As Aaron moved closer, going for the rack of clothes, Kreed hooked an arm around his waist, catching him off guard, tugging him flush against his chest. His guy didn’t miss a beat, and Aaron’s brow relaxed. He slid his arms around Kreed’s shoulders, holding on just as tight.
“It’ll work itself out,” Kreed said, nuzzling his nose against Aaron’s.
“I didn’t think…”
Kreed captured Aaron’s jaw between his thumb and forefinger, holding Aaron still within a few inches of his face. “Show me how glad you are that I’m here…in bed.” That eased any lingering worry on Aaron’s handsome face. That sexy crooked smile spread, and like normal, Kreed’s knees went weak.
“I’ve got a great bed. You’ll like the bed.” Aaron’s blue eyes darkened with desire.
“I vote for pizza and a beer, then sexy time in that great bed of yours. The rest’ll work out.”
Aaron’s grin grew broader. “Yes, it will. You should see the bathtub, fits two and has some well positioned jets.” Aaron waggled his brows then lifted on his tiptoes, sealing the future with a kiss.
Sweet Suds
Kreed Sinacola dropped his sunglasses in place while trotting down the front steps of the corporate office of Dishology. The afternoon sun gently warmed his skin. The fresh air and clear skies above helped ease the bad mood Mitch Knox had created when he’d hot-shotted out of their meeting without any sort of a heads up on his hasty departure.
Kreed took a second to stop on the brick sidewalk to get his bearings before taking in the remarkable European feel of the little Maryland town. In that moment, he instantly understood why Dishology, the world’s leading casual dining restaurant company, or so the mission statement plastered on the lobby wall declared, had never moved to a major city. This tucked away corner of the nation was cool as fuck. Out of all the time he’d spent in DC, how in the hell had Ellicott City never popped up on his radar? He’d seriously missed out.
Staring down the main street, he thought about Aaron and how he would enjoy eating and drinking his way through the charming old town. There were so many new places and things he’d like to discover with his bad boy by his side. And if Aaron got his way, like he usually did, they’d be doing most of their exploring in the less populated areas. Aaron especially liked dark corners. Kreed’s dick stirred. He fought the silly grin trying to spread when remembering how lucky he’d gotten in the last darkened spot they’d found.
As much as Kreed wanted to dwell on things that Aaron enjoyed, which always seemed to mutually benefit him, it was in his best interest to put a stop to his current line of thinking. He needed to stay on task. Kreed looked down at the map of the historic district in his hand, searching for the bath shop he’d heard so much about. Target located, he headed that way.
Arik Layne Properties had summoned both Kreed and Mitch to Ellicott City, Maryland. Since Layne was their second largest account, they did what any right-minded business owner would do: they’d dropped everything and headed straight to Maryland to meet Thane Walker, owner of Dishology. Which in turn had just become their third largest account. A sizable check now rested in his pocket as a retainer for all the business they had secured.
Turned out, Mitch Knox could close a fucking deal better than any salesperson he’d ever met. This time the deal was for onsite personal security. Real bodies in real locations, not all that cyber bullshit he’d been forced to learn in order to help ease Aaron’s load in their company.
Dishology had worked a deal with Arik Layne Properties. One of Thane’s restaurants would open in every single Escape resort property around the world. Thane also brokered a deal for a unique little bath boutique called Sweet Suds to open on the Escape properties too. A place the man raved about. Seemed he and Walker had something in common…a bath-treat fetish. Kreed couldn’t wait to get his hands on a few bombs for himself, but he was more excited about finding some in the shape of cupcakes for Aaron.
Sweet Suds would be a much smaller launch, opening five retail locations inside Escape properties over the next year. It was Kreed and Mitch’s job to work out all the security details then relay the information back to Aaron to begin the extensive cybersecurity required to ensure both Sweet Suds and Dishology were within the guidelines of Escape’s corporate security policy before construction could begin.
