The Real Deal

by Lynn Hagen

  “The barn needs cleaning up, and I have some boxes that needs stored. It’s mostly manual labor, but it pays good.”

  “You want to hire me?” Jayce wasn’t sure if this was a blessing or if he was talking to some gorgeous weirdo who had other intentions once he got Jayce alone.

  Jayce had heard of strange things that happened around Maple Grove. Whispered things. Like exotic animals roaming around. A double murder at some barn. A guy named Chris Fisher who had been going around killing people and was finally caught.

  “I could use the help,” Deon said. “And you could use the money. What do you say?”

  “I don’t have a car.”

  “I’ll pick you up and drop you off.”

  “How much are we talking?” If Jayce was about to put his life on the line, the pay had better be damned worth it.

  “Five hundred, but you have to do a really good job. No half-assing.”

  Five hundred? Jayce stuck out his hand. “You got yourself a deal.”

  * * * *

  “I don’t like it,” David Foyer said on the other end of the line. “Some stranger offers you money to clean out his barn. It sounds fishy to me, Jayce. You should say no.”

  “But it’s five hundred bucks,” Jayce whined. If anyone looked up “suspicious mind” in the dictionary—if that entry even existed—they’d find David Foyer’s picture right next to it. His dad was a huge conspiracy theorist. Name any subject and Jayce’s dad would have some kind of plot cooking in his head. He could bore people for hours about aliens, the government, taxes, and the elderly woman who lived down the street. Jayce’s dad swore she was a soviet spy.

  He still believed his wife had married him for ulterior motives. Jayce’s mom simply rolled her eyes and ignored her husband. Jayce usually did the same thing. He wasn’t even sure why he’d told his dad about the job. He should’ve known this would happen.

  “How do you know he’s not paying you five hundred bucks to experiment on you? There’re people out there like that,” he said. “Don’t you watch Criminal Minds? I’ve been telling you to watch that show for years. It’s always the charming guy who you’d least expect. Don’t you dare become one of his sexual victims.”

  Jesus Christ on a soggy biscuit. “Can I talk to Mom?”

  “She’ll tell you the same,” he said. “You can’t trust strangers these days.”

  “You and Mom were strangers when you met.”

  “Boy, that’s different. I’m not afraid of a woman.”

  Jayce heard his mother insisting she be given the phone. He was glad when it was her voice that filled his ear. “Honey, go ahead and take the job. Just be careful and let me know who the guy is that’s hiring you.”

  “His name is Deon.” Jayce hadn’t asked for a last name. Hell, he didn’t even know where Deon lived. Great, now he was second-guessing himself because his dad had put all the crap in his head.

  “The farmer who provides the grocery store with produce?”

  “That’s the guy.”

  “Oh, he’s very friendly. I’ve talked to Mr. Wilkerson before. He lives all alone on his farm. I’m pretty sure he’ll be glad for the company, and you’ll appreciate the hard work. He’s paying you a lot, so put some elbow grease into it.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Don’t you dare tell him to go out there,” his dad said in the background. “That farm is isolated. He could have Jayce’s blood drained before help arrives.”

  “I love you, Mom. I’m gonna go before he really winds up.”

  She chuckled. “I’ll see you Sunday for dinner, sweetheart.”

  “Don’t you dare tell him to—” His mother hung up before Jayce heard his father finish his tirade.

  Jayce sagged back on the couch and tossed the cordless phone aside. He loved his dad, but oh my god. The guy was a few colors short of a rainbow.

  Chapter Two

  Jayce stood in the middle of Deon’s barn. It was a large size, and there was a loft, with a single ladder to reach it. Jayce gazed at all the machinery, the boxes, the tools, and the empty stalls. There was plenty of hay on the floor, and the barn smelled like dung.

  But it was Deon that Jayce’s gaze kept straying to. He was standing by the access door, his arms crossed, watching Jayce with those penetrating blue eyes. He felt the caress of Deon’s stare from the top of his head to his toes.

  “I just need all this hay swept up and the stalls cleaned out.” Deon tipped his cowboy hat back, showing more of his sexy face. “We can start with that chore, and when you’re done, I’ll tell you what’s next.”

