Repaired

by Melissa Collins

  Seething with years of pent-up anger, I saw red. Ready to walk away before I said something I’d regret, I rushed to the door, pausing only when he said, “You’re right.” Those two words stopped me in my tracks, struck me dumb and momentarily speechless.

  “What’s that now?” I asked, sarcasm hanging on every syllable. “You’ve never said those two words before in that order. I was fairly certain the phrase didn’t exist in your vocabulary.”

  He chuckled, a snide look pursing his lips together for a beat before he spoke again. “About the money.” Making sure to stand in my physical space had been his favorite intimidation tactic and it usually worked. However, with this particular case making me feel anything but easy, it wasn’t going to work this time. There was no chance in hell I was backing down at this point. “It’s always been about the money, Parker.” My name was the foulest of curses, spat in my face. “Don’t you realize that money is the only thing in this world that never disappoints? It’s not a wife who stops loving you, who only sees disgust when she looks at you.” He moved beyond the threshold of my office door before turning back to face me one last time. “And it most certainly isn’t a son on whom you placed every single one of your hopes and dreams only to have him turn around and squash it all with the words ‘I’m gay.’”

  Without another word, he walked away, leaving the root cause of every one of our confrontations hanging heavily in the air. Thankful Serena had already left for the day, and wasn’t sitting front row for that little gem, I straightened my jacket and tie, and took a deep breath. Having developed somewhat of a thick skin in my younger years about being gay, I surely wasn’t going to let my own father, who clearly would never approve of me, get under that skin.

  At this point, I had a very clear and singular vision.

  I was determined to get to the bottom of the story, not for the sake of winning the case, or pleasing my unappeasable father, or winning a shitload of money.

  No, the stakes were simple this time.

  A child’s welfare hung in the balance.

  And I’d fight tooth and nail to defend that.

  Sure it was underhanded of me to suggest going to Murray’s for a drink with Zan after work, but I wasn’t afraid to go after what I wanted. And since what I wanted wasn’t calling me back, I had no choice but to go get him. Even if he wasn’t at the bar, I knew I’d be able to find help from Drea or maybe even Gabe.

  Zan pulled up next to me in the parking lot, an unsure look on his face as he walked toward me. “You know, when you suggested this place for drinks, I was sure you’d lost your mind.” Shaking his head, he laughed. “It’s not your usual type.”

  “No,” I responded, walking to the bar. “And that’s why I like it here.”

  As we stepped inside the poorly lit bar, the lights from the previous week still hanging in the corners welcomed me. Just my luck, Drea wasn’t behind the bar. Instead, it was some busty blonde, her shirt cut down the center to expose even more of her cleavage. Zan and I ordered a few beers and made our way over to the pool tables. Tucked back in the corner, I scanned the room, hoping to maybe catch a glimpse of someone who knew Liam.

  “I’m beginning to think you came here to stare off into space rather than shoot some pool with me.” Zan’s playful voice cut through my distraction.

  “What?” Grabbing a pool cue from the rack on the wall, I became distracted once again as Gabe walked through the doors. “Oh, uh, nothing. Yeah, I’m fine.”

  Zan laughed again, racking the pool balls. Leaning across the table, he let out a low whistle as he followed my stare across the room to Gabe. “He’s pretty easy on the eyes.”

  It took me a minute to process what Zan had just said before I started shaking my head adamantly. “Who him?” Tipping my head toward Gabe, for some odd reason, I wanted to make sure we were both on the same page.

  “Yeah, I mean, I’m assuming that’s why we’re here. First of all,”—Zan held up one finger, smiling like a fool at my dumbfounded stare—“like I already said, this is not your usual place. And, second of all, you were all sorts of scattered and lost when we walked in. Now muscle man over there walks in and you’re all calm and whatnot. So,” he dragged out the word, “is he my replacement?”

  The deep chuckle of laughter I tried to bite back came out loud and full. “First of all,” I mimicked his counting off, “I’m done trying to do the things I’ve usually done. I like it here. It’s casual and laid back, which is so different from my nine to five.”

