Out Of The Shadows Ch. 02

I didn't comment when Rob booked us only one room, but it was a twin so we'd both have space. I actually felt too tired to even worry about it, yet alone decide if there was anything subtle I could do to gauge if he had any interest in me. I couldn't examine all of that just now either, my brain was still too fogged and I couldn't concentrate on anything other than the idea of lying down in a comfy bed. I was almost so out of it that following Rob to the room I forgot for a moment to take advantage of the back view of him, but only for a moment. As soon as I got in the room I dropped my bag on one of the beds.

"Do you mind if I have a shower? I just need a quick one before I get back to sleep."

He shook his head, and didn't even blink at the mention of a quick one. Clearly too subtle. I'd have to do better in the days to come. I tried, and failed, to get my top off. My arms moving like they needed and then above my head was now too painful for me. Couldn't they just have asked nicely? Of course, now they would know I had lied to them despite being beaten, which wasn't good.

"Rob?" he looked up from sorting through his bag. "I need a hand with my jumper. Everything aches."

He did his sorrowful expression again, and came over to me. I was glad again of the pain, because his hands running up my sides was way beyond good. He seemed to be taking his time, perhaps not to hurt me further, but just maybe because he wanted to? I smiled once I was naked to the waist.

"Thanks."

He glanced down at me, actually looking a little nervous. "Are you going to need help with the rest?"

Nice idea, but one I was not ready for. "Should be fine. I can just undo and shake them down. They'll be a lot easier to get off than on."

"Okay. Give me a shout if you do get stuck."

He went back to sorting his clothes out, and I headed into the bathroom, managing to drop my trousers by myself which I was glad of. I only needed to hang onto the wall to step out of them, and then it was into the wonderful warm water. I'd never had a shower feel so good. The flow of water almost seemed to have restorative powers, because as well as soothing my muscles and bruises it started to help clear my head. The only problem with that was it brought back to mind all the fantasies I'd already had about Rob that weekend, and a few more when I started thinking of him in bed just next door.

I looked down at my erect cock and decided it needed sorting out before I had to face him again. As I started to stroke myself I tried not to think about him, but gave up the fight quickly. He was all my body wanted right then and all my mind could create as fantasies involved him. It wasn't difficult for me to imagine him naked, but I had a feeling that the reality would be a million times better, if I was ever lucky enough to see it. I thought about the feeling of his hands on my body and that was enough to have me shooting, letting out a soft groan that I instantly hoped could not be heard outside.

I stepped out of the shower on slightly shaky legs and dried myself down while I regained my composure so I could face the man who'd just had a starring role in my wank fantasy – for the second time that day. Being around him was likely to be the cause of an awful lot of self-abuse over the coming days, and the thought just made me grin and brought out my cheeky side. I always slept naked, and it was going to be difficult to get my boxers back on, so I'd make my first attempt at interesting him.

I wrapped a towel around my waist, not intending to go out there dick waving in case it decided to do it's flagpole impression. Still, the towel was pretty low on my hips and as I walked my thigh would show in flashes. Yet if he wasn't interested, this was no more than you could see in any locker room. Nor would be my naked ass as I dropped the towel to get into bed. I wasn't entirely sure where these ideas were coming from, but intense sexual frustration was certainly a factor. I'd finally found a man I wanted to do something with, and I needed to know if I stood a chance.

Somehow my need helped me find my inner confidence, and I didn't even flinch as I walked out of the bathroom wearing only my towel and a smile. I couldn't quite find the confidence to look at him, and played it normal, heading for my bed and putting my clothes on the chair beside it. If he wanted to look, and please let him want to look, he had all the time he wanted. I walked between the beds to get in, pulling back the covers and as planned dropping my towel then sliding straight in. I could have sworn I heard a gasp from behind me, and it made me grin. I might be a bit of a weed generally, but I did like my ass, and if that noise was what I thought, then so did he.

