Beautifully Stolen (Candied Crush Book 4)

by Charity Parkerson

  “Damn. Make that sound again.”

  Brett had no idea he had made any noises. There was no chance he could duplicate the sound. Roman thrust hard. Brett almost came from the ecstasy of his perfect stroke.

  “Yes,” Roman praised. “That’s it. I want your cum coating my skin. Let me have it.” Roman didn’t stop hitting that perfect spot until the pressure won, tearing a cry from Brett. His body jerked as the pleasure rocked him to his core. A sexy-as-hell roar tore from Roman, making Brett’s orgasm hit twice as hard. “Fuck,” Roman growled against his ear. “You really are fucking perfect, aren’t you?”

  Happiness swelled in Brett’s chest. Laughter burst from him with no permission from his brain. His entire body shook with elation. “That was the most well-prepared spontaneous sex I’ve ever had. Were you wearing a condom when you got here?”

  Roman’s breathless laughter brushed his ear along with a kiss. “I didn’t want to waste any time and take a chance of you shutting me down. Like I said, I’ve never wanted anyone the way I want you.”

  Brett couldn’t stop smiling as he ran his fingers through Roman’s hair and caressed his back. He didn’t let his mind wander and overthink anything. Brett simply savored the moment of their bodies molded with cum gluing them together. “I have loathed every second I haven’t been able to hold you like this.”

  At Brett’s confession, Roman’s lips found his. Brett was in heaven, but a hint of reality intruded. He broke their kiss. “You didn’t let me seduce you with flowers and wine.”

  Roman pressed his forehead to Brett’s. “Baby, you seduced me with bitchy comments over a year ago. Every other second with you that hasn’t been like this one has just been torment.”

  Euphoria had Brett smiling like an idiot. “I’ve never met anyone else who gets turned on by bitchiness.”

  He felt more than saw Roman shrug. “It takes a certain level of passion to have that much fire. What can I say? You press all the right buttons with me. I just want to be with you.”

  The swelling was back in Brett’s throat. He had come here the second his doctor had given him the okay to drive again, determined to sweep Roman off his feet. Instead, Roman kept blowing him away. Brett wasn’t sure any longer which of them was doing the chasing, but Brett knew his heart had been stolen. There was no denying that.

  As reality slowly came back to him, Roman realized he was probably crushing Brett. He rolled to his side before sitting up and tossing the condom in the trash. He had attacked Brett like a crazy man, and his heart still wasn’t appeased, but he finally took a second to look at his surroundings. There were a few candles flickering beside a bouquet of roses. An unopened bottle of wine sat nearby. Roman blinked at the sight.

  “Is that for me?”

  Brett sat up and kissed his shoulder. “Yes. I brought you something else too.” Brett sounded nervous. He had Roman’s attention. Brett pushed to his feet and hobbled around the room, finding a towel to wipe away the mess on his stomach before trying to dress. Roman didn’t like that. He wanted Brett nude. Thankfully, Brett only covered his body in the bare minimum of clothing. A pair of workout shorts and nothing else. He grabbed something from the table and motioned for Roman to follow him. “You might want to cover up a little so we don’t get thrown out of here.”

  With a sigh, Roman pulled the sheet from the bed and wrapped it around his body like a toga. Brett’s bright smile made his ridiculous choice worthwhile.

  Brett limped for the door. “These past few weeks, I’ve been thinking about something you said.” He opened the door. “You said there was no such thing as a modern-day fairytale anymore. I can’t let you think that’s true.” Brett shifted nervously as Roman came to stand at his side. He passed a thick piece of plastic Roman’s way. It took Roman a second to figure out it was a keyfob. Roman pressed the button. The lights flashed on a new-looking Land Rover. Confusion had Roman’s gaze turning Brett’s way. Brett bit his bottom lip, looking like he questioned his entire life.

  Brett motioned toward the SUV. “It’s yours. I brought the title with me, already signed over to you and everything.”

  Roman tried handing the keyfob back. “You can’t give me a car.”

  Brett shook his head, refusing the keys. “It’s yours,” he repeated, sounding firm. “I bought it for you. The last thing I need is another car.”