Had he mentioned how much he hated all that cyber bullshit? It was as much as seventy-five percent of their current business, and man, he wished he hadn’t had to learn what things like botnet and honeypot meant. If they didn’t start hiring some help for Aaron, Kreed would have to learn computer coding, and that might actually be all the motivation he needed to stab himself in the hand to keep from having type on a keyboard ever again. Yeah, dramatic. Still true.
His thoughts of future cyber learning curve nightmares faded as Kreed came up on the adorable little shop, Sweet Suds. From the street side view, he could feel his inner fizzy-bath-bomb diva singing hallelujah. The place couldn’t have been more charming. The pink bathtub full of bubbles displayed in the front window beckoned him inside. He took the steps up, a rush of cool air swept past him as he opened the door.
Heaven.
The most amazing scents immediately surrounded Kreed. His excitement grew, possibilities were endless as his eyes were drawn to the colorful array of bath and body treats along the wall. Yeah, this was his kind of place. Kreed stepped all the way inside and stared at all the goodies awaiting his selection. So many wonderful things in one place.
As he turned toward the register, he caught sight of Mitch’s ass sticking out as he hunched over the sales counter, chatting with the sales clerk. Kreed’s moment of bliss came to a screeching halt. That fucker had left him to finish up the minuscule details of their meeting so he could go shopping. Classic dick-head Knox.
Instead of saying the snarky comment right on the tip of his tongue, Kreed tried to remember Sweet Suds was technically also a client now. Professionalism wasn’t something that came naturally to him or Mitch. He needed to hold off, save Mitch’s ass-chewing until later. Kreed bit his tongue, picked up the nearest jumbo bath bomb, and flipped it over to glance at the ingredients.
The pause and redirect of his attention didn’t work but did keep his colorful language at bay.
“You just left, huh?” Kreed asked. He kept his tone even as he discreetly took note of the prices. As much as he considered himself an expert on grooming products, he’d never seen anything like these. Aaron would go nuts at the clever play on the bath bakery vibe. Bath bombs that looked like donuts, ornately decorated cupcakes, fresh-baked cookies, and sinful fudge were unusually fascinating.
Mitch barely glanced over his shoulder to acknowledge Kreed before stretching to his full height. He nodded to the cup of coffee in his hand. “Two hours is an hour and a half too long to meet with anyone. I needed coffee before I slipped into a coma.”
“Ever heard of a heads up? How about just straight up letting me know you were leaving instead of taking a break and never shagging your ass back,” Kreed said, going for a row of cupcake bath bombs that had snagged his attention. They were colorful and smelled like heaven. He was still blown away by this little shop. What a seriously cool idea.
“I figured you would eventually find your way here.” On hearing Mitch’s words, Kreed put the cupcake down and stepped closer to his longtime friend, ready to blast his smug ass for being a dick and cutting out on him like he had. Mitch had the nerve to grin as he shook his head and pointed at something. “Watch what you say, Sinacola. That’s Thane’s kid.”
Kreed followed the imaginary line of Mitch’s arm to the front part of the store from where he’d just come. When he’d first arrived, he’d briefly noticed the tall, lanky kid working diligently in the front corner of the shop, unpacking a box of soap. The kid, at that time, had only had eyes for Mitch and hadn’t paid him any attention.
The dark-headed teenager looked up, their gazes met, and Kreed smiled. The kid’s eyes widened, and his A
dam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. Kreed was sure he’d caught the guy off guard. The box in his hand wobbled for half a second before falling, its contents spilling, littering the floor around his black Converse. Kreed’s heart softened with the look of horror that crossed the kid’s expressive face. They stared at each other for a few seconds more, Kreed’s grin growing as the kid ducked his head. He hadn’t missed the blush on his cheeks before he dropped to his knees and frantically picked up the scattered soap bars.
“Y’all leave him alone,” the clerk said in a hushed tone from behind the counter. Her teasing whisper made it clear she hadn’t missed the kid’s reaction. From the way the kid had been fixated on Mitch then reacted to him, he was most likely gay and seriously attracted to what he saw. Mitch had probably egged the kid on, making it worse.
“How old are you, kid? There’s no way Thane’s old enough to have a son your age,” Kreed stated, going over to help clean up the mess he felt partially responsible for.