Once I'd wiped the smile from my face, I turned over to face him, pleased to see he looked a little flustered. It felt wrong to comment on that fact, so I just wished him goodnight and settled myself down, only slightly frustrated that he was already tucked under his covers so I couldn't see his chest. I was so sleepy I wasn't even able to take advantage of him getting up a few minutes later and heading to the bathroom himself. My eyes seemed almost glued shut, and I couldn't find the energy to open them, although I did fall asleep with a smile on my face when I heard soft moans coming from behind the door and had a good idea why he was making them.

* * * * * *

I woke to the sound of running water, pleasantly warm and comfy in the bed and hard as a rock although I couldn't remember what I had been dreaming about. Hopefully if I had been having a sexual dream it did not come with audio. I stretched and suddenly remembered the less pleasant events of yesterday. I wasn't sure if I wanted to know what colour the bruises were today, but I was going to have to look at some point. At least it would mean I was healing.

I sat up slowly, glad to note that actually it didn't hurt as much as I remembered. When the sheets fell down into my lap I studied the growing colours across my stomach and decided it did not look pretty. There was plenty of red still, but some quite impressive purple areas, probably where the punches had landed. I was still inspecting the damage when Rob came out of the bathroom, a cloud of steam behind him. For the first time I got to see what had been covered by his shirt.

He was, as I suspected, built like a greek god. His broad shoulders topped off a beautiful and muscular chest, covered in a sandy blond fur. The fur tapered into a treasure trail that led down into his jogging bottoms, across a six pack that made me want to trace the lines with my tongue. There was just one thing strange about this vision of beauty and it set me laughing. Rob looked confused.

"What is so funny?"

"Sorry, I was just thinking how wrong blond chest hair looks with the dark wig."

He managed a smile. "Good thing I keep my top on in public then." His eyes darted down to my bruises and his smile disappeared. "I've run you a bath. It'll help soothe your stomach, and with any luck you'll be back to normal quicker."

"Thanks," I said, but didn't move. My erection had only got worse at the sight of him.

"It'll be getting cold if you don't get in it."

"I just need a moment," I replied, slightly embarrassed.

"I saw your naked ass last night, so don't worry about it."

That almost seemed like a challenge. "I always sleep naked. Ass is one thing, morning wood is rather different."

It was his turn to look embarrassed. "Sorry. I'll be over here," he said, throwing me a towel and turning his back. The back view of him wasn't helping my situation either, those broad planes tapering down to his slim waist and just starting to swell over what I had no doubt was a pair of beautiful round cheeks, but at least he couldn't see me now. I pretty much ran to the bathroom, the towel covering the part of me that seemed to be out of control.

I closed the door and settled into the warm water with a deep sigh. This was even better than the shower, and it made me glad that he'd thought to do this for me. I hadn't got him figured out yet, and I was wondering what I wanted. If I kept teasing him then he might crack and we could have some fun, but would it just be a bit of fun, and could I deal with it not being something more serious? I had a feeling that what I wanted was a lot more and he was probably not in a position to offer that. Could I forget about all my inhibitions and just let whatever happened take place, knowing that once this was over I might never see him again?

Even my deep and meaningful thoughts didn't stop me being horny, so I stroked myself while I thought about him again. Had he really liked what he'd seen last night, and had it been the cause of him wanking himself off in the bathroom after I had gone to bed? If so, I was a better tease than I thought, but he thought I was straight. I needed him to know I wasn't without making it too obvious he could take whatever he wanted from me. He cared about me in as much as he felt guilty about what had happened, and it was now his job to keep us safe, but that might be it.

I let out another deep sigh, wishing not for the first time that I would grow some balls and go get what I wanted. I knew I wanted him, and it was only getting worse. I just needed to quit worrying about the consequences. There were far worse things in this world. Like being on the run from a gang who just might want to kill us. If that wasn't enough for me to throw caution to the wind, I didn't know what would be.

