Carol Lynne Read online

  * * * *

  Tyler opened his eyes to a greasy pizza box still on the edge of the bed. How the hell had that stayed up here? He remembered very distinctly Hearn making love to him twice after they’d taken a short dinner break.

  “Mmmm, you awake?” Hearn whispered, running his hand over Tyler’s hip.

  “Yep. Just laying here contemplating the mysteries of the universe.” Tyler turned over to face his new lover. “How did you sleep?” he asked, scraping his teeth across Hearn’s stubbled chin.

  “Better than I have in years.” Hearn gave Tyler a kiss. “Thanks to you.”

  Hearn’s fingers drifted down the crack of Tyler’s ass. Fuck. Tyler flinched at the touch. “Sorry. Guess I’m a little sore.”

  Hearn withdrew his hand. “Don’t be sorry. I’m the one who couldn’t get enough of this sweet body of yours.”

  Tyler rolled on top of Hearn. “I think we’re both guilty of that.” He began peppering kisses to Hearn’s face and neck. “I have to go down and open the shop,” he said between kisses. “What’re your plans?”

  “Mmm,” Hearn moaned, tilting his chin up. “To enjoy this for as long as I can. Then I’ll go to the Centre after dropping the paperwork off at City Hall.”

  Tyler stopped what he was doing and sat up. “So you’re really gonna do it?”

  “Run for mayor? Yeah. I thought I’d toss my name in the mix.”

  “I know a great place that’ll do your signs. I’d suggest a quality plastic that’ll hold up in the weather.” He knew it was a huge step for Hearn. Hopefully, with a little encouragement, Hearn would break free of the shell he’d placed himself in. Tyler couldn’t blame him. Hearing the person you love constantly cut you down would lower anyone’s self-esteem.

  “Hell, I didn’t even think of that. To be honest, I’m not sure what’s involved in running for office.”

  Hearing the worry and self-doubt in Hearn’s voice, broke Tyler’s heart. “Well, we’ll put up signs of course, and then you’ll probably have to speak at a town meeting. Ya know, talk about what you’ll do as mayor and stuff. Everyone in town already knows you, so just try and make a concerted effort to speak to people on the streets and in stores.” He leaned down and gave Hearn a deep kiss. “You’ll do great.”

  “Do you think people will whisper about Mitch behind my back? I don’t want to put myself out there if it’s going to cause you embarrassment.”

  “It won’t,” Tyler whispered. “And that’s exactly the reason I fell in love with you. No matter what else is going on, you always put other people first. It’s the reason you’ll make a great mayor. Besides, you’ve done absolutely nothing wrong. If people want to talk about Mitch, let them, but the only crime you’ve committed is loving an asshole.”

  “I hope you’re right,” Hearn mumbled.

  Tyler ran his hand down Hearn’s perfect six-pack. “Do you think sometime I could go to the Centre with you?”

  “Seriously? You’d go?”

  “I love kids,” Tyler stated, hurt that Hearn would think otherwise.

  “It’s just, you know, a lot of the kids have problems. They aren’t the perfectly healthy children that people want to adopt. It bugs some people to be around ‘em.”

  Is that what he really thinks of me? Tyler slid off the bed. “I’m gonna grab a quick shower. There’s some juice in the fridge if you want some.”

  Shutting the door to the only contained room in his loft, Tyler studied himself in the mirror. Why had he reacted so strongly to Hearn’s words? His father’s hateful words drifted back to him.

  “Why couldn’t I have had a real boy instead of you? Someone I could at least play catch with. But no, I had to get stuck with a pussy boy. No real man would want a son like you.”

  Tyler closed his eyes and tried to push the image of his dad’s enraged face out of his mind. He’d made the mistake of trying to block his dad’s fist from connecting with his mom’s jaw and had gotten it instead.

  The bathroom door suddenly opened, jarring Tyler from his memories. Hearn leaned against the door jam with his arms crossed over his chest. “Mind telling me what just happened in there?”

  Tyler turned away and started the shower. “Just need to get on with my day.”

  Hearn stepped between Tyler and the shower stall. “It’s more than that and we both know it. If I said something wrong, I’m sorry.” Hearn put his hands on his hips and gazed at the floor. “Mitch gave me a hard time about visiting the Centre. I didn’t go much when he was alive for that reason. It just surprised me that you’d be interested. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”

  Knowing he’d made too much of it already, Tyler wrapped his arms around Hearn’s waist and squeezed. “No. I’m sorry I acted like a child. It’s kind of a sensitive subject.”

