Unarm (Hooked Book 5) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Introduction

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  About the Author

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Introduction

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  About the Author

  Unarm

  Hooked #5

  Charity Parkerson

  Without limiting the rights under copyright(s) reserved above and below, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior permission of the copyright owner.

  Please Note

  The scanning, uploading, and distributing of this book via the internet or via any other means without the permission of the copyright owner is illegal and punishable by law. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Brief passages may be quoted for review purposes if credit is given to the copyright holder. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. Any resemblances to person(s) living or dead, is completely coincidental. All items contained within this novel are products of the author’s imagination.

  --Warning: This book is intended for readers over the age of 18.

  Copyright © 2017 Charity Parkerson

  Editor: Hercules Editing and Consultants

  Photographer: Strangeland Photography

  All rights reserved.

  Introduction

  All it took was one night with Jace, and Tyler was hooked. Too bad it took less than one night for him to ruin any chance of being with Jace.

  Twenty years of working with endangered and exploited children has left Tyler tired and jaded. Even though he’s solved hundreds of cases, saving children all over the country, the countless he couldn’t save haunt his dreams. He’s yet to meet a man who can tolerate his dark moods for long. That is, until he meets Jace.

  Jace has spent his life used and mistreated by men. Even though he keeps up a strong face, he’s exhausted and his self-esteem is non-existent. Something about Tyler is different from the rest. For Jace, Tyler checks every box. However, the instant he gives Tyler a chance, the man crushes him, proving he’s exactly like every other man Jace has ever met.

  Tyler hates that he’s hurt Jace. Although he immediately regrets his actions, he also doesn’t know how to build a real relationship when he doesn’t think he has anything to offer. How can two men who’ve never known love recognize it, even when it’s staring them in the face? They’d better figure things out quick, because their relationship is heating up fast. Neither man wants to get burned, and there’s already one person who can’t wait to destroy what they have.

  Chapter 1

  They’d met once before, when Jace had been dating Jimmy. That didn’t explain why Tyler was on Jace’s doorstep now or why he was staring at Jace the way he was.

  “Hey, Tyler. What brings you by?”

  Tyler shook his head as if shaking off a trance. “I’m looking for Jimmy.” His words came out stilted, as if his mind was in one place while his mouth was in another. “I’ve checked both bars, and he wasn’t at either.”

  “Did you check his house?”

  Tyler blinked. “The idea never crossed my mind. He’s never home.”

  Jace pasted on his kindest smile. If anyone understood the craziness of caring about Jimmy, it was Jace. “From what I understand, he rarely leaves the house, other than to go to the gym, since Eli moved in.”

  A deep line appeared between Tyler’s eyes. “Who the hell is Eli?”

  Jace shifted—uncomfortable. “Jimmy’s boyfriend.” It took every ounce of Jace’s willpower not to stress the word “boy.” He wasn’t bitter—much. He also didn’t miss Jimmy. It was more about his stinging pride than anything. If anything, Tyler looked more confused by Jace’s answer.

  “When did that happen? I thought the two of you were still dating. That’s why I stopped by here.”

  Jace shook his head. “Not for a while now.”

  Tyler didn’t respond. His gaze continued to move over Jace’s face, as if confused by Jace. The longer Tyler stared, the more uncomfortable Jace became. He caught himself brushing his cheek, wondering if he had something on his face. Makeup smeared his fingers. Heat filled his cheeks.

  “Oh, I forgot. My nephew is in the running for an internship with Rylan Santos, the makeup artist for the stars. He’s friends with countless women who’ll let him use them as test subjects, but other than himself, I’m the only man willing to be his guinea pig. It completely slipped my mind he’d been experimenting on me earlier. No wonder you’ve been staring at me like that. You must think I’m crazy.”

  “How was I staring at you?” Tyler asked without missing a beat.

  A smile pulled at the corners of Jace’s mouth. “Like you don’t know what to do with me.”

  Tyler shook his head. When he responded, his voice deepened. “That’s not how I was staring at you, and I definitely wasn’t thinking you’re crazy.”

  It was the way Tyler said each word. Jace’s mouth went dry. Being with Jimmy had wrecked Jace’s self-confidence. He shouldn’t have let it happen, but damn. It had really fucked with his head the way Jimmy had obviously been completely uninterested in anything sexual with Jace. He wasn’t sure why Jimmy had wanted to be with him at all. The man had kissed him several times, as if he wanted more, but always stopped short of sealing the deal. At first, he’d thought Jimmy was being respectful. Then he’d thought Jimmy’s horrible past held him back. Eli had come along and it couldn’t have been more obvious Jimmy wasn’t having a single problem getting it up for that boy. Jace shoved his bitter thoughts aside. He needed to stop dwelling on it, which would be a lot easier if he didn’t feel so damn lacking. Jace hated not liking himself. Now Tyler had butterflies stirring in Jace’s stomach.

  “Damn,” Jace said, breathlessly, before he could call it back. “I’m dying to know what you were thinking.”

  Tyler’s features transformed, leaving Jace feeling flattened. A polite smile touched the man’s sexy lips. It couldn’t have been more apparent Tyler was shutting Jace down. “Sorry for bothering you. Thanks for the info. I’ll check Jimmy’s house.”

