[Boys of the Zodiac 08] Scorpio; The Heart To Help by Jamie Craig

CORPIO

: T

EART

ELP

…“Are you still going to be nice to me when you don’t have liquid

fortification?” Grady teased.

“Nope. But I’ll try to be nice to you for the rest of the night.”
“That doesn’t exactly encourage me to end this night soon.”
“I’ll turn into a bitch again at midnight. Like the carriage that turns

back into a pumpkin.”

Grady smiled again, unable to hide his amusement. “So I’m Prince

Charming now?”

“Yeah, I’d say that sums you up. What’s that line from Into The

Woods? ‘I’m charming, I don’t have to be sincere.’”

Colin meant it as another jab, but Grady laughed anyway. He was

coming to love how sharp Colin was, even when his pokes were aimed
straight at Grady. “Then I guess you’ve got fair warning that if you
decide to run from me, I’m not going to just let you go. I’m tenacious
that way.”

Colin snorted. “That sounds like a threat. I mean, like you’re

actually threatening me.”

“Nah, not my style. I’m more interested in coaxing, not coercing.”
“Of course you are. You wouldn’t get very far in this business if

you were subtle as a hammer. You must be equally adept at seducing
your way into checkbooks and beds.”

The flash in Colin’s eye spurred Grady to lean in, his mouth

hovering by the man’s ear. “I’m a lot pickier than I think you give me
credit for. Because I could have danced with anybody here tonight.
And I didn’t, because the only one who interested me was you.”

Colin turned his head slightly so he could speak into Grady’s ear.

“Then it must be a hell of a disappointment to you that the song is
over…”

LSO

AMIE

RAIG

The Bad And The Beautiful

Calendar Boys Series: January – December

From Dusk To Dawn

His Very Own

A Little Bit Bewitched

Lucky Haunts

The Master Chronicles, Book I – X

Nowhere Man

On The Ragged Edge Of The World

Pas De Deux

Queen Of Diamonds

Serendipity

Son Of A Preacher Man

Star Attraction

Stealing Northe

Stealing West

Sticks And Stones

Those Who Cherish
To Taste The Dawn

Wearing Death

Boys Of The Zodiac

Leo: All That You Are

Taurus: All That You Do

SCORPIO:

THE HEART TO HELP

JAMIE CRAIG

MBER

UILL

RESS

, LLC

http://www.AmberQuill.com

CORPIO

: T

EART

ELP

MBER

UILL

RESS

OOK

This book is a work of fiction.

All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the

author’s imagination, or have been used fictitiously.

Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales,

or events is entirely coincidental.

Amber Quill Press, LLC

http://www.AmberQuill.com

No portion of this book may be transmitted or

reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in

writing from the publisher, with the exception of brief

excerpts used for the purposes of review.

ISBN 978-1-61124-009-2

Layout and Formatting provided by: Elemental Alchemy

PUBLISHED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Scorpio: Dynamic, passionate, and magnetic.

A Scorpio lives hard, loves hard, and never gives up.

SCORPIO: THE HEART TO HELP

CHAPTER 1

The concert headlined a violinist Grady James had never heard

of, the venue small but elegantly appointed. Whoever had
coordinated the event had chosen a movie palace restored to its
golden age glory, with wide, curving staircases gilded in gold
leading to the balcony levels, and a six-foot chandelier spotlighting
the mural painted on the arched ceiling. Tables draped in luxurious
ivory linens already dotted the lobby for the champagne soiree to
follow the scheduled program. For a minor fundraiser, his father
would be proud.

Music filtered through the closed doors, delicate and almost

ephemeral. Classical would never have been his first choice, even
in a venue such as this. The people who typically bought tickets for
this kind of concert were not the types to hand out even more

SCORPIO: THE HEART TO HELP

afterward. They had a tendency to consider the performance their
due, and attempting to get further money from them was often
considered bad form. Better to aim for a more youthful audience,
people who would walk out of a show with their hearts racing,
adrenaline pumping. It was easier to engage them emotionally,
then, which made it easier to open their wallets.

He waited for a burst of applause to slip inside unnoticed. The

theater was half-full, though he had no way of knowing how many
people might sit in the balconies. More, he hoped. They would
barely clear costs if this was the final tally.

Sliding into an aisle seat a few rows behind the closest patron,

he scanned the audience, only half an ear cocked to the quintet
onstage. He saw backs of heads, mostly, silhouettes of strangers he
would have to find some way to engage over drinks and canapés.
Any one of them could have been one of his father’s friends back
in Manhattan. That made his job both simpler and more tedious.
Relocating to Chicago was supposed to provide a new challenge
for him. The last thing he wanted was more of the same pompous
stuffed shirts he’d gladly left behind.

One profile in particular stood out from the others. Its owner

sat straight and tall, the top of his head several inches above his
neighbors’. His hair wasn’t as well-kept as the others, the ends
hitting his collar and recoiling in soft waves. Younger, then. Lean,
as well, if the strong jut of his chin was any indication. Grady
shifted in his seat, leaning to the side to try and get a better look at
the man’s face. All he caught was the dark shadow of a beard and
what appeared to be a small smile, but it was enough to intrigue
him. He would be the first one Grady sought out at the party. There
was a story to his presence; Grady was sure of it. And any story
that drew a young man to what was clearly a stodgy charity concert

SCORPIO: THE HEART TO HELP

was worth a king’s ransom when it came to raising funds.

Nobody else in the audience struck him as interesting. When

the quintet finished the final selection, he clapped along with the
rest, but then remained in his seat, pretending to check his
messages as people began to file past. He watched them through
his lashes and waited until a familiar profile joined the crowd to
pocket his phone. He’d been right about the age, as well as the
height. The only feature he hadn’t anticipated was the striking blue
eyes.

As he rose from his seat, he hid his pleased smile. Perhaps

Chicago would turn out all right, after all.

The object of his attention coaxed his companion—an older

woman—into going ahead of him, and Grady waited until she had
passed before stepping out of his row. His arm brushed against the
other man’s as they jostled for position. When the slight contact
drew a curious glance in his direction, Grady smiled.

“Sorry about that. But it’s good to see such a good turnout,

don’t you think?”

The man’s mouth tensed, alerting Grady to the fact that he’d

said something wrong. Grady could practically see him swallow
back his initial response, and then his lips relaxed slightly. “Yes, I
suppose it is.”

Rather than push the conversation, especially since he’d

already misstepped once, Grady nodded and let silence fall as they
moved slowly up the aisle. It allowed him time to learn more about
his quarry, like the fact that his dark pants were clean and crisply
pressed but clearly off the rack. They fit his long legs well, but
Grady imagined someone as slim and straight as him would look
good in just about anything.

At the top of the aisle, he hurried forward quickly enough to

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catch the door for the other man’s companion. One of the first
lessons his father had ever taught him was how common courtesy
softened even the biggest skinflint. The trick worked, but what
Grady liked best of all was the often surprised smile of gratitude he
got in return. The woman looked up at him with her companion’s
blue eyes. Her face was prematurely aged, deep lines around her
mouth and eyes. But her smile was genuine and Grady felt his own
smile widening in response.

“You’re Oliver James’s son, aren’t you?”
The question startled him. He’d been in Chicago for less than

six hours. The only people he’d spoken to were the leasing agent
for his new condo and the usher at the door when he’d arrived for
the fundraiser. He hadn’t even called the local charity branch; he’d
simply assumed he’d seek them out here.

But years of experience smoothed his surprise, hopefully

unnoticeable to the woman and the young man now frowning at
him. “Yes. I’m Grady.” He held out his hand, enveloping hers in
his grip. “And you are?”

She laughed. “Oh, nobody.”
“Mom.”
“Well, I’m not anybody he’d know, am I?” She squeezed his

fingers. “Elaine Braugher. And my handsome date is Colin.”

Grady slipped his hand free to extend it to the now slightly red-

faced Colin. It was hard not to grin wider. The blush was adorable.
“Well, if you ask me, I think you both have rather exceptional
looking dates.”

Colin’s grip was firm, his long fingers brushing against

Grady’s wrist for a tantalizing second before he pulled away.
“There’s going to be a few very surprised people here tonight.
Everybody’s been in a tizzy getting ready for tomorrow.”

SCORPIO: THE HEART TO HELP

The only item on his agenda for tomorrow was living through

his first day at the new office, and the only way for Colin to know
that was… “Are you affiliated with the charity somehow?”

“Yes.” Colin angled Elaine away from Grady. “Let’s get a

drink. I’m parched.”

“You’ll join us, won’t you?” Elaine seemed oblivious to her

son’s momentary flash of irritation.

“I’m sure Mr. James probably has other people to meet tonight,

Mom.”

“You said it yourself. Nobody’s expecting me, which means

my dance card is completely clear.” He took the place on her other
side, ignoring the frown Colin shot at him, when he leaned down
and added in a conspiratorial whisper, “And call me Grady, please.
There’s enough stiff upper lips in this room already without tossing
me into the mix.”

Grady couldn’t prove it, but he was sure he heard Colin mutter,

“oh please.” He looked up sharply, but the other man was smiling
innocently. He had a nice smile. It had probably fooled many
people. Even Grady, who had very sharp ears, felt disarmed.

“I doubt your dance card will be clear for long, Grady. Your

imminent arrival has been the talk of Chicago for the past month at
least.”

He waved off Elaine’s assessment. “People in this town need to

find better topics of conversation, then. I’m not nearly as important
as getting Chicago’s numbers up to where they should be.”

“You’ve certainly got no problem with modesty, do you,

Grady?” Colin said. There was an edge to his voice, and it sliced
through Grady’s name until it almost sounded like an insult.

For the sake of Colin’s mother, Grady kept his smile even, his

tone bright. “If you’re good at something, and people know it,

SCORPIO: THE HEART TO HELP

what’s the point in denying it? Everyone has skills.” They came to
a stop at the end of the line at the bar. “Elaine, I’ll bet you can tell
me exactly what Colin’s good at.”

“Computers,” she answered promptly. “He’s magic with

computers. Ever since he was oh… how old were you, Col? I think
you tore your father’s laptop apart when you were six.” Elaine’s
eyes were full of motherly pride. “Of course, he put it back
together after that. We never would have found out if he hadn’t
bragged…”

“Confessed,” Colin corrected. “I wasn’t bragging, I was

confessing. And I didn’t tear it apart. I knew how to put it back
together, I just wanted to see what it looked like on the inside.”

“At six?” Grady was duly impressed. He still had to ask for

help every time they upgraded the systems back in New York,
because he could never remember where the stupid settings were in
his email program. “And you’re working for us? It sounds like
we’re the ones who should be bragging then, not you.”

“I’m volunteering for the charity. And I spend most of my time

resetting passwords and merging Word documents.”

“Don’t forget all the Excel emergencies you solve,” Elaine

added helpfully.

“Yes, that too.”
“There’s got to be a better use for your talents,” Grady argued.

“Who are you reporting to?”

Colin’s already reserved manners turned downright frosty.

“Gwen Smith. And my talents are being well used. I know you
probably don’t think much of what we’ve accomplished here, but
we work hard.”

“I’m sure you do.” He hadn’t meant to push Colin even further

away. Why did everything he say have the opposite effect he

SCORPIO: THE HEART TO HELP

wanted with this man? “But maybe I should talk to this Gwen
about getting some more positive reinforcement in the office.
Because it doesn’t look to me like you know how to recognize a
compliment when you hear one.’

“I’ll let you know when I hear one, shall I?”
“Colin, really,” Elaine said reproachfully. “He didn’t mean to

criticize Gwen.”

“That’s why he’s here, isn’t he?”
“I’m here because the charity can use all the donations it can

get,” Grady said, his jaw suddenly tense. “Because that’s what I
do. And yes, I’m good at it. I’m not ashamed to admit it. Someone
has to be, or the charity would have folded years ago. Now, if
someone with your skill set is satisfied being a glorified secretary,
fine. All the power to you. In fact, I’m glad you’re happy. Happy
volunteers make us stronger. But I’m not happy accepting ‘good
enough’ when I know I can do more. That’s why I’m here.”

He hadn’t meant to rant, but Colin’s assessment pierced deeper

than he was sure the other man expected it to. He’d spent his whole
life being judged by standards that had absolutely nothing to do
with the man he was, but instead with who people expected him to
be. In his fantasies, Chicago had been different. It was going to be
a fresh start for him, the chance to prove himself on his own
merits, not his father’s. But Colin’s assessment shattered that
dream. Because if he felt that way, the entire Chicago branch
probably did.

Before Colin or Elaine could speak, Grady turned her to and

offered what he hoped she would see was a sincere smile. “I
should probably find the director and let her know I’m here ahead
of schedule, but it was a genuine pleasure to meet you, Mrs.
Braugher.”

SCORPIO: THE HEART TO HELP

Elaine leaned in closer with soft eyes. “It was a pleasure to

meet you, too, Grady. I know what it’s like being in a strange city.
If you ever want a good meal or just somebody to talk to, you’re
always welcome.”

Colin began to pull her away before Grady could even respond.

“Mom, Grady James is not going to come over to our house for
your special tuna casserole.”

“I was trying to show him we’re not all without manners, Col.”
Colin glanced up—his eyes really were an amazing shade of

blue. They peered out from beneath his fringe of black hair,
regarding Grady with a strange mistrust he couldn’t even begin to
fathom. It wasn’t as though he was the actual enemy. He was on
Colin’s side. They were trying to accomplish the same goal. Grady
wasn’t accustomed to people not liking him. Especially when it
seemed like the contempt was cultivated on sight.

“Come on. I need to speak to Gwen tonight and we promised

Noelle we’d be home before eleven.”

An alarm bell went off in his head. Colin speaking to his

supervisor might not necessarily bode well for Brady’s graceful
entry into the office. “Actually, if you’re going to find Gwen, do
you mind if I tag along so I can meet her?”

“Do I have a choice?”
Grady shrugged. “You always have a choice. The question is,

is this really a battle worth waging?”

“No, not really.” Colin walked away from him like he didn’t

care if Grady followed. Which, he probably didn’t. That was new,
too. Usually everybody within shouting distance cared about what
he was doing, when he was doing it, and why he had decided on
his course of action.

Gwen was a bit younger than Grady had expected. She stood

SCORPIO: THE HEART TO HELP

with a small group of men, her dark curls pulled back from her
animated face. She gestured as she spoke, and Grady heard enough
to know she was speaking about the fundraising efforts for the
night. Were these potential donors? Before he could ascertain just
who they were, Gwen broke away from them and approached
Colin with a wide smile.

“There you are.”
“Yes, sorry. I was a bit sidetracked.”
Her gaze slid to Grady, but before he could say hello, her eyes

widened, and her back stiffened. “Oh! I didn’t—” Her head jerked
back to Colin, and for a single moment, something unspoken
passed between them. Something Grady was sure he wouldn’t have
liked had it been voiced aloud. She wasn’t nearly as adept as Colin
at masking her true feelings.

“I seem to be taking everybody by surprise tonight,” Grady

said, keeping it light. “Maybe my plan on meeting people in more
comfortable surroundings wasn’t such a good one after all.”

“Only because these are the least comfortable surroundings I

can think of,” Gwen said, her smile softening her words. “When
did you get here? Did you see the show? Have you had a drink yet?
I’d be happy to get you one.”

He might not have noticed her rapid-fire questions if Colin

hadn’t already drawn attention to his so-called status. He shook his
head and held up a hand to prevent her from scurrying off to wait
on him. “I’m good, thanks. I start drinking now, and you’ll never
get rid of me.”

Gwen’s eyes widened and Colin’s lips twitched, like he was

trying to bite back a smile. “Oh, no, we’re not serving alcohol.”
Her eyes darted to Colin before she added, “It’s more of a
sparkling cider event.”

SCORPIO: THE HEART TO HELP

Grady looked over at the bar, paying more attention this time to

the tall flutes almost everybody carried. He’d assumed champagne
from the notes in the program, and though he’d wondered about
how that might reflect on a charity created solely to aid children
with fetal alcohol syndrome, he hadn’t questioned the decision.
This wasn’t his event, after all, and technically, out of his hands.
Now, he could see the bubbly drinks were the wrong color.
Sparkling cider, indeed.

He turned back to Gwen with a sheepish shrug. Another man

might have been embarrassed at such an ill-placed leap of logic—
and Colin obviously enjoyed seeing him make such a foolish
error—but Grady could own his mistakes. “And if I needed any
more proof that I probably should have spent my night getting
ready for tomorrow instead of crashing the party, that was it.”

Gwen seemed honestly affronted at that. “Crashing? Oh no,

we’re happy to have you here. We’ve both been really excited to
meet you. Haven’t we, Colin?”

Colin glared at him for a beat before forcing himself to smile.

Grady was impressed. Even Elaine couldn’t shame Colin into a
gesture at politeness. “Of course. Very excited. It’s just a shame
you slipped in after the concert was over. You missed an amazing
show.”

Grady cocked his head, his mouth quirked in bemusement.

“You noticed when I slipped into the auditorium? I think I’m
flattered.”

“I was standing at the door before the show began. Trust me, I

would have noticed you.”

“I take it back. Now I’m flattered.”
“I see my earlier observation about your modesty wasn’t far

off.”

SCORPIO: THE HEART TO HELP

“You’re the one who just admitted you could pick me out of a

crowd. Is it really so wrong to enjoy being considered noteworthy
by someone as exceptional as you?” Flirting wasn’t his smartest
choice. He knew that. But hell, these people already had
preconceived notions about who Grady James was, which meant
they were also fully aware of his openly gay status. He didn’t see
any reason not to exploit that, especially if it ruffled Colin’s
feathers a little bit. From what he could tell, Colin could use a
good ruffling.

Colin’s lip curled a little, as though Grady had just shoved

something distasteful under his nose. “Yes, it has everything to do
with how gorgeous you are and nothing to do with the fact you’re
Oliver James’s son.”

“Coming from you, I’ll take whatever I can get.”
“So, Grady, have you met the rest of the team?” Gwen asked,

cutting in before Colin could add anything to his rather noticeable
eye roll.

He let Colin off the hook, though he would’ve loved to see how

far he could push the man. Maybe not in front of his mother, but
definitely the next time he saw him.

“Not yet. Do you mind introducing me?”
“Of course not.”
Elaine and Colin said their goodnights, but as Grady followed

Gwen through the crowd, he couldn’t resist one last glance over his
shoulder. Neither Braugher paid him any attention, but when they
reached the doors, and Colin held one open for his mother, his blue
gaze slid in Grady’s direction.

Grady reverted his attention back to Gwen before they made

eye contact. There was still a story to be discovered in Colin
Braugher. It might not be the one Grady had originally envisioned,

SCORPIO: THE HEART TO HELP

and he might not necessarily like what he learned, but more than
ever, he was determined to get it. Animosity like that didn’t just
appear out of nowhere. It had to be grown. Cultivated.

Grady was going to find out how.

SCORPIO: THE HEART TO HELP

CHAPTER 2

Colin tried very hard not to let the thought of Grady James ruin

his day, but the effort was doomed to failure. The thought of Grady
James had already ruined his month, and meeting the man did
nothing to assuage his worst fears and suspicions. He replayed the
night over in his head, picking through every exchange, adding the
bits and pieces Gwen had told him about after he left. He should
have been concentrating on his computer systems lecture, but the
professor’s words made no sense to him. He was too distracted to
make sense of the three hour lecture, which wouldn’t have been so
bad if he could make sense of Grady James. Unfortunately,
understanding eluded him.

After computer systems, he had an hour with his software

engineering lab. It was harder to be distracted and short-tempered
in a group of six, and he forced himself to smile and participate,

SCORPIO: THE HEART TO HELP

relieved that none of his lab partners knew him well enough to see
through the façade. Gwen would have spotted something wrong in
a second. Elaine had asked him if he was all right almost
immediately after he sat down to breakfast, and even Noelle had
picked up on his sour mood. Of course, Elaine wouldn’t
understand why Grady had upset him. She had talked about
Oliver’s charming, handsome, wonderful son all the way home,
excited about what that meant for the charity.

Colin didn’t have the heart to tell her what it probably meant.

Over the years since Elaine adopted Noelle, she’d formed very
tight bonds with the organization. Both she and Colin viewed the
small office as a second family. Gwen was more like his sister than
his boss, and he intensely admired her spirit, her work ethic, and
her ability to makes funds stretch further than they had any right
to. Dorothy James had founded the Heart to Help charity with a
portion of the Dorothy James Foundation back when fetal alcohol
syndrome barely had a name. It had been her pet project, and after
she died, Oliver hadn’t been interested in taking a similar hands-on
approach. The organization had languished, a forgotten corner in
the vast James Empire.

And then Gwen had been hired. She was the one who had

reached out to the community. She was the one who worked
tirelessly to help the families who’d been struggling on their own.
It was her leadership and dedication that had taken the charity from
one of the smallest in the Foundation to close to the top, in terms
of donations and community response. Colin had been excited by
her passion when they first met, and though he’d only been sixteen
at the time, he knew where he wanted to be. Where he belonged.

Now the charity was finally large enough and important

enough to attract Oliver’s attention. Oliver’s mother had been most

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interested in using her family’s great wealth to help those less
fortunate. She’d been a tireless philanthropist, and she bettered
lives across the country. Oliver James, on the other hand, cared
only about one thing. He might not have been able to turn a profit
off the Foundation directly, but that was a minor inconvenience for
a man like him. What he couldn’t convert into physical wealth, he
exploited for prestige and positive publicity.

What better way to put his indelible mark on the charity than to

send his only son to take over?

It wasn’t fair. Gwen deserved better than that. They all

deserved better than that. Grady clearly had no idea what she was
doing, had no idea how she ran things. That was obvious from the
way he’d reacted to learning that Colin helped people with
troubleshooting. He made sure the office ran smoothly, that none
of the volunteers ever struggled with the technology there to help.
When the computers worked and the printers hummed along
merrily, he saw to the other mundane jobs that nobody wanted or
could make time to do, but needed to be done. That’s what
happened when they were forced to operate with a skeleton crew.

