Firewall

by Sierra Riley

  Calder stepped into the small room. “Yeah, this will do.” He set his briefcase down onto the desk. “If you don’t mind, I need some time to myself.”

  “Take all the time you need.”

  “What convention is it you want to go to in Seattle?”

  “Security Secrets.”

  “Great. Thanks. We may need to go out later and pick up some surveillance equipment, too.”

  “Yeah, sure. Whatever you need won’t be a problem,” Justin promised as he lingered in the doorway. Calder was so involved with his work, his expression calm but determined.

  He was so sexy.

  Calder’s muscles was even bigger in person. He had always been built, but it was even more obvious now. Those muscles rippled beneath Calder’s tight shirt, beautifully showing off his physique. Justin had no doubt that Calder could bench-press him without breaking a sweat.

  And that strong hunk of a man was there for him.

  Justin took his cue to move on and let Calder get to work in peace. The last thing Calder needed while working on his security game plan was Justin staring at him like a lovesick puppy.

  12

  Calder

  When Calder crashed that night, he crashed hard. The drive had taken more out of him than he thought. He didn’t even change.

  When he stirred the next morning, he didn’t waste any time getting dressed and moving back into the office to continue his work.

  He went through his threat assessments of the ex-coworkers Justin had named. Most of the people weren’t overly threatening and didn’t have a history of violent crime, which was a good sign. While it didn’t mean that wouldn’t change, it meant their actions were more predictable.

  But this Wallace Greyson was potentially more trouble than the others. After doing all of his research, including some phone calls, Calder discovered that Wallace Greyson had had restraining orders against him before.

  It was entirely possible that they would need to get a restraining order against him for Justin, too. Although Justin had never mentioned any stalking, it was possible that he wasn’t aware of it. The way he had mentioned Wallace trying to interact with him in the past was noted, though.

  And that thought chilled Calder. While Wallace hadn’t committed any violent crimes against the men he had been stalking, there was always that chance that a situation would escalate. From what Calder had learned, one of the victims had been an ex-lover and another was a local celebrity Wallace had become infatuated with.

  Two guys he knows, stalking them both? Because he was crushing on them? Justin’s oblivious enough to just miss a crush altogether. Then again, who knows what else was going on?

  This was someone Calder needed to keep an eye on. He definitely wanted extra security around the house knowing that Wallace was likely to intrude.

  Just to be safe, he checked the backgrounds of the rest of the employees, but nobody else jumped out as a problem. Wallace was the easy, and most likely, culprit.

  After he was done with the most likely threats, Calder moved on to finding out all about the Security Secrets convention. He went over the route to the airport, which he needed to familiarize himself with, the hotel in Seattle, and the convention center where the conference would be held. He had called Justin upstairs briefly to get the details of any bookings but found he didn’t have any, so Calder went ahead and booked things for him. This task worked well for him as both Justin’s bodyguard and his personal assistant.

  Once he was satisfied with the hotel booking, he moved onto find out more about Security Secrets. He researched deeply into it to find out about its security measures. He also wanted to know more about the guests who would be there. He found information about key speakers and dug in deeper to learn all about them as well.

  He had to know everything about the convention, the surrounding area, and the route there.

  Everything was routine, but even more was at stake today because it involved Justin.

  He was not going to let anyone hurt Justin. To Calder, as Justin’s bodyguard, Justin’s personal safety was crucial; as his personal assistant, Justin’s personal success was crucial. It felt like a bit much to take on but Calder didn’t mind at all. It was weird, but for the first time in ages, he felt rejuvenated. While it was much the same work that he had always done, it had more meaning when it came to his best friend.

  He was just finishing up a phone call with the head of security at the convention center when a knock on the door behind him startled him. He turned in his chair and smiled at the sight of Justin standing in the doorway with a cup of tea.

  “Good morning. Sorry if I’m bothering you but I thought you might like some tea,” Justin offered. He was being so sweet and shy about it, as though giving out tea was not something he normally did. If he was still as much as a loner as Calder had always known him to be, that was likely to be exactly the case.

  It broke Calder’s heart. Sure, Justin was a bit hard to be around sometimes but he wasn’t a bad guy. Once you earned his trust, he was so lively and loved to chatter. At least, that was how Calder knew him to be. How many other people got to see that side of him?

  “I’d love some tea,” Calder insisted as he rose from his chair and grunted while stretching. He padded over to the doorway and took the cup as Justin held it out for him. As he did so, their fingertips brushed and a tingle shot down Calder’s spine.

  Oh, that was different. He hadn’t felt a little charge like that in a while. It was different, too, than the way he’d experienced such a jolt before. This wasn’t an empty night of passion with a woman from a bar. This was the man he cared deeply for.

  “How is everything going?”

  “I’ve got the hotel booked and our registration taken care of.”

  “Oh. That’s awesome, thanks. What about the security stuff?”

  “I looked into the names you gave me and most of them are fine, even if they’re jerks. If they cross certain lines, we can take lawful action against them. I am worried about that Wallace guy, though.”

