by Lynn Hagen
“You’re really embracing this, aren’t you?” Matthew’s eyes rolled when he took a sip of his coffee. Liquid heaven.
“I don’t see why you’re not.” Dagger eyed him as he took a swig of his juice. “We have a chance to rebuild a town. How fucking cool is that? We can make it into whatever we want it to be, and I think Seoul is right. Having a LGBTQ community seems”—Dagger shrugged—“I dunno…exciting.”
“You know it won’t go as smoothly as everyone hopes. They’ll be trouble. There’s always trouble.”
Dagger nodded. “You have to accept they’ll be a few bad apples in the bunch. But, in my opinion, the harvest will be worth it.”
Matthew wasn’t sure how true Dagger’s statement was.
Dagger patted Matthew’s shoulder. “Glad to see your head’s back on straight again.”
“Thanks.” Matthew set his mug aside and decided to hunt Darien down. At the very least he owed Darien a thank-you for sticking by him when Matthew was spiraling out of control. Not too many people could reach him when he was in that frame of mind, but Darien had navigated the choppy waters as though he was a pro at taking care of drunken fools.
He said his dad was a drunk. Or at least Darien had indicated as much.
Matthew left the house and headed down the steps. It wasn’t even eight in the morning and already the day was heating up, so he had on his favorite chino shorts that reached his knees, and a simple white polo shirt. He’d even gone so far as to throw on a pair of sandals, which he rarely wore.
As long as he was in a small town, he might as well embrace the way of life. For now. He still wasn’t sure if he would stick around after the town was completed. Matthew had a life in Virginia.
No, you just have your company based in Virginia. Other than that, what else do you have there besides bad memories and loneliness?
“You need me today?” Drake caught up with Matthew.
“Not today,” he said to his bodyguard. Matthew was starting to feel ridiculous for bringing him along. He’d ordered Drake to remain behind when he’d taken off to Virginia, and the guy had to be bored hanging around Wildfire. “Why don’t you take the day off?”
“Are you sure?” Drake stopped on the sidewalk. “I feel like I’m not earning my paycheck.”
A thought struck Matthew. So far he hadn’t given any input into Wildfire. Matthew had just gone along for the ride, allowing his friends to make the decisions. It was about time he changed that. “You ever thought about getting into law enforcement?”
“I was a DC cop for ten years,” Drake admitted. “And before that, I served four years in the marines.”
“You think you might like it here, in Wildfire, as a cop?”
Drake looked as though he was considering Matthew’s proposal. “To be honest, I like the slower pace of life here. I got enough scars from fast-paced living.”
With a nod, Matthew said, “Good, then you can be one of the deputies. I’ll have to talk it over with the other men, but I’m pretty sure they would agree with me.”
Drake grinned. “Thanks, Mr. Honeywell.”
“Call me Matthew.” He patted Drake on his swollen bicep. “Go enjoy today. I’ll see about putting you to work soon enough.”
“Just call if you need me.” Drake walked away.
Matthew smiled. He’d made his first executive decision concerning Wildfire. Seoul would be so proud.
Matthew stopped in Gallagher’s, waving at Halo. “Do you serve breakfast?”
Halo came from behind the counter. “I’m not even technically open, but I had a few things that needed to get done.”
“So, is that a no?” Matthew asked.
Halo grinned. “For you, I’m sure I can whip something up.”
Matthew opted to sit at the bar instead of a booth or table. “How does toast and eggs sound?”
“Too easy.” Halo grinned. “I might make some for myself while I’m at it.”
Without asking, Halo poured Matthew a cup of coffee. “Thanks.”
Halo poured himself one, too. “Don’t get used to it. I normally don’t serve breakfast, but since you mentioned it, my stomach is growling.”
“I appreciate it just the same.” Matthew was stalling. He wanted to find Darien and explore the possibilities, yet he’d stopped for food. He couldn’t understand why he was so insecure when it came to his personal life. Even before William he’d been that way, and that was one of the reasons William had been able to so easily use him.