If Oliver really wanted to help them, he’d release more funds

from the Foundation instead of treating them like they were a
particularly under-performing mom-and-pop operation he’d
snapped up along the way. But why bother doing that when he
could just send Grady to mold them properly in the James
Corporation image?

Colin had a pretty long list of grievances against Oliver, and

some of them had nothing to do with the Foundation at all. His
business practices were not eco-friendly or sustainable. His record
on basic human rights was downright disgraceful, and there was
more than one sweatshop in the empire. He hoped he never

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actually met Oliver James. If he did, the man would probably have
him arrested within five minutes.

Based on his meeting with Grady, he couldn’t say that he had

high hopes for the apple falling from the tree. He still couldn’t
believe that Grady had purposefully caught Gwen flat-footed, and
on top of that, he couldn’t even be bothered to arrive early enough
to listen to the whole concert. And then, when Colin honestly
didn’t think he could dislike Grady more, the other man had flirted
with him. Like this was all a joke, and maybe if Grady flashed his
smile with the extra dimples, Colin would forget what this was all
about.

The comment about meeting everybody in comfortable

surroundings still put Colin’s teeth on edge. Of course, Grady
James would be most comfortable in at black-tie affair that he’d
had absolutely no hand in planning. Of course, Grady James would
be most comfortable mingling with people who could buy and sell
Colin’s family a thousand times over, but couldn’t quite bring
themselves to be generous with a charity for something as
unglamorous as fetal alcohol syndrome. Of course, Grady James
would think they were all there to have fun and mingle, and he
wouldn’t realize for a second that Gwen hadn’t slept in at least two
days, and Colin was basically running on too much Red Bull and
Doritos.

Colin didn’t linger after the lab finished. He passed through the

student union to buy a very large cup of iced coffee and a
sandwich. He downed half the coffee in one swallow and didn’t
take the time to properly chew his sandwich as he sprinted across
the quad. He had just enough time to turn in his assignment
(technically late but Dr. Winston never checked his box before
three anyway) before cycling the ten blocks to the office. He

SCORPIO: THE HEART TO HELP

volunteered there for a few hours every afternoon. Well, he did.
Now he wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. Maybe Grady would
fire them all and start over with a group of expertly trained
professionals who understood charities weren’t really there to help
people.

They operated on the fourth floor of an eight floor building that

also included two temp offices and the headquarters of an online
university. Colin nodded at the familiar faces huddled around the
door. He knew what time they took their smoke breaks and their
brands, but he never caught their names. They nodded back, a
middle-aged man kindly offering him a cigarette. He did that every
day, even though Colin always smiled and shook his head.

Colin’s heart was pounding as he pulled his bike into the

elevator. The ride from ground level to the fourth floor was far too
short. It barely gave him any time at all to catch his breath, wipe
the sweat from his forehead, and remind himself that Grady James
was human like the rest of them—but he still needed to be treated
with a certain level of respect that hadn’t been present the night
before. Colin wanted to do better. He did. It was just that he hated
Grady James and everything he stood for.

Laughter he really wished he didn’t already recognize greeted

him when the elevator doors slid open. His jaw tensed before he
could stop it. He had to consciously take a deep breath and will
himself to relax, or all his good intentions would be for naught.

Grady stood inside the nearest cubicle, one broad shoulder

leaning against the wall, arms folded over his chest to stretch the
navy sweater he wore across his back. He smiled down at Georgia,
the office’s part-time receptionist, like she’d just said the cleverest
thing he’d ever heard.

Colin frowned. Georgia was a sweet girl, and competent

SCORPIO: THE HEART TO HELP

enough at her job, but when it came down to it, she was the perfect
example for why blonde jokes existed in the first place. Plus, she
was female. That was as far from Grady James’s type as it was
possible to get, if the tabloids were anything to go by. What was he
playing at?

“Hi, Col,” Georgia said brightly. She gestured at Grady at the

same time he straightened away from the wall and turned toward
the elevator. “Guess who started today?”

Gwen had been preparing the office for Grady’s arrival for the

past week, so of course Georgia announced it like a surprise.

“And already working hard, I see.”
“It’s better than hardly working.” Though Georgia giggled like

it was the funniest thing in the world, Grady stepped away from
her cubicle and closer to Colin until only his bike separated them.
“Actually, I’ve been waiting for you. Gwen told me when you
usually check in, so I thought I’d hang out here with Georgia just
in case we missed each other.”

“God, what a tragedy that would be. Georgia, did Ross Pines

ever call me back?”

“Yes, he left a message and told me to tell you that he’d email

you.”

“Thanks.” He looked back to Grady and gestured toward his

cubicle. “I’m going to put my bike away and hit the restroom. If
you don’t mind waiting a few minutes.”

“Nah. A few more minutes won’t make a difference.”
Colin smiled as nicely as he could and walked very calmly to

his cubicle, where he deposited his bike as promised. He crossed
the room as though heading for the restroom, but diverted just
before the door and slipped farther down the corridor to Gwen’s
office.

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“Why was Grady waiting for me at the door,” Colin said,

quickly shutting the door behind him. “Is there anything I should
know? How has the day gone?”

Gwen finished typing something before turning away from her

computer. “Better than I thought it would, actually.” She looked
tired, and several curls had slipped out of her silver hair clip to fall
against her cheek, but the small smile she offered seemed genuine.
“He hasn’t done very much. Just followed me around a lot and
listened to me explain how things run. Oh, and he went around and
introduced himself to everybody again after I did it the first time. I
heard him talking to Richard for half an hour this morning.”

“Talking to him about what? Like in a gathering information

kind of way? I need to know if I should be prepared for the third
degree.”

“No, they were chatting about drug protocols, if you can

believe it. Well, I think Richard did most of the talking. He doesn’t
get a captive audience very often.”

Colin wasn’t convinced. After all, Oliver hadn’t sent his son to

chat up the staff. He was either gathering information or lulling
everybody into a false sense of security—or both. “Are you sure
you don’t know what he wants? This will be easier for me if there
aren’t any surprises.”

“I honestly don’t know,” Gwen said. “He asked me at lunch

when you got in, so I told him. You said he was waiting for you at
the door?”

“Yes, I told him I had to piss. Not in so many words.” Colin

grimaced. “So I guess he’s still waiting for me there and I better
get back to him.”

“You better,” Gwen agreed dryly.
Colin wiped his clammy hands against his thighs and squared

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his shoulders. Grady was still right where Colin had left him,
dazzling Georgia with his thousand-watt smile. Oily. Colin could
imagine Grady on a used car lot. He’d have to be careful, because
he knew damned well he wasn’t immune to pretty smiles.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.” And now Colin actually did have

to go to the bathroom, but he ignored the twinge in his bladder.

“Not a problem.” When Colin moved toward his cubicle,

however, Grady caught his arm. “Actually, do you mind if we take
this to my office?”

Grady’s office had been until very recently Rachael’s office.

She took over the cubicle next to Colin’s the Friday before. A
whole three months after she’d been hired on full time and
promoted to the office. Colin had no choice but to follow Grady
inside. He hovered, indecisive, until Grady gestured at the chair
closest to the desk, of course.

“So how’s your first day going?” Colin asked brightly, hoping

he sounded like he really cared.

“Good, good.” Grady surprised him by pulling the other chair

from around the desk to sit opposite him. Their knees almost
touched from how closely Grady positioned it, but he didn’t seem
to notice. “You guys have some great energy here. Way different
than what I was used to back in New York.”

Colin supposed that was meant as a compliment. “Well, you

didn’t have Gwen back in New York.”

“No, I can honestly say there’s nobody like Gwen there.” His

head tilted, in that curious cocking gesture Colin was coming to
recognize. “You two are really close, aren’t you?”

“She was there for me during some really rough times,” Colin

answered, pitching his voice so Grady would understand that
wasn’t an invitation to pursue that line of conversation.

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“Yeah, she seems like the type. And she thinks the world of

you, that much is obvious.” He leaned forward, resting his
forearms on his knees, his steady blue gaze fixed on Colin. His
blond hair was more casual today, slightly mussed across his wide
brow, but Colin would bet that was just as deliberate a look as the
perfectly tailored black suit he’d worn to the concert. “Listen, we
got off on the wrong foot last night. I know that, and I’m pretty
sure you know that, too. I’d like for us to start over, if we could.
Accept that maybe neither one of us was at his best last night, and
move on.”

“Wait, is that supposed to be an apology?”
“An apology?” Grady straightened with a frown. “That wasn’t

exactly what I meant.”

“What exactly did you mean then?” Colin personally thought

Grady should apologize. He crashed the party, adding a huge
amount of stress to an already exhausting night, implied Gwen was
crass enough to serve champagne at the event, and then tried to
flirt in a very inappropriate way. Plus, he completely won over
Elaine, and that meant his house was now effectively divided into
two factions.

“I meant that I hoped we could put last night behind us. I

reacted badly when you refused to accept a simple compliment,
and things never really improved after that.”

“I reacted badly because you had no idea what you were

talking about. But that didn’t stop you from voicing your opinion.”

“What’re you talking about? The way Gwen talks, you’re some

kind of tech wizard. How was I out of line complimenting your
skills?”

“Because somebody has to do that work. There’s not a

hierarchy where one job is more…special than the others. Besides,

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you complimented me seconds after you learned my name. You
literally know nothing about me, and you probably don’t care, it’s
just part of your…shtick.”

“My…shtick.” Grady pursed his mouth, eyes narrowing in

assessment. For the first time, Colin felt like he might be seeing
beneath the charming façade Grady had been presenting since
swaggering into the theater. “And you’re an expert on my…shtick,
is that it?”

Colin tensed, realizing he might just have crossed over a line he

should’ve been paying attention to. And there really wasn’t any
graceful way to save the situation. “It’s just sales, isn’t it?”

“So, according to that logic, I was just trying to…sell you

something last night. That’s what you’re telling me.”

Colin shrugged. How was he supposed to know? “Maybe

you’re always trying to sell somebody on something.”

With a soft snort, Grady shook his head. “You really don’t like

me.”

“Does it matter if I do?”
“Not if I actually did something to deserve it. But you had a

problem with me from the start. I want to know why.”

Colin couldn’t very well give Grady the litany of reasons. Even

if he only volunteered at the charity, Grady was his boss now. And
his mother had raised him better than that. Of course, Grady still
hadn’t acknowledged that he’d done anything wrong or the
general—correct—point Colin had made about him being
insincere.

“Perhaps I was too hasty to judge you.”
“You think?” The moment the words escaped Grady’s mouth,

he grimaced. “Sorry. That was uncalled for. I’ve just been
wracking my brain since last night, trying to figure out what I did

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to piss you off.”

“Yes, well, just misunderstandings all around. Do you mind if I

get back to work? There’s always a ton of data entry to do after an
event.”

“Oh, sure, I didn’t mean to put you behind or anything.” They

rose at the same time, but Grady reached the closed door first. His
hand on the knob blocked Colin’s way. “Will you let me make last
night up to you, at least?”

He wouldn’t even let Colin make a graceful and swift exit.

“Make it up to me how?”

“Dinner. Your choice of restaurant.” The smile was back, a less

dazzling one than what he’d bestowed upon Georgia, but sweetly
charming all the same. Colin wondered if he had them catalogued
according to what would work on whom. “Please.”

Colin stopped himself from physically recoiling at the thought

of being stuck with Grady James, all night, with no immediate
avenues of escape. He didn’t think he could take a whole night of
sugar-sweet smiles and smarmy compliments designed to charm
Colin into the palm of his hand. Plus, was that a date? It seemed
awfully presumptuous of Grady to think Colin would want to go to
dinner with another man.

Elaine’s training took over, and instead of shouting no and

fleeing, he tried to smile. “Thank you for the invitation, but I
can’t.”

“Because of your schoolwork? It doesn’t have to be tonight. In

fact, tonight’s probably bad anyway, since I promised Gwen I’d
review all the files she gave me.” His head ducked, almost
sheepishly. “The last thing I need is to fall behind before I’ve even
started. And I spent too much time today trying to get to know
everybody, so it’s all my own fault for having so much homework

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now, I guess.”

“I can’t any night.” Colin was glad that was the actual,

verifiable truth instead of just a line to blow Grady off. Elaine
would probably read him the riot act if she knew what he was
doing, but fortunately, she never would. “Not because of school. I
have other obligations.”

“What kind of obligations? Another job?”
Colin could have told him. It wasn’t any kind of secret.

Everybody in the office knew why he had to leave no later than six
every night. But Colin couldn’t think of a single reason why he
should, or why Grady thought he could press for more details.
“That’s not really any of your business, is it?”

The question hung between them for several, very pregnant

moments. The smile on Grady’s face faded, though it didn’t
completely disappear, his gaze unwavering. When he finally
moved, it was to open the door for Colin, then stepping clear to
give him room to leave.

“I really am looking forward to working with you here,” he

said, holding his hand out for Colin to shake. “And if you ever
change your mind about me making it up to you, or if you come up
with some other way I can do it, please, let me know.”

“Great. I’m looking forward to it, too.”
Colin nearly ran back to the safety of his own cubicle. Pretty

much nothing of what just happened made any sense to him at all.
He could only hope that spelled the end of his alone time with
Grady. They would be seeing a lot of each other, and Colin could
learn to live with that, but it would be much easier all around if
they just saw each other from a distance. He just hoped he
wouldn’t spend every day for the rest of the year fending off dinner
invitations.

SCORPIO: THE HEART TO HELP

CHAPTER 3

Though it had happened quickly, Grady thought he’d been

thoroughly prepared for the move to Chicago. He knew how to
raise money with the best of them, he understood how businesses
worked, and he embraced the opportunity to be able to find a niche
for himself outside of his father’s immediate circle of influence.
There was only one thing he hadn’t anticipated.

The loneliness.
He was not a solitary personality. All of his life, he’d

surrounded himself with friends, with fun, with laughter. He
wasn’t so blind not to know some people chose to hang around him
because he was the son of Oliver James, but he also knew that he
knew how to contribute to a friendship, or how to make people
smile when they needed cheering up—or even when they didn’t.

SCORPIO: THE HEART TO HELP

He’d left behind friends when he’d relocated.

So far, Chicago wasn’t yielding the same chances, though to be

fair, he’d mostly limited himself to the charity office for now.
There was a lot to catch up on—Gwen was nothing if not
thorough—and work was an acceptable substitute when he was so
determined to succeed. But he missed the camaraderie he was
accustomed to, the joking around, the simple, physical presence of
people who wanted to be around him. More than once during the
day, he ventured from the office he’d been given to seek out
anyone who was willing to spare five minutes to chat. It helped to
a small degree. But it did nothing to mitigate the long, lonely hours
he spent at his condo afterward.

After the first night, when he’d finished the reports Gwen had

given him and then spent the next two hours wondering yet again
why Colin seemed to dislike him so much, he elected to eat out. At
least it got him around people. He thought about going to the
movies, but that would be as bad as sitting in the dark at home. He
wouldn’t have somebody sitting next to him he could elbow during
the good bits, or someone to go out with afterward to dissect
everything they’d just seen. Going out to a club was an option, but
he’d yet to research Chicago’s gay scene. He didn’t need the added
stress of going to a regular club and having to fend off women all
night.

When Gwen’s email appeared in his inbox Friday after lunch,

he opened it right away because he hoped she would have some
extra files for him to go over. The weekend loomed long and quiet
ahead of him. Burying himself in work was his best chance at
surviving.

Instead, he found an invitation.
You’re invited to a birthday party! The email announced in

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giant purple and pink glittering font. It wasn’t quite what he’d
expect from her. Under that in smaller text, she’d added Grady,
we’re all going out tonight for drinks at Sal’s. It’s on the corner.
Join us?

He didn’t hesitate to respond, smiling the entire time.
Absolutely! Whose birthday is it? Is there a card to sign or a

pot for me to throw money into for a present?

The giant glittering font was gone when she responded. Just

mine. No card or anything fancy like that. You can buy me a drink
though.

It’ll be my pleasure.
The rest of the afternoon flew by. He didn’t even find the need

to go off in search of company. He whipped through the last of the
financials he had to review, and with five minutes to spare,
grabbed his coat and headed out.

People were already milling around Georgia’s desk. He

stopped by Richard and shot the older man a friendly grin. “So did
Gwen mean it when she said she didn’t want a card or present or
anything?”

Richard lifted a bushy white brow. Sometimes, he reminded

Grady of one of his favorite profs from Columbia. “You didn’t get
her something, did you?”

He held up his hands in surrender. “No, no, just wondering if

I’m going to get caught flat-footed, because everybody else knows
when she says no she really means yes.”

“That’s not Gwen’s style. She likes things simple.”
Grady was coming to know that about her, but when it came to

presents, he had enough experience to know never to take anything
for granted. And he was pretty sure he could count on Richard
telling him the truth.

SCORPIO: THE HEART TO HELP

“Last one to the pub has to buy the first round,” Colin

announced in a sing-song voice, emerging from Gwen’s office
with a friendly arm around her shoulders. He always seemed
perfectly at ease with Gwen, and she thought the world of Colin.
But Grady couldn’t tell if there was something going on between
them or if they really were just good friends.

Richard responded with a long suffering sigh. “That’ll probably

be me. I can’t move like I used to.”

Georgia slipped a comfortable arm through the older man’s and

smiled up at him. “Don’t worry if you’re slow. I’ll keep you
company.”

“Thank you, my dear.”
With Georgia and Richard paired, and Colin firmly glued to

Gwen’s side, Grady glanced at the remaining waiting office
member. William was an awkward, skinny guy with shaggy brown
hair and the beard to match, and every time Grady came within ten
feet of him, he started stammering and turning interesting shades
of purple. He’d been about to jokingly hook arms with him, since
they were the last two left, but he was afraid the guy would have a
heart attack if Grady made any attempt at physical contact.

Instead, he smiled, and stepped forward to push the elevator

button to go down. “First round’s on me,” he said. “I’ve got some
birthdays to catch up on.”

Colin opened his mouth, but whatever biting commentary he

had on the subject of Grady buying drinks was stopped by Gwen’s
elbow hitting his ribs.

“I’m sorry I emailed you on such short notice,” Gwen said. “I

forgot you wouldn’t have known and you weren’t here last week
when we talked about it. If you need to duck out early or anything,
we’ll understand.”

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“And miss out on the fun? Never.” He caught Colin’s eye. “No

obligations tonight?”

“It’s my best friend’s birthday,” Colin said, like Grady was the

biggest idiot in the room—which was probably a fair
characterization of what Colin thought of him. “I can make an
exception once a year.”

The elevator arrived before Grady could answer, though the

reprieve to simply have the opportunity to watch Colin was a
welcome substitute. His gray pullover somehow made his eyes
bluer, and the dark shadows of his beard sculpted his already fine-
boned features. Grady had never been one for facial hair, but on
Colin, it worked. He’d already had one dream this week of what
that beard would feel like against his balls. If Colin didn’t shave it
off soon, Grady foresaw more dreams of a similar ilk in his future.

He held the doors until Richard and Georgia were on, then

squeezed in next to her. He would have much preferred finding a
space next to Colin, but the man in question had situated himself as
far into the corner as he could get, as if he knew and anticipated
Grady’s desires. He probably did. And for once, one of his
assumptions about Grady would actually be right.

Out on the street, he half-jogged to make sure he ended up next

to Gwen. Next to Colin would have pushed his luck. As curious as
he was to know why he rubbed Colin the wrong way, he didn’t
want to ruin the night before it had even started, not when he so
desperately craved the company.

“So does this place do food, too?”
“Regular bar food, nothing fancy.”
“I’m going to eat about a hundred of their jalapeno poppers,”

Colin announced.

“No, you’re not,” Gwen said.

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“You don’t understand. I’ve been thinking about these things

all week.”

“Yeah, but you always get sick after four. You shouldn’t eat

them at all.”

“But they’re so delicious.”
“Fine. Don’t come crying to me when you have a

stomachache.”

This was a different Colin than the slightly belligerent one

Grady knew. This was a Colin who smiled brightly, whose eyes
twinkled, whose laughter rang out, light and infectious. Grady felt
himself smiling along, especially when he realized he was going to
get to see Colin drunk as well. With fewer inhibitions. It would
make this whole tiresome week worth it.

“What about desserts? Can we order some kind of cake since

it’s your birthday?”

“Oh, no,” Gwen said, shaking her head. “No cake. Beer, yes.

Cake, no.”

“You have a problem with cake?”
“I have a problem with the singing and the being the center of

attention that comes with the cake.” She glared at Colin. “Thanks
to a certain someone.”

Grady’s brows shot up. “This sounds like a story.”
“It’s not a story,” Gwen said quickly. “Really. No story there.”
“It’s a bit of a story. How was I supposed to know you’d turn

that color and get the dry heaves?”

“Colin, what did I say about mentioning that ever again?”
Colin grinned cheekily. “At least it was just the dry heaves. It

could have been worse.”

“All right, since it’s your birthday, I’ll pass on the cake,” Grady

said. “But I reserve the right to buy you an acceptable, non-singing

SCORPIO: THE HEART TO HELP

substitute.”

“Beer is always an acceptable substitute for anything.”
“Have you got cab money?” Colin asked.
“Of course. I’ve got cab money for you, too.”
“No, I’m not going to drink that much tonight.”
“Yeah, right.”
“I’m not.”
Gwen looked over to Grady. “He can’t hold his booze.”
“Hey, don’t spread lies about me.”
“You realize this means I have to test that theory, don’t you?”

Grady said, grinning at Colin.

“So I guess that means you’ll be picking up more than just the

first round?”

