Chartreuse

by T. E. Ridener

  “Are you new here? I haven’t seen you before,” The man said his voice loud so Kasen could hear him over the music.

  “I am,” Kasen nodded. “First time here.”

  “I see,” The man gave him a toothy smile as he glanced at Kasen’s drink and then back at him again. “Are you here with your boyfriend?”

  Kasen had to think on that for a moment. Rowan wasn’t his boyfriend. At least, he had never asked him to be. They were friends. Friends who kissed, but friends none the less.

  “Uh, no,” Kasen replied, shaking his head. “Just here with a friend,” What else was he supposed to say? Rowan would get upset if he found out Kasen was going around calling him his boyfriend. It wasn’t a good habit to keep; lying.

  “Ah, well would your friend mind if I bought you a drink?” The man asked, still smiling at him.

  Kasen shrugged. “I don’t reckon he would. But I’ve got a drink, so thanks,” He held up the glass that contained a good amount of alcohol before he smiled. “I appreciate the offer, Sir.”

  He glanced towards the bathroom, noticing that Rowan had yet to emerge. Maybe he needed to do more than just take a leak, which Kasen understood. He set his glass down, turning his back to it as he watched the crowd of people, waiting for Rowan to return.

  Any minute now.

  It was unfortunate that he was naïve to how places like this could be. It didn’t matter how many good people were there; there would always be bad ones, too. The man who had seemed so friendly had subtly dropped a pill into Kasen’s drink, and by the time he turned around it had dissolved entirely.

  As Kasen took another drink, he jumped slightly from someone’s hand on his shoulder.

  “I’ve got a call from Tasha. Apparently someone’s dog is in labor and one of the pups is stuck. I’ve got to walk her through it,” Rowan shouted into his ear. “I’ll be right back in, okay?”

  Kasen nodded, smiling up at him, “Okay. You go do what you have to do. I’ll be right here when you’re done.”

  Rowan pressed a kiss against Kasen’s lips before he make his way towards the exit. Kasen smiled and returned his attention to his drink again. He wasn’t paying any attention to the fact the man beside of him was watching as he guzzled half of what remained of his drink.

  At least ten minutes had passed by as Kasen set there, hands resting against the counter as he gazed at his glass. He had had alcohol before, but it had never affected him like this. He’d never truly been drunk, but he was certain he hadn’t had enough that it would make him feel so disoriented as it did right now.

  As the room began to spin, he slowly slid off the stool and rested his hand against the one that Rowan had previously occupied. He blinked a few times, trying to get his vision to focus as he took a step forward. He nearly toppled over when a strong hand gripped his arm.

  “Easy there,” The man in the business suit mumbled gently into his ear. “Seems you’ve had a bit too much to drink, huh, Buddy?”

  Kasen shook his head, “No, I’ve not had that much. Just the one glass. I guess I’m a light weight,” He chuckled a little, but that smile on his face began to disappear as he felt himself falling backwards.

  “Easy, young fella,” The man said, his arms around Kasen now, giving him no choice but to lean against the man. “Let’s get you somewhere safer, huh?”

  “I need to find Rowan,” Kasen shouted over the volume of the current tune playing.

  “I’ll take you to him,” The man promised. It was terribly unlucky that Kasen didn’t realize he was lying.

  Rowan reentered the club some fifteen minutes later, his phone being placed back into his pocket as he made his way to the bar. He frowned when he realized that Kasen was no longer there. His eyes scanned the dance floor, but there was no head of brown hair to be found. None that belonged to Kasen, at least.

  Maybe he was in the bathroom. There was no need to get worried. Kasen was a grown man and could handle himself, couldn’t he?

  As he settled back onto his stool and reached for his glass, he felt a light peck on his shoulder. He turned in hopes of seeing Kasen, but much to his surprise, it was Nikki from the Waffle House in Enterprise.

  “Hey,” She said over the music. “Are you looking for your boyfriend?”

  Rowan was taken aback by her question, and then he chuckled a little, “He’s not my boyfriend, but yes, I am looking for him.”

  “He went out back,” She said, nodding towards the rear entrance. “Some guy in a business suit took him that way. He didn’t look so good, to be honest.”

