That was, until Shawn studied Rutledge’s face. Even in the dim light of the lamp, his face looked uncharacteristically unguarded and tired.
“I was visiting my family,” Rutledge murmured.
Bee sucked on her thumb. “I remember your family. Your dad didn’t like us very much.”
A strange look crossed Rutledge’s face. He said nothing.
“Shawn said you’re getting a new family.”
Rutledge stiffened visibly. “Did he?”
Bee nodded. “He was very sad.”
Shawn felt himself flush. Did she have to tell him that?
Rutledge had an odd expression on his face. “Was he?” he murmured.
“I was sad, too,” Bee said. “I don’t understand. Why do you want a new family? You have us.”
Kids, Shawn thought, biting his lip. They had no fear. In some ways, kids were braver than adults.
Rutledge opened his mouth and then closed it. It was the first time Shawn had seen him at a loss for words. Rutledge’s throat convulsed before he told Bee, “Don’t worry, I won’t be getting a new family.”
Shawn breathed out.
“Aren’t you supposed to be asleep, midget?”
Bee studied Rutledge seriously with her big blue eyes. “You’re sad, too. Something bad happened?”
A humorless smile twisted Rutledge’s lips. “You could say that.”
“When I’m sad, Shawn hugs me and I don’t feel so sad anymore. You want a hug?”
Shawn expected Rutledge to reject the offer with a sneer.
He didn’t. He said nothing.
Taking his silence as a yes, Bee stood up and put her short arms around Rutledge’s neck. Rutledge had to steady her.
Shawn stared at Rutledge’s big hands on his little sister’s back and then at his blank, stoic face.
Quietly, he closed the door and padded back to the bed.
About twenty minutes passed before he heard the door open again. There was a rustle of clothing before the mattress dipped under Rutledge’s weight and he slid under the covers next to Shawn.
The speed with which Shawn latched onto him would have been embarrassing if Shawn could bring himself to care; he didn’t. He just needed to kiss him. Needed to touch him. So he kissed him and Rutledge kissed him back just as hungrily, his lips urgent, almost desperate.
Shawn wasn’t sure how many minutes they spent kissing—it felt like hours and seconds at the same time.
When they finally stopped kissing to breathe, Shawn was warm from head to toe. Hooking his leg over Rutledge’s hip, he put his head on his chest. Rutledge’s heart beat under his ear, strong and fast.
For a long while, there was only companionable silence.
“He died, didn’t he?” Shawn whispered at last.
He felt Rutledge go rigid under him. “Yes.”
Shawn hesitated, unsure what to say. “What happened? Someone said you were getting married.”
Rutledge sighed, something Shawn felt more than heard as Rutledge’s chest expanded under his cheek. “It was Joseph’s manipulations again. I went there because he told me he was on his deathbed. When I arrived, there was a huge gathering.”
“What kind of gathering?” Shawn said, running his fingers through Derek’s chest hair.
“Lots of politicians, rich businessmen and journalists. When I arrived, Joseph made an announcement.”
Shawn’s eyes widened. “He actually announced your engagement without asking you? It’s crazy.” Wow. He knew Derek’s father was a despot, but that was ridiculous, even for him.
Rutledge seemed to hesitate. “I think… I think he hasn’t been right in the head lately. And he probably hoped I wouldn’t want to make a scene in front of so many influential people and journalists. He was right—our family would have become a laughing stock if I did that. I took him aside and told him if he didn’t deny his announcement, I would do it myself.” Rutledge paused. His voice was flat when he continued, “He got furious and had a heart attack. He was dead by the next morning.”
Shawn closed his eyes. “Did you sort things out before he died?”
Rutledge chuckled, the sound harsh and humorless. “No. Even on his deathbed, he called me the biggest disappointment of his life. He tried to manipulate me even as he was struggling to breathe. Threatened to leave everything to Vivian’s husband if I didn’t marry that girl. Of course he didn’t. He’s—he was too old-fashioned for that.”
Shawn’s lips brushed the warm skin, and he breathed in, feeling the steady beat of Rutledge’s heart against his cheek. “I’m glad you’re back, Derek.”
He felt Rutledge’s body stiffen for a moment and then relax against his.
A strong arm wrapped around Shawn’s back and pulled him close tightly, almost bruising his ribs.
Shawn didn’t complain. He snuggled closer to Derek’s warmth and fell asleep momentarily.
He slept like a baby, for the first time in a week.
Chapter 23
“Derek,” Shawn said, closing the door.
Derek didn’t look up from his computer. “Not now. I’m busy and you’re… you’re too distracting.”
Shawn smiled. “Distracting, huh?”
Derek shot him a glare, but it was half-hearted at best.
“Come on, just tell me already!”
“No special treatment,” Derek said. “You’ll learn your grade when everyone else does. Tomorrow.”
Leaning back against the door, Shawn bit his lip. “Did I fail?”