“If that’s what it takes.”
“Be careful,” Gwen said. “Richard’s got a hollow leg.”
“I do not,” Richard chimed up from behind them. “Your

generation just doesn’t understand how to pace itself.”

“Ha!” Gwen punched Colin in the arm. “I win.”
“What do you win?” Grady asked.
“I bet Richard wouldn’t make it to Sal’s before referring to our

generation at least once. It’s a thing.”

“What do you win?”
“A kiss,” Colin said brightly before grabbing Gwen by the

shoulders and pulling her into a brief embrace. Grady’s heart
suddenly clenched as he realized they were more than just friends,
but then Gwen was pushing him away and laughing like it was a
great joke. “And I’ve got to buy her a shot of tequila.”

Gwen was still laughing when she pulled open the door and

ushered everybody inside. Sal’s was a dimly lit, wood-paneled
room with checkered tablecloths and groups of college kids

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congregating around tables and at the end of the bar. The old-
fashioned jukebox in the corner was blasting the Rolling Stones,
and peanut shells crunched underfoot.

“The usual?” Georgia piped up.
The round of assenting murmurs swept Grady along with the

others to an empty table against the wall. Richard and William slid
onto the bench, Gwen sat at the head, and Colin took the place
immediately to her left. Georgia beat Grady to the chair next to
Colin, leaving him standing alone.

“What am I getting for everyone?” he said, as if he’d planned it

like this.

They all shouted their orders at once, and then to his horror,

they started adding food to the list and changing their minds about
their drinks. His confusion must have been obvious, because Gwen
stood.

“I’ll help.”
Colin put a hand on her arm and gently pushed her back to her

seat. “No, it’s your birthday. That means you get a break. I’ll help
him.”

Grady bit back his pleased smile, hanging back for Colin to

lead the way over to the bar. He remained silent as the bartender
scribbled down their extensive orders, only intervening once Colin
was done.

“Here.” Pulling out his wallet, he took out his Visa and handed

it over to the bartender. “For the tab tonight.”

“You don’t have to do that, you know.”
Grady leaned against the edge of the bar, angling to face Colin

as he waited for the bartender to run his card. “It’s Gwen’s
birthday. She deserves it.”

Colin looked away, focusing on the half-empty bowl of pretzels

SCORPIO: THE HEART TO HELP

near his hand. “So…how’s your first week been?”

It might have been the first semi-friendly statement Colin had

ever said when it was just the two of them alone. Heat pooled low
in his gut, and though Colin wasn’t paying attention enough to see,
Grady smiled. “Busy. Gwen’s very thorough. She’s keeping me on
my toes.”

“Is it what you expected?”
“It’s busier. And quieter. But the busier part is good. I haven’t

had much time to slow down until now.”

“Quieter?”
Though Colin’s tone sounded mildly interested in clarification,

Grady didn’t want to come across as a sap because his nightly
solitude was getting to him. “You know, the smaller office. Fewer
people. More working, less talking, that kind of thing.”

“Sounds like you should go back to New York,” Colin said,

tone still mild as he gestured for the bartender.

The sentiment didn’t surprise him, not coming from Colin.

“Did I say I had a problem with the quiet?”

“The quiet doesn’t seem like something you’d appreciate.”
“I’m not used to it,” he admitted. “I won’t say it’s not nice to

come out with you all tonight. But it gave me time to get work
done this week, so I really can’t complain, now can I?”

Colin shrugged. “So why was it busier than you expected? Did

you think you were joining a bunch of slackers?”

“No.” Grady leaned in closer, convinced Colin wouldn’t really

hear him if he didn’t. “No. It’s just smaller than I anticipated. You
guys are some of the hardest working people I’ve ever had the
privilege of working with. And I mean that, whether you believe
me or not.”

Colin licked his lips and regarded Grady thoughtfully. “I don’t

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know if I believe most of the things you say.”

“Why?” In spite of his desire to keep this friendly, he couldn’t

forget Colin’s words from their unfortunate meeting his first day.
“Because of my shtick?”

“Yes.” The bartender returned with a tray of drinks and the

credit card. Colin claimed the tray before Grady could reach for it
or respond. Everybody at the table cheered as Colin carried the
drinks back, leaving Grady to trail behind him.

His only choice for a seat was on Gwen’s other side, directly

opposite Colin. He leaned back, his beer in hand, and simply
watched for several minutes, letting the others get comfortable
amongst themselves, laughing and joking and almost forgetting he
was there. Colin didn’t, if the surreptitious glances he kept
shooting Grady’s way were any indication. But he angled toward
Gwen and started talking intensely about some band Grady had
never heard of, and all Grady could do was listen.

When the music on the jukebox changed to Poison—and he

couldn’t help but wonder which one of the college kids had a hard-
on for bad eighties hair metal—Grady brightened and sat up. “We
need to dance to this,” he said to Gwen, interrupting her
conversation with Colin. “Come on. It’ll be fun.”

Gwen’s mouth pressed in a small, self-conscious smile. “Oh

no, I can’t dance.”

“Especially not to Talk Dirty to Me ,” Colin said. “Am I the

only one who wishes Bret Michaels would just go away?”

“You have to dance with me,” Grady said, ignoring Colin’s

remark. He slid from the bench and leaned down, one hand on the
back of Gwen’s chair, the other on Colin’s. “If you don’t, I’m
going to be forced to drag Colin up there instead, and something
tells me he might protest a little more than you are.”

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Gwen’s smile turned warmer, but Colin didn’t look at all

amused by the ultimatum. She nodded and stood, but Colin put a
hand on her arm before she moved away from the table.

“Are you really going to dance with him?”
“Yes. It’s not like he’s got cooties, Colin.”
Grady grinned down at him. “You’re welcome to take her

place. I won’t object.”

“No thanks. I’d rather take my chances with somebody who

actually does have cooties.”

Gwen snorted. “In here, that’s not so unlikely.”
She followed Grady onto the small dance floor. From her very

first move, he saw that she hadn’t been kidding about her inability,
but she let him hold her waist and guide the sway of her hips to
match the beat of the music, laughing every time she zigged when
he wanted her to zag. Their dancing was silly and more than a little
sloppy, but Gwen was in high spirits already, more relaxed with
him than he could remember her being all week.

At least twice, he caught Colin watching them, his mouth

pressed into a thin line, his frown unmistakable. Grady knew it was
a little petty, but each time he noticed they were the target of
Colin’s attention, he made sure to move more sensuously. An extra
roll of his hips. A smoother slide of his body against Gwen’s.
Anything to provoke him.

By the end of the song, Gwen was breathless with laughter and

Colin was quietly fuming. He actually looked quite angry, and
Grady’s stomach clenched like it had when Colin kissed her. He
muttered something at Richard before stomping away from the
table. Gwen broke away from Grady and hurried after the younger
man. He knew it wasn’t any of his business, but he turned to
follow her, trying to stay at a respectable distance when she

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cornered Colin at the bar.

“You like him,” Colin bit out, voice thick with accusation.
“Well, somebody around here has to. He’s a nice guy if you

give him a chance.”

“He’s not. And you of all people ought to remember that.”
“You don’t even know him.”
“To hardly know him is to know him well.”
“Nice, Col.”
Grady refused to stay out of it, though the look Colin shot him

when he stepped between them was fit to kill. “If I’m stepping on
toes here, I’d like to know.”

“You’re not.” Gwen scowled at Colin. “It’s my birthday.

Would it be so much to ask that we try to have fun?”

“Fine.” Colin tapped the bar. “Can we get three shots of your

top-shelf tequila?”

“What are doing?” Gwen asked.
“Having some fun.”
“You really think tequila is going to help?”
“I do.”
“I hope that’s one apiece and not all three for you,” Grady said.
Colin clenched his jaw, remaining silent. When the bartender

set the shots in front of them, Colin pushed two toward Gwen and
Grady.

Grady lifted his glass to her. “To Gwen. And more birthdays.

And maybe another dance.”

“That’s three toasts.”
“There’s three of us, aren’t there?”
Colin threw his shot back, throat working as he gulped down

the tequila. Grady forced himself to stop staring and drink his own
shot. The tequila was smooth as silk going down, but it exploded

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as soon as it hit his stomach, sending flames up his chest and
through his sinuses. Grady coughed and blinked the tears from his
eyes, just barely stopping his face from twisting into a surprised
grimace. Colin’s sharp blue eyes didn’t miss Grady’s reaction, but
he only grinned before gesturing for another round.

“Colin, are you sure that’s a good idea?”
“Yes. You know how tequila makes me.”
“Dumb?”
“Sweet.”
Grady’s mouth slanted. “Now this I have to see.”
The second round went down easier, though Grady decided

then and there he wasn’t going to drink enough to lose any more
details of the night to come. Colin’s eyes were brighter, some of
the tension in his jaw eased, and Grady’s mouth watered at the
prospect of licking along that sharp line. His beard looked downy
soft, an impossibility for sure, but tempting nonetheless. He
grabbed a lemon wedge from a nearby condiment bowl to try and
stifle the urge.

“Why don’t you two dance?” he suggested. “I can guarantee

Gwen doesn’t have cooties.”

Gwen reacted first, taking Colin by the hand and dragging the

amenable boy to a clear spot on the dance floor.

* * *

When Colin said tequila made him sweet, he hadn’t been

kidding. Though as the night progressed, Grady realized that sweet
didn’t quite cover it. Colin’s smiles were easy and plentiful. He
took turns dancing with his coworkers, seemingly unmindful of
their age or gender. He flirted outrageously with everybody in the

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bar (except Grady) and toward the end of the night, he started
singing loud and off key, but with unmistakable enthusiasm.

“That’s usually my sign to take him home,” Gwen said, once

Colin elbowed his way over to the jukebox.

“It’s your birthday,” Grady said. “I can take him.”
“Oh, no, he’s got his bike, and it’s a real pain to deal with. I

don’t mind.”

“Well, I mind that you’d have to be bothered when this is

supposed to be your special day. Besides…” He rose from his
chair, slipping behind hers to head after Colin. “…I’m not giving
you a choice.”

Gwen’s protests followed him, but Grady ignored them,

zeroing in on Colin. The way he saw it, taking him home would be
a great opportunity. In Colin’s looser state, they might be able to
mend some of the bridges Colin seemed determined to burn every
time they came within sparking distance.

“Looks like the others are starting to bail on the party.” He

leaned against the wall next to the jukebox, trying to put himself
into Colin’s line of sight as much as possible. Plus, it gave him the
best view of that delightful smile. “Are you ready to go, or are you
up for another dance?”

“Like I’d give you the thrill.” Colin angled his neck away and

scanned the room. “Where’s Gwen? She’s usually my designated
cab sharer.”

“Not tonight. Tonight, I’m driving.”
“I’ll just take a cab. Oh, wait. They usually cost money, don’t

they?”

Grady grinned. “Yes, they do. So it looks like you’re stuck with

me, whether you like it or not.”

“I could walk,” Colin informed him archly.

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“In the middle of the night? When you’ve had this much to

drink? I don’t think so. If something happened to you, Gwen
would never forgive either one of us.” He itched to reach out and
grab Colin, because he really did fear the idiot would prefer to
walk through Chicago in the pitch black rather than get in a car
with Grady. He compromised by edging forward, giving Colin less
room to run if the desire took him. “You can pretend to sleep the
whole way if it’ll make it more bearable for you, but there is no
way I’m letting you out of my sight until you’re safe at home.”

“God, I can’t deal with this when I’m so drunk. Fine, you win.”

It was the most grudging admittance of defeat that Grady had ever
heard, but he’d take it. “Do you know any good songs? And I
mean actually good songs.”

He glanced at the jukebox, where Colin’s long, almost delicate

fingers waited to select the next tune. “You’ve decided on that
dance after all?”

“I’m not ready to go yet, and I didn’t think you’d be happy to

leave me in peace. On second thought, I probably shouldn’t give
you any ideas.” The last was said under his breath.

“No, no, a dance is great.” No way was he going to pass this

up. He’d been teased and tormented all night by the sight of Colin
grinding against everyone but him. “You pick the song. I trust your
choices.”

Colin hummed thoughtfully then punched in the number. The

CD changed, and then a familiar oldie started. It was slow, and as
soon as the lyrics started, Colin smiled. “The Temptations. Let’s
dance then.”

He’d held every expectation Colin would choose something

fast and snappy, something that would keep them as apart as it was
possible to get. Just the idea of feeling that long, lean body against

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his was enough to get Grady half hard, and he snatched at Colin’s
hand, dragging him away from the juke, before the other man
could change his mind.

Sal’s wasn’t a gay bar, but people gave the same lack of

attention to two guys hitting the dance floor as they did a straight
couple. Still, he cast a heedful look around before lightly gripping
Colin’s hip. Only Gwen, standing by the door with Richard and
Georgia, seemed to notice. She even smiled in their direction.

Colin was taller than him by a couple inches, though his

narrower body fit against Grady’s heavier muscles with ease. It
would have been simple to wrap his arms around Colin’s back and
mold their bodies together. Any other man, and Grady wouldn’t
have hesitated to do so. For now, though, he contented himself
with enjoying the heat seeping through Colin’s clothes, and the
musky, warm scent of his skin filling Grady’s head.

He’d hoped Colin would have something to say about the song

choice or the close, physical contact. Even if it was something
snarky about how he’d rather be dancing with somebody else, or
that he really hoped Grady didn’t get any ideas. But the words
Grady waited for never came. Colin just danced, moving his hips
in the most maddening way, singing snippets of the song here and
there.

“‘But it was just my imagination running away with me…’” He

looked at Grady from beneath his lashes. “You’re not too horrible
at this.”

His mouth quirked. “I’ve had a little bit of practice.”
“Yeah, I bet you have. It’s probably part of your necessary

skill-set.”

It’s just bait. Don’t fall for it. “No, I had an ex-boyfriend who

moved like sex on a stick.” Deliberately, Grady slid his hand

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farther around Colin’s waist, taking his time, his gaze unblinking
as he gauged Colin’s reaction each inch of the way. He settled not
quite at the small of Colin’s back, but it pressed their hips closer
together, a tantalizing tease with each beat of the song. “You
remind me of him.”

“Oh? He didn’t like you, either?”
“You must like me a little. You wouldn’t have let me pull you

out for a dance, otherwise.”

“Gwen said I had to be nice to you and treat you like

everybody else.” Except Colin hadn’t danced that close with
anybody that night, and he certainly didn’t seem to mind that
Grady’s hips were still moving against his.

“Gwen’s a smart lady.” He watched Colin carefully. There was

only one way to get the answer he needed. “Are you two seeing
each other?”

Colin drew back slightly, looking at Grady like he’d just

confirmed all of Colin’s worst suspicions of his intelligence. “No. I
think I mentioned earlier about how she’s my best friend. I’m sure
you heard it, since I was talking to you at the time.”

“I heard it. I’ve heard everything you’ve said. But best friends

can date, too. You could have it both ways.”

“Not in this case.”
Though that settled one question for him, it didn’t do much for

the big one, and Grady didn’t want to shatter this tenuous peace by
introducing a subject more likely to anger Colin if he was wrong.
Colin could just be drunk enough, and secure enough, not to care
about who he danced with. A body could just be a body. Grady
didn’t want to force himself on anyone who didn’t want him. Even
when that someone intoxicated him as much as Colin did.

“Are you still going to be nice to me when you don’t have

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liquid fortification?” he teased.

“Nope. But I’ll try to be nice to you for the rest of the night.”
“That doesn’t exactly encourage me to end this night soon, you

know.”

“I’ll turn into a bitch again at midnight. Like the carriage that

turns back into a pumpkin.”

He smiled again, unable to hide his amusement. “So I’m Prince

Charming now?”

“Yeah, I’d say that sums you up. What’s that line from Into The

Woods? ‘I’m charming, I don’t have to be sincere.’”

Colin meant it as another jab, but Grady laughed anyway. He

was coming to love how sharp Colin was, even when his pokes
were aimed straight at Grady. “Then I guess you’ve got fair
warning that if you decide to run from me, I’m not going to just let
you go. I’m tenacious that way.”

Colin snorted. “That sounds like a threat. I mean, like you’re

actually threatening me.”

“Nah, not my style. I’m more interested in coaxing, not

coercing.”

“Of course you are. You wouldn’t get very far in this business

if you were subtle as a hammer. You must be equally adept at
seducing your way into checkbooks and beds.”

The flash in Colin’s eye spurred Grady to lean in, his mouth

hovering by the man’s ear. “I’m a lot pickier than I think you give
me credit for. Because I could have danced with anybody here
tonight. And I didn’t, because the only one who interested me was
you.”

Colin turned his head slightly so he could speak into Grady’s

ear. “Then it must be a hell of a disappointment to you that the
song is over.”

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Grady let him go gracefully, though he dragged his fingers

along Colin’s waist, savoring each twitch of muscles along the
way. “Disappointment would be not getting the dance at all.” He
jerked his head toward the door. “Come on. Let’s get your bike and
get you home.”

Colin followed him out of the bar without speaking, and the

silence persisted as they walked down the block. Since Grady
didn’t trust Colin to collect his bike and meet Grady at his car, he
accompanied him to the office. Colin seemed mildly put out by
this, which made Grady think he’d been right to be suspicious.
Their temporary truce extended to the covered garage, where they
were forced to work together to get Colin’s bike in the trunk of
Grady’s car. And then it shattered when Colin got a good look at
what he drove.

“Do you even care about your carbon footprint?”
Grady frowned at his black Lexus. “What’re you talking about?

The ES 350 gets almost thirty miles to the gallon.”

“Yeah, and you’d get fifty miles to the gallon with a Prius.”
“Is that why you don’t drive?”
“More or less. That and the fact I can’t afford a car.”
Grady slid behind the wheel, ignoring Colin’s grimace of

distaste at the leather interior when he joined him. He wasn’t going
to apologize for his Lexus. It was practical without being
ostentatious, and was one of the most fuel-efficient sedans on the
market. He wouldn’t admit to Colin he’d never even considered a
hybrid, but a little research might not be out of order the next time
he needed a new car.

“You have to be navigator,” he said. “Because so far, the only

other place I can find in this city other than the office is my condo.
Unless, of course, you’d like to go there.”

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“Wow, that line is smooth. Does it ever work?”
He smiled. “Occasionally.” After their dance back at Sal’s, he

wasn’t nearly as worried as he’d been about flirting with a straight
boy. Someone straight would never have allowed Grady to hold
him like he had, no matter how drunk he was. “But it wasn’t a line.
I know I’m taking you home. I promised Gwen I’d get you home
safely, and that’s what I’m going to do.”

“I guess that makes you my knight in shining armor rather than

my Prince Charming.”

“Well, considering what you thought of me when we first met,

that’s definitely a step in the right direction.”

“Then it’s probably a shame I won’t remember any of this in

the morning. Anyway, I don’t live too far from here.” Colin gave
him instructions, though his voice was fading fast, and Grady was
sure to commit the whole thing to memory in case Colin didn’t
have the wherewithal to tell him a second time.

The ride through the darkened Chicago streets was silent. At

the first light, Grady glanced across to see Colin leaning his head
against the window, his eyes shut, his sharply angled face
reflecting more softly in the glass. His mouth was relaxed, but
Grady didn’t know if he was sleeping or if it was just an act. He
decided he didn’t care. It gave him the freedom to watch Colin to
his heart’s content, every time they stopped.

Though he drove as slowly as he dared, they reached Colin’s

all too soon. He pulled up in front of a small Cape Cod, its well-
trimmed lawn illuminated by the single bulb next to the front door.
When Colin didn’t immediately stir, Grady reached over and
gently touched his arm.

“Welcome home, sleepyhead.”
Colin’s lips turned upward in a small, sweet smile. “Already?”

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He fumbled with the handle for a moment and then sighed. He was
successful on his second attempt, and his lanky body nearly fell out
of the open door. “You missed your true calling in life.”

“And oddly enough, you’re not the first person to tell me that.”

In a flash, Grady was out, reaching the bike before Colin hurt
himself trying to get it out. Colin put his hands over Grady’s on the
handlebars, as if he didn’t realize someone else was holding it up,
and together, they pushed it up the short sidewalk.

“Thank you,” Colin said, producing his keychain from his

pants pocket. “I’ll be sure to tell Gwen that you saw me to my
door. I…do mean that, by the way. I appreciate it.”

Grady edged around the front of the bike, removing the final

barrier between them. “Does that mean you’re not going to give
me the evil eye any time I walk by from now on?”

“I can’t promise that. But on Monday when I make the

Starbucks run, I’ll ask if you want something.”

“Even better.” Another step closer. Colin wasn’t shying away.

In the pale porch light, his eyes were dark pools, unreadable and
oddly hypnotic. Grady took another step. “Thank you for the
dance, by the way.”

“It…wasn’t terrible.” Colin tilted his head closer by just a

fraction of an inch and narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. “God, I bet
you lure a lot of unsuspecting boys into your clutches.”

“Only the willing ones,” he murmured. Reaching out, he dared

to finally run his thumb down Colin’s jaw, ending at the corner of
his mouth. The beard was softer than anything should be, and his
taste buds prickled at the question of what it would be like to lick
along the strong lines of Colin’s face. He swallowed hard.
“Though the ones who make me work for it always end up being
the sweetest.”

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Colin licked his lips, the tip of his tongue barely touching the

edge of his thumb, and Grady knew he was staring but he just
couldn’t help himself. Colin’s lips looked full and soft—Grady
ached to know if they tasted like the lime and salt he’d been
sucking on all night.

“I really shouldn’t let you do that,” Colin murmured, the corner

of his mouth just moving beneath Grady’s thumb.

“You probably shouldn’t let me do this, either.”
He kept his eyes open as he leaned forward, ready for Colin’s

first sign of protest. He expected one. Colin had thrown up every
wall possible from the moment they met. But Colin remained
motionless, his breath quickening, washing hot and salty across
Grady’s parted lips.

