Wrath

 Page Five





Part Seventeen






Everyone then started singing Happy Birthday to Trent as Alex brought out a huge frosted cake from the kitchen. Candles were lit brightly around the chocolate iced cake, which Tandy took great delight in helping her brother blow out, as the others clapped and cheered.

"Thank you guys, I just don't know what to say," Trent said, deeply touched that his friends had gone through so much trouble for him.

"Don't say anything, old timer, save your energy for later," C.D teased.

"Can we open your presents now?" Tandy asked, her excitement beaming through.

"Yeah, let's see what you managed to haul in," Carlos said with a smile.

Trent petted her soft blonde curls. "Yeah, but I might need a helper."

"I can help!" she exclaimed gleefully.

The little girl pulled her brother over to the couch and made him sit down and climbed up on his lap.

"Here you go sweetheart," Trent's mom said and handed him a silver and blue papered package.

Opening it up, Trent pulled out a box and saw that it was a camera.

"It's one of those cameras that have auto focus and telescopic lens for close up shots from a far distance," Kate Malloy explained to him. "I figured it might come in handy on some of your case work."

"Thank you mom, it'll definitely be very useful," Trent told her.

The blonde woman reached over and took her son's face in her hands and kissed him on the forehead. "Happy birthday baby, I love you."

"I love you too, mom," Trent said and pulled his mother in for a warm hug.

Marchia Sandoval handed Trent a small, wrapped box. He unwrapped it, his eyes meeting Carlos' as he did. Inside there was a small burgundy felt jewelry box. Tentatively opening it, Trent gently lifted a small medallion out of it.

"It's a St. Christopher's medal," she told him, "to watch over you and keep you safe." Taking it from him, she placed it in his open palm and closed his fingers around it. She then leaned in close by his ear so that no one else could hear her. "I give one to all my children," she whispered.

Trent looked deeply into soft brown eyes so like his lover's and smiled, feeling his throat closing up on him. "Thank you," he managed. He glanced over at Carlos, who was smiling with so much pride and love in his eyes.

The next person to hand Trent a gift was Trivette.

"Happy birthday Trent," Jimmy said, glancing between both him and Carlos as Trent took the present. "Me, C.D, and Alex all went in together to get this for you."

"Well thank you guys," Trent said as he tore into the packaging. He gasped when he saw what it was. "Oh wow, this is too much!" he exclaimed, pulling out a brand new RCA handheld camcorder.

"Well, we figured that it was something you could use since you didn't have one," Alex said, Walker slipping his arm around her shoulders.

"Yeah, and it comes with all the bells and whistles," C.D added. "You can even plug it up directly to your...", C.D paused, "...television."

Trent followed the bar owner's eyes and saw what made him pause. There on the stand, stood their television set, screen demolished, wiring sticking out of the cavity.

"Um, Carlos, did you and the television have a little disagreement?" Trent asked.

"Ah, yeah, something like that," Carlos said, ducking his head from the disapproving glance of his mother.

"Well, just as long as you won," Trent said, eyes shining with amusement and letting his Latino off the hook for now.

"Are you ready for my gift?" Walker asked, bringing the other's attention away from Carlos, for which the Hispanic detective was grateful.

"Yeah, bring it on," Trent said.

"Okay, but it's not in here," Walker replied.

"So where is it?" Trent asked curiously.

"Come here and you'll see," Walker said, moving over to the window of their loft. "Its out there," he commented as Trent got closer and looked over his shoulder.

Looking out of the window and down into the alley next to the building, Trent saw his light blue Corvette, in absolutely pristine condition.

"My god Walker...how?" Trent stammered.

"I've got a few friends that work in a repair shop, they owed me a favor and well..." Walker just shrugged.

"This is simply amazing, thank you so much Walker, really, this is...wow," Trent said.

"You're welcome buddy," Cordell responded, patting Trent on the back.

"And I'm suppose to follow that?" Carlos said, an impish gleam dancing in his dark brown eyes. The warm glow of affection in Trent's eyes was nearly his undoing as he wordlessly handed over the small parcel he'd been fingering while Trent was opening his other gifts.