  Roman stared at the keys. He didn’t know what to do. This was unfamiliar territory. “I’m not for sale.” The words burst from him before he could think things through. It was too late. “I know it must seem that way, especially now that you’ve seen me at work, but you can’t buy me.”

  Brett’s expression closed, making Roman’s chest ache. In a flash, Brett snatched the keyfob from Roman’s hand and headed back inside. Without a word and while limping more than he had been, Brett dragged out his suitcase and started tossing things inside. In the middle of grabbing his stuff, he blew out the candles and moved on.

  “What are you doing?” Even Roman heard the tightness in his voice.

  Brett didn’t look his way. “I didn’t intend to have to drive another nine hundred miles back home. I guess I’d better get started now, since that seems to be the case. It’s a good thing I didn’t take any pain meds in anticipation of seeing you. Otherwise, I’d be stuck here with someone who thinks the worst of me.”

  A hint of shock wore off, allowing a few truths to sink in. Brett had driven nine hundred miles to give Roman a car. He might have been wrong about Brett’s intentions. “I don’t think the worst of you.”

  Brett snorted, but he didn’t say anything else. He headed for the bathroom and flipped on the lights. Brett worked on repacking his toiletries. “You know, I’ve been doing next to nothing for the past month, trying to get better so I can come here and sweep you off your feet. When you never called, I guess I should’ve taken the hint. Still, you played me. I really thought with all your sweet talk and trying to get to know me, that you really were looking for a relationship with me. Pretty stupid, huh? That’s me in a nutshell, though. I hung around in the background for Wrecker for years. He’s by no means the first. I must have some invisible sign that says I’m stupid or something. For fuck’s sake. Why do I have so much stuff?”

  Roman closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around Brett, trying to hold him together. Brett looked half a second away from totally coming unglued. “You’re not stupid. I am.” Roman tightened his grip as he felt everything slipping away. For five minutes, he had thought they would be happy, and he had immediately fucked up—like always. In his panic, he rushed to explain. “In my profession, a lot of people have offered me some ridiculously expensive gifts to be at their bidding... sexually. Back in California, when I said there were no modern-day fairytales anymore, I meant no one stares into each other’s eyes on a first date and falls in love. You don’t hear about people accidentally brushing hands and knowing they’ve met the one. No one gets a fairytale wedding with a happy ever after. Well, I don’t get those things. I guess other people do, but those things will never happen for me because I’m an exhibitionist at a sex club five nights a week. No one looks at me and thinks they want to spend the rest of their life with me. That just doesn’t happen to people like me. No one wants to buy me a car for no reason other than to have me as their candy.”

  Brett lifted his chin. Their gazes met in the mirror. Brett’s eyes shone bright with unshed tears, shocking Roman to his core. Brett sniffed. “I do. When I look at you, all I can think is that I could see myself with you for the rest of my life. You’re who I’m looking for. I don’t expect you to let me buy you. I want you to let me love you.”

  Roman’s mind went blank. The shock of the car had nothing on this. At least, this time, he wasn’t dumb. He didn’t release his hold on Brett, so Brett couldn’t get away when he didn’t respond immediately. He thought about all the feelings that had been stirring in his chest since arriving at LAX and seeing Brett for the first time in months. The memory o
f sitting across from Brett half the day in that coffee shop fluttered through his mind. He had been swept away while staring into Brett’s eyes. Roman had thought he could spend the rest of his life with this man. He had been fighting to win him for good, because they were real. All his thoughts about them being meant to be weren’t just fanciful musings. He was in love with Brett. “That seems fair, since I already love you.”

  Brett didn’t say a word. Instead, he continued holding Roman’s stare in the mirror, as if waiting for the other shoe to drop—like he didn’t trust that anyone could love him without strings.

  Roman swept Brett from his feet and headed back to bed. “Where are your pain meds, sexy? You’re not going anywhere.”

  Brett clung to Roman’s chest still looking like he expected to be rejected. “I don’t know. I haven’t been paying attention to what I’ve been packing.”

  Roman settled Brett on the bed, unwound his sheet from his body, and covered Brett with it before going in search of Brett’s meds. He started in the bathroom with no luck before moving to Brett’s suitcase. Roman found them in the front compartment. “Here we go. I see they’ve lowered your dosage quite a bit.”