The first contact sent a tingle straight to his cock, and any

thought of keeping the kiss simple vanished. A groan escaped him
as he sealed his mouth over Colin’s, his hand slipping behind the
man’s neck to hold him firmly in place.

Colin didn’t resist the caress or Grady’s grip. He was warm and

malleable, his body fitting against Grady’s, his tongue dipping into
Grady’s mouth. Grady’s other hand went to Colin’s hip, pulling
him closer, like they were dancing again. There was the taste of
lime on his lips, and the darker, sharper hint of tequila when Grady
swept his tongue through his mouth. Colin moaned and reached up
to fist Grady’s shirt, fingers curling into the material, nails scraping
across his chest.

It was more exhilarating than anything he’d dreamed, more

satisfying for the strength of Colin’s response. He nipped at the
tender flesh of Colin’s lower lip, then soothed it over with a lick
that left both of them shivering. Another bite, another swipe, and
his head was swimming, his flesh hungry for more.

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Grady was licking enthusiastically at Colin’s mouth when the

hands curled in his shirt tightened and then gave him a violent
shove. Colin broke away from the kiss with a gasp and turned from
Grady, leaning over the porch railing. Before Grady could ask
what was wrong, Colin’s entire frame shook. He wretched twice,
half-digested tequila and jalapeño poppers flowing into the shrubs.

“Oh God,” Colin groaned a half second before he gagged on

another mouthful. “Oh, I hate tequila.”

When Grady stretched a hand to rub between Colin’s shoulder

blades, Colin jerked awkwardly to the side. Grady stepped back,
his euphoria gone almost as quickly as it had arrived. “You want
me to get your mom?” He grimaced as soon as the question slipped
out. The last thing Colin probably wanted was for his mother to
find them in this position.

“No…no…I’ll be okay.” Colin proved this by unlocking the

front door, though Grady didn’t miss the way his fingers trembled.
He pushed it open and stepped inside, half-turning to look Grady
over. “I didn’t get any on your expensive shoes or anything, did I?”

“No, I’m fine.” He wasn’t so sure about Colin, but at least he

was closer to both his bed and his bathroom. “Make sure you drink
plenty of water before you crash. Your head will appreciate it in
the morning.”

“Right. Right.” Colin absently waved at him. “Plenty of water.

Thanks, Grady, you’re a good kisser.” The door clicked shut
behind him, cutting off the last word before the second syllable.

Before returning to his car, Grady pushed Colin’s bike to the

side of the house, tucked safely out of view of the street. His
thoughts whirled, dancing with excitement. Colin liked the kiss. He
liked it enough to compliment it, an amazing feat all on its own
considering how quick he was to cut Grady down. Hopefully, he

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remembered how much he liked it in the morning, and then again
on Monday when they saw each other again. Because Grady had
every intention of repeating it. When Colin was sober enough to
realize what a good thing they could have, if he would only let it
happen.

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CHAPTER 4

The relentless ache from his head to his toes finally pulled

Colin from a thin sleep. He groaned and turned over and over,
trying to find a position that didn’t make everything hurt.
Hangovers were never pleasant, but tequila hangovers always
presented a special form of hell. There wasn’t a position that didn’t
hurt, or any particular angle to hold his head that would stop the
throbbing. The constant, terrible throbbing. Why? Why had he
downed shot after shot of tequila? Why? Why? Why?

The answer to his question came in the shape of blue eyes,

golden hair, and a crooked mouth.

A crooked mouth that had felt rather spectacular pressed

against his lips.

“Oh my God, what did I do?” He hadn’t really kissed Grady

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James, had he? That couldn’t have happened. It just couldn’t have.
There was no way Grady had held him and pulled him into a kiss
and moaned into his mouth. There was no way Grady James would
have done that, and there was no way Colin would have let it
happen. Not in this lifetime.

He licked his lips again and again, but he didn’t taste Grady

lingering on his skin. What had Grady tasted like? He couldn’t
remember that tiny detail or any other details, really. Like just who
made the first move. Or why the first move was made. He’d
thought about kissing Grady while they were dancing, just a few
inches from his stupid mouth, lips stained with tequila. But Colin
was quite sure he would have never acted on those desires. They
were brief, fleeting, and utterly obnoxious. No, Grady must have
kissed him. And Colin was afraid to even try to understand why.

Colin sat up with his legs over the edge of the mattress and

immediately clutched his head. Skulls weren’t supposed to feel like
this. How many of his brain cells had he murdered in his quest to
find Grady tolerable? Well, that wasn’t exactly fair. Grady had
been a little tolerable. And he had almost seemed sincere in his
desire to fit in with the rest of the office. Something about Grady
struck him as strangely awkward, like a piece of him didn’t fit
exactly right. And Colin found him very slightly endearing in those
moments. Which was probably why he’d kissed Grady back
instead of pushing him off the porch.

Just how much was Grady going to make him pay for that slip?

Would the other man recognize the kiss for what it was or think
that it changed something between them? Nothing had changed.
He was sure of that, even if he could hardly think straight through
the crushing pain between his ears. He would be fine, he knew, if
he could just get some Ibuprofen, some coffee, and a shower. Not

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necessarily in that order.

He stumbled through his morning routine, half-consumed by

the hangover, half-consumed by thoughts of that damned kiss.
Which had been at least twice as good as it should have been,
considering Colin had been blind-drunk and kissing an insincere
prat. He may have reason to question Grady’s purpose in Chicago,
but he couldn’t really fault the man on his kissing skills. He was
really, really quite good. Quite sincere.

Colin would have liked nothing more than to stretch out on the

couch and watch reruns of The Golden Girls while sipping coffee
directly from the pot. But there were tax receipts that needed to go
in the mail no later than Monday, and he’d spent most of Friday
getting rid of a nasty virus that somebody (probably Georgia) had
inadvertently unleashed on the server. He couldn’t use the
hangover as an excuse not to go in. He certainly couldn’t use the
kiss as an excuse. But if he embraced the distraction the work gave
him and concentrated he could probably finish up in time for
lunch. Then he’d spend the rest of the weekend reading and
sleeping and not thinking about the way Grady had sucked on his
bottom lip.

He stepped onto the front porch and stopped short, struck by

two equally alarming thoughts. First, he had no fucking clue where
his bike was. Second, he’d puked. He’d puked all over the damned
place. He’d almost puked on Grady, and he’d definitely puked
within a foot of him. When had his life taken on such a surreal
tint?

Colin couldn’t do anything about the puke except maybe

apologize later. And he wasn’t in any shape to ride his bike. A
nice, sedate walk would probably be better for him. Less
dangerous. The fresh air did help clear his head a little, and he

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bought himself an extra shot of espresso when he stopped at
Starbucks. By the time he reached the office, he almost believed he
would survive the morning. If he did get through this, he wasn’t
ever going to drink tequila again. And he was definitely never
going to put himself in the position to kiss or be kissed by Grady.

He should have known it wasn’t going to be that easy.
Music blasted through the office, loud and pouring from

Grady’s open door. Vague recollections of Grady’s solid body
gyrating against Gwen’s curves clouded Colin’s head, and he
shook them off as he followed the sound to its source. He stood in
the hallway, away from the door, away from temptation, and
watched Grady sitting at his desk, tapping away at his blotter to the
beat of Bad Romance.

He always dressed casually when he came to the office—no

more form-fitting suits that highlighted his broad shoulders—but
this was even more than usual. His blond hair was spiked, like he’d
only bothered to run his fingers through it rather than a comb, and
his faded T-shirt advertised the New York Yankees in all its
threadbare glory. Though his legs were hidden, Colin would bet
anything he wore jeans, too, denim cupping that tight ass, or
stretched over his strong thighs.

When Grady noticed him standing there, he reached for his

mouse. The music instantly lowered to more tolerable levels.

“Hey,” Grady said, that easy smile reminiscent of the night

before and too many moments before that. “I didn’t expect to see
you today.”

Colin blinked and resisted the temptation to rub his eyes. He

needed to think of something more intelligent to say than um. He
kept focusing on all the wrong details. Like the fact that Grady was
freshly shaven and his collarbone was just visible over his shirt.

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“Yeah. Likewise.”
Grady gestured toward the laptop. “I had some work I wanted

to catch up on. And honestly, I didn’t have anything better to do
today. What’s your excuse?”

“Tax receipts.” Colin gestured vaguely at his cubicle. “I

promised Gwen I’d get them mailed by Monday.”

“That’s very…diligent of you.” He smiled. “Not that that

surprises me.”

“Yeah, well. I’m just going to be…” Colin rubbed the back of

his neck and turned away, but he couldn’t take the first step. Not
quite. “Did I puke on you?”

The smile widened. “No. You tried. But you hit the bushes

instead. Disappointed?”

“Beyond words, actually. I’m also relieved I’m not going to be

stuck with a dry-cleaning bill.”

“I wouldn’t do that to you. I would, however, have you make it

up to me in other ways.”

Colin swallowed. “Polishing your shoes?”
Grady laughed. “You didn’t throw up on them. They really

don’t need polishing.”

Colin thanked his lucky stars that he hadn’t splashed vomit on

the scion of the James family empire. “Then if you don’t need me
to polish your shoes, I’ll be in my cubicle for the next few hours.”

Grady bounded up from his chair with far more energy than

Colin could imagine mustering today. “It’s too nice for you to be
stuck here all day. If we both work on those receipts, you can
probably get done by noon.”

Colin did his best to swallow his horror at the suggestion. He

couldn’t be around Grady right now. Not while all of his defenses
were still mostly down and that kiss was still on his mind. “What

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about your own work?”

“It’s not as important as getting the receipts out. You can do

your computer stuff, and I’ll stuff the envelopes.”

“Do you even care that I feel really shitty and I don’t want

company?”

Grady stopped in front of him. Yep. Colin had been right.

Faded, though obviously expensive, well-fitting jeans. He tore his
eyes away, lifting them up to Grady’s face, but that just put his
crooked smile, front and center.

“If you feel like crap, then the last thing you want is to be

working all day,” Grady said. “Come on, it won’t be so bad. You
won’t even know I’m there. I’ll just work, and I won’t make a
sound. Not even if I get a paper cut. Well, I might whimper if I cut
myself, but I promise, it won’t make your hangover worse.”

It would make his hangover worse. Grady being within ten feet

of him pretty much made everything worse. But said hangover
dictated Colin take the path of least resistance, so he grunted in
agreement and led the way to his cubicle. Once they reached it,
Colin realized this wasn’t going to work. There wasn’t enough
space and Grady smelled vaguely of sandalwood.

Grady pulled a chair from William’s cubicle and positioned it a

few feet from Colin’s. Technically, he was as far from Colin as he
could be within the cubicle, and he was still far too close.

“I take it you stopped drinking early last night,” Colin

muttered, a little resentfully.

“Early enough so I could drive myself home safely.” He

reached across the desk for the box of envelopes, his cologne
wafting even more strongly where it crossed in front of Colin. “I
haven’t lived here long enough to trust being able to find my way
home unless I’m mostly sober. Did you find your bike this

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morning?”

“No. Did you put it somewhere?”
“Around the side of the house. It looked kind of exposed in the

front like that. I didn’t think you’d want it stolen.”

“Thanks.” Colin watched his computer boot up, but he could

see Grady’s reflection, with his strong nose and his perfect jaw.
He’d apparently spent most of his night being nice to Colin, both
before and after he’d kissed Colin. “I’d be pretty fucked if anybody
stole it.”

The chair creaked as Grady leaned back in it. “So…all these

questions. Does that mean you don’t remember much of last
night?”

“I remember enough of it.”
“Like the kiss?”
Colin sighed softly. “Yes.”
“Good. Though I would’ve been more than up for a redo if you

didn’t.”

Colin’s stomach churned. The last thing he wanted was for

Grady to attempt a redo. “Why did you do that?”

“Because I wanted to. I’ve wanted to since I saw you sitting in

the audience at the concert.” He paused. “You seemed to enjoy it
as much as I did.”

“Tequila has the tendency to make everything enjoyable.”
“So the thought never crossed your mind before last night?”
“I didn’t spend the last week thinking about kissing you, if

that’s what you’re asking.”

“That wasn’t, actually.” Colin’s chair jolted, and his head

snapped around to see Grady pulling his foot back from where
he’d nudged the legs. “I know you have a busy life. A lot of things
on your mind. All I want to know is whether or not you’d even

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once thought about kissing me. That’s all.”

Colin rubbed his temples. It would be easiest to lie. He

shouldn’t encourage Grady even more than he already had. “I…I
don’t know. I guess once. When we were dancing.”

The smile softened, the appreciative gaze drifting lower. Colin

struggled not to squirm and bring more attention to how aware he
was of the way Grady regarded him, but it was damn near
impossible. “The dancing was fantastic. We should do it again.
Maybe without the tequila to blame it on this time.”

“It only happened because of the tequila, Grady.”
“Because the tequila gave you permission to enjoy yourself

with me.”

“Because the tequila drowned my common sense and as a

result I had the ability to enjoy myself with you.”

“And what’s so impractical about enjoying yourself with me?”
Colin pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. Did

Grady have some sort of personality disorder that made him obsess
over what people thought of him? Or had he just singled Colin out
special?

“The dancing was nice. The kiss was great. But it’s impractical

to enjoy myself with you because I just don’t like you that much.”

Grady startled him by suddenly rising and moving closer,

sitting on the edge of Colin’s desk so his outstretched legs nudged
against the side of Colin’s chair. He was effectively caged in now.
The only way to get up from his desk would be to push Grady out
of the way, though the thought of doing so was more enjoyable
than it probably should have been. “See, now this is what I don’t
get. I thought we were starting over. Forgetting all these
preconceptions about judging each other. That’s what you said.”

“I must have lied. I’m a horrible person. You really shouldn’t

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like me, either.”

“You have an awful lot of opinions on what I should and

shouldn’t do.”

“I suppose that’s really annoying for somebody like you.”
“Sometimes.” The mild relief that came with the concession

was short-lived. “But most of the time, it just means that I end up
thinking about you even more than I already do, so honestly, if this
was your plan to try and keep me from noticing you and how hot
you are, it really backfired on you.”

Colin licked his lips, feeling his control of the situation slip.

Grady James thought he was hot. Of course he did. That would
explain the weirdness and the dancing and the kissing. It shouldn’t
have mattered one iota what Grady thought of him, but it did. “Did
you have any intention of helping me with these receipts?”

“I did, but then you got me thinking about that kiss again.” He

leaned closer. “You’re very distracting.”

“That’s rich coming from you, considering that you’re the one

in here distracting me.” Colin reached up to push Grady away, but
as soon as he touched Grady’s chest, he realized he was touching
Grady’s chest. “You should go back to your office.”

Grady didn’t move. “And there you go, telling me what I

should do again. Do I really distract you?”

“Do you see me working? No. I’m arguing with you. And

when I’m not, I’m staring at you.”

A brow went up. “Now that’s the first thing you’ve said that I

think you forgot to put through your tequila-free filter. Was that so
hard?”

Colin finally dropped his hand and turned back to his

computer, groaning with frustration. “Just go away. My head hurts
enough without you helping.”

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“Tell you what.” Grady didn’t rise, though he did at least

straighten. Of course, that made it easier to see him out of the
corner of his eye, but Colin steadfastly stared at his screen anyway.
“How about, I help you with these receipts, and then when we’re
done, you let me buy you lunch.”

“What? No. I told you to go away. You can’t counter with an

offer to stay and then stay even longer. That’s not how negotiations
work.”

“Negotiations are about two people coming to a mutual

understanding of what’s beneficial for both of them, without losing
ground they want to keep. Fact. You’ll be done faster if I help.
Fact. You need to eat. Fact. If we don’t start on these receipts here
soon, I’m going to forget all about work and kiss you again. So I
think my original offer is a pretty good one, if you ask me.”

Colin’s mouth ran dry and he stared at his keyboard, telling

himself over and over not to look up. He heard a certain intensity
in Grady’s voice, and he definitely didn’t want to see that same
intensity on his face, or shining from his blue eyes. He was making
a huge mistake by not bodily throwing Grady from his cubicle. He
was going to pay for this sooner or later, and he didn’t even know
if the consequences would be worth it. But that kiss, drunken and
sloppy as it was, had been amazing. And maybe…maybe Grady
wasn’t a complete ass? Yeah, maybe.

“I don’t want to start on the receipts.”
Grady’s sharp inhalation would have been inaudible if he

wasn’t so ultra-aware of everything Grady was doing. A small
measure of him took pride in surprising Grady like that, but then
Grady’s hand was on the back of his chair, and Colin was being
forced to turn around whether he liked it or not, and that
satisfaction froze in the face of the naked desire he saw burning in

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Grady’s eyes.

“I really like that your filter has gone missing today,” Grady

murmured.

“That makes one of us,” Colin breathed before giving in and

pressing his lips to Grady’s. The immediate warmth and pressure,
the silky smooth texture of his mouth, reawakened memories of
every second of the night before. Including the fact that Colin had
been so ready to let Grady do more than kiss him. His body had
been on high-alert and his brain had been lost in a boozy haze.
Unfortunately, he didn’t have such a convenient excuse now. He
had nothing to blame except the sweet taste of Grady’s lips. Desire
flared through him, burning hot and hungry as his tongue slipped
into Grady’s mouth.

Grady slid his hands to Colin’s arms, holding him steady as he

shifted from his perch on the desk to kneeling on the floor in front
of Colin. It changed the angle of their mouths by opening Grady
farther, encouraging Colin to take what he wanted without either
one of them having to utter a word. Grady tasted of strawberries
and sugar, like he’d had a jam-filled donut for breakfast, but
beneath it was sharp, wet hunger, a powerful match to every sweep
of Colin’s tongue, every nip of his teeth. They both groaned when
Grady’s fingers dug into Colin’s biceps. He didn’t know why
Grady liked it so much, but Colin loved the thrilling reminder of
how strong Grady really was.

Colin spread his legs wide and slid forward in the seat so Grady

could pull the chair closer. His knees were tucked on either side of
Grady’s ribs, and his jeans were pulled tight over his thickening
cock. The kiss never softened. Grady never wavered. Maybe he
thought Colin wouldn’t give him another chance. Or maybe he
thought he could kiss Colin into submission—a possibility that

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seemed increasingly likely as the seconds passed and Colin sank
even deeper into the caress.

One hand stole to the back of Colin’s neck, fingers threading

through the hair at his nape. Grady massaged the hard muscle at
the same tempo of their tongues. Each stroke melted Colin farther
into the seat, destroying any vestige of resistance that remained. It
was weird to feel so utterly boneless and thoroughly hard all at the
same time, but that’s what Grady’s kisses accomplished.

The effect was amplified when their mouths finally shifted

apart, and Grady nibbled along his jaw, straight for his ear.

“Fuck, but I love your lips.” Grady panted. When the tip of his

tongue traced the inside of Colin’s ear, Colin actually shivered.
“This should be their only official job. To kiss me until I can’t
even see straight.”

Colin moaned, head naturally dropping back to allow Grady all

the access he wanted to Colin’s sensitive throat. Grady didn’t seem
like he was in any great hurry, but every caress and kiss carried a
sense of urgency, too. Colin’s free hand went right to his lap, his
fingertips traveling up and down the fly, accomplishing nothing
except further torment. He was not going to unzip his pants and
whip his cock out after only one kiss, but he was so hard that he
thought his pants might actually cut off his circulation.

“Whatever you want, as long as you don’t stop.”
Grady didn’t. His mouth danced, from bare skin, to a patch of

beard, to Colin’s Adam’s apple where he bit with the same
intensity he gave everything else. He seemed determined to devour
Colin from the outside in, though that theory was tested the second
Grady returned for another deep, searching kiss.

This one lasted longer. They were both breathless when they

parted, and Colin had to swallow repeatedly to try and keep his

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head together. It felt like it was going to fly off, maybe to join his
heart when it managed to break out of his ribcage from how
furiously it pounded to get free. When Grady sealed his lips over a
spot at the base of his neck and sucked, Colin gasped, barely
cognizant of Grady’s voice when he spoke.

“And I thought my skin was on fire.” He licked over the place

he’d sucked, back and forth and back and forth, maddeningly lazy.
“You feel like you’re going to combust.”

Colin mumbled something in agreement. That’s what it felt like

on the inside as well. The heat under his skin was unbearable, his
blood rushing hot and sure from his head. He ran his fingers
through Grady’s hair, his grip automatically tightening when
Grady bit on the tenderized flesh again. It hurt, but the pain only
made him squirm in his chair and wish even more fervently he
could do something about the jeans cutting into him.

This wasn’t right, and it was just unfortunate that Colin was

fully aware of how not right it was. That knowledge only
sweetened the sharp pressure of Grady’s teeth and the silk heat of
his lips and tongue.

“I want to taste more.” Grady straightened, his hands settling

on Colin’s knees. Without looking away, he slid his palms upward,
along the top of Colin’s thighs, sure and even until he reached the
junction of leg meeting groin. He stopped, and his thumbs
stretched to trace the edge of Colin’s erection.

“Oh, shit, Grady. You really shouldn’t.” That much was true,

but Colin undermined himself by pushing his hips off the chair,
rising to meet Grady’s touch. His fingers were still lingering on his
zipper, and they brushed across Grady’s thumb. Just that small
touch carried some sort of electrical charge, and fresh need jolted
through him.

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The corner of Grady’s mouth lifted. That crooked smile had

never seemed so wicked before. “Shouldn’t doesn’t usually live in
my vocabulary.”

He caught Colin’s hand in his. Colin prepared for him to push

it out of the way, but first, he lifted it to his mouth and licked up
the palm and onto the wrist. He nibbled at the sinewy flesh,
feasting as much on Colin’s arm as he had on his lips and throat.

