by Lynn Hagen
He sounded genuinely pissed. “You think of me as a friend?”
“No, Seoul is. I’m doing this for him.”
Matthew bristled. “You can go now. I’m sobering up, although I won’t be for long.”
Darien chuckled humorlessly. “I emptied every bottle I could find. Unless you stagger to the nearest store, good luck getting wasted.”
“You had no right!” Matthew grabbed his temples and cursed himself for shouting. All he wanted to do was go lie down, but he refused to while Darien was in his home. He also wanted another drink, but that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.
“I’m not sure what ghosts haunt you, but booze isn’t the answer.”
Matthew stopped rubbing his temples and looked Darien’s way. He sounded as though he was speaking from experience.
“My dad,” Darien said as he lifted the lid and tossed the K-Cup in the trash under the sink. “Before you ask.”
He brought the mug to Matthew and set it down.
“Thanks.”
Darien nodded. “I’m not out to use you. Not for money,” he amended. “Got enough to live comfortably. I don’t need yours.”
“But you’re willing to use me for sex?”
“I’m willing to share in a mutual satisfaction.” As Darien headed toward the living room, Matthew’s gaze zeroed in on his well-sculpted butt. For a man in his late thirties, Darien had a rocking body.
“And stop staring at my ass,” he said before he disappeared around the corner.
Matthew smiled as he sipped the coffee. He sighed at the strong, heavenly taste. The more he drank, the more he decided he was ready to get his head out of his ass.
He still wasn’t sure about sleeping with Darien, but he was ready to go back to Wildfire.
* * * *
“The fucking inspector said the wiring isn’t up to code.” Jordan looked like he was ready to snap his clipboard in half. “I rewired the kitchen myself. The guy’s smoking something if he thinks I don’t know what I’m doing.”
Darien had stepped off the plane an hour ago and really didn’t want to hear this right now. “Just fix whatever he wants you to fix.”
“There’s nothing to fix,” Jordan argued. “The kitchen lights work and all the outlets, too. The breaker box is up to code, no matter what that prick says.”
Darien was so tired he could barely stand. He had gotten to Matthew’s penthouse in the wee hours of the morning and had only had two hours of sleep. He’d stayed up the entire day and had caught a flight that had gotten him and Matthew back to Wildfire at seven in the evening. In almost forty-eight hours, two hours of sleep wasn’t going to cut it. He wasn’t a spring chicken anymore.
He was flat-out exhausted and he planned on being back at work at five in the morning. “I’ll deal with this tomorrow, Jordan.”
“I just wanted to let you know what was going on. You look like shit. You should get some sleep.”
“I will as soon as you stop squawking at me.”
“I don’t squawk,” Jordan sniffed. “Good night.”
Darien slammed his apartment door.
He cursed and told himself to worry about everything after a good night’s sleep. His brain wasn’t functioning. It couldn’t be since he was still worried about a man he wasn’t even fucking.
Darien undressed and face-planted on the bed, only to have his phone ring a second later. He started to ignore it, but groaned and grabbed it from his nightstand. “This better be a life-or-death situation.”
The line was silent.
He pulled the phone away from his ear and looked at the number on the screen. Damn. “Matthew?”
“I’m sorry if I caught you at a bad time.”
“No, you’re fine.” Darien sat up and wiped a hand over his jaw. “Is something wrong?”
He’d just dropped Matthew off not twenty minutes ago. Something couldn’t have happened in that short amount of time.
“No, nothing’s wrong.”
Darien had a feeling he wouldn’t be going to sleep anytime soon. “Do you need me to come back over there?”
The line went silent again. There were murmured voices, and then Matthew said, “I’m sorry I bothered you.”
Before Darien could say another word, Matthew hung up.
Fuck. Darien tossed his phone aside and dressed. There was no way in hell he’d be able to sleep after that phone call.
He revved his Harley before taking off down the street. Darien passed the buildings in downtown Wildfire, his mind instantly going over each one and what might need to be done. It was his brain’s way of trying not to think about Matthew.