He wasn’t sure. Derek had helped him a lot lately, explaining a lot of the stuff Shawn had missed at the beginning of the semester. Shawn had thought his understanding of the subject improved and that he’d done pretty well on the exam, but now, looking at Derek’s grim face, he wasn’t sure anymore.
“No,” Derek said. “You didn’t fail.”
Shawn breathed out. “So what did I get? A C, right?”
Derek pursed his lips. “You got a B.”
Shawn’s mouth fell open. “Really? Wait, did you—”
“No, I didn’t give you any special treatment,” Derek said, his tone somewhat defensive. “You did a good job. You’re not unintelligent. If you actually bothered to attend classes, you wouldn’t have had any problems at all.”
Shawn grinned, feeling stupidly warm and giddy. He took a step toward the desk, but Derek snapped, “Don’t.”
“Why?”
Derek fixed his eyes on the screen in front of him, his jaw clenched. “I told you. You’re distracting. I have to work.”
Shawn didn’t want to go. He wanted to hug him. He wanted to kiss him. He wanted to celebrate with him. “But…”
Derek sighed through his teeth. “Fine. Come here and kiss me. One kiss. Then you’ll go.”
Shawn went there and kissed him.
And kissed him again.
And again.
And one more time.
* * *
When Shawn opened his eyes the next morning, he found Derek watching him.
“Morning,” Shawn murmured, their faces just inches away on the pillow. It felt unbearably intimate. “Sleep well?”
“No, I didn’t,” Derek said, his hand heavy on Shawn’s back. “Your bed is terrible. I almost fell off twice.”
Shawn smiled lazily. “No one’s forcing you to sleep here.”
Derek drew his lips into a thin line and averted his gaze for a moment before looking back. “It will be much more convenient if we use the bed in my house.”
Shawn blinked. “You know I can’t leave the kids on their own.”
“I have a spare bedroom for them.”
Shawn stared at him. “Are you asking me to move in with you?”
Derek’s face was blank. “It would be convenient.”
“Convenient?”
“Yes, convenient.”
Pressing his lips together to keep himself from laughing, Shawn nodded solemnly. “Very convenient.”
“Shut up, Wyatt,” Dere
k said.
Shawn grinned slowly and looped his arms around his neck.
They looked each other in the eye for a long moment, and Shawn felt something tighten in his chest. He said softly, “I love you, too, Derek.”
Derek stared at him for what felt like an eternity before he said, a little breathlessly, “Yes.”
Shawn laughed. “Okay, we’ll have to work on that—”
Derek shut him up with a kiss.
The End
JUST A BIT OBSESSED
(#2 in the Straight Guys series)
Alexander Sheldon likes order and control in his life. He isn’t happy when his girlfriend invites another guy for a threesome. Alexander believes in monogamy, and he’s never been good at sharing his things. It doesn’t help that Christian rubs him the wrong way from the beginning.
But what starts as animosity turns into something else. Something unexpected and very wrong.
He was never supposed to touch Christian. He was never supposed to feel possessive of the guy. And he most definitely wasn’t supposed to want Christian more than he wants his girlfriend.
It’s a recipe for disaster.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QMGRBDU
Excerpt from JUST A BIT OBSESSED
Chapter 12
Christian had seen some unlikely couples before, but nothing had ever come close to the affair between his best friend and Professor Rutledge. Except it wasn’t even an affair anymore: Shawn had actually moved in with Rutledge, which was mind-boggling on so many levels Christian still had trouble believing it.
“Ashford,” Rutledge greeted him, opening the door.
“Professor,” Christian said awkwardly and entered the house. The man might be his best friend’s lover, but there was no way in hell he could call Rutledge by his first name.
“Shawn is there,” Rutledge gestured to the door to his left before giving Christian a hard look. “I’m working, so do not disturb me. Keep your voice down.”
“Yes, sir,” Christian said. What was it about this man that made him feel like he was three inches tall?
The door opened and Shawn’s head emerged. “Are you bullying Christian again?” he said with an eye-roll.
Rutledge raised an eyebrow. “Me? Bullying?”
Giving him a long-suffering look, Shawn walked to Rutledge and kissed him. “Go work on your book while you still can. Don’t forget that you promised Bee and Emily you’d take them shopping. They’re super excited—they’ve wanted a puppy for ages.”
“Yes, black and fluffy,” Rutledge said with a pinched expression on his face.
Shawn grinned. “And with a white star on its forehead! That’s very important for Emily.”
Rutledge gave him a glare. “What if there’s no such puppy?”
“I’m sure you can bully people into finding you one,” Shawn said. “Go work before they wake up.”
Shaking his head and looking moderately irritated, Rutledge kissed Shawn on the lips and headed upstairs, presumably to his office.
“This is seriously creeping me out, man,” Christian said, blinking.