By the time Grady sucked Colin’s forefinger between his lips,

Colin pretty much resigned himself to the fact that he was going to
let Grady ravish him. And he was going to enjoy every second of it
and probably beg for more before Grady was finished with him.
Colin pumped his finger in and out of Grady’s mouth slowly,
fascinated by the myriad of textures and sensations and the shape
of Grady’s lips. His fascination only ebbed when Grady yanked
Colin’s pants open, revealing the fact that Colin hadn’t bothered
with underwear that morning.

Of all the scenarios he might have imagined, Grady James on

his knees with his hand fisted around Colin’s dripping cock and his
tongue swiping over his swollen lower lip like he couldn’t wait to
taste Colin for real was so far beyond the realm of the realistic
Colin hadn’t even conceived it as a possibility. In any universe.
Yet, there Grady was, fixated on the long, slim shaft, leaning in to
lick around the crown.

Colin bucked upward at the first contact. The tip caught on

Grady’s cheek and slid sideways, smearing a path of pre-come
along the skin. Grady was oblivious to the way his face shone now,
diving in again for another sweeping circle along the velvety head,
and then even Colin wasn’t aware of the fact that he’d just marked
Grady James with the proof of his desire.

Colin’s head rolled back, his attention fixed on the ceiling

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because he couldn’t watch Grady. Not when his pink lips looked
even pinker against the dark red at the head of Colin’s cock. He
dragged his wide tongue over his slit again and again, eagerly
catching each fresh drop of pre-come. When he did dare to look,
Grady was always gazing back at him with dark blue eyes, noting
every detail, marking every moment between them. Just the weight
of Grady’s eyes on him made him shiver. Especially when his
tongue felt so light and hot and thorough.

His teeth were another matter. Just when the sensations started

to ebb, Grady turned his head to allow the tip of a canine to catch
behind the crown. The first time it happened, Colin cried out, only
to choke it back when Grady sucked the head past his lips. He had
to squeeze his eyes shut and grip the chair arms until he felt like he
was in control again. His pulse slowed, and his lungs cleared, and
he was almost ready to reach out and touch Grady when another
scrape of a tooth sent him reeling again.

The chair slid beneath him every time he jerked against

Grady’s mouth, and Grady finally responded to that by taking
Colin by the hips and holding him down. Colin took him by the
shoulders, fingers pressed against his firm flesh. He wanted to claw
the shirt from Grady’s back, rip it right off his frame, and finally
get a good luck at what was sure to be an amazing body. But he
was too uncoordinated for the task because Grady was using his
tongue to soothe the sting of his teeth, licking at Colin like he was
covered in sticky honey.

His thighs shook when Grady abandoned the teasing to slide

his mouth over the head and down the shaft. He kept going, all the
way until Colin nudged the back of his throat, then grasped him
lightly at the base as he added pressure to the suction. His tongue
never stopped moving. It swept around the girth, behind the tip, up

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the vein running on the underside. It added heat where Colin
already felt scorched. Grady taunted and teased, all the while
keeping as much of the length inside his mouth as he could fit
without swallowing. And just when Colin was ready to grab the
back of his head and make him start moving, Grady glided up
again, excruciatingly slow, deliciously intoxicating.

“You’re doing this on purpose.” Colin gasped, not even sure

himself what he meant by this. Driving him insane, drawing pleas
and promises from him, making him forget about everything that
wasn’t Grady’s mouth. Grady’s hot, slick, sloppy mouth. His
cheeks hollowed, sharpening his cheekbones, and his eyes shone
brightly. He rolled his tongue around the tip of Colin’s cock and
sank down the length again, moaning his pleasure.

One of Grady’s hands wormed its way into Colin’s pants. His

head swam from the additional heat from fingertips bruising his
flesh, but it didn’t stop him from spreading his legs wider, inviting
Grady to explore. Another place, another time, fewer clothes, and
he’d likely beg Grady to fuck him. Even now, Grady teased his
crack, never venturing too close but always hinting at just what
might come if he did.

Colin palmed the back of Grady’s head and urged him to move

a little faster, trying not to be too bossy but desperate for friction.
There was a brief thought of trying to prolong this. He could allow
Grady to move deliberately, to gradually wind him tighter and
tighter until he shattered. But he was too impatient for that option.
Desperation tinged his pleasure, and his greedy flesh just begged
for more until he had no choice but to buck against Grady’s hand
and fuck his mouth. The hand inside his pants flexed, long fingers
squeezing his balls with almost too much force.

He wouldn’t have believed Grady was enjoying it as much as

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he was if he couldn’t hear the near constant moans coming from
Grady’s throat. They tortured him with how close they were, the
reverberations filling Grady’s mouth whenever he sucked Colin in.
Colin wanted deeper. The friction wasn’t enough anymore. He
craved those vibrations all the way to the root, for Grady to sink all
the way down and to feel him along every inch of his cock. He
almost begged for it aloud.

And then Grady did. Like he’d heard Colin’s impetuous

desires. Like he’d plucked the image from Colin’s brain and
decided to act it out, all the way to moaning as he swallowed the
oversensitive length.

“Grady. So close. Fuck, I’m…” Heat pooled in his stomach and

shot through him in long, silvery lines. His spine arched, and more
warnings spilled from his lips, but that didn’t stop Grady. It only
seemed to encourage him more, thank God. Colin lost track of how
many times he felt Grady’s throat constrict around him, but it
couldn’t have been more than a dozen before it became too much
for him. He slammed his hips forward and let his pleasure flow
through him, fingers curling in Grady’s soft hair as his cock
erupted.

Grady swallowed convulsively. Not a drop escaped, not a

breath diminished. His lashes ducked, then opened again, and the
fervent gaze Colin met stole what little air he had left. It seemed to
steal most of what he would have considered necessary.

Those luscious lips dragged up Colin’s slackening shaft, the

skin he left behind glistening. Grady kept his cock lifted away
from his shirt and stomach, though there wasn’t a sign of come
when he ultimately let it go. He ran his tongue over his lower lip,
and smiled the smile of the very content.

“It was a little on purpose,” Grady said. “But it was worth it.”

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Colin acted before he could think about it, leaning forward and

claiming Grady’s mouth with a hard kiss, tongue sweeping into his
mouth, finding the salty taste of his own come. He pushed the chair
back a few inches until it hit the cubicle wall and slipped off the
edge to his knees. His fingers weren’t completely responsive, but
he managed to unzip Grady’s jeans and get his hand around the
thick shaft. His skin was slick with his arousal, and Colin pumped
his wrist quickly, drawing a low sound from his throat.

“Col, God…” Grady clutched at his shoulder, his hips jerking

with each pull at his length. The muscles in his lower abdomen
twitched against the back of Colin’s fingers. Colin wiped away the
clear fluid seeping from the slit, using it to make his strokes
smoother, and Grady snapped forward again.

And again.
On the next, the shaft throbbed. A garbled cry came from

Grady’s throat, into their kisses, and his nails dug into Colin’s hard
flesh. At the last moment, he tore away, his eyes wide and glazed,
locked on Colin’s.

Colin couldn’t look away, even if he wanted to, squeezing

Grady’s cock just as it began to pulse, spilling hot fluid into his
palm. He stroked Grady’s length again, coaxing his orgasm until
the other man finally dropped his gaze with a small shudder. For a
moment, the only sound was their rough breathing, and gradually
Colin became aware of just what he was doing. His cheeks flushed
uncomfortably, the heat rushing all the way to his scalp.

“Well…that took care of the hangover,” Colin said, trying to

sound like he did this sort of thing all the time.

Grady laughed, a snorted kind of sound. “It took care of me

being of any use for the next few hours, too.”

“Does that mean you don’t want to deal with the tax receipts

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right now?”

“Don’t tell me you can think straight.” Grady lifted his head.

The relaxed look on his face could only be called sheer
satisfaction. “Because if you do, I’ll have to keep at it until you
finally come as hard as I just did.”

“No, I can’t think straight.” As evidenced by the fact that he

was still holding Grady’s cock and his own was still half hard.

“Good.” He reached down and grasped Colin’s wrist, lifting it

to his mouth. A sly gleam appeared in his eyes as he licked the
hand clean. “It’s on our clothes, you know. We’re going to have to
order lunch in, unless you’re willing to come over to my place to
clean up.”

Colin wasn’t so far gone that going to Grady’s condo seemed

like a good idea. There had to be a line somewhere. “Order food in.
You have a couch in your office.”

The smile widened. “I knew I liked you.”
Colin watched transfixed as Grady finished licking his fingers

clean. He still wasn’t sure he liked Grady, but he might like Grady
one day. In fact, he thought the chances were pretty good he
would. And he found that thought terrifying.

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CHAPTER 5

By Monday morning, Colin could admit that fooling around

with Grady James most of Saturday morning, all of Saturday
afternoon, and a chunk of Saturday evening had been a bad idea.
His only defense was that at the time, it seemed like the best idea
he’d ever had. Mentally, he’d still been sluggish from the
hangover, and physically he’d been overwhelmed by Grady’s long
fingers and clever mouth. They went as far as they could with each
other given the fact they lacked both lube and condoms—which
was pretty damned far. Neither of them had left Grady’s office
disappointed. He definitely didn’t regret it Saturday night.

Doubts started to creep in by Sunday. He replayed their time

together in his mind, reliving the best moments. Like the thirty
minutes Grady had dedicated to the best rim job Colin ever had.

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But between the vivid memories was the sinking reminder that he
couldn’t really think of one non-physical thing about Grady he
really cared for. Grady’s tongue was very wonderful, but Grady
himself was still insincere, still a potential threat to Gwen’s
livelihood, still a wealthy prat who drove a Lexus and didn’t seem
to realize that he came from a completely different world than
most of them.

Colin spent most of his computer systems class trying to decide

if he would resist Grady’s inevitable come-on. It never occurred to
him that Grady wouldn’t corner him and say something shockingly
inappropriate about five seconds before he shoved his tongue down
Colin’s throat. Given how much Colin had allowed Grady to do
already, it probably wouldn’t occur to the other man that he
couldn’t take liberty with Colin’s body. And if Grady did corner
him somewhere dark and private, he didn’t really have any
defenses against the assault. He couldn’t even say I don’t want you
because he did. He really, really did.

It had been over a year since Colin had gone that far with

anybody. He’d been interested in a few of his classmates. Most
recently was a brunette with dark green eyes named Gavin. Gavin,
strangely enough, always smelled of coconuts, and he flirted
shamelessly, and he’d twice invited Colin over to “party a little.”
But the flirtation between them had snuffed out because Colin
couldn’t party a little. Elaine would let him. She was always
encouraging him to go out and act his age. But he would have felt
guilty. Noelle needed structure and a sense of routine, and she
wouldn’t have that if Colin was fucking off to smoke pot with a
really beautiful boy who planned to be a systems analyst.

The same held true for Grady. Not that he wanted to do

anything like date Grady. They didn’t have anything in common

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and when Grady’s mouth wasn’t wrapped around Colin’s cock, it
had the tendency to piss him off. They’d probably need to talk
about what happened, and any prolonged conversation held a
serious risk of turning into a fight. Maybe they didn’t need to talk?
No. As soon as the thought occurred to Colin, he had to dismiss it.
Whatever expectations they had needed to be covered up front,
even if that expectation was I expect we’ll pretend this never
happened.

Before he spoke to Grady, though, he needed to finish up those

damned tax receipts. They were going to be at least a day late now.
Hopefully, Gwen would forgive him. Or—even better—Gwen
would assume the night of drinking had ruined his entire weekend
and let him finish his work in peace.

When Colin reached the office, the first thing he noticed was

that both Grady and Gwen had their doors shut. Gwen always kept
hers open unless she had an important call. Grady hadn’t shut his
office door once since his arrival, probably because he thought it
made him look open and welcoming and a little less like a jerk.
Georgia was at her regular station, but her smile was gone, her
sparkling eyes muted.

“What’s going on?” Colin asked, already convinced this was

Grady’s doing.

The flicker of her lashes first at Grady’s door, then to Gwen’s,

damned him even more. “There was a staff meeting this morning.”
She almost whispered it. He hadn’t thought she even knew how to
be discreet. “Everybody’s got new projects to do.”

“New projects? Do you mean, on top of their other ones?” That

would definitely quiet everybody down for a few weeks. They
were already overloaded with work, stretching themselves thin in
several directions.

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“Um, no, not really. Most of it is new to replace other stuff.”
Colin stared at her for a beat and then remembered that he was

talking to Georgia, and sometimes she didn’t even know what day
it was. He abandoned his bike there at the reception desk and
hurried to Gwen’s door, pushing it open without knocking. She
looked up with red-rimmed eyes and Colin thought he might
happily strangle Grady James.

“What happened? Georgia told me there was a staff meeting.”
“Yeah.” Gwen turned away, toward her computer, but he still

caught her wiping the corner of her eye. “Grady called it this
morning.”

“And then he made you cry?”
“No, he made me furious. I didn’t start crying until he sent me

an email after lunch trying to make it sound like this was all for the
best.”

Colin sat heavily, trying to keep thoughts of all the worst-case-

scenarios at bay. “What did he do? What’s all for the best?”

Her shoulders slumped, and she dropped her hands to her lap.

“He canceled the golf tournament. He didn’t even ask me about it.
He just sat us all down, announced he had a plan, and boom. All
my work for the past nine months is just gone.”

“He canceled?” Colin felt numb, ice forming in his chest.

“How…he canceled it? But what about all the work? All the
money?”

“We can get most of the deposit back on the venue. He had the

section highlighted in the contract already, just in case I started
arguing with him. But he doesn’t even care about the work, or
about all the strings I had to pull to get the deals we had. He says
it’s more important to focus on something that’s going to rake in
real money for the charity, not another nickel-and-dime operation.”

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Her eyes welled again before she snatched up a Kleenex. “You
know what his email said? That it was better this way. That now,
we wouldn’t embarrass ourselves. Apparently, he’s convinced our
projections were too high because I chose a public course, and
didn’t try hard enough for something more exclusive.”

“Embarrass ourselves,” Colin repeated slowly, his stomach

twisting painfully. He wasn’t surprised that Grady would say
something so obviously hurtful. He’d been expecting something
like that since Grady had breezed into their lives. “He thinks we’re
embarrassing ourselves here.”

“He didn’t even hint he was going in this direction. I mean, he

seemed so sincere last week about learning everything we were
doing.” She slouched back in her chair, staring up at the ceiling.
“He was just digging up all the dirt so he could cancel it all in one
fell swoop. Because his idea is more important than ours, of
course.”

“And what’s his brilliant, all-important idea?”
“A play. One week of performances. We’ve got six weeks to

pull it all together.”

“We’ve got six weeks to pull what together? The entire fucking

play? What the fuck does he expect us to do in six weeks?”

“We don’t have to worry too much about the production itself.

He’s got that covered. We need to handle the marketing and the
cast party he wants to throw.”

Colin opened and closed his mouth soundlessly. Gwen was a

very capable, very experienced, very talented woman, who could
do better than this little charity if she wanted. She was Grady’s
best resource, without a doubt, and he wanted her to plan a cast
party? He couldn’t remain seated for another second. He jumped to
his feet, the ice in his chest melting through his veins.

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“Where are you going?” Gwen asked with distinct alarm.
“To talk to him.”
“He’s already made up his mind.”
“I know.” He no doubt made up his mind before he ever left

New York. Which meant Saturday was just…he had known and he
hadn’t even bothered to mention that there would be a staff
meeting that morning. Colin’s head throbbed like it might explode.

His long strides ate up the few yards to Grady’s door. The fact

that it was closed didn’t slow him down.

Grady looked up when he stormed inside, but the smile he wore

faded almost right away. Tossing the pen he held onto his blotter,
he leaned back in his chair, all too comfortable, all too smug.
“Having second thoughts about Saturday?”

“You are such an asshole. You’re a bigger asshole than I had

initially assumed, and quite frankly, nobody could accuse me of
underestimating that.”

“I’m an asshole for wanting to raise some real money for a

change? How does that work?”

“You’re an asshole for throwing out nine months worth of

work. You’re an asshole for insulting the one person around here
who could actually accomplish something in six weeks. You’re an
asshole because you don’t even give a fuck about this charity.
Your number one concern is Grady James. And you’re an asshole
because you knew Saturday would have never, ever happened if I
had one clue about what was about to go down, but that didn’t stop
you.”

He would have loved his tirade to pull Grady out from behind

the desk so Colin could let it go and just punch the bastard in the
face, but Grady just sat there, his eyes steady, that stupid crooked
mouth pulled into a taut line.

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“Which asshole allegation do I get to defend first? Any of

them? Are you even interested in hearing about the big picture?
Because I get the impression you won’t be happy until I’ve started
twirling my moustache and tying Gwen to railroad tracks.”

“Well at least then you’d be honest about yourself for once.”
“I haven’t lied to you. Not once.”
“Lies of omission are still lies. And I think it’s pretty clear that

Saturday happened under false pretenses.”

“I never lied about being attracted to you. And you could’ve

told me to shove off at any point.”

“What the fuck are you talking about? I don’t give a fuck if you

were honest about being attracted to me, and I would have told you
to shove off if I had known what was going on. If I had known you
thought we were embarrassing ourselves.”

“I’m saving you from embarrassment within the James

organization. The golf tournament was a solid enough idea, but
Gwen’s got it slated as the corner piece for her entire annual
projections. There is no way she was going to get the money she
thought she would, not compared to what I’m planning.”

“Oh, right. The brilliant play that we have to pull from

somebody’s ass in six weeks. Don’t you think that has the potential
to embarrass somebody?”

“No, I don’t. Because all you guys have to worry about is

marketing and making sure the cast party is a success. I’m the one
with his butt on the line. I’m the one juggling a dozen different
schedules, just to ensure putting Arturo Taveras onstage in one of
our charity functions pays off the way I expect it to.”

“Arturo Taveras?”
“Yes.”
“He’s going to be doing a show for us?” In a day of startling

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revelations, that might have been the most startling of all. Gwen
had hoped to get at least a few professional golfers for their charity
event, but Arturo Taveras was basically the acting equivalent of
Tiger Woods. Everybody in America knew who he was—and
everybody wanted to fuck him, as far as Colin could tell.

“That’s why the timeline is so tight. When I called him to

ask—”

“Wait. You called him?”
Grady sighed. “Yes, that’s normally how these things are done.

I met him last year in London when he was doing the press junket
for that train love story thing he did. When I got the idea for the
play, he was the first celebrity I thought of. But he starts shooting
in Australia in two months, which means we need to do it now, or
not at all.”

Colin hated that it all made sense. If Grady could bring a

celebrity like Arturo Taveras to Chicago for their fundraiser, it
would be stupid to ignore that opportunity. But dropping this bomb
on Gwen without warning, implying that their ideas were stupid,
and apparently not even realizing why Colin was so upset were
still big marks against him. On the other hand, Colin knew he
shouldn’t have started this conversation by calling Oliver James’s
son an asshole multiple times over.

“Well…I’m going to take care of those tax receipts now.”
“No, don’t go yet.”
Grady stood, and Colin winced. Of course, now he’d be in

close enough range to hit, now that Colin just wanted to escape.
Why couldn’t the man ever let him walk out of a room? Colin
skidded sideways when Grady shut the door, giving them privacy
Colin hadn’t even considered when he’d barged in.

“How much has this derailed what happened between us on

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Saturday?”

“Um…I think that train is off the tracks.”
“Just because I didn’t tell you first?”
“Because you didn’t tell anybody. I don’t know what you

thought you were doing, but from this side of things? It looks
pretty shitty.”

“Well, from my angle, springing a ton of changes on you on

my first day, without any clue how you work, or what your
strengths are, would’ve been the shitty thing to do.” He tried to
reach out, but when Colin took a step back, putting more distance
between them, he froze for a second, then dropped his hand to his
side. “That doesn’t matter to you at all, does it? This is the perfect
excuse for you to run away.”

“Excuse? Grady, I don’t need an excuse. Saturday was fun but

it’s not like we owe each other anything. It’s just a reminder that I
was probably right about you from the moment we met. Because
you know what? It might have been good business to assess our
strengths, but you could have treated us like people instead
of…Gwen thought you were being nice.”

“And again, you make it sound so outlandish, like I’d just

discovered the cure for cancer or something.” He held up his hands
in surrender and backed toward his desk. “But hey, fine. That’s the
way you want it? You got it. I’ll be your big bad boss, and you can
go on worrying about your carbon footprint and how to save the
world with just a golf club and a closet full of good intentions. No
harm, no foul, no more great Saturdays. Status quo all the way.”

That wasn’t actually what Colin wanted. Especially when

Grady put it that way. But he could never, ever admit as much.
Instead he shouted, “Fine with me,” and then slammed the door
behind him as hard as he could.

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When he looked up, literally every single person in the office

was staring at him. Richard’s eyebrows had crawled all the way to
his hairline, and William’s eyes were bugging out of his head.
Gwen stood at the door, her face set in a clear we need to talk
expression. Colin hunched his shoulders and crossed the office
again, wishing they’d just stop staring at him like that.

As soon as he reached Gwen’s office, he shut the door and

buried his face in his hands. “Please don’t tell me how stupid I
am.”

“Can I call you an idiot instead?”
“Yes. I deserve that. Oh my God, Gwen.”
Her soft heat brushed against his arm as she leaned against the

door beside him. “Is that why you thought you could talk to him?
Because of what happened on Saturday?”

“I don’t know? I guess so? I don’t know what I was thinking.

Just now or Saturday. Maybe I should have tried to talk to him
instead of yelling at him.”

“Yeah, yelling doesn’t really work. Richard tried that at the

meeting. Grady cut him off and then dismissed us all.”

“I don’t want him to hate me.” Which was an extremely selfish

thing to blurt given the circumstances, but Gwen hadn’t been fired,
and Colin knew she would knock this new assignment out of the
park. “Jesus Christ, I wish I had realized that before I made him
hate me.”

