by Shawn Lane
The door burst open and Jack strode in looking ready to spit. “What the fuck did you do to my brother?”
Preston felt the color drain from his face. “What?”
“You heard me, you son of a bitch,” Jack snarled. “What did you do to Scotty?”
“I—then you know,” Preston whispered, pushing his chair away slightly from the desk.
“Yes, I know. I’m not stupid. I’ve known for weeks you were fucking my brother.”
Preston’s gaze shot to the open door. “Keep your voice down.”
Jack glared but went to the door and slammed it shut. “Happy?”
“No. Where is Scott anyway?”
“I have no idea. He quit.”
Preston blanched, a pit forming in his stomach. “He did?”
“Is that all you can say? Answer me with questions? Why did you fuck with my brother? Did you break his heart?”
Preston closed his eyes briefly and sighed. “I think we broke each other’s hearts. He didn’t understand my desire to keep our relationship secret. He broke up with me.”
“Well, that’s just great. So, then he goes to my dad and quits and the old man kicks the shit out of him.”
“He—he what?” Preston’s heart raced. No way. He’d fucking kill anyone who hurt Scotty, even his dad.
“Not physically,” Jack said. “Mentally and emotionally. My dad can be an ass, as you know. He gave it to the kid rough. My mom says Scotty came home, packed his stuff, and left. She tried to talk him out of leaving, but he wouldn’t listen. She said she’d never seen him looking so bad.”
“Jesus,” Preston whispered. He felt like someone had kicked him in the gut. Or the chest. He wanted to do something, but he didn’t know what.
Jack sat on the edge of his desk and glared at him. “So, you’re a coward, huh? Can’t admit you’re gay and want my brother? Is that it?”
Preston’s cheeks got hot. “You don’t understand, Jack.”
“Sure.” Jack snorted. “Do you think it was easy for Scotty to admit he was gay? Well, it wasn’t. He took a lot of shit. My parents accept it now, but they sure as hell didn’t then. My mother cried and my dad yelled. They wouldn’t talk to Scotty for three days. He lost friends too. He came to me and he asked me if he’d made a mistake coming out. If he maybe should have hid it from everyone.”
“What did you say?” Preston asked, his voice raspy to his own ears.
“I told him the truth. If he hid who he was he would be miserable his whole life.”
“Don’t you feel a bit like a hypocrite?” Preston shook his head. “You’re hiding Wendy. Hell, when I first asked you if you two were a thing, you didn’t admit it to me. Have you told your old man?”
“You’re right I didn’t admit to seeing Wendy at first, because that’s what she wanted. It was new for both of us. She didn’t know how her folks would react to me any more than mine to her. We wanted some space just to be us. But yeah, I brought it up with the old man. He didn’t go ape-shit, but I don’t think he was happy either. But we’re working on it. And her parents too. Nobody’s thrilled but us, and you know what? We’re the important ones.”
“I don’t know.”
“I asked Scott if he would he rather be miserable for all his years or miserable the way he felt at that moment for whatever time it took for people to accept him. Preston, those who love you will love you anyway, and those who won’t accept it never loved you in the first place.”
Preston just shook his head again. He couldn’t even think. His mind was numb.
Jack rose and headed for the door.
“Where are you going?” Preston asked.
“To find Scotty. Someone has to be on his side.” Jack smiled a little sadly. “See you.”
* * * *
Scotty stared at the cell phone on the round table as it sprang to life. The only light he’d turned on in the room was a small sixty-watt lamp on the table. He picked up the phone and flipped it open.
“Hi, Jack.” His voice came out raw and stripped.
“My God, kid, you sound terrible.”
Scotty shuddered. “Yeah. I’ve been better.”
“I’ve been calling you all day and night. Where are you?”
“Nowhere.”
“Scotty.”
“What do you want, Jack?”
“I talked to Dad. He knows what an asshole he is.” There was a slight pause. “He knows everything.”
Scotty stared at the phone. “How did you know?”