“He’s Luke,” the clerk said. Kreed bent at the waist before finally lowering to his knees. He looked in the general direction of the counter then back to Luke who had turned all sorts of shades of red and now refused to make eye contact.
Luke didn’t reply, increasing Kreed’s natural curiosity. He remembered being this age, awkward with himself, unsure about his sexuality. There was no doubt that Luke had liked what he saw in Mitch, but clearly, both he and Mitch had just been too much for the kid to handle.
“I’ll buy these,” Kreed said quietly to Luke, taking the few broken soap bars from Luke’s hand.
“It’s okay. You don’t have to do that. I won’t get in too much trouble.” Luke’s panicked gaze collided with Kreed’s as he tried to take the soap back.
“Not a problem. I got it.” Kreed lifted the fragrant soaps to his nose, smelling the scents. “I think you got the best job in the world. I love this shit.”
Luke nodded, a small smile spreading across his face. Kreed scooped up the box as he started to stand. The kid surprised him when he offered, “The cupcakes over there are the bestsellers.”
“Show me,” Kreed said, placing the box on the countertop as a still unsure Luke started for the opposite side of the store. Kreed looked back at Mitch who just rolled his eyes at him. Mitch didn’t get it. He had a million brothers and sisters. He was the baby of the bunch. Mitch was secure and loved by the whole family from the second he was born. Kreed’s Spidey senses said Luke had something else going on with him. He was getting over something substantial. Kreed just needed to be nice to him.
“These.” Luke lifted the colorful bath bombs Kreed had seen earlier. He could see why they sold so well. He’d never seen anything like them. “These two sell the best, the icing is a scrub and the cherry on top is a bath melt.”
“Do you guys ship?” Kreed asked over his shoulder toward the counter, but Luke answered for the lady at the register.
“Yeah, it’s a twelve-dollar flat rate no matter what you order.”
“Okay, kid…I mean, Luke. Load me up. I’ll take the cupcakes. I like the ice cream things,” Kreed said, taking inventory of the store. “I want these soaps—”
“You don’t have to buy ’em. I broke ’em,” Luke said, interrupting him.
“We’ve already been through this,” he said with a firm nod, staring down at a set of eyes that no longer had a problem meeting his direct gaze. “Pick what’s best. Keep my total around two hundred dollars before shippin’.”
“Two hundred dollars?” Luke asked excitedly, forgetting all about his nervousness as he looked over at the woman behind the counter. “Do I get commission on that, Autumn?”
“Sure, why not,” she said, now grinning right along with Kreed and Mitch as Luke’s face lit up.
“Badass,” he whispered with an all-air fist pump then immediately looked up, regret crossing over his expressive face. “Sorry.”
“No problem. Throw me in some other things, whatever you think I’d like. Surprise me.”
“Does he need anything?” Luke asked, throwing a thumb Mitch’s direction. “We have a really cool loofa inside sandalwood scented soap. It’s one of my favorites.” This time his thumb moved the other direction. Kreed followed, but since the thumb kind of pointed to the rest of the store, he wasn’t entirely sure what the kid was pointing out.
“Nah, Knox likes his skin to look like leather. It’s the reason he looks so old.” Yep, score one for him, he’d finally gotten a dig in sure to get under Mitch’s skin. The afternoon was looking up, and Kreed mentally high-fived himself.
“Hey!” Mitch called out, again standing to his full height, and bowed out his chest as if that meant anything to Kreed. “I look great. You wish you could look like this.”
“He likes himself. Too bad no one else does,” Kreed whispered to Luke and got a genuine grin in response. Luke was a nice-looking kid; no doubt he would eventually grow into a nice-looking man. Kreed pulled out his wallet, taking out two hundred-dollar bills and a twenty as he headed to the register, hoping that would cover everything. Next, he dropped a business card next to the cash. “We’ll be in town for a couple more hours, our flight doesn’t leave until seven thirty. If this isn’t enough, call me. The shipping address is on here too.”