“He’s not going to hate you.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I do. You treated him like shit all last week, and somehow, he

still managed to overlook all that for Saturday to happen.” She
paused. “Do I want to know what did happen on Saturday?”

“I came in to finish the tax receipts because I didn’t want to

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just lay around the house with my hangover. And he was here. And
then we kissed again…he kissed me on Friday night…and I don’t
know, Gwen. He’s really hot.”

“He is hot. I didn’t think you’d noticed. I mean, he spent all

night at Sal’s trying to get your attention, and you just ignored him.
How did you go from that to kissing?”

“He kissed me when I was drunk. To be fair to him, I didn’t

give him any reason to think he shouldn’t kiss me while I was
drunk. And then…well, I basically told him to do it again on
Saturday and everything got out of hand. Not that it matters since
he probably won’t want to kiss me again and I’m not sure I even
want him to.” Colin moaned. “And that’s a lie. What is wrong with
me?”

“He’s cute, he likes you, and you don’t date nearly as much as

you should.” She nudged him with her elbow. “Does this mean I
get to blame him for the late tax receipts?”

“Yes. I won’t go into the details, but trust me, he’s very

distracting. So now what am I supposed to do? Just keep showing
up like nothing happened?”

“Well, we still have a ton of work to do. I don’t think any of us

are going to have any time for anything else until this play is over.”

Colin took a deep breath and nodded. If this wasn’t so

important, he might very well quietly resign his position and find a
new place to volunteer. Or even find an actual job that paid him so
he could contribute more to the household. But he could never
abandon Gwen. Not with so much work to do and so little time to
do it.

“I’ll just need to avoid Grady as much as humanly possible.”
Resting her cheek against his shoulder, Gwen slid her arm

behind his waist to hug him tight. “Please tell me you’ll be my

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personal assistant for this. Grady tried to assign me Georgia. I
don’t think I could take that on top of everything else.”

“Finals week is at the end of the month. After that, I will be

your shadow. Just think of me as slave labor.”

“We’ll get through this, the way we always do. Together.

Grady James be damned.”

“Right. Together.” He returned her embrace, hugging her close

and thanking his lucky stars that at least he had a friend like Gwen.
She could have read him the riot act for being so stupid, but like
always, she offered him nothing but support. He would do
everything in his power to make the next six weeks as painless as
possible. Maybe by the time of the play, the mess with Grady
would work itself out and he wouldn’t feel so completely idiotic
and confused.

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CHAPTER 6

In Grady’s world, lies always came in different flavors. There

were the vanilla lies, the ones that slipped out in everyday
conversation without even trying, the ones that were completely
harmless and said, “I’m fine,” or, “You look fantastic.” Then, there
was strawberry, the fun and flirty, the ones reserved for dates and
parties and those moments before finally getting your hands on
someone’s naked flesh. Chocolate ones did the most damage.
People uttered those knowing full well the price they cost, and
were willing to accept the consequences.

He was used to cataloguing lies, even his own. Back in New

York, lies of omission fell under vanilla. Everybody did it. Nobody
cared.

Chicago, apparently, had an entirely different system for truth-

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telling. Here, Colin was the expert, not Grady. He’d failed to take
that into consideration before setting out to finally get a taste of
Colin, once and for all.

He felt guilty about some of it. He hadn’t meant to make Gwen

cry, for instance. Nobody had told him, but he’d seen the evidence
when he’d left that day. Her eyes had still been a little red, her
cheeks a little swollen. She wasn’t nearly expert enough in makeup
to hide the signs away. He’d honestly believed he was doing this
for their own good, as well as his own. He didn’t understand why
nobody could see that.

Colin was another matter. On the one hand, he had known—

maybe in the back of his thoughts, where he didn’t have to
recognize it until he no longer had the choice—that if Colin knew
the extent of what he had in mind for the charity, he never would
have let Grady touch him. Colin didn’t like him. He’d made that
perfectly clear. Physical attraction was not enough for someone
like Colin to abandon all the ideals that guided his life, even if
Grady didn’t have the same compunctions. So he felt a little bad
that he’d refrained from filling him in before Grady got the chance
to find out just how truly phenomenal the guy was at kissing.

But on the other hand, Colin was deliberately looking for the

worst in Grady. Confronted with facts, he still chose to interpret
them in the darkest possible light. That pissed Grady off. He didn’t
mind being called an asshole if he actually deserved it. But Colin
wasn’t exactly sitting pretty with this one.

Ignoring everybody on Tuesday helped. Everyone had jobs to

do, and closing his door to concentrate on finalizing the rehearsal
space and haggling the last terms on the director’s contract was
easy.

By Wednesday morning, he was feeling lonely again. He

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walked into the office, and though Georgia smiled and greeted
him, the others who were already in barely acknowledged his
arrival. Richard and William moved away from the copier where
they’d been chatting about some game the night before, and Gwen
disappeared into the storage closet without uttering a word.

His desk felt large and empty when he sat. He left his door

open. Nobody even stopped by to ask him about lunch.

On Thursday, he decided enough was enough. He arrived a half

hour before everyone else and set up the fresh coffee and donuts
he’d ordered in the conference room. Emails were sent out, letting
everybody know they were there. He knew they would think he
was sucking up to them—and maybe a little part of him was—but
he’d treated the office more than once back in New York, too. He
liked surprising people with treats like this. If they were going to
misconstrue his intentions, that was their problem, not his.

As soon as Gwen came in, he made a beeline for her office.
“Got a few minutes?” he asked with a smile, after tapping at

her open door to get her attention.

“Of course,” she said brightly, looking up from her computer.

Her eyes were so warm that it was easy to believe that she hadn’t
been purposely ignoring him all week. “What can I do for you?”

He took the seat opposite her, slouching a little to help ease his

presence. “I need to pick up Arturo at the airport tonight and get
him settled in. I was hoping you’d be able to come with me.”

Gwen leaned forward and flipped open her date book. “I should

be able to. Do you just want me to take care of it?”

“Oh, no, you’ve got enough on your plate. I just wanted Arturo

to see someone else from the charity. Kind of put the right face on
to what we’re doing here.”

“Ah, well, in that case, maybe you should take Colin? He’s

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already been in touch with Arturo’s PA, and I’ve got a conference
call with a vendor that might go over the scheduled time.”

The news about Colin surprised him, though once Gwen

mentioned it, he remembered how she’d begged off Georgia and
said she’d get Colin to help her with the finer details. “I’m not sure
Colin would agree to that,” he said carefully. “I’m not his favorite
person right now.”

“Don’t worry about Colin. Like I said, he’s already been

working with Arturo’s people on all the hotel and travel
arrangements. It’ll just be another job for him.”

Another job. Of course, it would be. Colin loved this charity as

much as Gwen did, and had the same kind of work ethic. Their
friendship made complete and utter sense, and though Grady
occasionally felt pinpricks of jealousy about how easy it was for
the pair to be around each other, he knew they were irrational.

“What about his evening arrangements? Arturo’s flight lands at

seven-thirty. Won’t that get in the way of whatever Colin has to do
every night?” It was a last ditch effort. As much as he’d like to
mend fences with Colin, even he recognized it was probably too
soon. Plus, Arturo was a smart guy. He’d pick up on the tensions in
a heartbeat. The charity needed a united front.

“He’s extended his volunteer hours until after the play is over.

It wasn’t easy to convince him, but I guess he decided it wouldn’t
be too difficult to manage in the short-term.”

Gwen had an answer for everything. He really should have

expected that by now. “Then, Colin it is.” He pushed himself to his
feet. “I’ll track him down when he gets in. If he’s been talking to
Arturo’s PA, then he’s probably got a better list than I do about
anything specific he’s going to need.”

“Probably,” Gwen agreed brightly. “If you can think of

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anything before he gets in, let me know and I’ll text him.”

Grady smiled and nodded, and then fled as quickly as he could.

Technically, he could always text Colin, too. His contact details
were right there in the company information, along with everybody
else’s. But he couldn’t, not now, and if Colin got his way, probably
not ever.

The small flickers of jealousy about Gwen burned steadily for

the rest of the morning.

After lunch, his gaze kept going to the clock, tracking the time

until Colin usually came in. Part of him wanted to wait by the
elevator for Colin again. He didn’t want to give Colin the
opportunity to duck out and avoid him. He tossed the idea, though.
He’d look like he was trying too hard.

And damn it, why was he wasting so much time obsessing

about Colin Braugher instead of focusing on work that needed to
be done?

Still, when he heard the elevator ding and then the murmur of

Colin’s voice, his heart leapt, his body following. He hadn’t
actually seen Colin since Monday and that awful fight when he’d
stormed out of Grady’s office. The prospect of catching his smile,
or the glimmer in his blue eyes, fueled his courage to stand and go
to his door. There, he stopped. Colin still stood next to Georgia’s
desk, which meant anything Grady said or did would have an
audience. He wasn’t so sure he’d be able to keep it completely
professional this first time out of the gate. Not when he spent his
nights reliving that fantastic Saturday.

He waited until Colin pushed his bike to his cubicle, and his

head disappeared below the edge of the partition. He’d be sitting at
his computer, logging in to see what he’d missed out on the day.

Maybe Gwen had emailed him already.

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Grady strode forward. He wanted to be the one to tell Colin

about the trip, not get his way paved by Gwen’s good intentions.

Colin looked up from his phone as soon as Grady rounded the

corner. He watched Grady’s approach with a small, tight smile that
resembled a grimace more than anything. There was a moment
where Grady wasn’t sure who would speak first or what could be
said, but then Colin set his phone aside and his smile shifted.

“What can I do for you?” As much as Grady looked for one, he

couldn’t even hear a sliver of sarcasm in the question.

Professionalism. He could do this. “A little birdie told me

you’ve been in contact with Arturo’s PA.”

“Yes. Leon. He seems pretty cool. Why?”
“Then, you know Arturo’s flight is getting in tonight.”
“Yes. Everything’s ready for him if that’s what you’re getting

at. Have you been talking to Leon? Is there something wrong?”

“No, no, nothing’s wrong.” He edged a little farther into the

cubicle, marking every flicker of Colin’s eyes as he moved. “I’d
like you to come with me to pick him up.”

“Oh, um, all right. Gwen has that meeting with a vendor

tonight, but she probably doesn’t need me for that. What time do
you want to go?”

No protests? No questions of why couldn’t Gwen be the one to

go? Grady glanced at the computer screen, wondering if Gwen had
emailed him, but it was black. She must have texted him and given
him the heads up.

“I’ll keep an eye on the flight.” He hoped Colin couldn’t see

how thrown he was by the easy acquiescence. “If it’s on time, I’d
like to leave here at five. That’ll give us time to get through rush
hour traffic, I think.”

“Yeah, that should give us plenty of time. Do you want me to

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make any reservations for dinner? Arturo will probably be
hungry.”

“Sure.” The answer came out automatically. He still wasn’t

entirely certain who he was talking to here. Colin was taking all of
this far too easily. He blurted, “You realize you’re going to be
stuck with me in the car for over two hours, right?”

“Ye-es. In the interest of doing my job, I’m going to pretend

it’s not really awkward.”

“Does it have to be?”
“Yeah, pretty much.”
He bit back the petulant, “Why?” He hadn’t expected anything

less, after all. Just because Colin was going to be a grown-up about
doing his job, Grady couldn’t wish for miracles in regards to all the
rest.

“When you make that reservation, make it for four, then. I’d

like you to join us for dinner.”

Colin shook his head. “No, thanks. I’m sure you and Arturo

will have a great deal to talk about, and I want to get home before
midnight. I have a study group in the morning.”

“What if I guarantee to have you home before your bike turns

into a pumpkin?”

Something flickered in Colin’s eyes, and Grady straightened,

ready for the inevitable telling off. “If you need me to do
something at the dinner, like take notes or something, then I’ll be
happy to stay.”

“Nothing so mundane. I need you to help be the face of the

charity for me. I want Arturo to see we’re serious about this.”

“Really? You want to show how serious you are by bringing

me? You should probably get Gwen.”

“I want you.” Too late, he realized what that sounded like, and

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added, “Besides, Gwen’s going out with us tomorrow for lunch.
She’ll get her chance to work her magic on him then.” He made a
mental note to go straight to Gwen’s office from Colin’s cubicle
and issue the invitation. Colin didn’t need to know he’d made it up
on the spot.

“Okay, I’ll take care of it then. I’ll meet you at the elevator at

five?”

Grady agreed and backed out of the stifling space. His head

wouldn’t stop spinning as he went to Gwen’s office. He barely
remembered her agreement to the lunch plans for the next day. The
only thing consuming him was how distant Colin was, and how
simply he’d given in to Grady’s requests.

He missed honest Colin. The one that said exactly what he was

thinking without bothering to hide behind polite masks. He didn’t
even care that what Colin would have said would have likely been
nasty. At least it would have been real.

The afternoon flew by, and at five on the nose, he shut down

his computer and headed out. Colin already waited by the elevator
with his bike.

“Do you want me to run you home to drop your bike off first?”

Grady asked.

“We probably should since I doubt Arturo travels light. But I

don’t want to make you late to the airport. I can just leave it here.”

“If you don’t mind. We’ll just swing back here and pick it up

after we drop Arturo off, then.”

“I’ll take care of it,” Georgia said, coming from behind the

desk to reach for the handlebars. Colin surrendered the bike with a
tight smile. One that didn’t leave his face, even after the elevator
doors whispered shut behind them.

Colin stood on the other side of the car, leaning into the corner,

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hip cocked, arms folded. Grady couldn’t stop staring at him, which
might have been a problem if Colin wasn’t so apparently
fascinated by the bank of buttons. The elevator wasn’t exactly big,
and even standing on the opposite side, Colin was almost within
touching distance. And Grady wanted to touch him. His fingers
positively tingled for the chance.

“Colin—”
His opportunity vanished when the doors whispered open on

the second floor, letting two young girls get on. They glanced at
both Colin and Grady, flashing flirtatious smiles, but as soon as the
elevator hit the ground level, Grady was out, practically sprinting
for the parking garage.

He should have insisted Colin take the vendor call and Gwen

accompany him. If he couldn’t handle being in an elevator with
Colin without wanting to jump the guy, how was he going to
manage the ride to O’Hare?

Neither of them spoke when they reached the car, or as Grady

maneuvered onto the street. Almost immediately, however, they hit
a gridlock, and he drummed his fingers against the wheel, debating
how to break the silence.

“So, did Leon share any secrets I need to know about?”

Focusing on work was probably a safe bet. He hoped.

“No? I mean, not really. If there are any secrets, he’s probably

not going to mention them to me anyway. I’m just the guy who
double-checked his schedule and reservations.”

“Looking forward to meeting him?”
“Yeah. I haven’t had a chance to actually see him in anything,

but he’s pretty hot. Who wouldn’t want to meet him?”

“He’s actually pretty down to earth. Very eco-conscious. You

two will probably get on like gangbusters.”

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“How do you get on with him?”
It was the first personal thing he’d said since Monday, and

though his tone was still respectful, Grady knew exactly why Colin
was asking. He was glad enough to see a hint of the real Colin not
to care he was disparaging Grady’s less than green efforts. “Better
than you’d probably expect. We spent a lot of time talking about
Morocco, of all things.”

“Why Morocco?”
“We’d both been there and loved it. We must have wasted two

hours just talking about all the food we missed.”

“Wow, I can already tell this is going to be a fascinating night,”

Colin muttered.

Grady shot him a sideways glance as traffic started moving

again. “Just because that’s what we talked about doesn’t mean
that’s what has to happen tonight. You can talk about whatever you
want.”

Colin grimaced. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to sound so…bitchy.

It’s just…I’m not as comfortable leaving the office to wine and
dine famous people. I don’t have anything to talk to him about.
You might as well discuss Morocco.”

“I think Arturo will surprise you. He’s more down to earth than

you think. Like the reason he was in Morocco? Doing some press
for SOS Children. He doesn’t do the charity work because it makes
him look good for the media. He does it because he actually cares.”

“You sound like you’re really…impressed with him.”
“Because he’s the real deal.” He focused on the road, and

getting into the lane that would take him to the highway. “Before I
came here, I didn’t meet a whole lot of them.”

“So he’s the real deal, hot, and famous. Rumor has it that he’s

gay, too.”

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“Bi, actually.” He grinned. “But nobody’s perfect.”
“And he was willing to drop everything because you invited

him to Chicago for a benefit show?”

“He didn’t just drop everything. I had to work on him for a

little while. Where are you going with this?”

“Well, I think if I’m going to be a third wheel tonight, I should

have fair warning.”

He hit the brake a little too hard as his head snapped to stare at

Colin. “This isn’t a date.”

“Hey, I’m not the one singing the guy’s praises.”
“I’m not—I’m trying to show you he’s a good guy. You don’t

have to be nervous around him. Hell, if anything, I’m the one who
should be nervous.”

Colin’s lips twitched. “Because you have a crush on him?”
“I don’t have a crush on him!”
“If you say so, boss. So why should you be the nervous one?”
Grady’s mouth clamped shut. Colin clearly didn’t believe him,

but the only way to prove that the only guy who interested him
right now was currently sitting next to him would likely shatter the
fragile truce that had sprung up between them. He held off on
answering until they hit the highway, using the road as an excuse.

“I’m nervous about the play,” he admitted. “Not that Arturo

won’t be great. He will. But if for any reason he decides he’s not
happy and pulls out…that’s it. The whole project goes down the
drain.”

“But if he’s as down to earth as you say, and really cares about

helping people, he wouldn’t fuck you over like that,” Colin pointed
out. “And if he does fuck you over like that, then we’ll find a way
to fix it. Because we can’t afford to let the project go down the
drain.”

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The unexpected show of solidarity did more than reassure him

Arturo was a professional. Grady kept his gaze forward so Colin
couldn’t see how profoundly the simple gesture hit him. “Are you
more okay with the project now that you’ve had a few days to
think about it?”

“I’m going to do my best to help make it a success.”
“That doesn’t actually answer my question, you know.’
Colin shrugged. “I guess not, but that’s the only thing that

matters, right?”

It wasn’t, not in Grady’s book. He wanted Colin to like the

idea, though he refused to think about why his approval mattered.
But Colin was right about part of it, at least. Doing his best to
make it work mattered, and Grady was going to take that gift and
hold on tight.

“Right.”

SCORPIO: THE HEART TO HELP

CHAPTER 7

Colin didn’t have an opinion on Arturo’s ability to act, but he

was willing to go out on a limb and say that Arturo was the most
beautiful man on the planet. In an objective sort of way. Colin
knew exactly who he was looking for at the baggage claim, but the
first sight of the actor struck him dumb. He watched Arturo
navigate his way through the heavy crowd, attention not wavering
for a moment. He was closer to Colin’s regular type than Grady,
though Grady was definitely the only one who could compare to
the sheer beauty Arturo represented.

His black eyes were warm and mysterious at the same time.

When he caught sight of Grady, his eyes crinkled at the corners,
and his full lips pulled into a friendly smile. Grady moved forward
to greet him, but Colin felt like he was rooted to the spot while his

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brain tried to process the sheer extent of Arturo’s beauty.
Unfortunately, the moment he came to terms with that, Grady
grasped Arturo by the hand, his smile just as large and warm, and
everything short-circuited again. They were a study in contrasts,
but Colin couldn’t say one had the edge over the other.

Arturo’s hair was long and a rich brown, Grady’s short and

golden blond. Arturo’s naturally dark complexion was overlaid
with a healthy tan, but Grady didn’t look pasty next to him. They
were about the same height, but Arturo’s body was more compact,
his shoulders and hips narrower. Colin was very, very grateful that
Gwen was too busy for this errand. Though he felt a little sorry for
Gwen, too. She would definitely appreciate the view, though not as
much as Colin did. After all, the details of Grady’s body were
augmented by strong sense memories of his scent, and his taste,
and the texture of his hair.

Not that Colin had been obsessing or anything about the

previous Saturday. It occurred to him on the drive to O’Hare that
maybe Grady didn’t think he was completely stupid, but he still
felt completely stupid. Every time he thought about his outburst,
fresh mortification made his scalp tingle. He could barely even
speak to the man for fear that something would fly out of his
mouth before he could carefully evaluate every word for possible
offense. It was a novel concept, thinking before speaking, but the
effort was worth it.

He was still standing there when Arturo and Grady turned

toward him at the same time.

“And this is Colin Braugher,” Grady said. “He’s one of our

volunteers.”

Arturo stepped forward, hand ready in greeting. “Oh, I’ve

heard about Colin. Leon speaks highly of you.”

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Colin swallowed and smiled. Or he tried to smile, at least.

Arturo’s palm was smooth, but his grip was firm and the heat
engulfed Colin’s hand. “I’m glad I managed to impress him with a
few phone calls.”

“He told me you’re the one I need to hit up for great music

places in the city.” His hand fell away, but the impression of his
fingers lingered. “Though I think if Grady gets his way, I’m going
to be stuck in a ball and chain at the theater until the run is over.”

Grady laughed. “I told you I’d leave you the key.” His

twinkling eyes caught Colin’s. “Or I could give it to Colin. He’s
the reliable sort.”

The thought of having Arturo chained anywhere for any reason

got his heart pumping. “I’d be sure to take good care of you, at
least.”

“And he’s starting off on that particular foot with dinner.”

Grady grabbed the handle of Arturo’s suitcase and began heading
for the parking garage. “Where am I driving us to, Colin?”

“Gabriel’s. I can tell you how to get there.” But only because

he’d spent thirty minutes memorizing the route after he made the
reservations. He’d never eaten there and he had no idea what to
expect or if Grady and Arturo would like it. In fact, he wasn’t even
sure why he’d volunteered to be proactive and make reservations.
It wasn’t as though he’d ever done anything like that before.

A tall man suddenly appeared behind Arturo, with a handsome,

open face framed by a beard a shade or two lighter than the hair on
his head. Arturo must have sensed him because he stepped to the
side. “And here’s Leon.”