  “Fair enough.” Zan nodded, folding his arms over his chest and smiling like a fool as I held up two fingers.

  “And two, yes, Gabe is rather easy on the eyes.” There was no point in denying it. He was built like a fitness model, all muscles and a perfect smile. And knowing that he was a nice guy underneath the hot exterior made him all the more the ‘catch’ Zan assumed he was. “But no,” I admitted, “he’s not the reason I’m here. Not the main reason anyway.”

  As I spoke the last word, Gabe saw me. Acknowledging me with a small smile and chin nod, he walked over to us. “What are you doing here?” Accusation was absent from his voice, but shock wasn’t. It made me wonder what, if anything, he’d heard from Liam.

  Shaking his hand, I said, “Kinda liked it here the other night. And work’s been shit so unwinding with a beer and a game of pool sounded like the perfect plan.” Gabe’s eyes never moved from Zan as I spoke. And after a quick glance at Zan, I saw a similar stare in his eyes. “Gabe this is my friend Zan. Zan, Gabe.”

  They gave each other the perfunctory ‘what’s up’ nod, but I saw the heat in their eyes. “So have you heard from Liam, lately?” Trying for nonchalant, I asked as I took the first shot of the game. Balls scattered all over the table, much like my thoughts at the moment.

  “Nah,” Gabe dismissed, shaking his head. “He’s in hiding mode.” There was something all too normal in the way Gabe said “hiding mode,” as if it were something Liam did frequently. “Actually,” Gabe scratched his head, pulling a face in my direction, “He told me you’d blown him off, so I assumed that’s what made him lay low for a while.”

  My mouth fell open in shock. “He said that I blew him off!”

  With his mouth around the rim of his mug, and his eyes still firmly glued to Zan as he took his shot, Gabe nodded. “Yeah, said you two had a fight and it looked like things weren’t going to work out.”

  “The fucker,” I laughed. “That’s not at all how it happened.”

  “Who’s Liam?” Zan chimed in after sinking another solid.

  Gabe answered for the both of us. “My ex, and I’m assuming Parker’s ex, too.” Zan swallowed hard on learning Gabe was gay, too. His eyes widened and his lips pulled into a full smile.

  “We never broke up. Hell, we barely even decided we were together.” Chugging back my beer, I tried to wrap my head around what we were. Honestly, at this point we were nothing, but maybe I could use Gabe to my advantage.

  “Want to tell me what actually did happen, then? Maybe I can help you figure it out.” Gabe’s offer struck me as odd. Even though just seconds ago, I’d thought about having him help me figure it all out, the fact that he offered first was strange for some reason.

  Letting my suspicions get the better of me, I asked, “Why do you want to help?”

  Shrugging, Gabe dropped his mug to the table. “Liam’s a good guy. One of the best I’ve ever known, actually. He seemed stuck on you the other night, and the few times we talked about you before Annie’s party.”

  “Before?”

  “That’s what I said.” He smiled smugly. “So, it looks like there’s more to it than either of you are admitting to right now. And if I can help you figure it out, help him be happy for once, then I’m going to.” Gabe tipped his head at a passing waitress, signaling for another round.

  “We were watching the news at my place the other night and a news report about my case came on.”

  “The Maxwell case?” Zan asked, leaning hi
s weight on his pool cue. “That’s one seriously screwed-up couple.”

  “Yeah, them. And yes, I think fucked up is a better way to describe them.” The waitress brought over our drinks, and I lifted a cold mug from her tray.

  “What’s so fucked up about them? I’ve never heard of anyone going through a divorce because things weren’t screwed up somehow.”

  Gabe was right. No divorce ever came my way because the couple was issue-free, or because they’d gotten along. Even though he was expecting somewhat of a twisted tale of fuckedupness, Gabe’s mouth still fell open in shock as I told him about Harvey’s rather public and torrid love affair with his newest recording client—who was also half his age. He’d all but gasped when I said how much money Avery Maxwell was asking for in child support.