  Brett didn’t respond. He watched Roman’s every move from the bed.

  Roman snagged a bottle of water from the mini bar and headed back to bed. As he sat on the edge of the bed, Brett’s silence snapped Roman’s nerves. “Did I break your brain by telling you I love you?”

  “No.” Brett sat up and accepted the pill and water. He didn’t speak again until he swallowed his meds. “I like watching you and I’m in a lot of pain. I twisted wrong when I stormed back inside,” he admitted with a wince.

  Roman fought the urge to dig beneath the covers and check Brett’s foot like he had a medical degree. Instead, he set Brett’s water bottle aside and crawled beneath the covers with him. “Come here. Let my snuggles fix you.”

  The sigh of relief Brett released as he settled into Roman’s arms said a lot. Brett obviously still struggled with a lot of physical pain he tried to hide. With his head on Roman’s chest, Brett stroked Roman’s stomach like he tried comforting himself. Roman’s guilt doubled over his reaction to Brett’s gift. Before the desire to apologize profusely took ahold of his tongue, Brett beat him to it.

  “I’m sorry I overreacted. I should’ve realized lots of people have probably tried to buy you over the years. I’m not special.”

  Roman kissed the top of Brett’s head. “You are to me and you didn’t overreact. I deserved your anger. Honestly, I don’t know why I reacted like that. You deserve better from me.”

  Brett shook his head. “You want me to be different than everyone else, and—for a moment—my gift made you feel like I’m not. I get it. I want you to be different from everyone else, and—for a moment—your reaction made me feel like you’re not.” He felt Brett shrug like he hadn’t just hit the nail on the head. “No one has ever fallen in love with me and I’ve never been in love before you. It makes sense that it would make me overly sensitive until I feel like we’re secure.”

  Roman started to laugh, because Brett was always so goddamn logical, but then Brett’s words sank in. “Wait. Did you just admit to being in love with me?”

  Brett tilted his chin up and met Roman’s gaze. “Well, yeah. I told you in the bathroom that I wanted you to let me love you.”

  The shock had Roman acting even thicker than usual. “Yeah but wanting to love me isn’t the same as actually loving me.”

  A line appeared between Brett’s eyebrows before clearing away. “Fair enough. I love you, and I know that it’s real, because I would never humiliate myself by saying something like that this fast unless I felt it.”

  A smile snapped to Roman’s lips. He really did love this sexy genius. “I believe you. No one in their right mind would put up with me unless they love me. I love you too.” He dragged Brett up his body until he could go nose to nose with Brett. “Don’t you dare threaten to leave me like that again.”

  Laughter flashed in Brett’s eyes. “What will you do if I do?”

  He hadn’t thought that far ahead. “I’ll cry, and trust me, you don’t want to see me cry. It’s ugly.” Brett’s laughter kept Roman talking. “Like runny nose and blotchy skin ugly. I’ll sit on the floor and hold your legs, refusing to let go, while I wipe snot on your expensive pants.”

  “Ewww, stop.” Brett’s body shook with laughter.

  “You’ve never seen dramatics like mine. You’ll have people calling child services on you. When the police arrive, I’ll give them the big eyes and tell them how you’ve abused my feelings.”

  Brett shook his head. “You’re ridiculous.”

  “Maybe I am,” Roman said, tightening his hold on Brett, and turning serious. “Or maybe there’s no low too low when it comes to keeping you. I’ve never missed anyone. I miss you all the time. This past month, I didn’t call because I was terrified you didn’t miss me, and that I would look like just another desperate guy in your life if I called first.” He winced. “I was waiting for you to call.”

  To his surprise, Brett chuckled and kissed his chin. “Oh, we are a couple of idiots. I was waiting for you to call me first.” Brett settled back down in Roman’s arms as he made his confessions. “I feel like I’m always the weak one. This one time, I didn’t want to be seen as disposable. I didn’t want you to know I care.”

  Roman stared at the ceiling and shook his head. “Wow. We are a mess.”