Taking the offered gift, Trent carefully untied the ribbon and peeled the paper off with care. It was another small box, black velvet, and Trent opened the lid slowly.

"Oh Carlos, this is gorgeous," Trent said as he removed the gift from the box, a solid gold pocket watch with a mountain landscape carved on it. "Thank you," he said softly.

"Open it up," Carlos said with anticipation.

Trent fingered the opening, popping it up. Looking at the inside, on the lid, he found what Carlos had wanted him to see, an engraving.

Trent's eyes lifted up and sought umber eyes. For a moment, it seemed like the rest of the room faded out of existence, the only thing remaining was those eyes, eyes that were so soft, sure, and full of love shining brightly to light the dark depths.

"Now and always," Trent whispered back hoarsely, fighting the urge to grab the Hispanic officer and kiss him regardless of who was around.

"Can we have cake and ice cream now?" Tandy asked, breaking the moment.

Trent smiled and pulled her curls. "Only if you help me cut it squirt."

As the cake was being cut, Alex pulled Carlos off over to the side.

"I've got a present for you too," the D.A whispered.

"For me?" Carlos asked curiously.

"Yeah, this," Alex said, holding out an all-too familiar video tape. "This is yours now to do with what you want."

"I thought this would be confiscated for evidence," Carlos said, accepting the tape.

"Normally it would, but we have a strong enough case without it, and knowing how personal it is, I thought you'd want it back," Alex told him.

"Thank you Alex, I appreciate this more than you can ever know," Carlos told her, pulling her into an impulsive hug.

"I think I have a rather good idea," Alex said. "Though I'm happy for you two, I'd suggest a tape burning if you ask me."

"Most definitely," Carlos said, his eyes glancing over at his ebullient lover. "The tape is definitely going to get burned."



*************************



When the party came to an end, family and friends said their good-byes, with Trent thanking them once more for all of the gifts. When the last visitor left, Carlos and Trent began cleaning up.

"Thanks so much, Love," Trent said, clearing the dishes and putting them in the kitchen sink then went back into the living room where Carlos was turning the stereo on.

"For what?" Carlos asked.

"For today, for the party, for caring so much," Trent said as he was wrapped up in Carlos' arms kissed long and hard.

"You're worth it babe," Carlos said when he finally broke for air. "Whatever I do could never be enough to show you how much you mean to me. Love you so much."

Trent wrapped his arms around Carlos' neck. "You're not tuning sentimental on me are you, Sandoval?"

"Where you're concerned?" Carlos asked, "You betcha."

Trent chuckled and kissed his grinning Latino, their lips meshing lightly, teasingly.

"So are you going to tell me what's up with the television set or am I going to have to interrogate it out of you?" Trent asked lightly, but Carlos knew he wanted a serious answer.

"You and your promises. One of these days I'm going to hold you to 'em," Carlos murmured before turning somber. "Look, I have something to tell you, and you'll probably not like it much," the officer said honestly.

"Just tell me," Trent said, looking into Carlos' eyes earnestly.

"Babe, do you remember being taped at all?" Carlos asked.

Trent paused for a moment as blurry images and faded thoughts played through his mind. "I think I do, I mean there was one time where they were…" Trent's voice grew quieter. "…beating me…"

Carlos leaned in and kissed Trent, trying to banish the mental images he knew were playing in both their minds.

"Yeah, that's it," the officer said when he pulled back again. "They taped that and sent it to me."

Trent's eyes went wide and his hold around Carlos tightened. Seeing the concerned expression, Carlos drew the private investigator closer to comfort both of them.

"When I saw the tape, I lost it and threw the remote," he explained, still unsettled by the look on Trent's face. "It's okay though, you're okay and that's what matters," Carlos said soothingly as his hands slid up and down Trent's back and tried to fight off the memories together. "That's all that matters."

Trent pulled back and leveled his gaze with the Latino officer. "There's more though, isn't there?"

Carlos' silence spoke volumes to the detective that knew him so well. "What is it, Carlos? What aren't you telling me?"