  Jayce gave him a sassy salute then looked around for a broom. He saw one leaning against the farthest stall. He expected Deon to leave, but the guy just stood there, watching, silent.

  That isn’t creepy at all.

  Don’t you dare start thinking about Dad’s warning.

  Oh hell. His mind was arguing with itself. Wasn’t that a sign of insanity? He prayed he wasn’t turning into his dad where he thought there was a hidden agenda or ulterior motive to everything. Deon was just a nice guy helping Jayce out.

  Right?

  Deon brought a wheelbarrow over and set it by the first stall. Jayce couldn’t help but watch as Deon’s muscles flexed. The guy’s aftershave smelled amazing, making Jayce want to lick him.

  “Figured I’d help.” Deon dusted his hands off. “I need to start planting soon and want everything in order.”

  The barn didn’t look that bad. Not enough to pay Jayce that ridiculous amount. He wasn’t going to point that out. Jayce needed the money.

  “With both of us working, we should be done in no time.” Jayce opened the stall and started sweeping. Deon went to the other side of the barn and grabbed a shovel. “What kind of animal did you used to keep in here?”

  “Used to have cows.” Deon leaned on the shovel. “Decided I wanted to try my hand at a stud farm instead.”

  Jayce’s mind filled with naked eye candy who lounged around, offering their services in the naughtiest of ways. Jayce could walk around with a tray of drinks in his hand, helping out the oil-slicked thirsty studs. Maybe he could fan them with large leaves as they ate grapes.

  He grinned at the image.

  “You okay?” Deon eyed him. “You’re a bit flushed.”

  Jayce cleared his throat. “Just thinking about…stuff.”

  Still grinning at the thoughts in his head, Jayce gripped the broom and started to sweep. Then another, more provocative thought popped into his head. There was only a single stud on the farm. It was Deon, and he lay in a lounging chair, completely naked, golden skin sweaty from a hard day’s work, a cold beer in his hand as Jayce serviced him.

  “Jayce?” Deon was staring strangely at him. “You keep getting this faraway look on your face while you smile.”

  “Just having naked thoughts.” Jayce’s brows shot up. “I mean random. Just having random thoughts.”

  Let a hole open and swallow me to save me from embarrassment.

  Deon’s laugh was deep and sensual, not helping in the least to clear those images from Jayce’s mind. “It was the thought of a stud farm, wasn’t it?”

  Yes. “No.”

  Jayce swept so hard his palms began to sting. “We really need to work.” He looked up at Deon. Fuck the guy was gorgeous. “I can do this myself. After all, you’re paying me for my labor.”

  “I don’t mind getting sweaty.”

  Crap. There went that image again.

  Deon pressed the front of the wide shovel against the concrete, and Jayce swept the hay and cow dung into it. They worked like that for the next hour before Deon set the shovel aside. “We need some fuel.”

  “I brought an energy drink from home.” Jayce propped the broom against the wall. “Give me a second to drink it, and then I’m good to go.”

  “I was talking about proper nourishment.” Deon headed for the access door. “Come on inside and wash up while I cook us something to eat.”

  W
ith a shrug, Jayce followed him. Deon was paying him, and if the guy wanted to take breaks, who was Jayce to argue? In all honesty, Jayce’s muscles were already sore. He wasn’t used to this kind of labor. A good breakfast would help fuel his engine.

  And staring at Deon’s ass while they walked didn’t hurt, either.

  * * * *

  Deon could’ve cleaned the barn himself, but he’d needed a reason to get Jayce there. He was still in shock that he’d found his mate. So stunned that he’d let the human walk out of the diner without getting his number or an address.

  It had been a miracle that he’d found Jayce on that bench. If he hadn’t, Deon had planned on changing into his panther later that evening to track his mate down.

  “The bathroom is down the hall on the left.” Deon went into the kitchen and washed his hands before he started breakfast. That wasn’t what his panther wanted. It wanted to pin Jayce down and mount him, claiming what was theirs. Thankfully Deon had more control than that.

  Barely, but he was able to restrain himself as he tossed some sausage into a pan and whipped up some pancake mix. Although his back was turned, he knew the moment Jayce stepped into the room. His mate didn’t say a word as he moved to Deon’s side and started to help him.