Matthew equated money with love, even though in the back of his mind he knew the two didn’t mix. He’d tried to buy attention, tried to buy loyalty from the men he’d slept with, but all that had gotten him was a wet ass and headaches, and an almost ruined life.
When Halo brought the food out, Matthew sat there and ate while talking and laughing with him. He had no idea that the bar owner was such a nice guy, and found he enjoyed Halo’s company.
“So when my mom found me running naked through the yard while trying to chase that chicken down, she tanned my hide and I couldn’t sit down for a week.”
Matthew hooted with laughter. Halo was full of hilarious stories. “As much as I’m enjoying myself, I have to go check on the town.”
Halo clapped him on the shoulder as if they were old friends. “Thanks for taking an interest in Wildfire. She really is a great town, and I can’t wait to see her back on her feet.”
Matthew pulled his wallet out, but Halo held up his hand. “Breakfast is on me. Been a while since I laughed that hard.”
“Same here,” Matthew admitted. “Thanks for feeding me.”
“No problem. See you around.” Halo grabbed the empty dishes and sauntered into the kitchen.
Matthew felt better than he had in a while as he left the tavern and headed to where Darien and his crew were working. He stopped to watch some of the men carrying broken wood outside the restaurant and tossing the pieces over the side of the large, metal trash container outside it.
Darien appeared from around the container, talking to one of his men. Matthew just stood there and drank in the tall, tanned, handsome man. He wore reflective sunglasses that robbed Matthew of seeing his gorgeous blue eyes.
The guy Darien spoke with nodded toward Matthew. Heat crept along Matthew’s face and neck when Darien looked right at him. He said something to his worker, then headed toward Matthew.
“Glad to see you up and around.” Darien pushed his sunglasses to the top of his head. Wow. He really was a sexy beast. Matthew wanted to curl into Darien and beg the man to fuck him. He was almost desperate to know what those muscles would feel like wrapped around him as Darien pounded into his ass.
“I wanted to apologize for my behavior.” Matthew stuck his hands in his pockets and stared at Darien’s chest, unable to continue holding his gaze while his mind dove into the gutter. “I swear I’m not an alcoholic. I was just going through a rough patch.”
“Water under the bridge.” Darien squeezed his shoulder, then let his hand drop. “Sorry, but I don’t have much time to spare. I’m behind schedule and I have a couple shipments coming in today.”
Matthew bobbed his head, disappointed Darien had given him the brush-off. He’d silently hoped Darien would take him to one of the houses and demand that blowjob. “I understand.”
Darien placed his hand on Matthew’s arm when Matthew started to turn away. “You want to meet up for dinner this evening? Can’t promise I’ll be great company after a hard day’s work, but we can share a meal.”
Matthew smiled. “I’d like that.”
Chapter Six
Matthew showered and changed clothes, getting ready for his date—was it a date?—with Darien. He hadn’t been this nervous about spending time with a guy since his teenage years, and the prospect of spending time with Darien excited him.
Until his phone rang.
Matthew started not to answer, but not only did he have a business to run, but it might’ve been Darien. He wasn’t going to pass up a
chance to hear the man’s deep and sultry voice.
“Matthew Honeywell.”
“You sound happy.”
Matthew’s heart plummeted as his throat went dry. “What the fuck do you want, William?”
He couldn’t believe the bastard had called him. Hadn’t William wrecked his life already? Hadn’t Matthew been shamed enough? He’d started to hang up when William said, “You still owe me, Matthew.”
Anger rolled inside his chest. “You were paid for something I never did. Crawl back under your rock and never call me again!”
Matthew hung up and threw his phone against the wall. This time it shattered. His body sang with fury as he paced his bedroom, wondering what William was up to. What did he mean Matthew still owed him? He had spent Matthew’s money recklessly and had demanded more and more from Matthew as their relationship progressed, and then he’d tried to ruin Matthew.
William Black was nothing more than the devil in disguise.
