by Tara Lain
Xaviera said, “There are still some artists I want to see. Thank you so much for taking us to the studio, Robin. That was great.”
He nodded.
Micah looked at him, his gaze bounced off Bobby, and then he returned to Robin. “Maybe we’ll drop back later and see if you’re still here.”
MICAH WALKED down the irregular aisles admiring the art, but he kept wanting to look back toward the twins’ booth. What was it about the McMillans? Damn if they didn’t make his palms sweat.
Xaviera looked everywhere. She really seemed to be enjoying herself. He was glad. They didn’t get a chance to do much together; they both worked so hard. She said, “It was fun going to the art studio. I think Robin was very impressed that you were so perceptive about their style and tone.”
“I doubt it.” He shrugged one shoulder—but it still made his heart thump. Wonder if Robin will say anything to Bobby? Probably not. Not his style.
Xaviera said, “You like those guys, don’t you?”
He started but stared intently at a painting of flowers he didn’t even like. “What? Oh yes, they’re very nice. Smart and talented. What’s not to like?”
She laughed softly. “I’ll bet a lot of people could find things not to like.”
He frowned. “Why? Don’t you like them?”
She held up a hand. “I think they’re great. But they’re very much who they are. They don’t adapt to their environment. You either appreciate them as they are or you don’t—like Dad said. That’s all I mean.”
“Yeah, that’s why I like them so much.”
She cocked her head and smiled. “You thinking of hooking up with a patient, Dr. Brown?”
“Not really, because I’d ask Dad to continue treating whichever one I date, so technically not my patient.” He blew out a breath. “Bad idea, right?”
“Not at all. I just never knew your type before—you’re so clandestine about your relationships.”
“What relationships?” He stared into a cabinet of art jewelry that practically glowed. “If I’d ever met anyone I felt seriously about, I would have brought him home. As it is, I never wanted to risk it.”
Frown lines popped out between her eyebrows. She knew right what he meant.
“So you’re thinking of dating Robin?”
“No. Bobby.”
She pursed her lips but said nothing.
“What?”
“It’s just—” She speared him with her gaze. “If you ever decide to bring him home, you’ll never see Jeremy again. Not that Jeremy deserves your consideration, but sadly those are the facts. I get the feeling you’re attracted to both brothers. Why not take the easier route? Robin’s less—flamboyant.”
“You should have seen him when I first met him. Total goth. Pitch-black hair well below his ears, black eyeliner, a skull in his nose. I doubt he’d go over well in Jeremy world.”
“Better than—what did you call it?—unicorns barfing rainbows?”
Micah tried to look engrossed in some collages. Am I equally attracted to them? Robin has that whole intensity thing going—but there’s just something about Bobby. Like I’d never be sad again. Still, that moment on the table when Robin’s cock took over the planet certainly was—memorable. “Maybe you’re right.”
“I mean, if I’m wrong and you really prefer one over the other, go with your heart and Jeremy be damned.”
“Jeremy won’t like either of them.”
“True.”
“But I guess he and Robin share more worldview. If Jeremy insulted Robin, he’d get told where to get off.”
“Yeah. Probably.”
“Thanks for the advice.” Question was, would he take it?
He walked with Xaviera through the rest of the booths at the festival, but he barely saw them. Once he asked one brother out, the die was cast. It would be odd to switch twins, plus then he’d lose both patients. He could imagine in erotic detail having sex with Robin, but that optimistic enthusiasm of Bobby’s—hell. Of course, that was assuming either of them wanted to go out with him. At least Robin didn’t really want Micah for a doctor, so he’d probably be glad to have the “other” Dr. Brown back.
“Let’s go back to the twins’ booth.” She nudged him. “Maybe it’ll help you make a decision.”
Chapter Twelve
ROBIN GLANCED at his watch. How much longer? The damned event ended at eleven. Another fucking hour.
Bobby waved at a man who’d stopped to inquire about one of their paintings, then walked over to Robin. “Oh my God, dear, this has been such a great night. If we sold like this all the time, we’d be set.”
