Bondage by Chris Owen, Jodi Payne Read Free Book Online Page A

today? I think I should get to work, after all." He looked at Tobias. "I'll get one of the other counselors to cover practice tonight; this is important."
    Tobias nodded and kissed him again. "I'll see you after your shift, then, pet. Be safe, all right?"
    "Yes, always. I better run." He knelt down in front of Phan and touched his face, then kissed him lightly on the cheek. "You made the right decision. Eat, will you? And get some sleep." He smiled and stood up again. "Glad I could be of service," he told Bradford in his most official cop-voice and winked at him. "Got the car keys?" He held out the keys to Tobias' truck in exchange.
    Tobias fished the car keys out of his pocket and traded them with Noah just as his cell phone began to ring. "Dee," Tobias groaned, looking at the screen. "Go, we'll see you later." He tapped Phan on the shoulder and said, "Breakfast. Now."
    "Yes, sir," Phan said. "Noah--" He paused and shrugged. "I'll try to say thank you later."
    Tobias' phone rang again and he pointed to the dining room and the front door, smiling as his boys scattered. "I'm on my way," he said into the phone as he pressed the talk button.
    "Oh, good, we've got work to do," Deidre said in his ear.
    Tobias looked at Bradford and raised an eyebrow. "We certainly do."

Chapter 5
    Tobias got home at four on the dot, stunned by how quickly the day had passed. He and Deidre had been run nearly ragged, and he hadn't had time to do much more than call Bradford and ask the man to bring Phantom to the apartment at about four-thirty. He certainly hadn't had time to actually sit and think, which was good from a not panicking perspective, but not great when one considered the situation as a whole.
    He showered quickly, ridding himself of the smell of livestock as best he could, and dressed in soft jeans and a sweatshirt. Working clothes, really, and probably not appropriate to soothe and coax either Noah or Phan, but sometimes comfort was more important than image.
    He'd just put the coffee on when the front desk buzzed him to say that Noah was on his way up, and he found himself waiting by the condo door, eager to see what kind of state his lover was in.
    Noah knocked briefly and started to let himself in, seeming surprised to see Tobias on the other side of the door. He looked up and smiled, his eyes tired, but he seemed in good spirits. "Hi," he said as he moved into the hall. He was still in uniform and was carrying a large duffel on his shoulder. "I hope you don't mind, I picked up a few things at home on my lunch break today, figuring it would be a late night or two, and then... well, the weekend."
    "Good thought," Tobias said, taking the bag from him and tossing it on the floor. He crowded Noah against the wall and added, "You've had a lot of them today." Then he kissed him thoroughly.
    Noah melted into the kiss, sliding fingers into Tobias' hair. When they paused to breathe he looked into Tobias' eyes and said, "I hope this is a good idea. I don't see Phan getting another chance."
    "Shh. Phan later. You and me now." Tobias kissed him again, one hand going to the small of Noah's back and pulling him closer. "Mine," he growled. "No matter what."
    "Nothing will change that." Noah was breathless from the kiss, and a little flushed. It looked as good on him as his uniform. "How much time do we have?" He tugged on Tobias' sweater.
    "Not enough," Tobias said with real regret. "Come on, let's get some coffee into you, at least." He leaned in and took another kiss, though, not ready to let Noah go.
    "Coffee sounds great. But promise me that I'll get you alone for at least a couple of hours tonight." He grinned and slipped away, if only a few inches. "I better change. You want my gun and my pager?" He reached for the hefty buckle on his gun belt.
    "Yes," Tobias said, holding out his hand. "Give me your gun." He grinned and winked to add to the tease, then added, "I'm sure we can manage a couple of hours -- if nothing else, Phan will fall