  Justin frowned. “What about him?”

  “He has a habit of obsessing and stalking.”

  Justin stared then shifted and rubbed his arm. “I knew he was being weird with me at work! All of that touching... I should’ve known he was into me. Do you think he was into me?”

  Just as he’d thought. Justin’s problems with telling whether people were into him or not were both a blessing and a curse.

  “It’s very possible, but don’t blame yourself for it. If you weren’t reciprocating the attention, he should’ve backed off. I’ll be keeping an eye on him now but I think we should go out and get some surveillance equipment. Your home security alarm isn’t enough.”

  “Okay,” Justin agreed simply, although the worry on his face was evident. Damn it, that cute face shouldn’t ever have to look like that.

  “Also, Wallace is registered to go to this event.”

  Justin’s eyes widened and he looked a shade paler, which made Calder all the more defensive on his behalf. “He is?”

  “Yes.”

  “It is a big conference, and so close to home, too.”

  “Admittedly, knowing what I know about him now, I’m worried about this event.” Calder gazed to Justin.

  “I can’t just hide away forever,” Justin murmured after a few moments. “He’s probably going to be at a lot of things I go to. I need to go to these conferences to network and build my company.”

  Calder was quiet as Justin worked through everything. It was always easy to tell when he was thinking hard about something. His brows pinched downward and his glasses slid down his nose.

  “Whatever you choose to do, I’ll support you, although some extra precautions may need to be taken.”

  “Then I want to go to the convention,” Justin asserted. “I’m tired of letting all of these people push me around. And with you there, I can face them head-on.”

  Calder gazed, then nodded. If he couldn’t keep Justin
safe, then what good was he? This still wasn’t as high-risk a threat as he was used to handling but Calder wasn’t going to underestimate anything. He was going to give this 110 percent.

  Justin was worth it.

  “Right, then that’s settled. I’ll finish this tea with you downstairs.”

  The seriousness of Justin’s expression was broken with a small smile. If Calder could provide any peace of mind, he was doing his job—not only as a professional but as a companion.

  13

  Justin

  After Calder was done with his work, the two set out to pick up a couple of security cameras—one for the front door and one for the back. When they arrived home, Calder set to work installing the new cameras outside the house to cover the property. Justin didn’t want to get in the way but followed after him with the tools.

  Even watching Calder do something as simple as standing on a stepladder to install cameras got him warm. Every time Calder stretched and his shirt rode up, Justin got a sneak peek of his skin. He had never seen the guy shirtless before except through pictures on Facebook.

  Man, did he have a gorgeous body. He was ripped. What were those muscles like in motion?

  Every time Calder looked in his direction, Justin snapped his head away. He had to stop staring at Calder or it was going to get awkward. With the newfound knowledge that Wallace was a creeper, he didn’t want to turn around and do the same to Calder.

  “There, we’re all done out here. I just have to do some setting up in the office so that we can see those screens and we’re good to go.”

  “Do you really think Wallace will try to come here?” Justin asked, as the pair walked across his back patio and into the house.

  “He’s intruded before, so I wouldn’t put it past him. If he does, we’ll catch him. I added a couple of extra sensors as well. All of that plus your current security system should be good.”

  Justin nodded as he padded into the kitchen. “While you do that, I’ll put on some dinner. Is there anything you feel like eating?”

  “I’m good for whatever,” Calder said with a smile before heading upstairs.

  Justin wasn’t used to cooking for two, so there wasn’t a whole lot in his cupboards or fridge. Fortunately, he had some hamburger meat, so he prepared hamburgers for them on the stove. Even this made him feel warm and fuzzy in stupid little ways. Tonight he wouldn’t be eating alone.

  But what about Calder? He had lived alone. Did he ever feel this kind of loneliness as well?

  By the time Calder returned, the hamburgers were ready.

  “Wow, they smell delicious,” Calder said as he went to sit at the table.

  “They’re nothing special,” Justin shrugged as he slid the patties onto buns and brought them over.

  “Still, I haven’t had anyone cook anything for me in ages,” Calder said as he rose from the table and moved to the fridge. He grabbed ketchup and mustard then returned to the table.

  Justin sat down and gazed across the table to Calder. “You haven’t?”

  “Nope.”

  “So you still haven’t been seeing anyone seriously?”

  “No. I don’t have the time to.” Calder picked up his hamburger.

  “Is that the only reason why?”

  Calder paused and raised his head, their gazes meeting across the table. Although Justin’s first instinct was to break the gaze and look away as usual, he couldn’t. Those brown eyes had him ensnared.

  After a moment, Calder lowered his hamburger. “Well, I’ve been seeing women on and off but haven’t fallen for anyone.”

  Justin’s heart skipped a beat as he continued to gaze. “Oh? Why not?”

  Calder shifted and it was him that broke the gaze as he brushed a hand back through his blond hair. “I just haven’t clicked with anyone. I mean, all the women I’ve seen have been wonderful women but the chemistry just isn’t there.”

