Then he heard it—the sound of an engine. Gin said the guy drove a Harley, and sure enough, there he was in the distance. Justin straightened, then changed his mind and relaxed against the truck again. Better to look casual—but had the guy seen him posing?
As the helmeted rider neared, Justin got a better look. For a Harley the bike was relatively streamlined and not as loud as he expected. It was all black and not decked out with anything to make it flashy. The man riding it looked just as sleek in black jeans, black jacket, and a black-visored helmet. He pulled to a stop outside the garage, about twenty feet from where Justin was leaning on the truck, and cut the engine.
Justin counted off a few seconds, but the man didn’t move, seeming to watch him. All right, then. Justin could play friendly, make the first move. Besides, he wanted to get this over with.
He stood up and walked over to the black-clad stranger. “How’s it goin’? I’m Justin,” he said, trying to sound confident as he said his name. Extending his hand, he noticed brown curls poking out of the back of the helmet. The man got off the bike and removed the headgear. His hair was loose and wavy, and the man ran a hand through the dark sandy locks before turning to look at Justin.
Justin found himself staring into blue-gray eyes the color of denim. Suddenly he was lost. He recognized those eyes. He had made a point of studying those eyes, magnifying them in videos so he would see the humanity there. He had looked into those eyes not two weeks ago in the dimness of a candlelit church. He was looking into the eyes of Black Jim.
And Justin froze. He couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe.
The other man paused as well, his pupils dilating. He knew. The man recognized Justin; there was no doubt.
Time passed. The world spun. But Justin could only stand still.
“It really is you,” the man said at last. Justin merely nodded in response. There was no use in denying it. To Justin the man before him was clearly Black Jim, but different. Softer. Even in black leather, with scruff hiding very faint bruising, the man didn’t hold the terror Black Jim instilled. Of course, that didn’t mean Justin wasn’t still scared shitless.
“I can’t believe it,” the man said. God, those eyes were penetrating. Instinctually, Justin wanted to shy away from that gaze, but he didn’t. He was being studied and automatically tensed, his muscles readying. He knew that look. The man was looking at him like prey. The tip of the man’s tongue played across his lips before disappearing. Justin couldn’t look away.
Abruptly the man’s expression relaxed. “I’m Hale,” the man said. “I’ve been looking for you… Justin, you said?” Justin nodded. How did this guy not want to kick his ass? Justin realized his own hand had been hanging in the air since his introduction ages ago.
The other man looked down at Justin’s hand, finally breaking the gaze. The spell lifted. Justin relaxed, his muscles loosening—though he still felt like an idiot with his hand out. How funny he had only felt this man’s fists in the throes of violence, and now he was going to shake his hand. Hale’s grip was firm. He was confident enough not to try to prove anything with a handshake, but the power in those fingers could bring a man to his knees. Justin’s body warmed as he remembered.
“God, it’s good to know your name,” Hale said. Justin felt his own hand lingering on Hale’s. He felt the callouses under Hale’s fingers and noticed the hair on the side of Hale’s hand. He was actually touching Black Jim in a genuine way that didn’t involve pain.
Justin felt another squeeze on his hand. “Justin, say something.” Hale made no move to let his hand go. They were standing with their hands still clasped. Suddenly, and almost instantly, Justin was hard.
Hale was looking at him, expectation turning into worry. Jesus, what to say? He couldn’t just stand here holding the man’s hand. His head wasn’t working. He was no good with words. Fuck it all.
Justin tugged on the hand in front of him, pulling Hale toward him. Justin noticed a look of surprise as he released the man’s hand and grabbed him into a hug, careful not to press his erection against him. It only took Hale a second to relax and return the hug.
Justin exhaled, putting more weight on Hale. This was going to be okay. This expressed what he was feeling better than any words could. The fear, the nervousness, the awe and admiration, the desire… and the sadness.
“I’m sorry about the glove,” Justin said, holding to Hale tightly.