“That couple sure loved the substitutes we brought from the studio.”
“I know! They bought two. Just great.”
“Let me remind you that we didn’t sell. You did. You’re amazing, and I’d starve without you.”
“Nonsense. People would beat you out of your cave and demand to buy your gorgeous art. You’re a genius.”
Robin wrapped an elbow around Bobby’s neck and gave him a quick hug. How did he get so lucky as to have this man for a brother?
“Hey, you guys.”
Robin looked up to see Xaviera pushing through the crowd toward him with Micah following. His cock shivered. Well, that’s what it felt like.
Behind him, Bobby called, “Hiiii, you two. Did you have fun?”
“Oh yes.” Xaviera grinned and glanced at Robin.
Micah looked—serious, thoughtful, conflicted? Wonder what happened?
Xaviera took Bobby by the arm. “Can I ask your opinion on a painting I saw?”
“Uh, sure.” His eyes got big. “I can only be a minute, though, because Robin hates meeting the public.”
She looked back at Micah, then at Robin. “It’ll only take a minute.” She pulled Bobby down the aisle.
For a second Micah stood like one of the statue impersonators in the pageant. Then he shook himself, took a breath, and walked over to Robin. “Uh, my sister, in her not-very-subtle way, was providing a space for me to ask if you’d like to have dinner with me sometime.”
Robin swallowed his breath and coughed. “M-me?”
“I’m afraid you’d have to switch back to my father as your doctor for the time being, but I don’t think you’d mind that. You didn’t really want me manhandling your balls to begin with.”
Robin’s heart beat so fast he had to take a long breath just to get words out, but he managed a half grin. “At least not in a medical context.”
Micah snorted, but he sounded oddly nervous. “Unless your blood tests show something, you’re probably finished with doctoring, for the time being anyway.” His Adam’s apple jumped.
“Uh, well, I think I have to say I’ll let you know. Would that be okay?”
“Oh, of course.” Did he look sorry or relieved?
“I just need to, uh—I need to sort a couple of things out.” Like his brother hating him forever. “May I have your number? I’ll call or text.”
Micah reached out a hand, and Robin put his phone into it. He glanced at Robin with those deep, warm eyes. “You don’t have a boyfriend, do you?”
“No. I’m not a cheater.” He tried to control his frown.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to imply that. I mean—I don’t know what I meant.” He bared his teeth like a sheepish wolf.
Robin chuckled. “It’s okay. With my reputation, you could think most anything.”
There was that Adam’s apple again. Micah handed the phone back just as Robin saw Bobby walking down the aisle, deep in conversation with Xaviera. Robin nodded subtly toward Micah, who looked up, eyes widened, and he let out a loud breath.
Robin walked forward. “Did you see something you liked?”
Xaviera wrinkled her nose. “Bobby convinced me to never buy art just because of the colors, so no, I left it where it was.”
Robin smiled—maybe a little too broadly. Weird. He only had one big secret he’d kept from Bobby most of his life. Now he
had another one, and he didn’t like it. Was it worth being a little clandestine to get a cock in Micah Brown’s ass? He stared at the hard-bodied doctor and let out a soft sigh. Maybe for a little while.
Micah said, “I guess we better get going. Great seeing you both.” He smiled at Bobby, then glanced at Robin, but his gaze flicked away pretty fast. Odd he seemed so nervous.
Xaviera waved. “Thank you again for the trip to the studio. Hope I see you again soon.” They walked away into the thinning crowd.
Bobby sighed. “My goodness, she’s as nice as he is.”
“Seems to be. She got a big kick out of the studio.”
“Did Micah like it?”
Robin cleared his throat. “Yes, he apparently loves art. That’s why he came to the festival. He was amazingly good at identifying the pieces that were similar in style or theme to the one Mrs. Packington bought. I was really surprised.”
“Oh my, that makes him just about perfect, doesn’t it?”
Well, shit.
Bobby walked to the desk and looked through cards they’d collected for their mailing list. “Did any customers come by while I was gone?”