  “You got any blueberries or strawberries?”

  Deon pointed the spatula at the fridge. “In the freezer.”

  They worked side by side in silence, but it felt so domestic. This was the first time Deon had had anyone in his kitchen. In his home, actually. Whenever he wanted sex, he always went to his partner’s house. Deon believed his home was his sanctuary, but having Jayce there was different. The human was his mate.

  They plated their food and sat at the table. Jayce didn’t think Deon noticed that he’d scooted his chair closer. His panther purred.

  “This came out nice.” Jayce shoveled some eggs into his mouth. “I haven’t had a big breakfast like this in a long time.”

  Deon sat there with his fork hovering, watching Jayce chew. He pulled his gaze away only when Jayce’s phone started ringing. When his mate pulled it out, he groaned. “Sorry, I have to take this.”

  Jayce left the room, but with Deon’s preternatural hearing, he still heard the conversation. At least his mate’s end of it.

  “See, he didn’t chain me up and drain my blood,” Jayce said. “No, he didn’t experiment on me, either. I’m working hard to clean out the barn.”

  Deon frowned. He wasn’t sure why Jayce or whoever he was talking to would think him some kind of weirdo. Had Deon come off like that?

  “No,” Jayce said in a low growl. “I’m not video chatting you so you can keep an eye on me. Jeez, Dad. Mr. Wilkerson is a very nice guy. Even Mom thinks so.” He paused. “I really have to get back to work.”

  Ah. Now things made sense. Deon knew David Foyer was a bit odd. He’d run into the guy once or twice in town. The human was definitely peculiar.

  While his mate was gone, Deon scooted his chair just a bit closer. Heat coursed through him, and Deon knew he was tempting himself, but he couldn’t help it. He wanted to touch Jayce, to caress his body and hear his mate moan. He felt almost crazy with the need.

  “Sorry about that.” Jayce smiled when he came back into the room. He sat as if he hadn’t noticed his chair was inches closer than before. “My dad’s a bit overprotective. He thinks you’re gonna do something sinister to me.”

  The only sinister thing Deon wanted to do was get Jayce naked and touch every inch of his body, kiss the most intimate places, and sink his canines into the human’s shoulder as he claimed him.

  Deon shivered as he stabbed at his pancakes. “I’m harmless.” He winked.

  Jayce flushed as he started to eat again, and then he pushed his plate aside. “If I finish everything, I’m gonna need a nap, and I have too much to do.”

  “There’s no rush.” Deon pointed at Jayce’s plate. “Don’t let our efforts go to waste.”

  Did Deon have an ulterior motive? Most definitely. He’d cuddle with his human so they could take a nap, or do something more exciting if the opportunity presented itself.

  “No, I’m actually pretty full.” Jayce patted his flat stomach. “Thanks for stuffing me.”

  Stuffing him. Deon groaned. He had something he’d like to stuff Jayce with. “I guess we can get back to work then.”

  Jayce yawned as he nodded. He took his dishes to the sink and scraped the food into the garbage disposal. Deon watched from his seat, checking out his mate’s body while Jayce couldn’t see what he was doing.

  Slim back, slightly rounded ass, thin legs that would easily curl around Deon’s waist. Mmm. Deon pressed the heel of his hand against his raging hard-on then moved it away when Jayce turned.

  “I’ll be out in the barn if you need me.”

  Deon let him leave. He needed a moment to get himself together. He washed the dishes and then gripped the edge of the counter, counting to ten while he tried to think of something that would make his cock go soft.

  He also needed to find other odd jobs for Jayce to do to keep his mate around. The guy needed the cash, and Deon needed to ease Jayce into their mating.

  He thought about calling his best friend, Mike Cage, but Deon could handle this. It had been hard keeping his hands to himself. Heat had coursed through Deon. It still did. His heart beat a little faster, and Deon felt lightheaded as he breathed in and out.

  Then those long-ago memories surfaced—memories he tried hard not to think about. The kind of thoughts that sometimes left him feeling crippled.

  The crash.

  The tragic loss.