  Hearn’s eyes narrowed as his head tilted to the side. “You’ll need to tell me why. Otherwise, I’m likely to make the same mistake again.”

  Tyler wasn’t ready to get into his screwed-up childhood just yet. Instead, he leaned in and bit Hearn’s dark brown nipple. “We’re wasting all the hot water.”

  Hearn reached behind him and reopened the shower door. He took a step backwards under the spray, bringing Tyler with him. With the hot water raining down on them, Tyler’s hands began to roam Hearn’s muscular body.

  “Are you trying to distract me?” Hearn chuckled.

  “Is it working?” Tyler kissed his way down Hearn’s body. If it weren’t for his sore ass, he’d bend over and let the bigger man fuck him right there.

  Hearn put his hands on Tyler’s shoulders and guided him to the floor. “As you can see, it’s working quite nicely.”

  Tyler ran his tongue around the twin orbs hanging underneath Hearn’s erection, taking first one and then the other into his mouth. Hearn rewarded him with a moan and a slight thrust of his hips.

  Feeling much better than he had a few moments earlier, Tyler licked his way up Hearn’s length to slip over the rosy crown. He used one hand to wrap around the base of Hearn’s cock while his other fisted his own.

  Hearn took his hand from Tyler’s head to readjust the shower spray. “Look at me,” Hearn panted, as Tyler bobbed back and forth on his cock.

  With the spray out of his face, Tyler peered up the length of Hearn’s body. The heavy-lidded gaze of his lover stared back at him. “Come with me,” Hearn groaned.

  Moving his hands in tandem, Tyler took as much of Hearn’s length as he could and nodded. Surprise registered on Hearn’s face as he shot the first volley of seed down Tyler’s throat.

  “Fuck!” Hearn howled, fisting Tyler’s hair.

  The taste of Hearn’s cum combined with the hand brutally jerking his cock, pushed Tyler over the edge. The orgasm so intense, he was forced to let Hearn’s cock slip from his mouth in order to breathe.

  After several moments, Hearn reached down and helped Tyler to his feet. “Amazing,” Hearn whispered, bending down for a deep kiss.

  Tyler opened fully to Hearn’s questing tongue, readily sharing the man’s own essence with him. How could he ever think this man would look down on him for anything? Hearn was still the kindest man he’d ever known, and one hell of a lover. He grinned.

  “So will ya?” Hearn asked, breaking their kiss.

  “Will I what?” Did I miss something?

  “I asked you to come with me,” Hearn replied.

  Tyler chuckled and began shampooing his hair. “I just did.”

  Hearn appeared confused for several seconds before laughing. “I meant will you come with me to the Centre, though the other was quite nice, too.”

  “Better than nice, and I’d love to go with you.” Tyler nudged Hearn out of the way and rinsed himself off.

  “Great. Just tell me when you can get away.” Hearn waited for Tyler to finish before stepping under the spray.

  “How about now? Business has been for shit lately anyway. I’ll just put a sign up in the window saying I’ll be back this afternoon.”


  Finished, Hearn shut the water off. “I want to stop by City Hall and drop off the papers first. Would you like to go with me or wait here?”

  Tyler shrugged, and handed Hearn a towel. “I’ll go.”

  Hearn rubbed himself quickly and hung the towel over the shower stall. “You’re gonna fall in love with Gracie. I can’t wait for you to meet her.”

  “Did you bring the lamb with you?” Tyler asked, stepping into his underwear.

  “It’s in the truck.” Hearn rummaged around in his bag and pulled out clean clothes.

  Hearn started to say something but stopped. Tyler could tell by his lover’s expression something bothered him. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing,” Hearn denied. “Feel like grabbing some breakfast to go at Deb’s?”

  “Why don’t I do that while you take care of your paperwork? It’ll save us time and the food will still be hot by the time we’re on the road to Sheridan.” Tyler had a strong feeling he knew what was on Hearn’s mind. He resolved to tell his lover everything about his past, just not right now.

  * * * *

  Rio knocked on the open door. “You got a minute?”