“No. I don’t think so. I mean, no one said anything to me.”
Bobby gave him a long-suffering smile.
“I honestly don’t think I lost us any sales.”
“Yes, well, I never did figure out exactly why Xaviera dragged me away. I can’t seriously believe she was planning to buy that piece of kitsch.” He shrugged. “I told her to come see me at the Sawdust and we could look at some fun things she might be able to afford.”
“That’s nice.”
Bobby looked up. “Are you okay? You seem distracted.”
“No, fine. Just a long time with a lot of people.”
“We can go soon. I’d let you leave, but I want to take the more mobile pieces with us. There’s security, but I still prefer to help people resist temptation.”
“Let’s go soon. I want to start working on the mural tomorrow before office hours begin.”
“Ugh. How early is that?”
“Six or seven.”
“Yuck.”
Despite being sunshine incarnate, Bobby hated mornings.
And he might hate Robin if he discovered Micah had asked him out.
ROBIN WIPED a drip of perspiration from his forehead under the floppy beige bangs Bobby had so carefully styled for him. Jesus, Bobby had even crawled out of bed at 6:00 a.m. to be sure Robin looked enough like him to pass muster. Then his eyes had closed on his way back to the mattress.
Robin didn’t mind mornings, despite his preference for all things dark. Plus the quiet in the building lobby attracted him at this hour, before people started arriving for work. The guard had let him in, then returned to his little cubicle of an office. Robin had the silence to himself.
Silence to paint—and think. What the hell was he going to do about Micah? Bobby cooed over Micah like he’d met the love of his life—but truthfully, he’d kind of gushed over Paolo Lind as well. Bobby wanted a steady guy so badly he’d probably find something sexy about King Kong, but he did seem fond of the doctor. Shit. What do I say? No? No, I can’t go out with you because it will break Bobby’s heart? What about my heart? Right, I don’t have one, so who cares? He stared at the partially completed mural. No answers, so I might as well paint.
The deep blues on his brush swiped across the canvas surface, pulled more by inspiration than intention—like diving into midnight at the bottom of the sea. Though it looked black, a million colors swam in its depths.
The sound of the front door unlocking pulled Robin from the depths. Somebody’s here early. He picked up more paint, in deep green this time, and daubed it onto the sea of blue.
“Uh, Bobby?”
What? Damn. Robin shook his head to clear it and sucked in a Bobby breath. “Up here.” He dropped his hand over the edge of the scaffold and waggled it in a true Bobby gesture while he came to terms with channeling his brother.
“I can’t climb up. I’m suited today.”
Robin looked down. “You sure are.” Fuck, the man is gorgeous. Like looking down at some fashion model—a sexy fashion model who made porn videos on the side. “Shall I come down?”
“Could you? I know you’re busy, but I’ll only take a minute of your time.”
Robin climbed over the edge and headed—make that tailed down the ladder. How exactly could that man be such an asshole to him and so nice to Bobby? Jesus, he was practically deferential.
As Robin approached the bottom, he hopped the last couple of rungs and wiped his paint-smeared gloved hand on his equally paint-smeared jeans. “Hi. I won’t shake hands.” He wiggled his fingers in the glove. “It’s too hard to get them back on.”
“No problem.”
“You’re here early.”
“You too.” Paolo smiled, and for a second Robin got sucked into the craterous dimples and lost.
“Oh, uh, yes. I want to get as many of the big forms done before people arrive as possible. That way I can stay more inconspicuous during the day. Plus there’s just not much time to complete a project of this scope.”
“I know we’ve made it hard on you.”
“Yes.” Bobby would have said more placating things, but it made Robin’s teeth itch to let the dude off without a tiny pencil in the eye.
Paolo seemed to swallow hard, so Robin lightened the moment with a small smile. Bobby would be proud.
“So I was wondering, uh, if you might consider having dinner with me sometime.”
Robin’s mouth literally fell open. This could not be happening. Two men in twenty-four hours. The two most beautiful guys he’d maybe seen in his whole life.