  “Holy shit. That’s just insane. But, Liam couldn’t have had that much of an issue with what you’ve mentioned. Not enough to make him hide away for the last few days.”

  “No, that wasn’t it.” Swallowing another mouthful off beer, I’d hoped to figure out a way to sensitively approach what I had suspected to be the cause of Liam’s escape. “There are abuse allegations. Against the husband—that he sexually assaulted his ten-year-old son. After I told that to Liam, he bolted.”

  Gabe’s face paled. Placing his mug carefully on the table, he wiped a hand over his face and through his hair. “Shit,” he cursed.

  Taking note of Gabe’s reaction and the obviously personal topic, Zan excused himself to go order some food.

  “Was he?” Unable to even put those thoughts to words, I left my question hanging in the air between us.

  “It’s not my story to tell.” Gabe sank into a chair, saddened and deflated. “But don’t let him run away from you. He was happy with you. He’s at his house. Probably called out from work and took his phone off the hook. Just go there. Talk to him. Figure it out, because if he’s hiding from you, it means he doesn’t want you to hate him.”

  My determination to figure Liam out was renewed. In the few short weeks I’d known him, he was everything but simple and easy. But there was something calm about him, something real and honest. Those were the traits to which I was attracted. He was everything I wasn’t in those aspects.

  “Thanks.” Starting to walk away, I saw Zan at the bar. Shit. I can’t just leave him here.

  “Go,” Gabe said with a rueful smirk on his face. “I can keep him company.” The hidden meaning in his words wasn’t all that well concealed.

  When I walked past Zan at the bar, he didn’t seem at all fazed by the idea of spending some more time with Gabe, either. Having just accidentally laid those pieces in line, I wondered if I couldn’t fix the pieces I’d somehow accidentally broken with Liam.

  Well, it had to happen soon enough. Kicking my feet up on the old, beat-up coffee table sitting in front of my couch, I decided I’d let whoever was knocking on my door wait a few minutes. Whoever was on the other side had to know I wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone.

  Then the banging started again, a deep voice calling out from the porch. “Liam. Let me in.” A wave of nervousness and anticipation was set loose in my stomach, churning up an ocean of need. It was the single word, “Now,” that set my pulse racing.

  When I opened the door, I didn’t expect to see what I saw. The dark circles under his eyes and the deep lines around his mouth made Parker look like he’d aged years in the days since I’d last seen him. He ignored my, “You look like shit,” comment and stormed past me into the living room.

  Giving him my back while I closed the door was a mistake, because by the time I turned back around, he had me pinned between his warm, hard body and the door behind me. “We will talk.” His voice deep, rich, angry, and bordering on the edge of losing control, was full of something so primal. “Later,” he finally added. “Now,”—his eyes moved from my eyes to my lips and then back to my eyes again—“now, we’ll communicate in an entirely different way.”

  His hips rocked into mine, pressing his cock against the hardened line of my own. My eyes rolled back in my head in pleasure and a long hiss of satisfaction escaped out of my mouth. “See?” he taunted. “We’re good together.” Massaging my dick with his the way he was, made it impossible to think—feeling was the only thing of which I was capable. And at that moment, I felt too much. It consumed me, threatened to take me to the place where I’d avoided going for far too long.

  To the truth.

  To my past.

  Determined to keep my mouth shut, I bit my lip. But that plan quickly proved not to work. Parker’s thumb skirted along the edge of my lip, pulling it from my mouth. On my next breath, his lips were on mine, demanding and needy, and so perfectly soft. When his tongue swept into my mouth, tasting of beer and lust, bright colors burst behind my closed eyes. With each velvety smooth slide of his tongue against mine, I lost another piece of my control, gave it to him willingly, let him have the parts of me no one else had ever been able to take.

  His hands, strong and in control, gripped the sides of my face, angling my head so that he could dive into my mouth even further. His lips banded around my tongue, sucking it off suggestively. That was when his hands pushed past the waistband of my sweats, guiding them down past my hips. Matching the rhythm of his erotic kiss to the motion of his hand on my cock was like breathing for him. For Parker, playing my body was as effortless as exhaling.