  Ryan glanced up from his computer and smiled. “For you? Always.”

  With a returning grin, Rio stepped into the office and shut the door. Before taking a seat, he stopped to give his partner a kiss. “How’s your morning?”

  Ryan gave Rio one last swipe of his tongue before pulling back. “Well, I’ve only been here for an hour, but so far I can’t complain. Although we’re expecting another storm, so ask me again later.”

  “Yeah, I heard that on the radio on my way over,” Rio commented, taking a seat.

  “So…what can I do for you?” Ryan asked.

  “I found him,” Rio simply stated.

  “Where?” Ryan leaned forward with his forearms on the desk.

  “DC.”

  Ryan blew out an exasperated breath and leaned back in his chair. “So, he never left.”

  Rio shook his head. “I booked a ten o’clock flight,” he confessed.

  His partner’s eyes narrowed. “Why?”

  “Cuz I need to know and I think you do, too.” He crossed his arms, prepared for an argument.

  Ryan’s attention shifted to the window beside his desk. After several long moments, he nodded. “He either doesn’t know Nate’s new name or doesn’t care. Why dredge it all up again? What if he wants him back?”

  Rio stood and went to Ryan’s side. “That’s exactly the reason I’m going to DC. I can’t spend the rest of my life afraid some old love is gonna come out of the woodwork. I’ve always met trouble head on, and I think this guy may be just that.”

  “What about the Senator? What if he finds out?” Ryan asked.

  “The Senator isn’t my problem. I don’t give a fuck about him. Although to be honest, I wouldn’t mind taking the bigoted prick down a few notches, but that’s not up to me. My main concern is Nate, and the fact that there’s a man out there that still holds a piece of him. A man with whom our partner has unfinished business.”

  Ryan stood and pulled Rio into his arms. “What’ll you tell Nate?”

  “I won’t. I can’t lie to him, and if I tell him he’ll just insist on going with me. Hopefully by the time he realises I’m gone, I’ll have already talked to Joseph.”

  Ryan grinned. “Come on, it’s Nate. He’ll realise your gone by noon when he’s looking for a little action.”

  Rio ran his hand down Ryan’s chest to press against his lover’s cock. “I guess you need to be there to distract him then.”

  A coal black brow shot up. “That could work. As a matter of fact, the idea sounds so good that I may just have to take an early lunch.”

  Rio could feel Ryan’s cock hardening in his hand. “Go get ‘em, tiger.”

  Ryan pulled Rio’s head down for a deep kiss. “When’ll you be home?”

  “Not sure. It depends on Joseph and what he has to say.”

  “Call me. Let me know what’s going on. I’ll try to keep Nate…occupied.”

  Chuckling, Rio squeezed his partner’s erection. “I just bet you will.”

  * * * *

  The first flakes of snow were beginning to fall when Hearn pulled up in front of the old brick building. “How many kids live here?” Tyler asked.

  Hearn put the truck into park and turned off the engine. “Right now there’s fourteen, but they’re trying to get a couple of them placed into foster care. They’re really only set up to house twelve.”

  Tyler leaned across the seat and gave Hearn a quick kiss. He could tell his lover was nervous about bringing him.

  This was a side of himself that Hearn usually kept private, and Tyler knew what a privilege it was to be invited in. The last thing he would do was embarrass the sweet man in any way. He reached down and picked up the lavender bag containing the stuffed animal. “Ready?”

  Hearn took the bag out of Tyler’s hand and pulled the lamb out. After placing the toy inside his jacket, he winked. “Don’t want the other kids to get jealous. I’ll wait and give this to Gracie once we’re alone.”

  “Good idea,” Tyler agreed. He hadn’t even thought about bringing enough for everyone. “Next time, we’ll bring more.”

  With a dazzling smile firmly in place, Hearn clutched the front of Tyler’s coat and kissed him again. “I love you,” Hearn whispered against Tyler’s lips.

  Even though Hearn had spoken much the same thing before, the words still excited him. He rolled his eyes and sat back in his seat. “Great. Now I’ve got an erection big enough to scare the children.”

  Hearn chuckled and ran his hand over the fly of Tyler’s jeans. “Not helping,” Tyler reminded him, trying to arrange a funeral bouquet in his head. “You go ahead. I’ll just stand out in the snow for a few minutes.”