Carlos glanced away, unable to meet the weighted stare of his mate. He wished he didn't have to tell him the complete truth, but he knew his lover deserved, and demanded, no less from him. Finally drawing his eyes back to the sapphire eyes, he sighed. "Yeah, there's more all right. Remember the night we made love, the night before they tried to kidnap you the first time?"

"Yeah," Trent said guardedly.

"They taped us that night…together," Carlos admitted.

"Making love?" Trent asked, trying to understand what he was being told.

Carlos nodded. "And I was forced to show the tape to Walker and Trivette."

"You had to do what?" Trent asked incredulously.

"They said they needed to watch it in case they could see a clue I couldn't," Carlos explained quickly. "I didn't want to, but God, you were missing and we were at a dead end and…" Carlos' voice trailed off.

Trent stared at the Hispanic detective for several seconds before pulling away and going over to the window to gaze out into the alley. A few minutes passed until he felt Carlos' arms circling him.

"Don't pull away babe, tell me what you're thinking," he pleaded.

Trent turned around to him. "What do you expect me to say? That I'm happy about this? Well sorry love, the thought of Walker, Trivette and God only knows else, watching us make love doesn't exactly make me jump for joy here."

"It was only Trivette and Walker, that's all," Carlos explained in an attempt to assuage Trent's worries.

"That still doesn't make it any better," Trent said. "Don't you see? They took something precious between us and by taping it, taking advantage of us, they turned it into something soiled…dirty." Trent's wounded voice was like splinters piercing Carlos' heart.

The Hispanic detective cupped Trent's face and turned it up to meet his eyes. "Don't you dare ever let me hear you say what we feel for each other is dirty or shameful," he whispered fervently, his eyes ablaze. "When I tell you I love you, I mean it. I cherish what we have, cherish who I am because of you. They can 'never' take that away from us."

Trent didn't say a word, simply let himself be hugged tenderly, taking comfort in Carlos' resolve, his certainty.

"Where is this tape?" he asked finally.

"I just got it back today. I'm planning on burning it tomorrow," Carlos told him.

"No," Trent said with force. "Tomorrow 'we'll' burn it," he informed the Hispanic officer.

Carlos nodded, knowing it would be a sort of healing ceremony for both of them when they did.






Part Eighteen





The music on the stereo shifted to a slow country ballad.

\\"Now for the latest from Lisa McCann"// the radio announcer said before the vocals started.

"Hey, isn't that the girl you helped out last year when her boyfriend was stalking her?" Carlos asked.

"Yep, that's her," Trent said, his body already moving some to the tempo. "She's really made something of herself since then," he murmured.

"She's good," Carlos said, gently pulling Trent into the middle of the living room floor, his arms still holding him in an embrace.

Carlos' body began swaying in time to the soft music. He pulled Trent in closer until they were chest to chest, close enough to feel Trent's heart beating, close enough for Carlos to gaze into Trent's azure eyes as they're bodies moved in harmony. Feet moved in measure as their faces were close enough that each one drew in the other's breath.





The last strains of the music faded, leaving two men still staring into one another's eyes, neither wanting to be the first to break the spell that had woven around them.

"Happy birthday Querido," Carlos whispered huskily, his nose and forehead pressed against Trent's as he brushed their lips together.

"Only because you're sharing it with me," Trent murmured.

"Now who's the one getting sentimental?" Carlos teased, playfully taking a nip at Trent's nose.

"I told you before, you've corrupted me, there is no hope for me now, no going back," Trent responded, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Instead of smiling, Carlos' dark eyes turned serious. "You mean that?"

Trent's own sapphire eyes lost the humor that had been dancing in them. "Of course I mean it, I love you, you know."

"I'm glad," Carlos said slowly, "because the watch wasn't the only thing I had to give you today."

Trent watched Carlos intently and noticed how the Hispanic officer seemed to have grown nervous.

"Yeah, so what's this other surprise?" Trent asked trepidatiously.

Carlos let go of the private investigator and walked over to the desk in the living room. Pulling out a drawer, he drew out a long, thin white envelope. He walked back over to Trent and handed it to him.