No, wait, he’s not asking you out. He’s asking Bobby out. Robin’s turn to swallow, and then he remembered and frowned. “Don’t you have a boyfriend?”
“Oh, so Robin told you.”
He put a hand on his hip. “He certainly did, and I’m no home-wrecker, thank you very much.”
“I respect that. It’s just that the relationship is complicated.”
“Aww, doesn’t he understand you?” Robin gave him a vicious glower.
Paolo held up a hand. “Actually he doesn’t, but the truth is, I’m using him unfairly because I don’t really care for him, but he’s important to a client of mine and so I went to the festival with him.” His chest expanded and contracted. “But I’m breaking up with him. I know I jumped the gun by asking you before I did the breaking up, but I seldom see you when a lot of other people aren’t around, and I took the chance.”
Would Bobby want to go out with Paolo Lind? Oh hell yes! It just might soften another blow as well. “All right. Give me your number and I’ll give you mine. Text me when you’ve broken up with the ‘other man’—” He made quotation marks in the air and said it with full snark. “—and I’ll decide if I want to go out with a guy who’s a gold digger.”
“Ooh, ouch. I guess I deserve that.” He said it seriously.
“I’ll be frank. I’m not sure why you’d even want to go out with me. I’m not rich and have no social standing. I’m probably a lot of things that many people you know don’t appreciate. So if you decide to change your mind, I’ll understand.”
Paolo stared at him, transfixed. Well, shit, I forgot to be Bobby. He waved a hand in the air. “After all, darling, you should be so lucky.” He wagged his butt. “Maybe I’ll hear from you. Ta.” He walked back to the scaffold and began to climb, but his palms were so damned sweaty he had trouble gripping.
“Bobby.”
Robin looked down.
“You’ll hear from me.” Paolo smiled and icebergs melted in Alaska.
Sweet Jesus, how much more tangled could this deception get?
PAOLO RODE up the elevator, ignoring the two other people who stared at the moving numbers. What the hell am I thinking? Did I learn that my client chose us because of Joseph’s recommendation or not? Shit. Alonzo will kill me if I cut the ties.
The elevator doors opened, and he stepped out into the quiet of an early morning office. Good. Time to collect his thoughts. He marched down the aisle to his office, unlocked it, and settled in behind his desk. Might as well get to work on the TechZel building. That one would be fun. He could think while working. That’s how he got his best ideas.
He opened the set of notes and specs Alonzo had forwarded from the meeting. Since Joseph and I aren’t exclusive, how do I “break up” with him? Clearly, if he wanted to go out with Bobby, he needed to show good faith, but what would satisfy him? And why the hell was going out with Bobby McMillan so important?
He sat back in the chair and pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Dayum. Is the burden that heavy, esé?”
Paolo looked up and smiled. “No rest for the wicked, my man.”
Alonzo came in and crashed into a guest chair, one leg draped over the arm. When clients or even staff were around, Alonzo modeled professionalism. When it was just the two of them, he reverted to their casual style. “So what’s up?”
Did he want to tell his friend, whose future depended on the success of the company, that he was thinking of compromising their new account for a piece of ass? Paolo shrugged.
“No way, man. I don’t see you looking beat down much. Tell me.”
He needed perspective. Alonzo had provided that for—ever. “Okay.” He puffed a breath. “You know how Mo said he hired us because of Joseph’s recommendation?”
“Uh, not my interpretation, but tell me more.”
Paolo widened his eyes. “Oh, okay. Well—” Shit. “Uh, there’s this guy I want to date, and he won’t go out with me if I have a boyfriend, so I’m thinking of breaking it off with Joseph.” He ducked and covered his head with his arm.
“Ooookay, then.” Alonzo raised his dark eyebrow, a gesture they’d copied from each other.
“Crappy idea, huh?” He came out from under his arm but stared at the fingerprints on his glass desktop.
Silence.
Paolo looked up. Alonzo gazed at him. “When was the last time I heard you say you had a guy you wanted to take out?”