After taking care of his dad for most of his younger years, Darien had grown to resent him. No child should have to take care of a drunken parent, but he’d done it anyway, and had even gotten a job at the age of twelve to make sure there was food in the house. That was why Darien had such hard work ethics engrained in him. He couldn’t imagine not working.
And now he was dealing with another alcoholic. It was as if he were doomed to be someone’s caretaker, yet Darien couldn’t just walk away.
He pulled into Matthew’s driveway. He still couldn’t believe a man of Matthew’s money and prestige had chosen such a run-down house. The two-story looked as though it had seen better days. Even the porch steps sagged as Darien climbed them.
He didn’t bother to knock. He didn’t want to give Matthew a chance to ignore him. “Hello?” he called out when he entered.
Seoul came around the corner. “Thanks for coming.”
Darien nodded. “Where is he?”
“In his bedroom.”
“Has he been drinking?”
“No.” Seoul looked toward the stairs. “But he’s not in a good place right now.”
With a nod, Darien took the steps two at a time. He checked the first three bedrooms and the bathroom before he found Matthew’s room at the end of the hall.
Matthew lay on his bed, curled into a ball. The curtains were drawn tight, and the only light came from a bedside lamp that barely gave a soft glow. “Go away, Seoul.”
“What are you, a vampire?” Darien stepped farther into the room. “Why is it so dark in here?”
“I’m sorry I pulled you away. I know you have to be tired.” Matthew looked over his shoulder, then turned back around. The forlorn look in his gray eyes tore at Darien. He looked so damn lost and alone.
Darien kicked his boots off and crawled into the bed, where he stretched out next to Matthew.
“What’re you doing?”
“Getting some sleep.” Darien yawned. “I’m also killing two birds here. You need me, whether you want to admit it or not, so if I sleep here, I can be near you and get some rest.”
“You-you don’t want to fool around?”
Darien gave a dry chuckle. “Why are you so stuck on sex?”
“You’re the one who said those nasty things to me in the bathroom at the tavern.”
“Go to sleep, Matthew.” Darien pulled Matthew into the curve of his body. “We’ll discuss those ‘nasty’ things later.”
Matthew molded into him, and Darien had to admit, holding someone again felt good—even if they weren’t having sex. And that stunned him. He usually didn’t cuddle a man unless it was postcoital.
But having Matthew in his arms felt too damn right, and that scared the shit out of him. Even if he thought he could settle down with one man, Matthew was too unstable. Darien refused to risk his heart for someone who drank the way Matthew did.
Been there, done that.
But for tonight, he would be the anchor Matthew needed.
* * * *
“What the hell?” Darien came to a hard stop when he jogged downstairs the following morning. Cory was in the living room, and standing way too close to Seoul. He could tell they’d just kissed from Cory’s swollen lips. “Are you fucking Cory?”
“Oh my God!” Cory’s face turned bright red. “No, you didn’t just ask that!”
/> “Answer my question,” Darien snapped at Seoul.
“For one, it’s none of your damn business. Two, he’s a consenting adult.”
“You’re using him!”
“Still none of your business,” Seoul retorted.
Darien’s anger boiled over. Maybe he took his role as Cory’s surrogate father too far, but all he saw was that cold winter’s night when Cory was curled up against the chain-link fence with nothing but a flimsy jacket on to ward off the chilly air.
Darien had worked hard at winning Cory’s trust. He had lost sleep when Cory woke up screaming from his nightmares. No, Cory was too fragile for some rich prick to take advantage of.
“Cory, go wait outside.”
“No,” Cory argued.
Darien narrowed his eyes. “Now.”
Cory glared at him before stomping away. Darien moved closer to Seoul, lowering his voice to a deadly pitch. “Just like you warned me about Matthew, I’ll do the same for you. Cory is too fragile for anyone who isn’t willing to be a permanent fixture in his life. So if you just want someone to fuck, walk away, Seoul.”
Seoul’s nostrils flared. “It’s none of your damn business.”