Matthew cursed when he went for his phone. Damn it. He needed to call his lawyers. If William was plotting to get more money from him, Matthew had to cut him off at the knees.
Matthew went downstairs. Seoul was in the kitchen frying fish, and Matthew crinkled his nose. He’d never liked the smell, even when his mother had cooked it. “I got a big problem.”
“Other than your drinking or the fact you keep running from the sexy construction worker?”
Matthew narrowed his eyes. “I heard the argument yesterday morning. I’m surprised you’re not calling Darien something crueler.”
Seoul shrugged. “He pissed me off by sticking his nose in my business, but I can’t fault him for caring about his friend. That doesn’t mean I’ll stop fucking Cory, but I understand where he’s coming from.”
“You’re a hopeless horndog.” Matthew paced by the table.
Seoul grinned. “I am what I am.” His grin slipped when he looked at Matthew. “What’s wrong?”
“William just called me.”
Seoul fully turned, his eyes growing darker than their already dark color. “You’ve got to be kidding me. What the hell did that piece of shit want?”
“He says I still owe him.”
Seoul pointed the tongs at him. “You don’t owe the bitch anything but a beatdown.” He tossed the tongs on the counter and pulled the apron over his head. “You want me to fuck him up, Matty? I’ll make him wish he’d never been born.”
“So he can sue you?” Matthew shook his head. “No, we have to be smarter than that. He caught me from left field last time. I won’t let that happen again.”
“I don’t see why you paid him in the first place. He called you a rapist. He shouldn’t have gotten paid for that. He should’ve had his damn neck snapped.”
“Regardless, he’s back, and he wants to dig his claws into me again.” Although Matthew hadn’t done anything wrong, trepidation squeezed his stomach. “I can’t have him dragging me through the mud again.”
“Dagger has contacts. Why don’t you let him take care of that prick?”
“Because I don’t want to be accused of murder,” Matthew said.
Seoul waved off his worry. “They’ll never connect the dots.”
“I always knew you were a few cans short of a six-pack, but I never knew you were this bloodthirsty.”
Seoul removed the fish from the pan and turned off the burner. He took a seat next to Matthew. “I’m not. But both of us had fucked-up childhoods and we both clawed our way out of the slums and made something of ourselves. I won’t stand by and watch someone take what you’ve worked so hard to build.”
“I need to call my lawyers.”
“You need to hire a hitman.” Seoul tapped a finger on the table. “You make weapons, for Christ’s sake. Use one of them on his skanky ass.”
“Legal way,” Matthew said. “I just need to use your phone. I broke mine.”
With a roll of his eyes, Seoul handed over his phone. “Call your lawyers, but I’m gonna hire someone to dig deep into William’s life. There has to be some dirt we can use against him.”
Matthew made the call. His team of lawyers were outraged that William was once again attempting to blackmail him.
“This will be handled discreetly and swiftly,” Paul Acosta said. “By the time we’re done with Mr. Black, no modeling agency will ever hire him again. We’ll make sure he’s seen as the gold-digging bastard that he is.”
“Thank you,” Matthew said. “You can reach me at this number.” He hung up and handed the phone back to Seoul. “I have to go.”
Although William had ruined his evening, Matthew still planned on meeting Darien for dinner.
“Tell me you’re gonna let Darien Lockmere fuck you,” Seoul said. “Maybe that’s your problem. I can’t imagine going a year without sex. My balls would’ve shriveled up and fallen off after a few days.”
Matthew crinkled his nose. “Not an image I wanted.”
He left the kitchen to Seoul’s laughter.
* * * *
Darien was seated at the bar and had just ordered a Coke when he spotted Matthew coming through the door. He grinned at the way Matthew glanced around as if he were a spy looking for his contact. Darien ran a hand over his chest, his cock jerking at the sight of Matthew in those deliciously tight jeans.
He was tired of pussyfooting around and planned on doing something about his lust. He’d been in Wildfire for nearly two months and his balls were starting to ache from lack of use.