Trent started to open it up and Carlos watched his eyes grow large in surprise.

"Carlos...this is..." the blonde started to say.

"Airline tickets, yeah, I know," Carlos interrupted, starting to feel a little shaky. "If you'll notice, it also says that the destination is Hawaii."

"Believe me, Carlos, I noticed," Trent said, taking the two tickets out of their holder.

"But Hawaii? You know I'd love to get away for a vacation, but the agency..." Trent started to protest.

"It's not just for a vacation," Carlos broke in.

Trent's head tilted. "Not just for a vacation... okay, so what 'is' it for?"

Carlos' eyes darted around the room, and Trent could see the beginnings of sweat breaking out on the Hispanic's forehead. "Carlos?"

Carlos met his eyes briefly, before studying his tennis shoes with fascination. "It would be for our...um, ah..." Carlos cleared his throat. "...our honeymoon," he said softly. Hazel eyes shot up to scrutinize Trent's reaction.

"Our what?" Trent asked, thinking he had misheard the Hispanic detective.

"Honeymoon," Carlos said with a little more force.

Grabbing a hold of Trent's hand, Carlos guided him over to the sofa and gently urged him to sit down. Carlos then sat down beside him, fully facing him. "Look Trent, I know we've only lived together for two months, but we've known each other since...well, I can't recall a time you 'weren't' in my life. The fact is I love you and though I know it won't be legal, I still want to stand up in front of all our family and friends and take those vows. I want to pledge to spend the rest of my life loving you."

Carlos took both of Trent's hands in his own, thumbs stroking the skin on the back of the P.I.'s hands. "Querido, I've never, ever, considered saying those vows to anyone before, never wanted to, but 'you' make me want to. I've never known anything that felt so right," Carlos paused, his eyes actively seeking Trent's. His heart was pounding like a primal drum and his stomach was lurching inside of him.

Trent opened his mouth to speak, but Carlos moved to silence him with a finger to his lips.

"Now you don't have to answer right now, you've got all the time to think about it because I don't want to rush you, but just know that I would love nothing more in this life than to spend it with you as my husband."

Trent caught Carlos' hand and gently pried it away from his mouth. "Yes."

Carlos blinked...once...twice. "What?"

A handsome and heart stopping smile broke out on Trent's face. "I said, yes, I will marry you."

Carlos' soft brown eyes went wide, looking suspiciously shiny, relief washing over his features.

"You're serious? You will?" The disbelief in his voice was almost amusing to Trent.

"Yes, Si, Oui, ja sagen, and any other language you want it in," Trent said, fighting the urge to laugh as he leaned in to kiss the Latino's full, soft, ripe mouth that parted under his own, allowing for a extensive, tender assault.

Finally the necessity to breathe pulled them apart.

"I want to take those vows with you too," Trent whispered.

Carlos leaned back onto the couch and pulled Trent on top of him until private investigator blanketed him with his body. Strong arms wrapped around Trent and held him still as Carlos explored the sensitive region of his throat.

"Oh babe, you don't know how happy you've made me," Carlos murmured against the base of his neck. "And I promise you, you won't regret it either."

Trent pulled his head back until he was able to meet Carlos' hazel eyes again. "I know I won't Love."

Trent's head then bent back down to seal the promise with a deliberate, lingering kiss that caused Carlos' blood to start stirring. The Hispanic officer's hands roamed gently over the P.I.'s back, and down to rest on his jean clad rear.

Carlos sighed as he submerged himself in the warm, masculine, scent of the karate instructor, feeling the strong, pulsing heart pounding in Trent's chest and once more allowed himself to think about how lucky he was to have this man in his life. And the thought that this man had just agreed to spend the rest of his life with him simply blew his mind.

Trent continued brushing his lips back and forth over Carlos' lips with the barest hint of pressure as he settled himself more solidly on top of the Latino. His lips kissed across Carlos' jawline and across the base of his throat and bit and tongued the area.

"Know what I want?" Trent whispered, and from the darkened eyes, Carlos had a pretty good idea.