  Jace felt his face harden into a fake smile. “Sure thing.” Even to Jace’s ears, he sounded overly bright. “Good luck with your search.”

  Tyler nodded and turned to leave. Before Tyler made it three steps, he reversed course, coming to stand toe to toe with Jace. “I wasn’t staring at you like I don’t know what to do with you. The opposite, in fact. I know exactly what I’d like to do with you. Also, I can’t leave without saying, your nephew totally deserves that internship. You have the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen, and he did an amazing job of making them stand out.” His heated gaze swept down Jace’s body before he added, “Not that I’m saying they’re your best feature. Really, the whole thing is… damn.”

  Heat exploded through Jace’s face.

  Tyler’s mouth lifted in one corner. “Have dinner with me.”

>   “You’re looking for Jimmy, remember?” Jace said, hating his need to remind Tyler of his errand. He hadn’t been so tempted in a long time.

  “I’ll find him tomorrow. It’s late. Like dinner time late. We should eat.”

  He was torn. This man had raised Jimmy from fourteen. Even though there wasn’t a huge age difference between Tyler and Jimmy, he was like the man’s dad. Nonetheless, Jace wanted to go. It wasn’t as if he’d ever been serious with Jimmy, and Tyler didn’t seem to mind.

  “Let me wash this stuff off and change clothes.”

  Tyler’s gaze raked Jace’s body once more, making Jace burn. “Or you could go as you are; whatever you’re comfortable with.”

  “I’ll change,” Jace repeated, waving Tyler inside.

  *

  As Tyler crossed the threshold of Jace’s house, he questioned his sanity. He’d started out the evening determined to find Jimmy. Now a different hunt filled his head. Months ago, when he’d met Jace, Tyler would’ve had to have been blind not to notice how incredibly sexy Jace was, but that was as far as his thoughts had gone on the matter.

  When Jace answered the door tonight, Tyler’s mind had blanked. With his eyes coated in eyeliner and a light tint to his sexy lips, Jace had Tyler’s mind going one place. Jace was the most beautiful man Tyler had ever seen. Tyler had never wanted to touch anyone as badly—just to see if he was real. The offer for dinner was an impulsive one. Tyler wouldn’t take it back.

  “Can I get you something to drink while you wait?”

  “I’m good,” Tyler said, taking a seat on the plush leather sofa. “Do what you need to. I’m a patient guy.” He was, but not when it came to sexy men. Tyler’s dick was already stirring at the thought of Jace taking off his clothes, even if it was only long enough for Jace to change into something else.

  “I’ll hurry.” The husky note to Jace’s voice had Tyler wondering if he knew Tyler was half turned on already.

  Once Jace disappeared down the hall, Tyler swept his gaze over the room to give himself something to do other than picturing a nude Jace close by. The walls were an off-white—like countless other homes, but Jace’s house had extra touches, letting Tyler know the man had invested a ton of money in the place. Arched doorways were the first giveaway. Plus, the place just smelled expensive—like polished wood and something flowery. Even the curtains looked custom made. By the time Tyler spotted Jace making his way back down the hall, he’d convinced himself the dude was way out of Tyler’s league.

  Then Jace stepped into view, and Tyler no longer cared. It was cool outside for late September, and Jace dressed the part. His dark jeans cupped the man’s ass to perfection. However, it was the long-sleeve henley straining against Jace’s biceps that had Tyler’s mouth watering. The man’s body was beyond amazing. Tyler was on his feet and moving closer before he realized it—as if he was drawn in by Jace’s sexiness like a magnet.

  “What do you do for a living?” Tyler had no clue where the conversational-type question came from, considering he was thinking of ripping Jace’s clothes off and stalking the man like he was prey.

  Jace’s smile was everything. “I’m a dental hygienist at Oak Ridge Dental.”

  “I have to say I’ve never had a dentist who looks like you. It must be hard work pulling teeth to get muscles like these,” he said, using their discussion as an excuse to touch Jace’s arms. Fuck. They felt as good as they looked.

  A sexy-sounding chuckle left Jace and caressed Tyler’s ears. “I don’t pull teeth. That’s a dentist. I’m a hygienist. I clean teeth. The muscle is from fighting.”

  That brought Tyler up short before realization set in. He snapped his fingers. “That’s right. You do the MMA thing with Jimmy?”

  Jace’s nose curled as they headed for the door. Jesus. Tyler didn’t know if he’d survive the upcoming meal. He wanted to stay here and savor Jace instead.

  “Actually, I’m in a different weight class than Jimmy, but I get what you’re saying. We fight for the same gym—Smith Brothers. It’s just a hobby for me. I like the release of pent-up energy.”

  Tyler’s stomach growled. He laughed at the sound. “Sorry. I’m starving.” He really was, but not for food. It had been too long since Tyler lost himself in another man’s body. He was certain he’d never indulged in anyone half as sexy as Jace.