  Rowan’s brows furrowed. Some guy in a business suit? He slid off the stool immediately, glancing at Nikki, who was holding hands with another woman. Who would have known?

  “Thank you, Nikki,” He said before he pushed his way through the crowd. His main concern at that point was just finding Kasen and making sure he was okay.

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  Kasen felt like he was slipping from one dream into another. The bass of the music was still thumping through his brain as he felt his back pressing against a hard surface. Hot breath fanned out against his neck and he attempted to open his eyes to see what was happening.

  “Don’t fight it,” He heard someone saying.

  “Fight what?” Kasen asked in confusion.

  “Don’t fight me,” The voice said.

  Kasen could feel the cool night air hitting his exposed chest and he suddenly wondered how he had lost his shirt. He could hear the sound of a zipper being undone and he lifted a hand to push against the chest that was pressing against his own.

  “Where’s Rowan?” Kasen asked, his lids feeling as if they weighed a ton. His head was pounding, and he felt like he would fall at any moment. “Stop that,” He pushed against that chest again, squirming as fingertips brushed against his length.

  “Don’t worry about Rowan,” The voice stated in a husky tone. “You’re with me right now, and you should enjoy that.”

  “No,” Kasen said, shaking his head quickly. “No, you’re not Rowan. Stop it. Get off me.”

  Kasen was attempting to fight off the other male as a bitter mouth covered his own. Kasen did not like that taste. It wasn’t the taste he was accustomed to. He grunted and shoved at him again, but found his limbs were entirely useless. How could he be this drunk? How could he be so weak?

  He heard a sudden shout and then there was a loud cry of pain. Kasen tried to focus his vision enough to see what was going on.

  “You stay away from him, asshole!”

  It was Rowan’s voice. He could make that out. Rowan was there.

  “Rowan,” He said quietly, reaching his hand out, though he couldn’t find anyone particular. Kasen lost his balance as he fell to the side, barely catching himself against a cold metal surface. Maybe that was a dumpster.

  He could hear more grunts and cries as fists made impact with a face. The sounds were echoing in his mind, blurring into a brain tingling numbness as Kasen’s eyes closed again.

  Then there were warm hands cupping his face, and he could hear Rowan’s voice.

  “Kasen?”

  “Kasen? Are you okay?”

  “Kasen, open your eyes. Look at me.”

  Kasen really was trying to look at him, but his eyes wouldn’t open the way he wanted them to. He felt the strong arms that were around him in an instant, and he knew he was safe. This was right. Somewhere in his drug induced haze, Kasen knew he was going to be okay now.

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  Rowan was breathing heavily as he put the car into drive. He glanced over at Kasen, who was slumped against the window. God, how could this happen? How could someone take advantage of anyone…but especially Kasen? He was shaking as he glanced at his bloodied knuckles. That bastard deserved it.

  He pulled out of the parking lot and sped down the road, not caring about cops or possible speeding tickets. He needed to get Kasen to a hotel as quickly as he could. A quieter, safer location where he could examine him and mak
e sure that no damage was done.

  It was an image that wouldn’t soon leave his mind. The man who had his hand down Kasen’s pants. The man who had his mouth forced against Kasen’s. That should have been his mouth. No one else’s, damn it. And no one should have ever been touching Kasen. Kasen had told him he was a virgin and deep down Rowan had wanted to be the first, and only, person to touch him. He felt his stomach lurch at the thought of somebody ripping that experience away from them. What a fucking dog…..and that was an insult to dogs!

  Checking into the hotel was quick and solemn. Rowan barely managed to remember his manners to thank the front desk clerk. He was trying to help Kasen walk to their room, but he ended up carrying him the rest of the way.

  As he placed him upon the bed, he heard Kasen groan. God, this was a mess. He was instantly regretting that he had ever brought Kasen to this town. He was regretting that he had left him alone. He shouldn’t have done that.

  He glanced at Kasen’s exposed chest, examining him for any bruises. He found none. He slowly lifted Kasen’s eyelid with his thumb, noticing that by the judgment of how big his pupils were, he was most certainly under the influence of something. How the hell had someone roofied the poor kid within a twenty minute time frame?