"What babe?" Carlos asked, squeezing lightly, the firm cheeks under his hands.

"I want to make love to you," he whispered.

Carlos paused, looking into Trent's eyes.

"You sure?" he asked, wondering about it being so soon after being released from the hospital.

"What do you think?" Trent asked huskily, pressing his firming need against Carlos'.

"I think it's too soon," Carlos said honestly, holding the man on top of him still.

Trent dropped kisses down Carlos' neck and up around his ear. "Please?" Trent asked, his voice husky with need. "Besides, are you honestly going to tell me no on my birthday?"

'Oh Dios,' Carlos' mind whimpered. Why did he have such a weakness with it came to this seductive, fair haired P.I.? Once more he was reminded that 'no' wasn't in his vocabulary when it came to his too tempting lover.

"Okay, birthday boy, but it's the last wish you're getting granted today," Carlos finally growled but couldn't keep the gleam out of his eyes.

"Mmmhmm," Trent murmured, sounding totally disbelieving.

Trent stood up and caught Carlos' hand, and waited for Carlos to follow. Hand in hand, they walked into the bedroom.

Carlos urged Trent to sit down on the bed and when the P.I. moved to start unbuttoning the blue flannel shirt he wore, Carlos captured his hands and stopped him.

"What's wrong?" Trent asked, slightly confused.

"I want to do that," Carlos told him, kneeling down on the hardwood floor in front of him. Trent gave him a beguiling smile and simply shrugged his shoulders. He could tell by the look in Carlos' eyes that he wanted to take this slow and easy.

Carlos reached out and gently ran his hands over the width of Trent's chest through the flannel shirt until he noticed Trent flinching slightly.

"What's the matter Love?" Carlos asked curiously, then remembered too late, the lacerations from the whips that laid underneath the material. "Oh god babe, I didn't hurt you did I?" he asked, pulling his hands away, just in case.

Trent shook his head. "No, it's just that..." his voice trailed off, as he took Carlos' hands in his own. In honesty, the cuts didn't hurt any longer, the skin having been taken care of in the hospital and healing well.

"Well what Love?" Carlos prompted.

"It's just, well...it's not very pretty," Trent said finally. It would be the first time since the abduction that Carlos would see him without covering up close.

Without a word spoken, the Hispanic officer unbuttoned one button, then another, gradually exposing Trent's firm, muscular chest little by little. At the sight of the cuts, Carlos cringed inwardly, not out of repulsion, but out of knowing the pain Trent suffered to get them.

"No matter what happens, there is nothing that could ever make me want you any less," Carlos whispered. "I'm just sorry I caused this."

Trent took the Hispanic detective's face in his hands. "Don't...not now, not today," he whispered. "Don't you dare try to take the blame of this onto yourself. It wasn't your fault."

"You were hurt because Valdez wanted to get to me," Carlos insisted, his throat threatening to close up on him.

Trent leveled his blue eyes onto him. "Yeah, Valdez did target me, but it could have just as easily been anyone else on the force he wanted to go after," he reminded the officer. "It’s no more your fault then it is mine for letting them capture me in the first place."

"Trent..." Carlos started to protest.

"And if you want to talk blame, I had a gun pointed on you for God sakes!" Trent hissed.

Carlos reached up and pulled Trent's mouth down for a hard kiss.

"Don't, don't do that to yourself Trent, you didn't even know what you were doing," he said when he pulled back.

"That doesn't matter, I could have...you could have been..." Trent trailed off helplessly, his body shuddering as he thought about it.

"Yeah, but it didn't okay?" Carlos reminded him. He took both of Trent's hands and kissed them. "Look, no more blame all right? We're both okay and we have God to thank for that."

Trent nodded. "You're right, we shouldn't let Valdez ruin this for us, he's got no claims on us."

Carlos smiled up at him. "That's right babe, he doesn't if we don't let him. We're in the here and now like it should be. You've made me the happiest I've ever been when you said you'd marry me and there is no 'way' he can taint that."

"I love you so much Carlos Sandoval," Trent whispered vehemently.