Darien headed for the door, but before he left, he looked over his shoulder. “Walk away.”
Cory paced the sidewalk outside, glaring at the grass. When he spotted Darien, his hands balled into fists. “You had no right to do that!”
“Lower your voice.” Darien headed to his Harley, and Cory ran behind him.
“You’re not my father, Darien.”
Darien counted to ten before he turned to face Cory. “You’re right. I’m not. I actually care about you.” Cory looked as if Darien had struck him. Darien cursed. “Cory, I’m sorry.”
“Fuck you.” Cory took off down the street. Darien groaned. Would anything go right today? He would have to make things up to Cory, but for now, the best thing to do would be to let him cool off.
He looked up at Matthew’s bedroom window, then mounted his bike. He was here to rebuild Wildfire, not play counselor or cockblocker. With Matthew falling apart and Cory letting one of the rich investors use him, Darien was more than ready to put the town in his rearview.
Chapter Five
After a week of Cory ignoring him, Darien couldn’t take it anymore. His crew was the only family he had and he’d be damned if he allowed some prick to come between them.
Darien hunted Cory down and found him in the restaurant with the carpenter, Max. He was built like a bull, but had a quietness to him that made Darien think he was constantly plotting someone’s demise.
Though he’d known Maxwell Hyatt for nearly ten years, sometimes Darien still couldn’t get a good read on him. But he wasn’t there to see Max.
“Are you still ignoring me?” Darien waited for Cory to acknowledge him. He hated arguing, especially with one of his men. Darien tried to avoid drama as much as possible. In fact, he was allergic to the stuff.
Cory looked up at Darien and turned back to Max. They were measuring the counter for a replacement. Seoul had insisted that the restaurant be their next project, but at this point, Darien didn’t give a shit what he wanted.
They were only six weeks into the work and already Darien was tired of this small town. He was ready to get back to Virginia where his boring life suited him just fine, and where his men didn’t act like they’d lost their minds.
Then again, it was always something with Cory. Not that Darien blamed him. Trouble just seemed to find Cory wherever he went.
“Don’t you dare ignore me, Cory.”
Cory slowly turned, only to glare at Darien. He threw his hands on his skinny hips. “When you learn not to stick your nose in business that isn’t yours, I’ll talk to you.”
Max glanced from Cory to Darien. “Problem?”
“You want to take a swing at me?” Darien asked Cory.
Cory’s jaw dropped as his brows shot up. “I’m not gonna hit my boss.”
The words stung Darien. Cory hadn’t referred to him as his boss since he started working at Lockmere Construction. That only told Darien how truly pissed Cory really was. “Is that all I am to you?”
Cory looked away.
Darien ground his teeth. He would squash this argument if it was the last thing he did. Coming to Wildfire hadn’t been good for them, and with each day they spent here, Darien was starting to wish more and more he hadn’t won the bid for this contract. “Go ahead, take a swing at me.”
“No.”
“Hit me, Cory.”
Cory’s slim arms began to fly as he wailed on Darien’s chest. In truth, those small fists hurt, but Darien took the pounding. Cory had years of repressed hate and anger toward his father that he’d never dealt with, and while he had no doubt this wasn’t the right way to handle that, after a minute of swinging his arms wildly, Cory collapsed against Darien’s chest.
Darien wrapped his arms around Cory and kissed his sweaty hair. He wished to God he could take away the pain Cory had endured, take away the memories of the abuse he’d suffered, but all Darien could do was be there for him. “Feel better?”
“No.” Cory curled farther into him, burying his face in Darien’s chest. “I’m-I’m sorry I hit you.”
Darien brushed his hand over Cory’s blond hair, using his other hand to hold Cory to him. “Trust me, your ineffectual fists didn’t do any damage, and I think you needed that.”
Max looked between them, his expression confused.
“I just care about what happens to you.” If Darien could get away with it, he’d go after Cory’s father and end the bastard’s life. Cory was such a sweet and loving person, and didn’t deserve what had been done to him. No one deserved that kind of perversion.