Leon shook Grady’s hand and then took Colin’s with a friendly

smile. “Glad to finally meet you in person.”

“Pleasure’s mine.”

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Leon adjusted the bag on his shoulder, his eyes shifting to

Arturo’s case. Grady started walking before Leon could offer to
take it from him, and Colin fell in step behind the group, staring
shamelessly at their asses. All of which were worth more than a
second look.

Grady insisted Colin sit in the front, though he did try to protest

and insist Arturo ride up front. But Grady overrode his protests,
pointing out that since he knew where the restaurant was, it made
sense to be up front. The car felt strangely claustrophobic with four
bodies in it, and though he’d never admit it, he was grateful that
Grady wasn’t driving something as small as a Prius. He probably
would have suffocated in closer confinement.

Colin felt slightly underdressed when they reached the

restaurant. Grady and Arturo were dressed casually, too, but their
casual clothes were far nicer than Colin’s. Plus they were both
gorgeous and probably would have looked great in rags.

Grady took the lead, though as soon as the hostess saw Arturo,

they could have been lead by William and still been given the best
table in the house. As they were guided to a prime table, Colin
tried not to stare at the mahogany and etched glass décor. He didn’t
belong here. Even Leon looked more comfortable than Colin felt.
He stood straighter, but all that did was make it easier to see people
turning their heads to watch Arturo sit down.

Leon sat opposite Arturo, forcing Grady and Colin to sit on

either side of him.

“Let’s order some wine first,” Grady said, scooping up the

wine menu. “Anyone have any preferences?”

“As long as it’s better than that vinegar they served in

London.” Arturo was busy scanning over the food. “God, I’m
starved. Everything looks too good.”

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“There’s a tasting menu,” Leon offered.
Arturo brightened. “So I don’t have to make a choice? I vote

for that.”

“Works for me.” Grady looked to Colin. “That work for you?”
What was Colin going to do except nod? He itched to order

something else, just to be contrary. He’d been on his best behavior
all day and this tiny act of independence wouldn’t even be noticed.
But he swallowed the urge and nodded pleasantly. “Yes, great.”

A waiter sidled up to the table and asked what they would like

to drink. He made eye contact with all four of them and Colin
shrank back a little. The waiter was probably judging him. He
normally wasn’t so insecure, but then he wasn’t normally eating
with a billionaire’s son and a famous actor. He should just relax
and enjoy it.

“We’ll get two bottles to start,” Grady said, taking control. He

picked a white and a red as casually as Colin would pick out a
coffee at Starbucks. Colin tried not to think about the fact that the
cost of the wine alone was more than his mother’s monthly car
payment.

“So how long do I have before rehearsals begin?” Arturo asked

once they’d been left alone again.

“First meeting with the director is Sunday afternoon. You’ve

got two days of freedom to enjoy the city.”

“I’ve never been here before.” Leaning forward, Arturo rested

his folded arms on the table and caught Colin’s eye. “You’re a
native, though, right?”

“Yes,” Colin said, a little hesitantly. Should he offer to play

tour guide? Grady did say he wanted to impress Arturo, wanted to
make sure they put their best foot forward. But inviting himself to
join Arturo on his brief break seemed far too forward, even for

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him. Especially for him, since he wanted to curb that particular
trait.

“Would you have the time to show us around a little bit?”
That was the million dollar question. Finals were going to be

soon. He had a study group every day, not to mention final projects
for two of his classes, plus he had all his regular work at the
charity beyond what he was doing for Gwen. He tried to spend at
least two hours a day helping Noelle with her homework, but he’d
been shaving into that time all week. By the time he made it home
from this particular errand, Noelle would be asleep. But
opportunities like this didn’t fall into his lap every day, either.

“Yeah, I would be happy to.”
Though Grady smiled, a shadow flickered in his eyes, just

fleeting enough for Colin to wonder if he’d imagined it. “Don’t
worry about the office tomorrow. If you give me your priorities,
I’ll make sure everything gets done so you three can actually enjoy
yourselves.”

“Two of you,” Leon said. “I’ve got three conference calls

tomorrow.”

Arturo wrinkled his nose. “With who?”
“Your agent, your press agent, and Warner Bros.”
“Better you than me.”
“That’s what I’m here for,” Leon said mildly.
Arturo redirected his attention to Colin, his eyes reflecting the

light from the candle. “What time are you available?”

“After lunch.” It would take some juggling, but Colin figured

he could get a cab to Arturo’s hotel from campus, and Grady might
let him charge it to the charity. After all, he was working.

“What’re you in the mood for?” Grady asked.
“Oh, just the usual stuff. But I’m going to call around in the

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morning and see if I can get tickets for a band I think is playing in
town.”

“Who?”
“Grace Potter and the Nocturnals.”
Leon reached into his coat pocket. “I can call around now, if

you want.”

“No, no, don’t do that.” Arturo smiled at Colin. “I don’t want

to drag you anywhere you might hate.”

“I’d love to go with you,” Colin blurted, not realizing how

wrong that sounded until after it was said. “I mean, I really like
Grace Potter. And I haven’t had the chance to go to a concert since
last year.”

“Is this a new band or something?” Grady asked.
Arturo shook his head. “She’s been around for a few years.

She’s got a few CDs, but she just smokes when she’s live.”

“Kind of bluesy rock,” Leon offered. When Grady still seemed

a little confused, he added, “She sounds like Bonnie Raitt.”

That did the trick. “Ah, okay. I’ll have to look her up.”
“I can try to get three tickets if you want to come along,”

Arturo said.

For a second, Colin was terrified Grady would actually agree.

Wrangling an invitation sounded exactly like something he would
do. The way Grady glanced at him before answering seemed to
confirm his suspicion, but the last thing Colin needed was to be in
some dark club with music pounding in his veins and temptation
within arm’s reach. What if Grady wanted to dance again? “I wish
I could, but I’m going to have to beg off this time,” Grady said.
“Just make sure you have enough fun for all three of us, though.”

Colin smiled and restrained himself from promising Grady he’d

be sure to show Arturo an excellent time. There was a certain strain

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in Grady’s voice, a tension under the words that hadn’t been there
before. He couldn’t be jealous, could he? Maybe he was just
annoyed that Colin would get to spend the day hanging out with
Arturo while he still had to work.

The wine arrived and Arturo selected the red, Leon the white.

The wine steward paused at Colin, waiting for him to choose
something. He supposed he wouldn’t impress anybody if he asked
which one tasted the most like the stuff that came from the box. To
his knowledge, that was the only wine he’d ever tried.

“The…uh…red, please.”
Grady selected the red as well, sipping easily from it as Arturo

launched into a story about the fangirl flight attendant they’d had
to deal with on the plane. His glass was empty before Arturo was
done, but when he took the time to refill his, he did the same with
everyone else’s, regardless of how much or how little they’d
already drunk.

“It’s your own fault,” Grady said when Arturo finished.
“How is it my fault?”
“You’re too pretty. Everybody loses IQ points when you walk

into a room. Or a plane, as the case may be.” He nodded toward
Colin. “Well, except maybe for Colin.”

Colin blinked, cheeks suddenly flushing. He hoped it was from

the wine, which seemed to be traveling to his head at an alarming
rate. What did Grady want from him? Was he trying to corner
Colin into saying he thought Arturo was a dog or something? Or
was he implying Colin didn’t have any extra IQ points to lose
around Arturo?

“He is too pretty,” Colin agreed. “But that’s hardly his fault. He

can’t help it if people think he’s exceptionally attractive.”

Arturo leveled a single finger at Colin. “The only difference

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100

between you and me is that more people have actually seen my
face.”

This was now officially the weirdest night of Colin’s young

life. Grady was still smiling like the rest of them, but not quite as
brightly as before. He lifted his glass and downed the dark liquid
quickly. “You don’t have to flatter me. I’ll still show you all the
good spots in town tomorrow.”

Leon laughed almost as hard as Arturo did. “Trust me, he’s not

flattering you. In fact, he’d probably be a lot easier to work for if
he’d relax enough to have a social life every once in a while.”

“Well, at least I know I’m not the only one Colin doesn’t

believe,” Grady said.

Colin lifted his eyes from his glass just in time to catch Grady

looking right at him. Just the week before it would have been so
easy to fling an insult back at him, something just biting enough to
make Grady’s lips pull into a frown. He needed to steer the
conversation back to safer territory.

“So, Arturo, you’re going to Australia in a couple of months,

right? Have you ever been before?”

“Nope, first time. The location shoot is most of the reason I

took the part.”

Grady cocked a brow. “You do realize you’re going to be there

in the middle of their winter, right?”

“We’re shooting outside of Sydney. I did my research. It’ll be

like spring in Chicago or New York.”

“That sounds so exciting,” Colin said a little wistfully. He’d

always wanted to travel to Australia. Every since he was six and he
watched Crocodile Dundee.

“Quite exciting,” Grady agreed, refilling his glass. The bottle

was almost empty now, and Colin was a little stunned at how

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101

quickly a two-hundred-dollar bottle could disappear.

The waiter returned to take their orders, and Grady took it upon

himself to order the tasting plate as well as another bottle. His
cheeks were tinged pink, his eyes were bright, and Colin was more
than a little fascinated by him. Did that mean he was going to get
to play chauffeur? Well, he’d have to. It would be too much of a
disaster if Grady James was pulled over for driving under the
influence. With that in mind, Colin started sipping at his water.

* * *

The only reason he handed the keys to his Lexus over to Colin

was because he was profoundly curious what kind of driver he
would be. His money was on slow and steady, if only because
Arturo was in the car. Had to protect Arturo, after all. Just like he’d
had to drool over him all night. Grady had told Colin to treat him
like anybody else, and lo and behold, he’d done almost exactly
that. He’d accepted Arturo’s invitation as easily as he would accept
anyone’s from the office—anyone’s, but Grady—and he’d laughed
at Arturo’s stupid fangirl stories without rolling his eyes, or
making snide comments, just like he would any of the others he
worked with.

But Grady.
Grady was, apparently, the exception to all of Colin’s rules on

how to play nice.

At least Arturo didn’t sit in front with Colin. That distinction

was left to Leon, and the pair chatted about the arrangements that
had been made for the duration of Arturo’s stay. Grady got stuck
fielding questions about the play, though when they finally pulled
up in front of the condo they’d leased, he wasn’t entirely sure how

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102

coherent he’d actually been.

Colin was the first out of the car and he caught Grady’s door as

it swung open. “Stay here. I’ll walk them up to the door.”

“What?” He got out anyway, convinced he’d heard Colin

wrong. “Don’t be ridiculous. I want to make sure the place is all
right.”

Arturo came around the rear of the car, stopping at the trunk

Colin had popped to help Leon get their suitcases. “I’m sure it’s
great. Just relax. You’ll get Colin back as soon as I’m done with
him.”

Colin grimaced. “Look, I’m sure the place is great. I’m not so

sure you can make it all the way there and back without taking a
faceplant.”

“I’m fine.”
“You couldn’t even drive, James.”
“Shut up, Taveras.”
The trunk slammed. Under Grady’s palm, the car practically

vibrated in indignation at being so rudely handled. Before he could
scold Arturo into taking better care of his things, a warm grip came
down on his shoulder, and Arturo was right there, smelling like
garlic and wine, his easy smile close as he leaned in.

“Unless you’re planning on staying, you might as well wait in

the car,” Arturo said. “He’s just walking us to the door. I’m too
tired and a little bit too drunk to even think about a house
inspection anyway.”

He really was too pretty. If Colin hadn’t been right there in the

corner of his eye, distracting him with that little pout so perfectly
framed by his beard, Grady would’ve been all too tempted to kiss
Arturo, right then and there.

“Two minutes,” he said. “Then I’m coming up.”

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103

Leon juggled with all the bags, managing them while Colin

helped Arturo up to the door. Grady watched blearily as Colin
supported the other man even as he fumbled with the keys the
property manager had sent to the office the day before. Colin must
have said something because Arturo’s face split in a laugh that
Grady couldn’t hear, then he was dipping his head and whispering
something earnestly in Colin’s ear. Right in his ear. And Colin
wasn’t pushing him away.

Grady slammed his car door as hard as he could. The three men

stopped talking and looked back, though now Arturo and Colin’s
heads were dipped even closer to each other. And both frowned at
him like he’d just interrupted a world peace summit.

Damn it. Loud noises worked with breaking up animals. Why

couldn’t it work on people, too?

He forced himself to smile and wave, then turned away to open

the passenger door. He just couldn’t watch anymore.

Grady slumped in the passenger seat and fiddled with the radio,

trying to find an appropriately loud and angry song. He fixed his
attention on it, pointedly not looking up, even when the driver’s
door opened and Colin slid behind the wheel.

“I can’t believe you’re sulking.”
“I’m not sulking.”
“Your bottom lip is sticking out. You’re pouting at the very

least.”

“It’s not pouting. That’s the natural shape of my mouth.” Every

station he found offered another sappy love song. Why weren’t
there any decent radio stations in Chicago?

“Your lip doesn’t usually stick out that much. Look, if you

want to go with him tomorrow, it’s no skin off my nose.”

Grady finally gave up on the radio and settled back into his

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104

seat. The car barely felt like it was moving. He glanced over at the
dash. Oh. Because they weren’t yet.

But Colin’s hands rested lightly on the wheel in anticipation of

driving off. His long, elegant hands. His very talented hands.
Grady had loved the way they’d looked wrapped around his cock,
enough so that he’d pushed them down there every opportunity he
could. Colin had teased him about being so single-minded, but it
had been worth every taunt.

They weren’t moving. Why weren’t they—oh, right, Colin had

said something about tomorrow.

“I’ve got too much to get done after our lunch. That wasn’t a

lie.”

Colin rolled his eyes and put the car into drive. He checked for

traffic twice and then eased onto the street. Colin had nice
knuckles. Grady couldn’t remember ever noticing a person’s
knuckles before, but he wanted to skim his lips over the ridges and
kiss the valleys between.

“We’re going to have to go to the office first. I need to get my

bike before I take you home.”

“Why don’t you just take the car? I trust you.”
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea. What if you can’t remember

anything about tonight and you call the cops when you can’t find
your car? My mom would kill me if the fuzz come looking for
me.”

“I’m not that drunk. But if you’re worried, you could just stay

and tell me what happened in the morning.”

“Well it’s good to know your lines don’t get any better when

you’ve been drinking.”

He frowned, replaying what he’d said in his head. “That wasn’t

meant to be a line. I just meant—oh, never mind. You won’t listen

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105

to me anyway.”

“Is there something wrong?”
Though the question was hesitant, it actually sounded sincere.

Or as sincere as he could expect. And just the fact that Colin would
ask in such a way without attacking first, or putting on icy
professionalism, was enough to make Grady feel better.

“We’ll do it your way,” he said. “Bike, then home. Though

honestly, if you just wanted to borrow the car anyway, you could
write me a note to explain what happened. Even if I didn’t
remember what happened, I’d still believe your explanation.”

“I was just teasing about you calling the cops.” Colin’s long

fingers drummed against the wheel. “But the night went well,
right? Do you think Arturo was happy with everything?”

“The night went great.” The next words stung, but needed to be

said. “Arturo loves you.”

“But that’s what you wanted. You specifically told me I had to

come with you to be the face of the charity.”

“And you were fantastic. That’s not sarcasm.”
“Well, thanks. That’s not sarcasm, either.”
Grady smiled and leaned his head against the seat. He’d take it.

It might be all he got from Colin. “The food was good, too. What
made you pick that place?”

“Honestly? It had some good reviews online and the prices

seemed utterly ridiculous to me.”

Though he chuckled, he knew Colin was telling the truth. He

felt a little bad because he hadn’t even looked at the prices on the
menu. He hadn’t paid attention to the itemizations on the check,
either. When he signed off on his credit card receipt, he just
automatically tacked thirty percent on as a tip, unless the service
had been excruciating.

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106

“If you’d been paying, where would you have taken us?”
“If I’d been paying?” Colin snorted. “McDonald’s.”
“No, seriously.” He shifted in his seat to better face Colin. He

loved the way the streetlights flickered across Colin’s face.
“There’s got to be a lot of good places to get cheap food in this
town. If you were taking someone out on a date, where would it
be?”

“Date? Sal’s, I guess? I don’t know. I don’t think I’ve ever

actually been out on a date.”

It was on the tip of his tongue to say he could do better than

Sal’s, when the rest of Colin’s answer crushed it out of existence.
“What do you mean, you’ve never been on a date? That’s
impossible.”

“You and I clearly have different definitions of impossible.”
“If mine means you’ve never had anybody take you out with

the sole purpose of trying to impress you enough to maybe get a
second date, I win.”

Colin sighed. “I’ve gone to some house parties with other guys,

and a few study dates, but they don’t really count as dates because
we really did just study. But the exact scenario you describe? No.”

“Were you asked and you turned them down?”
“Do we get to play Twenty Questions about your private life

when we’re done talking about mine?”

“If that’s what it’ll take to get you to answer, sure.”
“As I already told you once, my nights are full. So yeah, I’ve

turned people down.”

“Oh. Okay. That makes more sense, then.”
Colin looked at him curiously. “What does?”
“You turning people down, instead of people not noticing how

gorgeous you are.” Except Arturo had noticed. Arturo had noticed

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107

a lot. And all night. And all the way to his front door. Grady
squeezed his eyes shut, rubbing at them hard to try and obliterate
the images of the pair of them that had returned. It didn’t work. It
just made the pictures brighter.

“Okay, don’t try to tell me that wasn’t a line.”
His hand dropped back to his lap as he scowled at Colin. “Do

you not own a mirror? How can that be a line? You didn’t accuse
Arturo of using a line when he said it at dinner.”

Colin’s mouth slanted in a wry smile. “So are you saying

you’re not trying to get into my pants?”

“That doesn’t make what I said any less true.”
“In that case, I’ll offer another non-sarcastic thank you.” Colin

was silent for a moment, working his lip between his teeth.
“So…you still want to get in my pants?”

Grady blinked. Then narrowed his eyes. This had to be a trick

question. But the more he tried to think about how he could answer
it without getting himself into further trouble, the more lost he got
in the way Colin kept nibbling at his lower lip. There was really
only one thing he could say without being a liar or a hypocrite, and
frankly, Colin disliked him enough already. Grady probably
couldn’t make it much worse.

“Always. And I don’t see that changing anywhere in the near

future, no matter what happens between us.”

“I thought…after cursing you out in front of the entire office

you’d change your mind about that.”

He wished they weren’t in the car so he could get a better look

at Colin’s face and figure out what was going through his head.
How much farther to the office, anyway? Too far, he decided. In
the interim, he would have to make do and fumble along the best
he could.

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“Well, you thought wrong. Not that that’s anything new. But

just so we’re clear, and this isn’t a line no matter what you might
think, having an opinion about a subject that means a lot to you
doesn’t turn you into a pariah. It makes you interesting.”

“Having a strong opinion and calling your…um…boss, an

asshole are two different things. Some people would be pretty
angry, if not offended, by what I said. Which was uncalled for, by
the way, and you should want an apology at least.”

“Even if I did, is there any chance I’d actually get one?”
“For that?” Colin cleared his throat. “Yes.”
Colin was one surprise after another tonight. Or Grady was

drunker than he thought he was. “Do I have to get on my knees to
get it?”

“No. Grady, I’m actually really sorry I called you a huge

asshole. I was angry, but I shouldn’t have said it and I didn’t mean
it.”

The apology was more than he could ever have expected. He’d

thought about it, more than once, imagined the contrition in
Colin’s expressive face, fantasized about how they could make
amends. Now that he had it, though, he wasn’t so sure what to do.
He didn’t like how miserable Colin sounded, because the truth of
the matter was, his reaction had been honest.

“I appreciate that.” Because what else could he say? Colin was

sincere, and deserved not to have his gesture negated by a smart
comment or a joke. “And I’m sorry it blindsided you like that.
After Saturday…well, I’m still learning. And I’m glad you’re not
holding it against me.”

“Oh, I didn’t say I wasn’t holding it against you. I’m just sorry

for being rude about it,” Colin said lightly.

Grady snorted. Now that was the Colin he knew.

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109

They rounded the corner, and there was their building, the end

of their journey growing ever closer. Colin found a spot in the
parking garage right next to the elevator, and when he tried to
leave the keys, Grady reached across and turned off the engine for
him.

“I’m coming up,” he announced. “I need to walk around a little

bit.”

Colin cocked his brow with such obvious skepticism that

Grady expected another crack about his weak pick-up lines. But
Colin just shrugged and pushed open the door. Grady swayed a
little as he stood, but he was able to keep his feet under him. Colin
waited for him near the elevator, watching Grady from the corner
of his eye, hands in his pockets and shoulders a little hunched. Just
looking at him in the garage’s sickly green light made him half-
hard.

“You’re looking better. Not quite like you’re going to fall on

your face.”

“What about sulky?”
“Your bottom lip is still sticking out a bit.”
Grady shook his head. The elevator doors opened and he

managed to get inside without a single lurch. “I’m telling you,
natural state. Clearly, you’re not looking at my mouth enough, or
you’d know that.”

“No,” Colin murmured, and he was looking at Grady’s lips

intently now. “No, I think I’m familiar enough with the mouth in
question to recognize a pout.”

Half-hard was now gone. Fully erect and skin throbbing had

taken up residence.

Neither one of them paid any attention to the floor buttons.

Instead, Grady reached out, slowly, almost hesitantly, and curled

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his fingers around Colin’s wrist. He didn’t pull. Not yet. He took
several seconds to absorb Colin’s pulse, counting off the beats in
his head. Nearly as fast as his own. Excited. Because it was Grady?
God, he hoped so.

When Colin didn’t protest or yank away, Grady lifted their

hands to his mouth. Colin’s fingers were lax, waiting, and Grady’s
mouth watered the closer they came. He stopped a scant inch from
his lips, and took a deep breath. Even the smell of Colin’s skin was
intoxicating.