Shawn snorted and led him into the room. “Sometimes it still weirds me out, too.” He flopped down onto the couch and smiled widely. “But I’ve never been so happy.”
Christian looked around the elegant room. “I bet it doesn’t hurt that he’s loaded, huh?”
Shawn just laughed. “So,” he said, turning the TV off. “What’s up with you lately?” He looked at Christian intently, his blue eyes serious. Those were some beautiful eyes, but they were light blue, not at all like—
Christian cringed. This was getting ridiculous.
“I mean, I’ve been a shitty friend lately,” Shawn said with a sheepish look. “Things have been crazy, and Derek practically took over my life. I know it’s a bad excuse, but—”
“Don’t sweat it,” Christian said, sinking into a comfy-looking armchair.
“So, what’s up?” Shawn asked. “You’ve been kind of weird for a while.”
Christian rubbed the corner of his left eye. “Remember the threesome I had with Mila and her boyfriend?”
Shawn nodded, but he was frowning. “Wasn’t it a month ago?”
“Yeah,” Christian said. “The thing is, it wasn’t the only time it happened. Basically, it’s been going on for a month—well, until Christmas.”
Shawn’s eyes widened slightly. “For so long? But you usually don’t…”
“No, I usually don’t,” Christian said quietly.
There was a long silence, during which Christian found three screws on the ceiling and one small stain on the wall that might have been a bug at one time, though he couldn’t imagine Rutledge smashing a bug.
“Are you in a relationship with them?” Shawn said, his voice slow and confused.
The laugh that left Christian’s throat was a bit strained. “No. They’re a couple, and I’m their fuck-toy. That’s it.”
“You aren’t telling me something. I know you, Chris.”
Christian looked at his hands.
“I don’t want a threesome,” he whispered.
“You mean…” Shawn sounded shocked.
“Yeah. I’m fucking jealous. And I hate it. It’s driving me nuts.”
“Jealous of whom? Him…or her?”
“Her,” Christian said, his voice flat. “I hate watching her touch him, and kiss him—and fuck him.” Christian chuckled. “I know; it’s ridiculous. She has every right to touch him—she’s been his girlfriend for two years. I’m nothing to him. But…”
“Are you in love with him?”
Christian licked his lips. “I—I don’t know.” He smiled humorlessly. “If this is love, it fucking sucks. I always thought love was supposed to make people happy. I’ve never felt so shitty before. It’s not even just sex. I hate it when I see them together, when I watch them be all couple-y and cute. She can touch him whenever she wants. She holds his hand. She spends nights with him—she lives with him.”
He met Shawn’s eyes. “I’m starting to hate her, you know. She doesn’t deserve it. She’s a fun, nice girl. I used to like her. And now I kinda want to claw her eyes out, stomp my foot like a kid and shout ‘Mine!’ every time she touches him. And I’m sure she already knows I want more of him. She wants me gone. I know that.” Chris snorted. “And I can’t say I blame her.” He sighed heavily, running a hand over his face. “It’s driving me nuts. And it’s…it’s fucking stupid. I barely know him. I don’t understand him. But it’s like… I can’t separate sex from emotion, you know? I always could before, but with him, I just can’t. I want to please him. Want him to like me. It’s fucking ridiculous.”
Shawn was silent for a while before asking quietly, “What about him? Do you think it’s one-sided?”
Slumping back in the armchair, Christian sighed again. “I don’t know. He’s very hard to read. Sometimes I think there’s something there, but… but I don’t think he treats his girlfriend any different than he used to. He’s always so…attentive to her. Still the perfect boyfriend.”
Shawn’s mouth set in a grim line. “Don’t shoot the messenger, but… if he felt the same way you do, wouldn’t he be jealous of her, too? Their relationship would have deteriorated. If they’re still fine, it… it doesn’t really look good for you.”
Christian’s stomach churned. He knew Shawn was right. The same thought had occurred to him, too. “I know.”
They both fell silent.
“What are you going to do?” Shawn said at last.
Christian bit the inside of his cheek.
“The smart thing,” he said, meeting Shawn’s eyes. “Quit while I still can.”
Buy the book at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QMGRBDU
About the Series
Currently the Straight Guys series includes the following books:
#0.5 - Straight Boy: A Short Story (Sage & Xavier)
#1 - Just a Bit Twisted (Shawn & Derek)
#2 - Just a Bit Obse
ssed (Alexander & Christian)
I’m currently working on the third book in the series, Just a Bit Unhealthy (Jared and Gabriel’s story). If you would like to be notified when the book becomes available, subscribe to my newsletter: http://www.alessandrahazard.com/subscribe/
I love talking to readers and would love to hear your thoughts. You can contact me at my website www.alessandrahazard.com or email me at [email protected].
Thank you for reading. If you are so inclined, a review on Amazon is always appreciated.
Kind regards,
Alessandra Hazard
Just a Bit Twisted Page 11