AND JUST like that, all those fantasies Hale had tried to put aside on the ride over in an effort to convince himself they couldn’t be real came roaring back with a vengeance, and they all went straight to his dick. Hale would have to test these waters. Watch for more signals. Maybe the kid would be up for more than Hale thought.
Or maybe it was just a hug.
Though Justin was taller, Hale couldn’t help feeling like in some sense, Justin was indeed a kid. Make no mistake about it, Justin was all man, but Hale felt the protective surge he only experienced with a few select people in his life. He had the need to make Justin feel better.
“It’s okay,” Hale assured him, giving a brief squeeze. “No harm done. Really.”
He liked the feeling of the kid in his arms, but he needed to let go before his jeans got uncomfortable. He patted Justin on the back twice before putting a couple steps’ distance between them.
Hale didn’t want to ever stop looking at him. No way could he have hit that face if Justin hadn’t been wearing a mask. The man was beautiful. He had a strong jaw and cheekbones that were pronounced without being severe. His brown eyes, honey-colored skin, dark hair, and full lower lip gave him a striking look with an indeterminate ethnicity. In demeanor he seemed genuine, if not outright shy. The softness made him appear kind—and simply stunning.
Out of nowhere something clicked for Hale. “That girl upstairs who talked to me, that’s your sister, isn’t it? Gin? Was she the one….”
Justin’s nervous look kept Hale from finishing the sentence, but he was sure the girl who looked so much like him was his sister, and from her tough-as-nails demeanor, he was almost certain that’s who was at the church with Justin. But it was probably best not to speak openly at Justin’s place of work—their place of work. That’s why the kid looked nervous. “Can we go someplace to talk? In the truck?”
Justin looked around with a frown on his face, searching. “No, not the truck,” he said. “It might not be safe. Bugged.”
Bugged? Really? Hale raised his eyebrows, but the kid didn’t explain any further. “I suppose we’ll have to drive somewhere,” Justin said instead.
Good enough. Hale nodded, the relief and excitement giving rise to an extra wide smile. He glanced down, feeling almost bashful, and ran a hand through his hair. “God, there’s a million questions I want to ask you,” he admitted.
Looking up, he saw Justin smile for the first time. Not wide, but enough. A crooked half smile, and it was damn cute on him. “I can’t believe you don’t want to kick my ass,” Justin said.
Not kick it, no. Hale cleared his throat. “Unless you got a place in mind, there’s a rest stop just south of the city off 94. The building isn’t there anymore, but they still have the turnoff with a woods nearby.”
“I know the spot. Truckers use it to rest up, grab a couple hours. Go ahead and pull your bike into the garage, and we can go.”
Justin turned to get in the truck, and Hale let his gaze linger on him as he walked away. Justin was wearing blue jeans and a gray hoodie, but the hoodie didn’t go down far enough to cover his ass. Hale watched Justin step up into the truck, the slightly loose jeans stretching taut over the firm muscles of his backside. With an audible sigh, he moved his bike into the garage. No harm in looking, he told himself as he joined Justin in the truck.
“If it’s all right with you,” Justin said, “I’m going to hold off on the training part for a bit. We’re gonna skip past the first couple of stops, but we’ll pick them up on the way back.”
“Yeah, of course.”
; “I just, um….” Justin looked around nervously. His cheeks were flushed, as though he were embarrassed. Hale found it endearing, the way he was getting flustered.
“It’s cool,” Hale said. “You just drive, and I’ll pay attention to what you’re doing. I learn best by watching anyway.”
Justin looked relieved, and Hale smiled at him. He could say the smile was meant to reassure the kid, but in actuality, Hale was grinning because he’d given himself an excuse to keep his eyes on Justin for the next forty minutes solid.
“Truth be told,” Hale continued, “I’ve never driven a truck before. I’ve driven just about everything else, including farm machinery, but never a truck.”
“Farm machinery?” Justin asked as they pulled out of the drive.
“Yeah. I grew up in a small community. We took care of our own. Completely self-sufficient for the most part. Can’t say it was much of a life. Land wasn’t great for crops on the ground.”