  * * *

  Tyler was amazing. Every smile, word, and heated glance had Jace blushing. Their food disappeared with no real thought. Jace’s focus remained locked on Tyler the entire meal. There was never a pause in the conversation because Jace wanted to know all the details of Tyler’s life. He’d asked so many questions, it was a miracle Tyler managed to sneak in a single bite.

  With his gaze locked on Jace’s face, Tyler set his elbows on the table and leaned closer. “Your skin is flushed. It makes your sexy eyes stand out even more. I imagine if I kissed you, you’d look the same way afterward.”

  “It’s the excitement,” Jace admitted without shame.

  “From being with me?” Tyler asked, sounding doubtful. “You should be bored off your ass. I’m the least exciting person I know.”

  “It’s the way you’re staring at me—like you’re imagining all the naughty things you could do. I haven’t felt desired in a long time.” Horror choked Jace. “I don’t know why I just said that.”

  Tyler shrugged, taking the sting from Jace’s embarrassment. “It’s not you. People tell me things. Do you know that’s why I do what I do? When I was a teenager, my best friend confessed she’d been sexually abused by her step-dad. She never told anyone else because she didn’t think they’d believe her. I felt helpless and didn’t like it. It brought back a million terrible memories from my childhood.”

  “Oh no,” Jace said, not ready for someone else to confess they’d been sexually abused. Dealing with Jimmy had been enough for one lifetime.

  “It’s nothing like that,” Tyler said, reassuring Jace as if he realized how his words sounded. “When I was little, I had an extremely abusive mom. I don’t remember much about it because I had an awesome dad who kept me away from her. Unfortunately, my younger brother wasn’t so lucky. My friend’s confession reminded me of how helpless I’d felt when I couldn’t help him. We had different dads, you see. He was the unlucky one.” Tyler snorted. “Now it’s almost funny I ever thought becoming a cop and joining the Exploited and Endangered Children’s Division would change anything.”

  “Why is it funny?” Jace asked, engrossed in the conversation.

  An acerbic-looking smile touched Tyler’s lips. “Every day I wake up feeling more helpless and useless than the day before. There’re way more kids out there than I can help.”

  Jace’s eyes stung at the honesty in Tyler’s voice. “That’s sad.”

  Tyler shrugged again and his entire demeanor changed. “Wow. I ruined that moment, didn’t I? Here, you gave me the perfect opening to tell you how much I’d love to be inside you. In fact, I don’t think I’ve wanted anyone as much in years. Instead, I started talking about work. Obviously, I’m hopeless.”

  In spite of himself, Jace snorted. “In a way, I’m glad you changed the subject.”

  “Why’s that?” Tyler asked as he brought his drink to his lips.

  Jace was the one who shrugged this time. “Who knows what I might’ve said next? A thousand confessions raced to my tongue. If I’d kept on, I might’ve ended up too embarrassed to look at you again.”

  Tyler’s mouth lifted in one corner, becoming the sexiest smirk Jace had ever seen. “You shouldn’t be embarrassed with me. Not ever. I should confess, I’m pretty fucking kinky. After one night with me, you might not ever blush over anything else again.”

  There was something wrong with Jace’s breathing. He sucked in a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart. Nothing worked. Tyler’s expression shifted again, going from wicked to cynical. He nodded toward a nearby table. “Now that guy should be embarrassed. He’s been watching the game on his phone the whole night
while his wife picks at her food. Nothing’s worse than being lonely when you’re not alone. I give it six months before she finds someone who appreciates her.”

  Jace glanced over. Sure enough, there was a guy wearing a football jersey sitting with a woman dressed for a night on the town. He was staring at his phone. She looked miserable. Jace hadn’t noticed anyone else around them since the moment they’d sat down. If anyone had asked, he would’ve sworn Tyler hadn’t either. The man hadn’t looked away from Jace all night.

  “It’s part of my job,” Tyler explained, as if reading Jace’s mind. “I always notice everything around me and take in the smallest details.”

  Jace was fascinated. “What else have I missed while you held my attention?”

  A line appeared between Tyler’s eyes. “I didn’t mean to make you feel as if you haven’t had my full and undivided attention.”

  Before he could stop it from happening, Jace rolled his eyes. “I don’t feel that way at all.” Jace winked. “Aren’t you supposed to be good at reading people?”

  Tyler sat forward. The way he focused on Jace made Jace feel like the rest of the world slipped away. “I’m very good at a lot of things.”

  Jace’s blood sang. This man would make Jace beg. He felt it in his bones. “Then what else have I missed?” Jace asked again.

  Tyler’s smile said he was about to blow Jace’s mind.

  Jace had never been more intrigued by anyone.

  Tyler’s gaze flickered toward a server across the room. “That waiter is stealing tips from the rest of the staff and ‘forgot’ to return a credit card to a customer earlier.”

  Jace bit his lip to keep from smiling. “Go on.”

  Challenge lit Tyler’s eyes. “There’re two women sitting behind me.”

  With a quick glance, Jace confirmed Tyler’s claim. “And?”

  “They’ve been friends for years. One just broke things off with her boyfriend because there was no spark. The other one is barely stopping herself from doing permanent damage to her vision from all the eye rolls she’s holding back.”