My desires took over finally, and I managed to come just remembering what Rob looked like with no top on, quietly this time. I had to get out of the bath before I turned into a prune, and it had helped me relax enough that I even managed to get dried and dressed without too much problem. I'd have to take a few more baths over the next few days and that should sort me out. I needed to be able to move without pain if I wanted to do even half the things that were on my mind.

When I stepped back into the main room Rob said he was off for a shower. I was ready and bored, so I took the key and wandered over to the service station for a newspaper. A little part of me wondered if there would be any report on my beating, but that would probably only be local news and not get this far out. I grabbed some chocolate and drinks for the journey while I was there, knowing we had breakfast to go to but I didn't know how much further we would be driving today.

Heading back to the room, I felt relaxed and happy, up until I saw Rob in the doorway with a very displeased look on his face. He grabbed me and pulled me back into the room before I had chance to ask what was wrong. I could tell he was angry, and I didn't know why until he started ranting at me.

"What the hell are you doing? Do you need reminding we are supposed to be in hiding, and I am supposed to be protecting you? How can I do that if you wander off without a word? You could have been in the back of a van getting a beating, or worse, right now."

Shit. I hadn't even thought of that. I mumbled an apology.

"I should hope you're sorry. Nearly gave me a heart attack, and then I see you wandering up the corridor as if everything is right with the world. You do not do that again, understood."

I just nodded. He seemed to be on a roll with shouting at me, and I did not want to piss him off. I heard him let out a sigh, and he sat down on his bed, opposite where I had sat. His voice suddenly softened, and I dared to look him in the eyes. It made me feel even worse, because I could see how worried he had been.

"I know you didn't want to talk about this, but you have to understand. I know these people and if they have to kill someone they will. Right now, they know I was undercover and can give evidence against them. I am a priority target, and they have contacts all over the place who will be looking for me. They also know you were with me, and if they have to use you to get to me they will. I am so sorry for dragging you into this, but it won't matter to them that we only met yesterday."

I almost wanted to get shirty with him, because this was all his fault. Then I remembered that I'd got beaten up just for having been the on-duty solicitor. This was a bad situation, and I had not helped him by not taking that on board.

"I am sorry. I won't forget again, and I won't leave your side."

He actually managed a smile. "You can take a piss on your own, I promise! As for leaving the room, we do that together. And right now we need to get some breakfast and back on the road."

* * * * * *

Breakfast was pretty much eaten in silence, while I continued to beat myself up for not taking our situation seriously. I guess I'd been far too preoccupied with Rob to fully appreciate how much trouble we were in. Even when we got into the car I didn't quite know what to say to him. In the end though, I decided I wanted to know more about the guy that had me in knots.

"Rob. Can I ask some questions?"

He chuckled. "Can't help the lawyer in you, I suppose. What do you want to know?"

"Seeing as we're stuck together for the foreseeable, I wanted to know more about you."

He glanced at me, looking concerned. "There's probably some things I can't tell you, for your safety and mine, but I'll answer what I can."

"Is Rob your real name?"

He laughed again. "Yes. But Webster isn't. I'll tell you when this is over."

"Is it normal to use your real name undercover?"

He shrugged at that. "It is for me. Rob's a common enough name and it saves me responding, or not responding, to a different name."

"How old are you?"

"Bit personal, isn't it? I'm thirty."

"I know you can't get into specifics, but how do you get to be trusted by people like that?"

"Grew up in a dodgy neighbourhood so I'm streetwise and have a lot of contacts who are minor league criminals now. They can help with introductions, largely because they don't know I'm a cop. Or didn't. Then you build a reputation, partly by a false record created by the police, some more major introductions, a few guys who will take money to help out, and also getting involved to some degree so you don't arouse suspicion."

"So you've actually committed crimes?"

He looked at me to see if I seemed worried by it, but I really was just interested.

