Free Dealing with the Past by Toni Griffin Page B

car, Jackson pulled out of his building parking structure and pointed his vehicle in the direction of his mate.
    Fifteen minutes later, Jackson pulled on to Aiden's street. The man was standing out in front of his unit block and, when he saw Jackson's car coming down the road, he hitched his leg up and shook it a couple of times. Jackson laughed as he pulled up beside where Aiden stood and wound the passenger window down.
    "Hello there, handsome, you looking for a good time?" Jackson asked with a leer.
    "Well, that all depends on your idea of a good time, now doesn't it," he said with a straight face.
    "I can guarantee I'll take you places you've never been before," Jackson replied, looking Aiden up and down. The tight blue jeans and print T-shirt looked good on his mate. Jackson wondered if he would ever get the opportunity to peel the clothes from his mate's body as they made out like teenagers.
    Aiden laughed. "Well, that's true. I can honestly say I've never been to a cemetery after dark before."
    Jackson chuckled along with Aiden before he leant over and pulled the door handle, opening the door for his mate. "Come on lets go," he said.
    Aiden got in the car and buckled his belt before turning to Jackson and raising a brow. "Aren't we going?"
    Jackson blinked. He hadn't been able to take his eyes from his beautiful mate. He could feel his cheeks heating at being caught staring but chose to ignore it. Hopefully the dark would hide his embarrassment. Instead, he indicated and conducted a U-turn and headed in the direction of the cemetery.
    The ride over was silent, the only noise the soft hum of music coming from his radio. The silence wasn't uncomfortable, which Jackson was pleased about. He hoped like hell that meant his mate was starting to warm up to him and become more at ease in his presence.
    In less than ten minutes, Jackson was pulling his car up outside the cemetery. There were no other cars about. During the working week, there could be four or more of his family's cars parked out front of Thorak Cemetery at any given time, add in the customers' cars as well and the place looked like a regular hub of activity. Now though, being a Saturday night, there wasn't another soul around.
    Jackson put the car in park and turned to face Aiden. "You ready to do this?" he asked quietly. He hadn't wanted to break the easy silence that had fallen between them but needed to make sure his mate was okay with what was about to happen.
    "Yeah, I think so. It will be weird seeing Brendan again but I really would like the opportunity to say goodbye. He was a good friend."
    "Friend? I thought you were partners?" Jackson was confused. As much as he hated to think about anyone but himself being that way with Aiden, from what he had read and been told, they were lovers.
    Jackson could just make out the blush that crept up Aiden's cheeks in the dim light. "We may have been lovers but we were never partners. We didn't love each other that way. Brendan and I were more friends who occasionally slept together."
    "Good to know," Jackson said. Inside, his stomach was doing cartwheels in joy. Aiden hadn't loved the other man! God, he wanted so much to lean forward and kiss his mate. The only thing stopping him was the fact he wasn't quite sure if it would be welcomed or not, and the last thing he would ever do is cause his mate more pain with unwelcomed advances.
    "Let's go see if we can find out why people are threatening you," he said instead.
    Aiden nodded and they unhooked their seatbelts then got out of the car. Jackson grabbed his bag from the backseat, the closing of the doors reverberating in the silent night around them.
    Jackson had read the file on Aiden so many times the burial site of Brendan was practically burned into his memory. Bag slung over one shoulder, he walked up beside Aiden and placed a hand gently on the small of his back. Jackson felt a small shiver run through the other man but decided to keep his mouth shut. He could