“Make that two Cokes,” he told Halo. “And I’ll be having dinner tonight.”
“You got it.” Halo handed him two menus. “Just wave me down when you’re ready to order.”
After tucking the menus under his arm, Darien grabbed the glasses of sodas and found an empty booth. Seconds later Matthew slid into the seat opposite Darien. His gray gaze scanned the tavern.
“Expecting someone to join us?” Darien gave Matthew his glass and a menu. He brushed his fingers over Matthew’s hand, unable to resist the contact.
Matthew snapped his head around. “No, no, no. It’s just us.”
He was edgy, making Darien wonder what was going on. “I’m starving.”
Since Darien never ate lunch, and he’d busted his ass today, he was ready to eat a cow. His stomach rumbled loudly.
Matthew didn’t pick up the menu. “I’ll just have a salad.”
Darien frowned. “You’re kidding, right? What are you, a rabbit?”
His plan had been to seduce Matthew, but Darien wanted to feed him first. A salad was a joke.
Matthew’s brows puckered. “What’s wrong with eating healthy?”
“You’re always left hungry,” Darien answered. “Salads are for grass-eating animals. Man needs meat.”
A twitch bounced at the side of Matthew’s mouth. “You just sounded like a die-hard caveman. I, in fact, eat meat.”
Matthew blushed and Darien knew exactly where his mind had gone. That pleased him to no end. Matthew’s dirty thoughts told him they were on the same page.
Darien chuckled. “I was talking about steak, but I like the way you think.”
“Are you always so aggressive?” Matthew took a sip of his Coke.
“Only when I see something I want.” Darien shrugged. “Life’s too short for regrets.”
If only he believed that philosophy. Darien had plenty of regrets, but he didn’t plan on making Matthew one of them. He’d get the uptight man out of his system and move on, just like he’d planned on doing from the beginning.
“How about we share a meal since I’m not that hungry?” Matthew looked around again. The only people in the tavern were Darien and Mo’s crew. What was Matthew looking for?
“Sounds good.” Darien waved Halo over. “A steak dinner.”
“Just one?”
“Just one,” Darien said. “But can you make those potatoes mashed instead of baked?”
“You got it.” Halo took their menus and headed away.
“You gonna
tell me what’s going on?”
Matthew’s attention snapped back to Darien. “What are you talking about?”
Darien leaned forward and tapped Matthew’s temple. “Your body is here, but your mind is somewhere else. I’m tired, but I don’t think I’m boring you that badly.”
Matthew nibbled his lower lip. Darien had never seen him so nervous before. “I just have a lot on my mind.” Matthew took another drink of his soda. “I do run a multimillion-dollar corporation.”
Darien didn’t need the reminder. In fact, he’d tried to forget that Matthew was filthy rich. The man’s money meant nothing to Darien. He liked the simple life. He’d take a beer and a barbecue over boardrooms and fancy dining any day.
“Tell me you can’t relax for one evening.” Darien nudged his foot against Matthew’s leg. The contact made his cock jerk. He was wound so tight he was ready to throw Matthew on the floor and fuck him over the peanut shells.
“I’m here, aren’t I?”
“Not your mind,” he reminded Matthew. “Forget work for now and enjoy our time together.”
“Okay.” Matthew cleared his throat. He looked at Darien and shook his head. “I have no idea what to talk about.”
“Wow.” Darien cocked his head to the side. “You work so much that your social skills suck this badly?”
“My social skills aren’t lacking,” Matthew defended. “I have three friends and we talk just fine.” He ran his hand over the wood of the table. “It’s getting to know someone new that’s hard for me.”
“Trust issues?” Darien knew Matthew had some trouble in his past. He just didn’t know what that trouble was. He could have gone online and looked, but Darien wanted Matthew to tell him instead of prying into the man’s personal life. Darien didn’t like it when someone did that to him, so he wouldn’t do that to anyone else.
Matthew gave an undignified snort. “You have no idea.”
Darien stretched his arms over the back of his booth. “Then enlighten me.”