steak," Nathan said in a husky voice before taking Harlan's earlobe between his teeth.
    "And what's that?" Harlan asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
    "You fucking me."
    Harlan's eyes widened and he promptly moved Nathan to one side. "I'll call us a taxi," he said and quickly made off for the street. Nathan followed with a smile he could barely contain. It did something to him to know that after six years, Harlan was still dizzy over him.
    The taxi ride seemed to take far too long, and as soon as the car pulled up to the curve, Nathan shot out like it was on fire. He ran up the four concrete steps leading up to the small porch, pulled out his keys, unlocked the door and by the time he was inside, had his overcoat and hat on the coat rack. One hand pulled at his tie, while the other pulled off his shoes.
    Harlan had barely shut the front door when Nathan pounced on him. Clothes were tugged, torn, and flung in all directions, ending up everywhere from the couch, to the gramophone and all over the floor on the way to the bedroom. The back of Harlan's knees hit the edge of the mattress and he fell back with barely a moment to catch his breath before Nathan was crawling over him and reclaiming his mouth.
    Sometimes Nathan got all balled up inside for no reason at all, and when that happened, nothing would feel right again until he had Harlan inside of him. It was an unhealthy form of therapy, sure, but Harlan never complained, and somehow Nathan suspected his lover understood.
    Nathan kissed his way down Harlan's jaw, loving