  “It’s not our fault, I don’t think.” Brett went back to stroking Roman’s stomach. “I think we’re just a little jaded.” Brett sounded tired, which made sense. He had driven from L.A. to see Roman and Roman hadn’t gotten off work until two in the morning. Not to mention, Roman had given him some pain meds. No doubt, Brett probably held on by a thread at this point. A small smile passed over Roman’s lips. He couldn’t believe Brett had driven all this way to bring him a new car. That was the craziest slash greatest thing anyone had ever done for him. Brett was really amazing. He felt the tension drain from Brett. Brett’s hand went still on Roman’s stomach. Roman tilted his head to see Brett’s face. Brett was out. Roman stared at him in awe. This amazing guy had fallen in love with him. Roman couldn’t believe it. He wasn’t sure he deserved Brett’s love, but he would. Roman would make him proud. Somehow.

  After a solid night of sleep, the world seemed a thousand times brighter when Brett woke in Roman’s arms. They went to lunch. Roman drove, getting a feel for his new SUV. Lunch turned into Brett checking out of his hotel and moving his things to Roman’s house. The day passed too quickly. Brett wanted to cling to Roman and beg him not to go to work, but he knew he had to be realistic. Just because they had exchanged I love yous, that didn’t mean Roman would or could quit his job. Brett loved him. That meant loving all of him, even this part he hadn’t found a way to be completely comfortable with yet.

  “Come with me.”

  Brett tried to hide his distaste. “No, thank you. I’d be a distraction and that’s a lot of hours to sit there, watching other men drool over you.”

  Roman’s sexy smirk made him hard to resist. “You’d be surprised. There are a lot of distractions there. People don’t usually sit and drool over me. A lot of people are there with their doms and subs, playing. Most of the members are just looking for a safe space for their kinks. It has little to nothing to do with me as a person. I think you should see that for yourself.”

  Brett pulled a face. On one hand, he knew Roman was right. If they were seriously going to do this thing, he needed to be okay with Roman’s job. On the other hand, he didn’t know if he was ready. “I don’t know.”

  Roman straddled Brett’s lap on the couch. He looked fucking delicious. Brett didn’t want to let him go. “How about this? I’ll leave you the Land Rover and take my old car. That way, if you decide to join me, you’ll have wheels. At the door, let them know you’re my visitor and I’ll warn Ken to keep an out for you. That way, you don’t get charged if you chang
e your mind.”

  That seemed fair. “Okay. If you want, you can leave me your old car. It doesn’t matter to me how I get there.”

  Roman shook his head and visibly tried hiding a smile. “I won’t have you trying to get in and out of my small car with a boot on your foot. I’ve driven the same car for twenty years now. Another night won’t kill me.”

  Brett rolled his eyes, fighting a happy sigh. No one had ever put him first like this. He didn’t know how to react. Roman didn’t let him overthink anything. He nuzzled Brett’s neck before kissing his jaw. Roman’s lips brushed Brett’s cheek and moved to his mouth. Brett held his breath in anticipation until Roman’s tongue stroked his. His kiss was slow and methodical, stealing all Brett’s good sense.

  “Ugh. I miss you already.”

  “Stay home. I’ll support you.”

  Thankfully, Roman laughed at Brett’s offer rather than getting insulted the way he had at being gifted the SUV. “Everyone wants you for what you can do for them. I just want you. Come see me. I’ll be waiting.” Before Brett could tell Roman no again, Roman slipped from his lap. “I love you, gorgeous. If I don’t see you up there, then I’ll see you when I get home.”

  Brett swallowed the lump growing in his throat. “Okay. I love you too.”

  With a final heated glance his way, Roman left. For a long while, Brett stared at the door Roman disappeared through. Then he pushed to his feet and trailed through the house like an abandoned puppy. Roman’s place was small but nice. It reminded Brett a lot of the many houses he had lived in as a kid. One large master bedroom and two smaller bedrooms. A kitchen that would be minuscule if not for having an area for a dining room table. As small as the place was, it felt empty as hell without Roman. He tried snacking and watching TV. Nothing held his attention. Three hours after Roman’s departure, Brett found himself in the car and headed toward the club. He berated himself the whole way. This felt like a mistake. Even though Brett didn’t consider himself the jealous type, he didn’t know how he would feel while watching other people wanting his man. This might ruin them.