  If it hadn’t been for Nikki being there…

  He didn’t want to think about how worse it could have played out. He didn’t want to think about what could have happened to Kasen if he hadn’t been there to stop it in the nick of time.

  “Rowan.”

  Rowan was hovering over him in an instant, gazing down at Kasen as he tried to open his eyes.

  “I’m here,” Rowan whispered. “You’re safe.”

  “I didn’t drink that much,” Kasen promised. “I swear it was only one glass.”

  “I know that,” Rowan continued in that same gentle tone. “I know, Baby.”

  He had never used that term with Kasen, until now. It was probably a shame that Kasen wouldn’t remember it, but it was also a blessing at the same time. He didn’t want Kasen to remember this. He didn’t want Kasen to remember that man.

  “I’m too drunk,” Kasen murmured a moment later, reaching his hand out to touch Rowan’s chin. “I feel sick.”

  Rowan caught his hand, kissing at his palm before gazing at him again. “I know, Baby,” He murmured in a compassionate tone. “But you’re going to be okay in the morning. I’m going to take care of you.”

  His heart was still pounding from the events that had taken place. How could he have been so careless?

  The thoughts haunted him as he settled in beside Kasen, watching as the boy slept so comfortably next to him. Rowan kept his arm around him protectively, afraid to fall asleep in fear of something happening to him right under his nose again. It was becoming more apparent with each passing second just how much Kasen meant to him.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “What happened to your hand?”

  The question brought Rowan out of a restless sleep. His eyes opened and he gazed tiredly into beautiful blue eyes.

  “You’re awake,” Rowan mumbled as he quickly sat up in the bed, gazing at Kasen.

  “I am,” Kasen replied, moving a hand through his hair. “I can’t believe I drank enough to get a hangover though,” He smiled gently as he shifted to sit up on the bed as well, moving his hand to rest against the mattress.

  Rowan frowned as he gazed at Kasen. He couldn’t keep this from him. As much as he wanted to protect him, Kasen deserved to know the truth about what had really happened.

  “Kasey,” Rowan started in a soft voice.

  Kasen lifted his eyes to Rowan’s again and he noticed that frown. It made him frown in response as his brows furrowed. “What’s wrong, Rowan?” And he still hadn’t answered his question about what happened to his hand.

  Rowan let out a deep sigh as he licked his lips and then he shifted again. He reached his good hand out, resting it over Kasen’s as he searched his face. “Last night at the club…”

  “What about it?” Kasen asked with a sudden worried tone to his voice.

  Rowan tried to break it to him as gently as he could, as if he were explaining death to a child. Kasen was no child, he knew that; but he didn’t want to terrify him either. Learning about something like this could be traumatic, and he didn’t want to see Kasen tarnished in any form.

  By the time he was done explaining about the man, and what he had done to him for it, Kasen’s eyes were on the bed. He was silent. That worried Rowan the most.

  He wasn’t sure when the right moment would come to ask if he was okay, so he waited. It was all he could do and that wait was the longest of his life. It may have only been two minutes, or it may have been two hours. Rowan was surprised he was even breathing at that point, as he traced his thumb over the warm flesh of Kasen’s palm.

  When Kasen finally spoke, it wasn’t anything that Rowan had been expecting.

  “Did you put some ice on your hand?” He asked.

  Why in the hell was Kasen worried about his hand when he had just learned that he’d been slipped the date rape drug and was nearly violated behind a club?

  “Don’t worry about my hand,” Rowan whispered, but he quickly quieted when Kasen’s eyes met his own again.

  “I will worry,” Kasen argued. “You saved me from that creep. He could have hurt you just as easily, Rowan.”

  Rowan hadn’t really been thinking about his own safety at the time. He was more concerned with getting Kasen as far away from that man as possible. He frowned as he thought it over, deciding that the scenario could have played out in so many different ways.

  Kasen was suddenly closer than he had been beforehand, and Rowan had no choice but to look at him. He wouldn’t have ignored him anyway.

  “Thank you,” Kasen said softly. “For being there. For protecting me.”