“Do you think you’re the only one with investigative skills? You’re my brother. I know.”
“I wish you hadn’t told Dad. It’s none of his business. Yours either.” He rubbed his temples. “Now Preston will hate me.”
“No, he won’t.”
“Sure. Anyway, it doesn’t change anything. I don’t care anymore what Dad thinks.”
“That’s not true.”
“It is. I’m done trying to please him. None of it matters to him. All he cares about is that I’m gay and an embarrassment to him.” Scotty sighed, wiping the tears streaming from his eyes. He was a damn crybaby. “I just have to accept that. Lots of people don’t get along with their fathers.”
“Where are you, Scotty?” Jack asked again.
“Near the airport.”
“The airport? Why?”
“I leave for New York in the morning. I think it’s for the best.”
Jack sighed. “You can’t run away from this.”
“I’m not running, Jack. I’m giving up. Surrendering. Whatever you want to call it. I should never have come back. That much is true. The cliché about going home isn’t such a cliché.”
“I’m sorry about Preston. He’s a jerk.”
“Nah, it’s my fault. I expected too much out of him. I should have just let my fantasy play out and consider it over. I let myself believe there was something more to it.”
“So you don’t love him?”
Scotty scrubbed his hand over his face and stared out at the dismal little motel room he’d rented.
“Scotty?” Jack prodded.
“I love him. So what? He doesn’t love me, and that’s that. He thinks I’m abnormal,” Scotty said, his tongue tripping over the hated word.
“I’ll beat the crap out of him for you.”
Scotty smiled a little. “Yeah, like old times, huh? Defending me from those who bullied me.”
“Of course. You’re my little brother. I’ve always got your back.”
“I know.” He choked on the words and the emotion suffocating him. “I just—I just don’t know why he couldn’t love me, Jack.”
“I don’t know why either, kid. Maybe he does, you know, but he’s scared. This is all new for him.”
Scotty nodded, forgetting his brother couldn’t see him, but his throat was too clogged to speak.
“Where are you, Scotty? I want to come and get you.”
“No.”
“Please. Don’t leave. No matter what anyone else does or says to you, I’m your brother and I love you. Let me come get you. You can stay with me and Wendy.”
Scotty started sobbing then. He couldn’t help it. He felt stupid and weak, but he couldn’t stop himself from crying no matter how hard he tried. He finally managed to get out the name of the airport motel he’d checked into.
“Okay, kid, I’m coming to get you. Stay put. I love you.”
“Love you,” Scotty whispered and closed his phone.
* * * *
An hour or so later, Scotty poured himself a bad cup of coffee from the in-room coffeemaker. He expected Jack any time. At least he’d stopped crying.
He hadn’t cried this much since he was a little boy. He wasn’t the crying type. Jeez, he needed to get it together.
If he really were going to stay in Los Angeles, he was going to have to get himself a real job away from working for Kenneth Trask…and Preston Reynolds, that was for sure. Scotty was good at his work, and he knew it. Once he had him
self established in a job, he would find a place of his own so Jack and Wendy could have their own privacy. No one wanted a third wheel around.
And then—Scotty exhaled—he would get over Preston and start dating again. It would take some time. No getting around that. But he would get over Preston. He just would.
There was a strong knock on the door of his room. His brother had arrived.
“Be right there, Jack,” he called.
Scotty set the coffee cup down on the dresser and walked over to open the door.
Expecting to see Jack, his world tilted on its axis when instead Preston stood there, looking wiped out and unshaven.
“Hi, Scotty,” he whispered. “Can I come in?”
Chapter 10
Scotty just stared at him. He’d gone white around his mouth, and his cheeks pinked. His blue eyes were very red from crying.
Without waiting for the other man’s agreement, Preston entered the motel room and closed the door behind him.
“How?” Scotty’s voice squeaked out.
Preston grimaced, guessing he wasn’t very welcome. “I was with Jack when you were talking to him. I asked him to find out where you were.”