“You grew right on the ground?”
“Yeah. We were pretty old-fashioned. It was one of those weird religious things. You know, ‘God hath wrought judgment upon the land’ bullshit. Cleansing the soul would cleanse the earth. I don’t have to tell you that didn’t work out so well.”
“Wow,” Justin said. “That’s… heavy.”
Hale examined him for any sign of what he might be thinking, any sign of judgment. If anything, though, he read concern in the creases of Justin’s forehead.
“Yeah,” Hale said. “It was heavy.”
“I’m sorry,” Justin said. “I don’t mean to make you talk about all this—”
“No. You aren’t making me talk about anything. I’m the one who offered. If anything, I’m sorry for making you listen.”
“You don’t have to be sorry,” Justin said, glancing briefly at Hale. He was blushing again. “I don’t mind at all.”
“Was that an invitation? You better be careful. I might end up giving you my whole life story.”
“I’m okay with that.”
“Good,” Hale said. He was getting a real positive vibe from Justin, and that had him excited in more ways than one. Why couldn’t he stop smiling? Good thing the kid wasn’t looking at him or he’d think Hale was crazy. “I’d like to know more about you too,” Hale offered.
“Oh.” The downturn in Justin’s voice indicated he was a little uncomfortable with that. Hale loved how easy this kid was for him to read.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, really. It’s just… I’m not very good at talking about myself.”
“But you’re not afraid to?” Hale challenged.
“Um… no!” Justin said, half laughing but sounding offended.
“Just not a talker, eh? That’s fine. Mind if I ask questions, then?”
“Go right ahead.”
“Got a girlfriend?”
“What?” Now Justin was for sure blushing, and being very careful to keep his eyes glued to the road. Gripping the steering wheel none too lightly too. Hale couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Part of him enjoyed making the kid uncomfortable. Maybe that was the fighter in him, always looking for an advantage.
“Don’t worry,” Hale offered. He didn’t want the conversation to go south. He’d back off. “You don’t have to answer. I can be a little pushy sometimes.”
But damn he wanted to know the answer.
They drove in silence for a while, Hale watching him, noticing his long legs as he worked the clutch and gas, the bulge of his bicep when he made the small motion to shift gears.
“No,” Justin said, as though several minutes hadn’t passed. “I don’t have a girlfriend. Do you?”
“No,” Hale said, schooling his inner excitement. He wasn’t sure he wanted to go on with this next part, but he supposed he should. Justin actually seemed easy to talk to, it was fun to make him blush, and the more Hale talked about himself, the more likely Justin was to reciprocate. So, Hale pushed on. “I was married for a while, though. My wife died in childbirth six years ago. I have a little daughter, Eddie.”
“I’m sorry,” Justin said. His look of concern was touching before his expression changed to one of shock. “I mean, sorry about your wife… not your daughter,” he added hastily.
Hale laughed again, trying to set him at ease. “I knew what you meant. It’s okay.”
“Where do you… er… how do you take care of her? Must be hard… without your wife,” Justin stuttered, clearly uncomfortable. Hale needed to find a way to take this conversation back to lighter territory.
“Actually she’s never lived with me. After my wife died, I was in no condition to take care of a baby. I kind of went off the deep end, you know?” Hale felt a little guilty for the half-truth, because he went off the deep end a long time before Eddie came around, but he was trying to keep it light. “She lives with my wife’s sister and her husband in Chicago. That’s where I live too. We lived in the same rise for a couple years until a few weeks ago. I miss her a lot, but she’s better off with them.”
“She must miss her dad a lot.”
Hale shrugged. “She misses me, yeah.”
Justin took his eyes off the road for a moment to look at Hale. For the first time since he’d gotten in the car, Hale turned away to look out the window.
“She doesn’t know, does she? That you’re her father….”
Had he been that transparent? Hale looked back at Justin, raising an eyebrow. “No, she doesn’t.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to get too personal.”
“Hey, I told you I’d tell you my life’s story.”