  “You don’t have to thank me for that,” Rowan argued in a gentle tone as he lifted his hand to cup Kasen’s cheek. As it had often before, Rowan’s thumb traced over the younger male’s jawline. “You mean more to me than you realize, Kasen. I would never let anyone hurt you.”

  Kasen’s eyes closed briefly when he felt the soft caress against his skin. His head was pounding, but he was trying to ignore it. He liked when Rowan showed affection like that towards him. He also didn’t mind the words leaving his lips at the moment. A frenzy of butterflies were floating around in his stomach, and Kasen was beginning to believe that Rowan returned his feelings. He knew that Rowan liked him…..but maybe it was deeper now. Maybe they shared something that Kasen could only hope for in the past.

  “I know that,” Kasen nodded, letting the tip of his nose bump against Rowan’s lightly. “I would never let anyone hurt you either, Rowan,” He offered a small smile, trying to push aside the new information about last night. He didn’t want to think about that man, or what he may have done to him. Rowan had saved him from it and that’s what mattered. Though he didn’t like the thought that someone else’s lips had been against his own-he didn’t like that thought at all.

  “Rowan,” He murmured after a moment.

  “Hm?”

  “I need you to kiss me right now,” Kasen admitted in a quiet voice. “Please.”

  What? Did he hear that correctly? Kasen wouldn’t have to ask him twice, but Rowan hadn’t been expecting that request at all. It made sense, didn’t it? He wanted to take away whatever taste was in Kasen’s mouth and replace it with his own. He didn’t want Kasen to ever feel the tingle of someone else’s lips or their kiss. He wanted it to be his kiss that Kasen always felt lingering on his lips.

  As their lips met in a gentle exchange, Rowan moved his hand to the back of Kasen’s neck. Their mouths moved slowly, taking their time. They had shared hundreds of kisses, but Rowan intended for this one to be the one that stood out. This was the kiss that he poured his feelings into.

  As his lips slowly moved against Kasen’s, Rowan shifted to bring their bodies closer together. He would be careful. He kn
ew that Kasen’s mind must have been flooded with a thousand questions about last night, but Rowan desperately wanted to help him forget it had even happened. Was it wrong to tell him? Should he have kept it from him? He wanted to help him move on from that experience. He would do whatever it took.

  He could feel as Kasen’s kiss became hungry. It was nearly animalistic the way the younger male suddenly dominated his mouth, but Rowan allowed this. He didn’t mind when Kasen became eager with his kisses, because Rowan liked it. He liked that Kasen had slowly come out of his shell and he liked that he was the one the younger man experimented on. He would happily be his guinea pig any day of the week.

  He could hear Kasen’s breathing growing rapid through his nostrils and Rowan slowly pulled away to gaze at him. Those bright blue eyes were hidden for the moment, but that was all right. Those orbs were burned into his memory, and Rowan would never forget how they shimmered with happiness.

  “Thank you,” Kasen murmured, his forehead resting against Rowan’s.

  “For what?” Rowan asked. His voice was equally quiet as he traced his fingertips down Kasen’s jawline. “You don’t have to thank me for kissing you, Kasen. I’d happily do it again and again. As often as you want.”

  A soft chuckle escaped from Kasen’s kiss swollen lips and Rowan’s heart felt like it was going to leap from his chest. Despite what had happened the night before, Rowan hoped it hadn’t tainted the young man he had such strong affections for. He hoped that Kasen would not think too heavily on the subject. If he saw that man again….

  “When are we going back to Chartreuse?” Kasen asked after a moment. His voice tugged Rowan away from his momentary vision of beating the pervert in a suit to a pulp and he blinked.

  “In a few hours, I think,” Rowan nodded. “I know you probably need to get back to Houston as much as I need to get back to Napoleon.”

  “They can wait a little longer,” Kasen whispered as he nuzzled his nose against Rowan’s cheek.

  How in the hell was he supposed to say no to this kid? He had already wormed his way past the walls Rowan put up, and he was pretty sure he would do anything the kid asked of him, short of murder. They could stay for a little longer. He wouldn’t hold it against Napoleon if he had an accident.