"Then let me make love to you," Carlos requested. Reaching once more for the buttons of Trent's shirt, this time he wasn't stopped.






Part Nineteen





Carlos' mouth kissed and nipped at each new inch of flesh that was revealed, taking care to gently, tenderly kiss each raised wound. When the shirt was completely open in the front, Carlos slid his hands inside to brush and stroke over the toned and defined expanse, thumbs gently tracing over each curve of ribs and muscles. Carlos' tongue trailed down the fine lines until he came to Trent's navel where he dipped and swirled as Trent's fingers combed through his dark curls at his neck.

Trent sighed, closing his eyes as he concentrated fully on the feel of Carlos' lips against his skin, the slight scraping of the Latino's nails against his flesh.

Carlos tugged the shirt out of Trent's waistband and tossed it to the side and pulled his own dark blue long sleeved T-shirt over his head. Trent reached down to caress Carlos and was more than a little surprised when Carlos kept his wrists held to his side.

With an impish look, Carlos resumed his kisses on Trent's chest and concentrated on the pink nubs of his nipples, biting lightly and laving one with his tongue and then the other. Trent moaned lightly as his eyes closed once again. When each nipple was pebbled hard, Carlos stroked them with his thumbs, causing Trent to moan a little louder.

When Trent opened his eyes again, Carlos gently urged him back onto the bed. The Hispanic officer then slipped Trent's shoes off, falling to the floor, the socks following. Carlos' hands then slid up Trent's denim covered legs, stroking his inner thighs and taking pleasure at seeing how snug the jeans were fitting.

Carlos' hands then moved to the fly of the denim and released it, fingers gently pulling the zipper all the way down to give more room to the karate instructor's burgeoning firmness.

Carlos tugged a little on the material, and taking the hint, Trent wiggled his hips and Carlos drew them the rest of the way down lean, firm legs and off, leaving Trent in nothing but a pair of midnight blue briefs.

Carlos ran his hands up behind and around Trent's legs, enjoying the feeling of them tensing and relaxing as he worked his way up to sensitive inner thighs. He leaned in and let the tip of his tongue trail up the pale skin, barely touching and gaining a whimpering sound from the blonde.

Trent squirmed as he felt Carlos' hot tongue running over his hyper-reactive skin, feeling like a flame licking him, igniting each nerve ending as it raced through him.

Closer and closer Carlos moved until his lips lingered over Trent's aching groin. It seemed like an eternity for Trent until he finally felt that tormenting tongue dragging across him through his briefs.

Trent moaned as Carlos' teeth grazed him through the material, pulling at the material as his tongue stroked him. The silk clung to Trent and outlined his need from both Carlos' mouth and Trent's own budding arousal. Carlos continued to bathe him and the flimsy cloth did nothing to provide a barrier from the heat and warmth.

Carlos could feel Trent's erection twitching in anticipation under his mouth, seeking more of his attention. Heat radiated from the P.I., and the smell of his musky need was heavy.

Carlos slowly pulled the fabric away from Trent's body and peeled them down his hips until Trent's length bobbed out to meet him, while the Hispanic detective pulled them the rest of the way off, his hands caressing as he did.

The inflamed length stood from the patch of golden curls with a jeweled tear of moisture clinging to the flushed tip. Carlos leaned in to let his tongue claim the salty fluid as Trent moaned in frustration and pleasure.

Carlos' tongue swabbed around the head of Trent's member, darting across the slit to catch more of the leaking fluid onto it, savoring the heady taste.

Trent's hips moved restlessly as Carlos continued his sampling, his body craving for so much more.

The Dallas police officer trailed his tongue across the underside of the ruddy member, around the sides, across the tip, repeating the motions several times before finally taking the member into the chasm of his mouth.

Trent's body shook and his hips thrust upwards on their own accord. Carlos took Trent in deeper as his hands caressed the blonde's supine body. Trent's fingers wove through Carlos' soft hair and urged him faster with soft moans.

Carlos' hand came up to massage the karate instructor's scrotum, cupping him as his tempo sped up.