“You’re the security guys, right?” Autumn asked. Kreed could see everything had just clicked into place for her. “Thane told me you were going to help us expand.”
“You’re the owner, here?” Mitch asked.
“I am. I’m nervous about all of this expected growth, but Thane insisted. Said this was an opportunity I couldn’t afford to pass on.” Her teeth bit her bottom lip, gnawing on the sensitive flesh, proving her concern. He got it. This start-up deal he and Mitch had begun left a constant state of worry in his gut too. Being a business owner was hell on the nerves.
“You got a nice setup here,” Mitch said, going into his salesman mode. Man, he was good at relieving people of their money while reassuring them everything would turn out great. “You were smart to listen to him. You’ll do well in the Escape properties.”
Luke wedged himself between Kreed and Mitch, placing a new box of items on the counter.
“This is $178.14, the tax is $10.68. If you add this Unicorn bomb, you won’t be disappointed. The foam colors change in the tub, and it fizzes for a longer time. The total only goes to $204.72, including the additional sales tax.” Luke held up a colorful soap, staring eagerly at Kreed for his approval.
“You’re smart, aren’t you?” Kreed said, not answering the question asked, instead noticing there wasn’t a calculator anywhere near the kid.
“Yep,” Luke nodded, not with confidence or arrogance, just as fact.
“Is his math right?” Mitch asked Autumn.
“So far it has been. He does it all the time. Luke, what is 3,903 times 753?” she asked
Before Autumn could get the numbers into her calculator, Luke answered, “2,938,958. Wait, I mean 959. Sorry, I like the curves of the eight. It’s kind of my number.”
Autumn flipped the calculator around showing he’d in fact gotten the equation correct.
“Damn,” Mitch muttered, the casual way he’d handled Luke turned to respect as he got a better look at the kid.
“Agreed,” Kreed seconded.
“Do you want it or not? It’s up to you,” Luke prompted, waiting for his answer, not phased in the least by their praise.
“Sure.” Kreed had his lightbulb moment. His entire focus changed, wondering how long until this kid turned eighteen. He was exactly the kind of brain Aaron needed to mold and shape to work alongside him. Instead of asking that question, he plopped another five dollars on the counter before handing ten dollars to Luke. “Thank you for your help.”
The kid’s eyes lit up. Luke didn’t even pretend to reject the money. He grabbed the cash then tucked the bill straight into his jeans pocket. The shyness was all gone as Luke stated emphatically, “When you need anything else, call and ask for me. I
’ll get it shipped out.” With a nod, Luke dug his phone out of his pocket, his thumbs tapping over the screen like crazy as he stepped away. “Logan, dude, I just got a ten-dollar tip…” Luke slid behind a curtain in the back of the store and out of sight.
“He really needs to work for us if he’s excited about ten bucks,” Mitch quipped.
“He might outsell you,” Kreed shot back, looking at Mitch and lifting a brow in challenge. The kid had just gotten two hundred and thirty-five dollars out of him when he’d probably just have bought a bath bomb and called it done.
“Yeah, right. Our clients aren’t as gullible as you,” Mitch grumbled, grabbing up his coffee, heading his still mumbling ass out the door.
“We good?” Kreed asked Autumn.
“Yeah, we’ll get this out right away.” She looked toward the door Mitch had just exited. “And it was nice meeting you too,” she called out to the now empty doorway.
She and Kreed laughed as the door swung shut without a word from Mitch. They watched Mitch take off down the street, leaving Kreed behind.
“Don’t mind him. We’re still working on his manners,” Kreed said, rapping his knuckles on the counter as a simple goodbye, giving her a wink before turning away and heading after Mitch.
“No worries. We all have our days. It was a pleasure meeting you. If you need any more bath products, just give us a call. I’m sure Luke will be more than happy to take your order.” Her laugh was contagious. “And tell your friend I enjoyed our conversation. I look forward to working with your company.”
“We’ll talk soon.” Kreed jogged the last few steps toward the door, thinking of all the different things he could say to burrow even further under Mitch’s skin.
Nice Guys Collection With Added Bonus Material Page 114