Scotty crossed his arms in front of his chest in a protective gesture and backed up against the wall. “Why, Pres? Haven’t we said all there is to say?”
“Maybe,” Preston admitted, finding it difficult to swallow. All he could think of was kissing Scott. He wanted to kiss away the pain. He took a small step toward his lover and pressed his body into Scotty’s. Preston framed his face in his hands and devoured Scott’s lips.
Scott whimpered and put his arms around Preston’s neck, pulling him closer until their bodies were tight against each other. Preston could feel Scott’s erection and knew it likely Scott could feel his.
Before Preston even realized what he was doing, he was tugging off Scott’s shirt, and Scott was helping him with it. They next pulled off his own shirt until they were bare chest to bare chest, their lips never parting.
But maybe this was part of Preston’s problem. He went right for sex with Scott, never thinking about how Scotty felt. It was always his feelings, his needs.
And he really hadn’t planned to attack like this. He wanted to have the conversation he knew would be necessary to set things right, if it could be, but the minute he saw how wrecked and beautiful Scotty looked, he couldn’t stop himself.
Preston forced himself to step away, to give Scotty the space he deserved.
Scotty eyed him warily. “Coming in here, kissing me like that. It doesn’t change anything.”
Preston nodded. “I know. But I hope what I have to say will.” He turned to look at the other man. His eyes were still red-rimmed from crying earlier, and the emotion there was raw, wary. “I need to talk to you, Scotty. Sit down.”
“Okay. But I need a moment.”
“Of course,” Preston agreed and watched while Scott picked up his discarded shirt and shrugged it back on over his shoulders. He didn’t button it though.
Scott’s lip was tugged between his teeth as he went to walk past Preston to the bathroom. Preston stopped him with a hand on Scott’s neck. He then moved it to Scott’s cheek, his fingers tracing across the warm skin. He turned and poured himself some coffee from the pot Scotty had obviously made and took a sip. Grimacing, he tossed it in the wastebasket. He knew what he wanted to say, but he was nervous. Afraid it wouldn’t matter to Scotty. That it was too late.
Scotty came out of the bathroom a minute later and looking just as uncertain, as vulnerable. Preston wanted to make things better for him. For them. He still had doubts, but he was trying to work on them.
“There on the bed,” he said, pointing. When Scotty sat on the edge of the bed, Preston knelt down on the floor and took hold of both of the other man’s hands. After everything, he felt like maybe he should subjugate himself a little bit.
“Why did you come here, Preston?”
“For starters, let me get out the most important thing.” Preston blew out a shaky breath, his body trembling. “I love you, Scott.”
“I—” His eyes had gone very large.
He stopped whatever startled reply Scotty planned by touching his fingers to the man’s lips. “Let me say it all. I don’t want to chicken out. I’ve loved you for a while. I think, maybe, some part of me loved you even before you left for New York. I didn’t want to believe it or even think about it. But I remember when you left I felt such emptiness.”
“I loved you too,” Scott whispered.
Preston swallowed, nodded. “I was attracted to you. To other men also. Not like you, but I would find myself staring and then I’d catch it and force it away. I didn’t think it was all that serious except when you were near. Just your scent could drive me nuts. Do you remember that pool party Jack threw at your parents’ house a few years ago? That’s when I knew I was in trouble. I couldn’t stop staring at your bare chest all day and when I went home that night I masturbated in the shower to images of you.”
“Pres.”
He bowed his head. “I was ashamed. It wasn’t supposed to be like that, you know?”
“I know.”
“I was kind of glad and sad at the same time when you left. And when you came back…” Preston shook his head. “It all came back only even stronger. And since I was no longer married I wouldn’t be cheating on anyone if I just let it happen. So I did. I thought if we did it just once or whatever that would be enough. It wasn’t.”
“No,” Scott agreed.
“I’ve been dying inside a little every day. Or at least, the part of me who wanted to deny what I was. I don’t want to deny it any longer, Scotty.”