Carlos was determined to give Trent all the pleasure he possibly could, the night entirely devoted to his pleasure and his needs. Tonight there would be no rushing, just a slow and steady build up of pleasure, Carlos showing Trent how loved he was beyond words. Carlos was determined to try his best to strip Trent of the horrid memories of being held captive and rebuild it with treasured memories in its place.

"God Carlos, so hot, more...need more," Trent murmured, hips writhing in counter motion to Carlos' mouth.

Carlos' rhythm altered, changing the patterns of his use of teeth and cheeks to keep the martial artist off balance. He kept up his teasing pattern until he felt Trent's muscles tightening in need and frustration.

The Hispanic detective then decided to relent and sped up, taking Trent in over and over again in a relentless tempo.

Trent opened his eyes and watched his length disappearing between Carlos' full lips, watching as he was suckled and lavished with such loving attention and felt the glowing yearning in his stomach spreading in waves through his pulsing body.

Carlos could feel the martial artist's body straining, fighting against the urge to let his control slacken. The Hispanic detective was just as determined to take Trent over the edge and into pleasure as the blonde was to keep a rein on his restraint.

Faster and faster, Carlos pressed on, taking Trent over and over again without pause. The P.I. moaned, arching up to meet Carlos' mouth in harmony with the tempo, his body struggling with itself and losing.

Murmured endearments and incoherent phrases mixed with moans and it encouraged the fire in Carlos' blood, his own arousal becoming tangible, as he kept up his pace. Hearing Trent's voice was enough to drive him to start rubbing his own hardness through his jeans with his free hand.

Carlos felt the tightening, felt the twitching of muscles, and knew it wouldn't take much more for Trent to fall over the edge, so he redoubled his efforts.

With a smothered cry, Carlos felt Trent's whole body spasm and his mouth was filled with his mate's essence, flowing hot and rich into him. He swallowed the salty, tart fluid avidly and gently licked the karate instructor clean as his lover quivered under him.

Trent's chest heaved, drawing in short gasps of air as his head slowly stopped orbiting around the point just beyond. With effort, he came back into himself and reached down to pull Carlos up, onto the bed beside him and voraciously kissed him, tasting himself in the Hispanic officer's kiss.

"I want you inside me," Trent murmured when the kiss was finally broken and they had moved more fully onto the bed.

Broad, tanned, hands ran soothingly over Trent's body. "Querido, you know I want to, but not yet, it's too soon," Carlos reminded him.

Though his own body ached, craving release of its own, it would ease up eventually and he was satisfied knowing he'd brought Trent pleasure.

Trent's paler hand ran down Carlos' sleek, broad chest, down his toned stomach, until he reached the bulging, straining material at Carlos' groin. Fingers rubbed insistently against the officer's hardness.

"Then do something else for me?" Trent asked in a whisper.

"What?" Carlos groaned, Trent's hand making it almost impossible for him to even think, let alone speak coherently.

"I want to watch you while you touch yourself for me," Trent responded, endlessly blue eyes boring into his.

While Carlos was far from being an inhibited lover, he wasn't an exhibitionist either. His thoughts became jumbled when Trent's tongue found its way along the curve of his ear while the instructor's other hand had moved up to unsnap the button on Carlos' jeans and had pulled the zipper down, fingertips trailing over his lower abdomen.

"Please? For me?" Trent asked in a throaty voice.

Lifting up his hips, Carlos tugged the jeans down, Trent's hand helping until he could kick them off. It was Trent's hands though that took hold of the maroon silk boxers with black print Carlos wore and gradually pulled them down, releasing the Hispanic officer's moist, dark, thickened erection from its confines.

Trent's lips nibbled at Carlos' neck while his hand stroked Carlos' chest. The Dallas detective let his own hand roam down his stomach, fingers trailing through the sparse, crisp hair of his lower stomach that led down to denser forest of his groin.

Slowly his fingers closed around his own aching length, and started caressing himself in slow, sure measure. He felt his own warmth, his fingers spreading his own moisture over the inflamed skin as it stirred in his fingers.