  Still laughing, Hearn got out of the truck. Tyler watched the man’s gorgeous ass as it disappeared through the front door. With his cock still painfully hard, Tyler got out of the truck. He had been right. Within a few moments, his erection had softened enough to be presentable.

  He stepped inside the front door and spotted Hearn talking to the receptionist. “Everything okay?” Hearn asked, giving him a wink.

  “For now,” he answered.

  Hearn motioned him over. “Beth, I’d like you to meet my boyfriend, Tyler.”

  Boyfriend? Tyler wanted to giggle. He’d been referred to as a good fuck or a one-night stand kind-of-guy, but never a boyfriend. I like it.

  Tyler extended his hand to the older woman behind the desk. “Very nice to meet you.”

  “You, too. Are you the florist I’ve heard Hearn mention?”

  Tyler looked at Hearn. “You’ve mentioned me?”

  Hearn shrugged and pointed towards the clipboard. “You need to sign in.”

  Seeing the red flush on Hearn’s cheeks, Tyler dropped the subject and did as asked. Setting the pen back in its holder, he took his lover’s hand. “Ready?”

  Hearn dropped a quick kiss on Tyler’s forehead. “I’d like to introduce Gracie to Tyler. Is she in her room?” Hearn asked Beth.

  “Should be,” Beth answered, glancing down at a paper in front of her.

  “Thanks,” Hearn said. “Come on.”

  Tyler let Hearn lead him by the hand through a door into a big open room. Though the furniture appeared worn and mismatching, the room had a familial appearance to it. “This the living room?”

  “Yep. It’s where the kids play and watch television.”

  Tyler could tell the Centre did their best to give the children a sense of home. “Nice.”

  Hearn led him through another door and down a short hall. A sudden attack of nerves hit Tyler. He planted his feet and tugged on Hearn’s hand until his lover stopped and looked at him. “What if she doesn’t like me?”

  Hearn wrapped his arms around Tyler. “How could she not? You’re everything good in the world rolled into a little ball of sunshine.”

  Is that how
Hearn saw him? Although the sentiment was beautiful, Tyler didn’t know that he deserved it. He thought about contradicting his lover, but bit his tongue instead. They were there to see Gracie, not get into Tyler’s true psyche. Taking a deep breath, he nodded. “Okay, I’m ready.”

  Chapter Six

  “Looking good, Asa,” Nate observed, walking up to the wealthiest man in town.

  Asa Montgomery picked up his towel and mopped his face and neck. “I ought to. I’ve been busting my ass lately.”

  Nate grinned. He’d noticed Asa had picked up another kick-boxing lesson with Mario. Asa was in his mid-forties, but you’d never know it by the solid muscles visible under the tight navy T-shirt. “Is Mario being too hard on you?”

  “Actually, I think he’s slowly working me into the best shape of my life. He’s a demanding sonofabitch, I’ll give him that.”

  “Good to know.” Nate spotted Ryan’s SUV pulling up in front of the window. “Sorry, Asa, but my man’s here.”

  Asa chuckled and waved Nate off. “Go have fun while you’re still young.”

  Nate started to turn, but stopped and addressed Asa. “You’re only as old as you feel, especially if you can get someone younger to feel ya.” He winked and turned to greet his partner.

  “This is a nice surprise,” Nate said, pouncing on Ryan as soon as he walked through the door.

  Ryan shook the snow out of his hair and wrapped his arms around Nate. “Well, I figured it was about that time of day, and I know Rio is off on an errand.”

  Nate pulled Ryan’s head down for a kiss. “You two know me so well. Let’s go into the office.”

  After closing the door behind them, Nate led Ryan to the wide couch. “I made reservations for the two of us at Canoe later.”

  Nate paused in stripping off his clothes. “The two of us? Why? Where’d Rio go that he won’t be back in time for dinner?”

  When Ryan didn’t say anything and suddenly refused to look at him, Nate knew something was going on. “Ryan? Where’s Rio?”

  Ryan began unbuttoning his uniform shirt. “On an errand.”

  Nate put his hands on Ryan’s face and forced his lover to make eye contact. “Where’s Rio?” he repeated the question. He knew Ryan wouldn’t lie to him if he could just get past Ryan’s stubborn need to protect their partner.