"Yes, some. Only where I had to, my involvement has to be minimal or a prosecution would fall apart. You know the rules on entrapment." I nodded. "That said, sometimes lines are crossed, but I've never done anything really bad. My record right now shows I've been in prison for assault a couple of times, but that's the made up part." He paused for a moment. "I didn't do that armed robbery."

"I know."

We were stopped at lights, and he stared at me.

"You sound very certain you believe me. I'm not sure even the Chief did one hundred percent."

Did I confess? I needed to if we were to get anywhere, and he was kind enough to me that he deserved the truth. By the time I made up my mind to tell him we were moving again.

"You were in the double X on Friday night."

I heard a sound like a choke for a moment, and the car swerved slightly. Perhaps I shouldn't have told him while he was driving.

"I didn't tell you that."

I couldn't help the blush rising in my cheeks, even though I shouldn't be ashamed about it, especially not with him.

"I saw you coming in. I didn't realise until I saw you in that wig."

There was a long silence, and I was starting to wonder if I had been wrong after all. It certainly wasn't the opening to a conversation I thought we might be having.

"You did say 'coming in', not 'going in'?"

"Yes."

"Fuck! Why didn't you tell me before now?"

Tell him what, I wondered. It seemed time to cover my back.

"We've been awake for about two hours since I realised, part of which I spent in the bath, and part of which you spent shouting at me, quite rightly, for being an idiot. Under the circumstances the fact that I could back up your alibi didn't seem a priority."

There was another awkward silence, and I almost held my breath to see what he was going to say next.

"Fine. My turn to ask questions Alex." I shuddered, wondering where they were going to go. "I guess I can skip the parts about whether you use an alias or have a criminal record. And I don't want the rundown on how you become a solicitor. How old are you?"

"Twenty-five."

"You said yesterday you moved to the city for 'various reasons'. What reasons?"

Again I wondered how honest to be. "I couldn't get the work I wanted, or the salary, in the little town I was stuck in. Also my parents were driving me up the wall and I couldn't wait to get away. Plus there were other things I wanted to explore that I couldn't do in a small place."

"Like your sexuality?"

Somehow I laughed. "You said my question about your age was personal! I wouldn't put it like that. I knew what I was, but there's no clubs there, no scene, no opportunities to meet anyone."

He started laughing. "No opportunities to get laid, you mean."

"That's not all there is to life."

"I guess not. Is that why your parents were driving you crazy?"

"They don't know. I'm not out to them, or at work, or in fact to anyone."

"You are now. Welcome to the gay world, not that I get to see it often. Remind me to teach you the secret handshake later." He was amused by his comment, and I wasn't sure whether to take him seriously.

"Secret handshake?" I queried. He just laughed harder.

"It's a joke. Based on the idea that you don't shake a guy's hand, but his cock." He looked across to me. "Sorry if that sounds a little dodgy, I'm not meaning to be."

Shame, I thought. I'd have no objection to that kind of handshake, but I wasn't going to ask for it.

We were silent after that for quite a while. I wanted to know what was going on in his head but I couldn't bring myself to ask. My head was reeling with possibilities of us together, and changing between being worried it would happen and worried that it wouldn't. Eventually though I became focussed on one thing, and I couldn't wipe the smile off my face. I must have sat there with a dumb grin for some time because Rob noticed.

"What are you grinning at?"

I was startled to hear his voice after the silence. "Just pleased with myself for coming out. Even though it's only to one person. That's a good start, right?"

"Err, yeah."

He didn't sound certain, he sounded worried and I couldn't think why, or at least I didn't want to think about it. His eyes went back to the road and the silence fell again. This was starting to feel uncomfortable, and I turned up the radio, claiming it was one of my favourite songs. Not a lie, but I wouldn't have bothered to do that except it worked as a distraction. His eyes seemed to wander across to me from time to time, but I focussed on the road ahead and not him. Back to not wanting to catch his eye so he wouldn't notice me. Except now he already had, I just didn't know in what way.

* * * * * *