Carlos' eyes drifted shut as he concentrated on the internal rhythm that guided his fingers, giving himself the touches that felt the best as he felt the gradual fire stroking in his gut.

Coming down momentarily, he cupped his testicles, squeezing slightly and moaning softly at the reaction. His hand then closed around his member again, teasing the plump head that leaked, getting spread over the length to heighten the friction.

"God, you are absolutely gorgeous," Trent whispered thickly.

Even though his eyes were closed, Carlos could still feel Trent's heavy gaze on him, could feel the smoldering stare as smoky dark blue eyes held fast to his fingers. It was an erotic feeling to know he had the ability to arouse Trent without even touching him, to know that Trent found him so attractive that he was content to just watch him. He had never found himself especially handsome, but Trent had a way of making him feel that way, of making him feel so wanted and treasured.

Trent was overwhelmed at the image Carlos made and he took it all in greedily. His Latino was such a magnificent sight, dark head moving against the pillow under his head, the beautifully tanned skin glistening with a fine sheen of perspiration making it practically glow, firm muscles flexing and unflexing with the building need, hazy, umber eyes burning with desire. It was almost too much to bare.

Carlos felt hot lips blazing a trail across his chest, licking at a nipple while a single finger- tip circled the other.

"Oh Love, wish you could see yourself, so hot, so beautiful," Trent whispered.

The Latino moaned, rumbling in his chest, as his hand picked up the pace and his hips rising and falling in time to his hand. The tension in his body was becoming intolerable, he could feel the driving, pulsing need spreading though him, taking him closer and closer to the brink.

"That's it Lover, come for me," Trent whispered encouragingly.

Carlos groaned loudly in response. Reaching up, he cupped the back of Trent's blonde head and pulled him down for a hot, long kiss. As though a man starved, he plundered the recesses of Trent's mouth, claiming him hungrily as the last threads holding his restraint in check severed.

Carlos moaned deeply into Trent's mouth and was returned as he felt his body trembled and waves of pleasure exploded through him. He continued feasting on Trent's lips as he felt his own seed seeping over his fingers and onto his stomach.

Trent nibbled at his mouth, brushing against them as his body slowly returned to normal, his breathing becoming more regulated as his racing heart reluctantly calmed.

Carlos' eyes gradually opened and he watched through foggy eyes as Trent captured his hand and brought the Latino's fingers up to his lips and gently drew one finger into his mouth, bathing it with his tongue, only to repeat the sensual strokes to all of Carlos' fingers until each was studiously cleaned.

The martial artist then leaned down to kiss Carlos in a tender, consuming, kiss before moving off the bed. Carlos watched Trent's attractive backside as his lithe body moved into the bathroom.

Feeling completely content and sated, Carlos' eyes drifted shut until he felt a moist, warm cloth gently cleaning his stomach. Warm, sapphire eyes looked into his so lovingly that he felt his heart constrict.

Tossing the cloth to the floor, Trent climbed back onto the bed and into Carlos' waiting arms. They closed around him and drew him to the Latino's chest.

"You know, I still can't believe you actually want to marry me," Carlos murmured, kissing lightly across Trent's neck.

Trent turned his head to look into Carlos' eyes.

"Well, you'd better believe it because I'm not going anywhere," he assured the officer and sealed the promise with a kiss on his full lips.

Carlos let his hands travel over Trent's back lightly. "You know, if someone told me I'd meet the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with when I was only a kid, I would have said they were crazy."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Trent murmured. "It seems like so much wasted time, years we've lost."

"Nah, not wasted, not really," Carlos whispered, fingers running through damp blonde hair. "It just makes what we got now all that much better." His lips caressed the soft, pliable ones of the karate instructor. "Besides, we got a lifetime left to make up for it."

"Now and always, Querido, now and always," Trent vowed before kissing his lifemate back.

Outside rain fell, washing the city in a cold shower. The late November wind howled and blew gustily in a chilly breeze while clouds moved against a gray sky. Inside a lone loft, though, it went unnoticed by the two bodies that were entangled in an embrace, two hearts warmed by a love that couldn't be touched.




*****The End*****



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