  Justin was growing more anxious and excited by the moment, hoping that the expression on his face didn’t betray him too much.

  “Have you ever tried dating men?” Justin had to ask, although his voice almost failed him.

  Calder locked eyes with him again while straightening up. That gaze was intense and it was clear that Calder was thinking through his answer. The suspense was nearly killing Justin, and Calder’s gaze was making him warm.

  “I’ve never been with a guy before.”

  Justin’s chest felt tight with unwarranted hope. Calder hadn’t outright rejected the idea of being with guys. He had just said that he’d never been with one before. Maybe that could change.

  “O-Oh. Well, if it’s something that you might enjoy, you shouldn’t deny yourself. I know I’m not the best example of a guy dating guys but...”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I don’t sleep around much, you know that. And I’ve had even fewer boyfriends.”

  “That doesn’t make you any less of a gay man,” Calder laughed. “Everyone does things at their own pace. As long as you’re happy, it’s no one else’s business.”

  Justin hesitated and looked down at the burger on his plate.

  “Are you happy?” Calder questioned.

  “I get lonely like anyone else,” Justin admitted as he fidgeted with his utensils to keep his hands busy. “I don’t feel the need to go out there and get laid all the time but I do miss simple companionship.”

  Calder frowned. “You deserve that.”

  “If I can salvage my reputation and get over some of my hangups, it might get better.”

  “You can do it. Justin, any guy would be lucky to have you.”

  “You think so?”

  “I know so. You’ve been my best friend for years. It takes a while for you to warm up to people but when you do, you’re fun to be around and so kind. Don’t let those idiots that haven’t taken the chance to know you get to you.”

  The blush crept back to Justin’s cheeks as he gazed. His heart was pounding and his groin was warm from the affectionate words. While Calder reminded him of this through emails and texts when Justin was feeling down, having him here in person to say it was incredible.

  “And when the right guy comes along, you’ll know.”

  Justin’s world was thrown into a jumble of emotions as he gazed to Calder. He wanted to admit all of his feelings for his best friend that second, as much as he knew he couldn’t.

  Calder was the first person he thought about when he woke up in the morning and the last person he thought of before drifting off at night. Getting good morning texts from him to start the day made his day a bright one right from the beginning. Having him text good night before he went to bed made his dreams nicer as well.

  And Justin hoped against hope that his messages made Calder feel just as appreciated. He never wanted Calder to doubt that someone was thinking of him.

  Now would ‘have been the perfect moment to spew his heart to Calder but he couldn’t do it. They were working together now. Hell, he’d hired Calder! As his bodyguard-slash-personal assistant, Calder needed to be professional and have his head in his game. It wasn’t Justin’s place to distract him now.

  Justin swallowed his words and smiled, nodding. “Thank you, Cald. I’m sure I’ll know. You shouldn’t rule out guys if you think one of them might be the right person for you, too.”

  Calder made a noncommittal sound that crushed Justin’s spirits a little, but he tried not to show it. Instead, Calder brought the hamburger to his mouth and took a big bite. “This is great.”

  “Thanks,” Justin responded as he dug into his own food, too, letting the silence fall around them.

  14

  Calder

  What had all that been about?

  Calder’s mind was reeling as dinner was finished and the two headed into the living room to hang out. As always, Calder was vigilant, even while chilling with Justin.

  With the earlier conversation, it seemed like the two were about to walk into unfamiliar territory. Justin’s eyes had bored in
to his own and, as much as Justin was probably trying to hide it, there had been so much yearning and hope.

  Calder had never seen it so closely before. Sure, he had suspected his best friend might have had feelings for him in the past, but he had never dwelled on it. The affectionate words they shared now and again online had always seemed like enough.

  Calder tried not to think about it too much. He had a job to do and if he let himself become too distracted it could put Justin at risk.

  “Want to try flying a drone?” Justin spoke up, jarring Calder from his thoughts.

  “Yeah, that’d be cool.” Calder was pleased for the distraction. The tension between them was getting a bit high. It had been some time since Calder had last got laid and now that urge was stronger than ever because of his emotional involvement with the man in front of him.

  But, no, he had to control himself.

  Justin rose from the couch and grabbed one of his prized drones from a shelf on the wall. He then led Calder outside into the backyard.

  “I have cameras attached to most of my other drones because you can get some amazing footage,” Justin explained. “But I don’t have one for this one yet.”

  “I’ve seen some of those videos. They’re pretty amazing. You have a lot of those on your channel.”

  “I do.” Justin seemed pleased that Calder brought up his YouTube channel. Of course Calder had watched all of his videos. “Do you want to try first?”

  “No way. I have no idea what to do,” Calder laughed while holding up his hands. “You can try it first. Just let me take a look around before you do that.”

  Calder stepped off the patio and walked around the mid-sized backyard, checking the fences and the bushes along them. When he was sure the coast was clear, he returned to Justin’s side.