  “Have you?” he asked, pulling his mouth from mine.

  Confused, I searched his face for a clue as to what the hell he was talking about. But apparently all the blood in my body was in my cock, leaving none for my brain to work. So a dumbfounded and confused stare was all he received as a response.

  “Have you jerked off since I saw you last? Have you, Liam?” His fingers tightened their grip on my aching cock, stroking and teasing. The roughened pad of his thumb swirled over the crown, slicking the drop of cum around. Then he released my cock, letting it rest heavily against his stomach. Pushing his thumb into his mouth, he sucked it clean of the liquid coating his skin. A throaty growl vibrated against my own chest before he took his thumb out of his mouth and put it in mine. “I’m only going to ask once more.” His eyes held mine in a hard stare. “Have you come?”

  With his thumb in my mouth, moving back and forth against my tongue, speaking became damn near impossible. Shaking my head, the intensity in his deep blue eyes made me incapable of looking at anything else. “Good,” he groaned, relief evaporating the tension in his shoulders.

  Watching Parker sink to his knees before me was a sight I’d not soon forget. My fingers laced in his hair. He looked up at me, my dick partially blocking my view of his face. A smirk playing on his lips, he grazed his tongue along the underside of my cock, all too quickly, before pulling back. He teased like that for too long. Him sucking off his own thumb had already brought me close to the edge of my need, but with his tongue lightly teasing over me, without ever fully taking me into his mouth, I was ready to curse, to beg, to plead, to do anything to get his mouth where I needed it.

  “You want something?” he teased, holding my cock in one hand, keeping it away from his mouth, but close enough so that I could still feel his breath bathing over it.

  Nodding, I looked down at him. Holding the back of his neck, I stroked my thumb over his jaw and cheek, loving that he leaned into my touch. “You. I want you,” I admitted on a low whisper.

  Giving me that lopsided and rueful grin I was starting to think was his signature look, he shook his head. “That’s too easy. I want you, too. I wouldn’t be here on my knees if I didn’t.” A glimmer of light danced in his eyes. “You’re going to have to be more specific,” he demanded as his hand glided over my dick.

  My head fell back, making a soft, hollow thud against the door. “Your mouth,” I said quietly. Angling my head back down to look at Parker, I saw him looking at my cock with a hungry need that could burn me alive if I wasn’t careful. On a deep breath, I finally caved. “I want you to suck my dick. I ne
ed it. Then I want you to fuck me, hard. Make it so good, I won’t even know my own name anymore.”

  No more words were needed.

  In one swift hot move my dick was in his mouth, deep into the back of his throat. Holding me steady in his hand, he moved his mouth back and forth over my dick, licking at the veins and ridges, swirling his tongue over the crown and lightly teasing at the slit as another drop of cum leaked out. My hand tightened on his neck, assisting him as he moved my length along his tongue.

  Through my sex-fogged brain, I heard the clinks of his belt as he opened it and dropped it to the floor. Reaching up my body, he pinched one nipple hard and then the other, forcing gasps of pain to fly out of my mouth. The heat rapidly turned to a low burn, the pain easing into a glow of pleasure. Looking back down at him, he was stroking his own cock in one hand as he worked my dick with the other.

  “Ah fuck,” I cursed, my dick throbbing in his hand. “Park, I need . . .” My brain stopped working before I could finish the sentence, Parker was dragging me to the couch and bending me over the arm of it.

  “Stay there,” he directed as his hand pressed against my lower back. His body heat was gone and in the distance, I heard him walking down the hallway toward my bedroom. It only took him a minute to return, and when he did, his clothes were gone.

  With the soft click of the lid flipping open, I realized he’d gone to get some lube. He drizzled some of the cool liquid onto my skin, letting it flow down my ass. In a perfectly timed move, he sank a finger into my ass as he reached around and started jerking my cock again.