  Deon squeezed his eyes shut and tried harder to breathe through the pain that always accompanied the memories.

  The phone call that had ended his entire world.

  The following years of self-destruction that had nearly killed him.

  Deon walked outside and inhaled the fresh air. He tilted his head back and let the hot sun bathe him. The sound of Jayce in the barn helped to center Deon, helped the memories to fade back into darkness, and reminded him that he’d found his mate.

  He looked down at his empty ring finger then tucked his hands into his front pockets as he made his way to the barn. After all these years, Deon felt as though he could finally move forward.

  Jayce was working hard sweeping out the second stall. Trickles of sweat glistened on his face. It wasn’t that hot out, so Deon suspected his mate wasn’t used to hard work. He wanted to rescue Jayce, to tell him he didn’t really have to do all this manual labor, but Jayce didn’t seem the type to accept money without earning it.

  Deon stood by the access door and watched him. Centering his complete attention on Jayce helped to shake the remaining cobwebs of memories that still lingered. He should leave his mate alone to get the work done, but Deon couldn’t seem to make his feet move. He was frozen there, taking in every inch of Jayce’s body. It wasn’t a sexual thing, either. He wanted to know everything about the human.

  What made Jayce Foyer tick? What was his story? How could they have lived in the same town and not run into each other before yesterday?

  You know why. Deon hardly left his farm. It wasn’t as though he was anti-social. Deon loved interacting with other people. When around others, he was a fun-loving guy. But darkness always crept in. The memories sometimes crippled Deon, and he spent weeks trying to get past them.

  But Deon was determined not to let them paralyze him now. That wouldn’t be fair to Jayce. He needed to move on, forget the most tragic thing to ever happen to him, and concentrate on making Jayce happy.

  Even if Deon felt as though a large part of him had died in the car crash that had taken his wife and son.

  * * * *

  As soon as Deon entered the barn, Jayce felt his presence. He could also tell the man’s mood had changed. Jayce wasn’t sure how he’d known that, but he did, so he kept his head down and concentrated on his work.

  When Deon left, Jayce took a deep breath. He’d been in
stantly attracted to the cowboy in the diner, and that hadn’t changed. If anything, that strange connection felt even deeper.

  He wanted to run after Deon and ask what was wrong, but Jayce didn’t even know the guy. Why would Deon open up to him, and why did his quietness bother Jayce so much?

  When his phone rang, Jayce set the broom aside and answered it. “Hey, Baxter.”

  “So, how are things going?” he asked. “I still can’t believe he offered to pay you to do some work. It’s work, right? Deon hasn’t cornered you and felt you up, has he?”

  “It’s a stud farm.” Jayce grinned. “There’re naked men wandering around, offering their services. My job is to keep the drinks flowing and to oil them down.”

  “You’re such a rotten liar!” Baxter shouted. “Tell me you’re lying, or I’m driving right over there.”

  Jayce leaned against the stall door and crossed one arm over his chest. “I’m totally lying. I’m cleaning out stalls. The barn stinks, and it’s hot as fuck in here. Do you still want to drive over and help me out?”

  Baxter choked as though the very idea mortified him. “Hell no. You know I’m allergic to hard labor.”

  “Spoilsport.” God, Jayce’s back was killing him. He leaned away from the door and stretched, pressing a hand against his lower back. “I might need a good rubdown when I’m done. Pushing a broom all day is no joke. I just might die from the strain by the time this job is done.”

  Baxter chuckled. “Stop being a pussy. At least you have a hot guy to look at.”

  “Not really. Deon hasn’t been in here since—” Jayce didn’t want to tell Baxter about breakfast. His friend would push and push for Jayce to flirt, and that wasn’t in his wheelhouse. Jayce flirted about as well as a dog could drive a car.

  Fatally.

  “Since?”

  “Since he told me what needed to be done and left me alone.” He looked toward the access door to make sure Deon hadn’t returned. “Anyway, I gotta go if I want to get this done.”

  There was no way Jayce would finish in a day. He’d have to come back tomorrow. The barn held five stalls, and he’d managed to finish only the second one. It was already late afternoon. He shouldn’t have spent so much time inside the house.