Scott inhaled sharply. “What are you saying, Pres?”
“I told my children and my ex-wife.”
Scott’s grip on Preston’s hands tightened. “You—you did? Wow. I—how did it go?”
Preston smiled a little. “Not as bad as I thought. They were a little shocked, I think, but they didn’t freak out.” He swallowed. “I promised we’d go up and see them next week.”
“We?”
“Yeah, if you want to.” Preston searched the other man’s eyes. “I know I hurt you, Scotty. I’m sorry. But I’ve decided not to hide it anymore. You’re worth it.”
Scotty made a little gasping noise. It sounded so vulnerable. “Of course I’ll go with you. If that’s what you want.”
“It is.” Preston brought Scotty’s hand up to his lips and he kissed his knuckles. “I want you. Every part of you.”
Scotty searched his gaze for a long time. And then he nodded, seeming to come to a decision. “Okay.”
“Okay?”
That earned him a beautiful smile. “Where were we?”
“I’m sorry?”
“Before. When you first came in. Weren’t you—I mean against the wall?”
Preston sucked in a breath. “You want that?”
Scotty rose from the bed and reached for Preston’s hand, pulling him up. He walked him over to the wall and laced his fingers around Preston’s neck.
“Here? There’s a bed, you know?”
Scotty grinned and kissed him. And kissed him. Then he leaned back to remove his shirt once more. “Against the wall is hot, Pres.”
Preston wondered why the hell he was fighting this anyway. He crushed Scott’s mouth under his, pressing him hard against the wall. Minutes later they were both gasping for air and Preston’s fingers were dipping low toward the waistband of Scotty’s jeans.
He unzipped them, pushing them down together with his briefs. Somehow between the two of them they managed to get them off completely.
He undid his own pants and pulled them down just enough to expose his throbbing cock. He’d brought pre-lubed condoms with him, hoping after they talked they might get around to this, so he removed one from his pocket, tore it open, and slipped it on his erection, stealing kisses as he did. Meeting Scotty’s gaze, he lifted the legs of the man and anchored t
hem around his waist.
“Pres,” Scotty gasped when he inserted two saliva-soaked fingers in Scotty’s ass. “Oh my God.”
Preston wrapped his other hand around Scott’s hard cock, stroking up and down the length. He shoved his tongue into Scotty’s mouth over and over just as he soon planned to do with his cock in the other man’s ass.
“Yes, Preston, fuck me, please.”
Oh yeah. How the hell could he resist Scotty begging?
With one long thrust Preston entered him. He slid his fingers in Scott’s hair and tugged his mouth even closer, devouring, tasting, hungry for everything he could wrench from him.
He slammed into Scotty’s ass again and again, perhaps rougher than he should, but frantic, primal need drove him to take what was his. He wanted to brand the man. Scotty would always be his. He bent his lover in half, pushing closer still, trying to mold their bodies as one.
It was too intense, too emotion driven for him to prolong the orgasm. His balls pulled tight; his cock tingled. He sped up, both his thrusts inside Scott’s body and his strokes on the other man’s cock.
“Preston,” Scotty groaned hoarsely, hot cum splashing over Preston’s abdomen.
It was what he had been waiting for. Without the need to hold back, he thrust in hard and deep, shaking with the explosion of his own release.
Scotty moved in his arms, trying to release his legs from around Preston, but he held him still, kissing him, allowing their bodies to be still merged.
Scott eventually got more insistent about wanting down, so Preston sighed and released him, withdrawing and gently setting Scotty down to regain his footing.
Scott moved away slightly and Preston leaned against the wall, panting heavily, trying to catch his breath, realign his thoughts.
“Let me clean up, get dressed again,” Scott said softly.
Preston nodded but kept his gaze on Scotty while he wiped himself down and pulled on his clothes. Preston refastened his own pants and pulled the motel bedspread off the bed. The sheets didn’t look much cleaner from what he could tell. He wasn’t sure he wanted to stay there.