“I know.” Cory pulled back and wiped his nose. “But I can handle myself.”
He still wasn’t getting through to Cory, and maybe he wouldn’t. Darien knew he couldn’t protect Cory from the world, but he could at least try. “You can’t let Seoul use you. I know you’re an adult, but letting him fuck you—”
“Seoul is fucking Cory?” Max slammed his tape measure down, shocking Darien. “And you’re gonna just let it happen?”
“What do you want me to do?” Darien asked. “Pop a cap in the back of his skull?”
He was pissed at Seoul, but not mad enough to shoot the guy.
“Max, please,” Cory said in a pleading tone. “I’m embarrassed enough that Darien already blasted me in front of Seoul. I don’t need you yelling at me, too.”
Max’s face fell. “I wasn’t yelling at you, Cory. I swear. But how could you let Seoul fuck you?”
Cory shook his head as he took a step back. “I can’t do this right now.”
He hurried from the restaurant.
“I’m gonna kill that bastard.” Max started toward the door.
Darien grabbed Max’s beefy arm. It was like trying to stop a freight train. “No, you’re not. Cory consented.” Darien hated to think that Seoul had taken advantage of Cory, but the man had been right. Cory was an adult and the decision had been his.
“Fine,” Max bit out. “But if I see Seoul anywhere near Cory again, I’m gonna unload my nail gun into his pretty-boy face.”
Jeez. Darien so didn’t need this crap. “Just get the damn counter measured so we can order the new one.” It was like trying to wrangle a bunch of goddamn kids. “Have Jordan inspect the wiring, and Casey look at the plumbing. I’ll have Mo over here in the next few days to inspect the roof.”
Max gave a hard nod before Darien left him to finish his work. He thought about taking Max’s nail gun, but it was pneumatic and required an air hose. Thank fuck the hose wouldn’t reach the three blocks to Seoul’s house.
* * * *
Matthew was embarrassed as hell over what Darien had witnessed, and he was still pissed that Seoul had involved the man. He liked keeping his private life private, but Seoul had made sure that hadn’t happened. “You can be pissed at me all you want,”
Seoul said as he headed toward the door of the house he and his three friends shared. “But at least you aren’t drinking. If you ask me, that’s worth any embarrassment you suffered.”
“You’re an asshole.” Matthew went to the kitchen for a cup of coffee. He stood by the red-and-chrome Keurig and thought about Darien making him a cup at his penthouse.
Maybe he shouldn’t fight his attraction any longer. Maybe he should let Darien fuck him and get the man out of his system. If he hadn’t taken advantage of Matthew yet, maybe he did only want to get laid after all.
He wasn’t going to deny Darien’s claim that there was attraction between them. There was, and it was stronger than Matthew liked or wanted to admit. His cock hardened as he thought about Darien holding him last night as they slept. Too bad Darien hadn’t done something while they were in bed together.
Then again, Matthew would have lost all respect for the guy if Darien had taken advantage of him in such a vulnerable state. “You truly are one screwed-up son of a bitch,” he mumbled to himself.
“As long as you don’t start answering yourself,” Dagger said as he entered the room, “I think you’re safe from being diagnosed as crazy.”
Matthew leaned a hip into the counter as he waited for his coffee to finish pouring into the mug. “Haven’t yet, but there’s still time.”
“You still pissed at Seoul?” Dagger grabbed a bottle of juice from the refrigerator. “You know he only cares about what happens to you. He looked ready to flip out when he called you and found out you were wasted.”
Matthew and Seoul had been friends since childhood. It had been Seoul who had protected Matthew from the bullies in school. It had been Seoul who was there to help him care for his siblings while his mom worked herself to death. And it had been Seoul who’d shielded Matthew from the media when William tried to destroy his life.
“Where’re you off to?” Matthew grabbed his cup and went to the refrigerator, where he took out the creamer.
“I’m meeting with the already-established residents. I think they should have input on the rebuilding of Wildfire. We bought the town, and its debt, but they’ve been here longer, so I think their insight might be enlightening.”