“Yeah, but you were just being nice.”
“You think I’m a nice guy, huh?” Hale smiled at this. “Funny thing, Justin. After fifteen minutes you know more about me than almost anyone else in this world. What is it about you?”
“Ah… the awkward silence? People tend to want to fill it. I’ve had girls tell me their life story.”
Hale felt a twinge of jealousy. He’d said girls, plural. “Is that the secret? Good-lookin’ guy like you, I’m not surprised.” Hale anxiously watched how Justin would receive the compliment. “You must get tired of having your ear talked off.”
Justin gave that quirky half smile Hale had seen earlier. If the mood had been heavy, that slight raise in the side of Justin’s mouth seemed to lift it. “There’s a big difference between them and you, though.”
“Beyond the obvious, I’m guessing. What’s the difference?”
“I’m actually interested in what you have to say.” For the first time, Hale got a nice look at Justin’s teeth as he got a full-on face-changing smile. Such a handsome smile. Hale’s heart fluttered. He didn’t know what else to call it, and he wasn’t sure if it was the words Justin said or that gorgeous smile that did it.
God, he was a sap. Whose heart fucking fluttered, anyway?
JUSTIN GRIPPED the wheel. He must have been doing a lot of that, because his hands were sweaty. Gross. He needed to keep his hero worship under control. Because that’s what this had to be—hero worship. Glancing at Hale, he had to remind himself to keep his mind—as well as his physical reactions—in check. And his eyes on the road.
What he was feeling was not okay. When it had been all fantasy, that was one thing. But now that Black Jim had stepped off that bike and entered the realm of flesh and bone, he needed to stop looking at Hale like some forbidden food on a plate he was trying to ignore. No, actually food on a plate would be okay, because he didn’t want to have sex with food on a plate.
This was so wrong. He side-eyed Hale, who appeared to be watching Justin handle the rig. He didn’t dare meet those eyes. That man—so not food. No, Hale was all man.
Justin was familiar with Hale’s body. They had gotten up close and personal, after all. But seeing him without the greasepaint was… distracting. Hale was so handsome—in a very rough, almost dirty kind of way.
It wasn’t fair, because even with his eyes strictly on the road in the diesel-scente
d air of the cab, Justin could smell him. And he smelled good. Justin caught the aroma of something leather and rustic, like Hale had been infused with the fresh fall air.
Okay, he needed to stop.
But he couldn’t. How do you control your thoughts? Especially when fucking Black Jim was sitting only a few feet away from you. It was beyond words. That would account for Justin’s very awkward attempts and failures at conversation. He liked to let his fists do the talking. Maybe that’s why his hands were sweaty—he couldn’t hit anything. Black Jim’s opinion of him was likely changing from decent fighter to flustered fool.
Maybe he could put aside the notion of the flustered fool in Hale’s mind. He had to keep it all business. He’d need to stop looking at those blue eyes that practically took the place of the overcast sky. He’d need to stop marveling at the brown curls that hung low on his neck, and how he finally knew what color that hair was. He’d have to stop thinking about how he’d like to run his hands through it, or touch the dark scruff along the side of Hale’s face. What would it feel like?
Reflexively, Justin put on his blinker to turn into the rest stop. And holy shit. That was quick. Where had the time gone? Actually, come to think of it, they hadn’t talked for the last bit of the trip. God, he hadn’t even noticed. What had Hale been doing, just watching him the whole time? Now that Justin didn’t have to concentrate on driving any longer, he wouldn’t have an excuse to keep quiet. He’d have to fucking talk. He made an effort to swallow, his mouth suddenly dry.
He parked not far from the one other truck in the lot, a driver probably sleeping from a late night on the road. He cut the engine and took a quick sip of water from the bottle on the console. His swallow was uncommonly loud. He set the bottle back down, looking at it. He wanted more, but he already had to pee. He could not take a leak with Black Jim nearby. No way. Hell, he couldn’t even look at him. He heard Hale open the passenger door, and Justin took one last breath. Here goes.
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