Irresistible.
He moved forward, rather than bring their hands the rest of the

way to him. He heard Colin’s sharp inhalation, but didn’t stop,
brushing his lips across Colin’s fingertips, back and forth, then
again, only pausing to catch the fleshy pad of the ring finger
between his teeth for a brief moment. His tongue sampled the
narrow strip of skin, but he didn’t linger, opening his jaw and
letting Colin go.

Colin exhaled slowly, eyes wide, and for a moment, Grady

wasn’t sure what he was going to do. Grady felt off balance and
unsure, wishing he knew Colin just a little bit better. The other
man seemed to be completely beyond his ken. And before Grady
could work him out, Colin pressed his body to Grady’s and caught
his lower lip. The sting of Colin’s teeth scraping across the tender
skin startled Grady into opening his mouth wider, inviting Colin to
deepen the kiss.

He’d missed this. That entire Saturday, he’d been caught up in

the newness of it, and the fact that he could actually touch Colin
the way he wanted. He’d known how good it was—how could he
not?—but that had been secondary to, shit, he’s hot and he better
not stop. This week, he’d been so caught up in the drama roiling

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through the office that he hadn’t let himself dwell on just how
exhilarating the day with Colin had really been.

But kissing him now brought it all back. He didn’t think about

how awful it had been seeing him fawn all over Arturo. He
couldn’t. Because Colin was here, and he was hot, and nothing was
better than feeling his tongue twisting around Grady’s.

Colin shifted his hips. The hard edge of his erection nudged

against Grady’s.

All right. One thing was better. Much, much better.
Grady pushed him back to the wall, holding him there with his

hips while he pawed at Colin’s shirt. He needed to get to the silky
heat of Colin’s skin, wanting nothing more than to simply touch
him. He pushed his hand under the T-shirt, smoothing his palm
over Colin’s ribs and up and down his spine. Colin’s hands were
equally busy, one palm massaging Grady’s cock through his
trousers, the other sliding through Grady’s hair.

With his clothes on, Colin could look so deceptively fragile

sometimes. His body was all angles, and carried with it the
prospect of snapping at the wrong provocation. But Grady knew
better. He had to touch him to discover that, but when his palms
molded over the lean muscles, he knew just how strong Colin
really was. He felt the muscles tense and tremble as he kneaded the
group at the small of Colin’s back, and the way they surged
forward when his fingertips tickled along the man’s waist.

Colin broke the kiss first, dragging his mouth over Grady’s

chin and down his neck. Grady dropped his head back and closed
his eyes, gasping when Colin’s teeth caught his Adam’s apple. He
took the time to catch his breath, but he missed the feel of Colin’s
skin against his lips, and he had no choice but to claim his mouth
again. Colin moaned, the sound vibrating through Grady, making

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his cock ache and the back of his neck tingle at the same time.
Colin rolled his hips, grinding his erection against Grady’s thigh,
giving Grady no choice but thrust against the hand still covering
his cock.

His hand pushed down the back of Colin’s pants, the fabric

scraping across his skin as he fought to grab on to the taut flesh.
Colin whimpered into the kiss when Grady squeezed, and the grip
he had on Grady’s erection tightened. So he did it again, because
damn it, nobody had excited him as much as Colin did in ages, and
there was no way he was going to stop until Colin absolutely made
him.

In the back of his mind, Grady knew it would be better for

them to leave the elevator and go to his office. There was more
space, a couch, and a desk if they wanted a wide, flat surface. But
Colin’s tongue was licking at the corners of his mouth, and his
fingers were moving now, dragging along the hard line of his shaft
and toying with the zipper. Grady grunted and thrust forward,
hoping Colin would take the hint. Grady’s hand flexed and relaxed,
working Colin’s perfect ass. He dropped his free hand to Colin’s
fly and popped the button. The immediate freedom it gave him,
even if it was only a few inches, was just what he needed to seek
out the hot crease, skimming along the valley until he found the
already clenching hole. He traced it with his fingertip,
remembering how responsive Colin had been for the Saturday rim
job. Every time he’d buried his tongue inside, Colin had squeezed
around him, offering promises of how tight it would be if it was
Grady’s cock instead.

“If I ask you to press the button for our floor…” The words

came out as a near-pant. He wasn’t even sure Colin would
understand him, but it was the best he could do with his lungs

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seizing and his nerves going haywire at how hot and deliciously
tempting Colin was. “…will you let me take you up there to
worship your ass the way it’s meant to be, or are you going to
make me stop? And please, please, don’t pick the second choice.
I’ll do whatever you want to get to keep touching you.”

Colin’s answer was a strangled “Jesus Christ” and his palm

smacking against the buttons. It took more than one attempt
because Colin’s full attention was on Grady’s mouth again, but he
finally found that one he was looking for. Grady pressed his finger
against the giving muscle, dying for just a sample of the perfect
heat. The doors dinged open before he could, and Colin moved
toward them without breaking contact, blinding dragging Grady
out of the elevator with him.

They stumbled into the wall of Georgia’s cubicle, but only

enough to pinball them back toward the general vicinity of Grady’s
office. He didn’t know how they made it. They certainly weren’t
looking where they were going. Neither one of them bothered to
stop kissing, or groping, and Colin’s pants were open at the waist.
Grady had to grab onto a cheek to keep a good hold of the man, but
as soon as they fell through his open door, he kicked back with his
heel to slam it and shoved Colin against the wall.

Grady cut off all Colin’s moans with a hard kiss, releasing his

hold on Colin long enough to push down his pants. Colin
responded by tugging at Grady’s trousers until the fly gave way.
Grady barely had a chance to sigh at the relief before Colin’s long
fingers were sliding over his shaft. Blood rushed in Grady’s ears,
momentarily deafening him to all but the pounding of his own
heart. He wiggled a little, managing to work his pants over his hips
and push his cock more firmly against Colin’s palm.

With the offending garments out of the way, Grady finally had

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the space to grab onto Colin’s ass with both hands. The kisses
continued, all hard bites and soft sweeps of their tongues, but his
focus was split now, between the burn of Colin’s mouth and the
spread of his ass as Grady pulled the cheeks apart. Colin widened
his legs, and the thought of his opening being even more exposed
nearly did Grady in. He stretched his fingers to tickle along the
crease, and shifted his grip lower to better reach his goal.

“Want to fuck you.” He found the tight muscle and sank his

index finger in to the first knuckle. “Tell me what it’ll take for you
to let me.”

“I don’t…” Colin buried his face against Grady’s shoulder as

he pushed for another half inch. He was so tight and his muscles
immediately gripped Grady’s finger. “I don’t know. I’ve never
done that.”

Considering what Colin had told him about his nonexistent

dating life, Grady shouldn’t have been surprised. But he was.
Enough to pause and fight through his wine haze to focus on Colin
for a few precious seconds.

“Do you want me to stop?”
Colin wrapped his arm around Grady and shook his head. “No.

I want you.” He mouthed Grady’s shoulder through his shirt,
following the ridge up to his neck. “But…maybe not here.”

Grady couldn’t blame him. First times were always nerve-

wracking, and they had enough trust issues as it was. He was
grateful Colin would even contemplate the possibility. He could
wait until circumstances were better, when he could guarantee
Colin would know firsthand how good it could be. Colin was
worth it.

“Not here then,” he agreed. Slowly, he pulled his finger out,

groaning at how the channel tightened to try and keep him inside.

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Colin was killing him here, but he’d stick to his choice. “But no
way am I giving up on what I promised. Lie down on the couch.
Eating your ass is just as good as fucking it.”

Colin obediently kicked away his pants and boxers. Grady gave

him room to move away from the wall, but couldn’t resist kissing
him again before Colin even took a step. He opened to the caress,
holding the side of Grady’s face, their tongues entwining while
they tried to shuffle to the couch. They broke apart for air, and
Colin reached for his shirt. He shot Grady a shy glance before
pulling the material over his head and falling back to the couch.

Grady paused. The sight of Colin’s pale skin against the deep

mahogany leather was too pretty for words. A flush pinked his
cheeks, and the dark hair curling around the base of his cock
highlighted the deeper red of the fully erect shaft. As Grady
watched, he lifted one leg to the back of the couch, while his other
foot rested flat on the floor. It did more than showcase his heavy
balls, and the shadow of his ass. It made Grady’s mouth water, and
he whipped his shirt off as he fell to his knees.

He started on the inside thigh of the leg Colin had on the floor.

Dragging the flat of his tongue along the tense muscle, he licked a
path upward, absorbing the faint tickle of the hair, breathing in the
sweaty musk of Colin’s skin. His hand created the same trail on the
opposite thigh, but it reached Colin’s groin first, seeking out then
encircling his cock in an imposing grip.

Grady stroked Colin’s shaft leisurely, rotating his wrist with

each downward stroke, and brushing his nose against Colin’s sac.
The wiry hair brushed against his lips, and the musky scent of his
skin filled Grady’s head. For awhile, he was happy to just skim his
mouth and nose over the soft skin, tongue slipping out to trace over
the loose wrinkles or to glide up the underside of Colin’s cock.

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Colin slid his hand through Grady’s hair, fingers opening and

closing, drifting to his ear and brow and neck. Grady pulled
Colin’s balls into his mouth, rolling his tongue over each one,
sucking on them until Colin groaned and jerked his hips. He
glanced up to see Colin covering his mouth with his spare hand,
blocking more small sounds, his eyes locked on Grady.

“You don’t have to be quiet,” Grady said. “Nobody’s here. And

I like it when you’re loud.”

Grady punctuated his point by sucking Colin’s crown between

his lips and dragging his tongue over the slit. Colin’s hand fell
away with a gasp, his hips automatically pushing off the couch.
Grady pushed him back down to the cushion and pulled away with
a soft pop, mouth eager to return to Colin’s heavy sac. Now the
other man didn’t hold himself back, becoming vocal over every
moment of pleasure.

He burrowed his nose deeper into Colin’s balls, breathing him

in, dropping his jaw to let his tongue snake along the velvety skin
behind them. His hands massaged up and down Colin’s thighs,
alternately hard and soft to work the muscles. On the third pass of
the leg’s length, they scooped beneath Colin’s ass, molding over
each buttock, and gently prying them apart.

Though Colin squirmed, Grady ignored the other man’s

anticipation to drink in the sight of his pucker. “God, you’ve got
such a gorgeous ass,” he murmured. He bowed his head and
skimmed his lips along the sensitive inner skin of each cheek. “I
swear I could just park myself here and never leave.” He finally
zeroed in on the hole, licking almost delicately around the
clenching ring.

Every bit of Colin was sensitive and quivering against Grady’s

mouth. Colin began humming with pleasure immediately, a

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constant, hungry sound. His voice rose or fell depending on what
Grady did with his tongue, and Grady knew he’d be hearing that
sound in his dreams for weeks after this. He licked over the pucker
for long minutes, lost in the bliss of the act itself, before finally
pushing his tongue past the opening. Colin caught his breath as
Grady pushed deeper and deeper, silent until Grady thrust into him
again. That was enough to prompt actual words, broken sentences,
begging Grady to not stop.

He had no plan to. Next to fucking, this was his second favorite

thing to do, though in Colin’s case, considering the way he reacted
and how adorable his ass was, it was likely to rank just as high,
once he found out what actually fucking Colin felt like. Grady
closed his eyes to better get lost in the sensations, the way the
velvety walls clung to his tongue every time he sank inside, the
way the hair tickled against his lips, the smell of Colin’s balls
when he was in as deep as he could go and his nose was smashed
against the man’s sac. He might have been drunk on the wine, but
this high was better. His entire body throbbed in rhythm with
Colin’s cries, and all the heat beneath his skin rushed to get to the
surface.

Blindly, he reached for Colin’s cock, sliding in the pre-come

pooling on his belly before getting his fingers curled around the
hot shaft. He stroked once, and Colin clenched, drawing moans
from both of them. Repeating the pull elicited the exact same
response.

Grady could tell that Colin wouldn’t last long if he kept

stroking his shaft, but he loved Colin’s reaction too much to still
his hand. He rocked on his knees to let his cock scrape across the
side of the couch, aching to feel Colin’s tight walls clench around
his length. Colin squirmed more and more, lifting his leg higher in

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a desperate attempt to expose more of himself to Grady’s mouth.

“Grady…God…I’m…oh I’m going to come…”
Grady responded by fluttering his tongue in Colin’s hole, wrist

moving faster. Colin’s entire shaft was slick with pre-come, and
Grady could feel Colin’s balls tighten. Colin attempted to warn
him again, words spinning into a shout as his cock jerked and
strings of hot fluid landed on Grady’s knuckles.

He waited until Colin stopped jerking to let him go, then pulled

away from the wet hole far enough to smear the come off his hand
and onto the ready muscle. What he couldn’t get off there, he
rubbed into Colin’s balls, chasing it a moment later with his
mouth. Colin shouted again at Grady’s hard suck, but Grady was
lost in the bliss of how good he tasted. As soon as the sac was
clean, he licked lower, taking his time to clean away every drop,
especially those that might have slipped inside.

“Grady…” Colin gripped his shoulder and pulled. When that

didn’t work, he moved to the back of Grady’s neck, yanking at him
incessantly until Grady lifted his head. “Come up here.”

He stood and Colin snagged his fingers and guided him until

Grady straddled his chest, knee sinking into the cushion between
Colin’s ribs and the back of the couch. Colin cupped Grady’s ass
with one hand and the base of his cock with the other, easing him
forward until his head disappeared between Colin’s lips. Colin
swirled his tongue around the tip, his cheeks hollowing.

“Oh, fuck…”
He was so on edge, just the suction around the head of his cock

sent tremors down the back of his legs. The room swam around
him. He wasn’t sure if it was the wine, or the taste of Colin’s come
lingering on his lips, or how good Colin’s mouth felt. Hell, it was
probably all three. When he leaned forward to grip the arm of the

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couch in order to keep his balance, he nearly leapt out of his skin
when Colin pushed on his ass and forced more of his length inside.

Bright eyes met his when he looked down. He wanted to ask

what Colin wanted, but the insistent press on his bare butt
telegraphed Colin’s desire all too clearly. “I don’t know how much
control I’ve got,” he said, his voice ragged.

Colin’s response was to push harder. Another inch disappeared

past his lips.

“Fuck…” No way could he turn down such a blatant invitation.

He braced both hands on the arm to support his weight, resituated
his knees, and watched intently as he guided more of his cock
inside Colin’s hot mouth.

Colin took it all, eagerly swallowing every inch until Grady

was buried to the root. They paused at the same moment, and
Grady hoped Colin was savoring this as much as he was. When his
fingers relaxed, Grady pulled back, still watching as he slowly
revealed his cock until the tip was brushing over Colin’s lips. Thin
strings of pre-come caught on the skin, his shaft jerking away from
Colin’s attempts to close his mouth around him again. Colin
relaxed his jaw and darted his head forward, swallowing Grady
down in a surprisingly swift gesture.

After that, Colin didn’t let him leave his mouth again. He

followed Grady every time he rocked back, lifting his head and
dropping it again when Grady drove into his throat.

He tried to take it slow. His position forced him to concentrate.

Sweat collected at the back of his neck and beaded along his brow,
but within a few strokes, he knew it was a losing game. He’d been
itching to drive into Colin all night, all week, ever since the concert
gala if he was being honest with himself. The sight of Colin’s
cheeks sucked in as he swallowed Grady on each thrust didn’t

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help. Neither did the way Colin reached between his legs to fondle
Grady’s balls. When Grady was buried, and Colin was forced to
breathe through his nose, the tiny puffs of air hitting his skin nearly
drove him insane.

Temptation won. Gripping the couch more firmly, he gave in to

the urge to quicken his strokes. This wasn’t a blow job. This was a
fuck, deep into Colin’s throat, pounding and relentless. He took
what Colin so readily gave—hell, what Colin seemed to want in
return—and got lost in the moist heat and astounding pressure until
the only way out was by coming.

As Grady shot down Colin’s throat, Colin dug his nails in.

Grady would have marks to show for it in the morning. Colin
swallowed convulsively, over and over in time with the jerks of
Grady’s cock, all the while humming the same way he had when
Grady had been eating his ass.

Grady was shuddering by the time he was done. His hands

ached from how hard he’d been holding onto the couch, and his
legs felt like rubber as he eased off of Colin’s body.

“Holy mother of God,” he muttered, collapsing onto the floor

next to the sofa. “That was…fuck.”

“Yes, it was,” Colin agreed breathlessly. “You’re really…that

was really…amazing.”

“I don’t think I can move.” He chuckled and flopped a boneless

arm to the side to slap at Colin’s leg. “You broke me.”

Colin chuckled. “Hopefully the cleaning people have already

been through, because I can’t move either.”

“It’s a good thing we made it up here. Can you imagine what

might’ve happened if someone had decided to work late and called
the elevator?”

“Oh yeah, I can imagine. They’d get an eyeful.” Colin turned

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his head and smiled a little. “You’re not pouting anymore.”

He could easily get attached to that satisfied look on Colin’s

face. “That’s because I got what I wanted.”

“I bet you usually do.”
“I think you’d be surprised.”
“Honestly, I’d be stunned if you told me otherwise.”
Some of his bliss faded. In spite of the phenomenal sex, and

their near combustible attraction, Colin’s opinion of him didn’t
seem to have changed that much. Or at all. That hurt a little,
though his brain was a little mushy at the moment to really
pinpoint why.

“If I got everything I wanted, you’d let me take you back to my

place tonight.”

“I can’t. Even if I wanted to indulge you, my study group is

meeting at eight. And I definitely don’t want to be wearing the
same clothes when I go to meet Arturo.”

Right. Arturo. And Colin’s all too eager enthusiasm for his date

with him the following day. Colin didn’t want to indulge Grady.
He wanted to impress Arturo.

The rest of Grady’s euphoria promptly disappeared.
“No, you’re right.” He masked his mood by sitting up and

reaching for his pants. “I’ll probably pass out as soon as I hit the
pillow anyway.”

“Do you feel okay to drive?” Colin sat up, too, grimacing when

he noticed how far away his clothes were. “I don’t mind just biking
home.”

“Yeah, I’m better now.” Which was a lie, but there was no way

he could last the ride back to his condo with Colin in reaching
distance and untouchable. “You go ahead and grab your bike. I’ll
see you on Monday.”

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Colin gathered up his clothes and dressed quickly, almost

pointedly not looking at Grady. “Yeah, Monday. Do you want me
to let you know how tomorrow goes or anything?”

He couldn’t think of anything he wanted less. “I trust you. As

long as you’re happy with how happy Arturo seems to be, then
that’s all I need.”

Another lie. Because in the dark places of his heart, he

sincerely hoped the two had an absolutely miserable day.

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CHAPTER 8

Grady James really was an asshole. Why did Colin keep letting

himself forget that fact? Just because Grady had a pretty face? No,
he wasn’t quite that shallow. The pretty face helped, but it was his
amazing mouth and long fingers that overwhelmed Colin’s good
senses and made him forget the most basic facts of Grady’s
personality. He was charming, and he could be a little bit sweet,
but mostly he was a spoiled, insincere brat and it would behoove
Colin to remember that fact.

A good ten hours after he left Grady, he was still brooding on

the way his night had ended. How Grady had turned sulky again
when Colin had declined to go home with him. Not only sulky, but
distant, like if he couldn’t get exactly what he wanted then he
didn’t want anything at all. Colin had even tried to hint that he

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wanted to meet with Grady the next night, but Grady shut him
down without hesitation. He understood Grady had wanted to take
him home with him. He’d wanted to go with Grady, and spend the
rest of the night in what was no doubt a big, comfortable bed with
soft, maybe even silk, sheets. But he had a life that didn’t revolve
around Grady’s whims. He didn’t have the luxury of ignoring his
other responsibilities just because Grady wanted him to. Somebody
like Grady could get away with doing whatever he wanted, but
Colin couldn’t. Sleeping through his study group because he spent
all night fucking his boss would be terrible. Showing up for his
afternoon with Arturo in the same clothes as the night before
would be worse.

He tried to push Grady out of his mind, but no matter how

much he concentrated on his notes, he kept returning to the night
before. Grady was really good at sex. That was all there was to it.
He was amazing. So good in fact that Colin couldn’t even bring
himself to regret getting naked with him. It was a mistake and if
Colin wanted to keep his sanity intact he probably shouldn’t do it
again, but he didn’t regret it. Unfortunately, everything after the
orgasms had tainted the entire experience. If Grady wasn’t just a
spoiled brat, Colin was at a loss to explain the sudden change in his
demeanor. Grady was not a difficult man to read, and his irritation
had been written all over his face. It only intensified when Colin
mentioned Arturo.

Which wasn’t fair at all. Who had dragged Colin to the airport

and insisted on dinner? Grady. Who told Colin that he was going
to be the face of the charity? Grady. Who had confessed that he
feared the possibility of Arturo dropping out and fucking them
over? Grady. Colin had naturally assumed that meant Grady
wanted him to focus on entertaining Arturo. But now he wasn’t

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sure what to think, except that he didn’t need the aggravation of
Grady’s mood swings.

Meeting Arturo sounded like fun the night before, but now

Colin wished he could back out of it. He was tired, worried about
school, distracted by Grady, and he had to ask his mother if he
could borrow the car because he couldn’t very well show up to
collect Arturo on his bike. Driving the old Ford was like driving a
tank after Grady’s Lexus, and though it was clean and well-
maintained, he still felt a twinge of embarrassment when he parked
outside of Arturo’s condo. He forced himself to smile anyway. He
wasn’t going to give Arturo any reason to complain.

Leon answered the ring, and smiled as he gestured him inside.

“Arturo’s just about ready. He’s really looking forward to today.”

“I hope I don’t disappoint him, then. Are you coming with us?”
Leon grimaced. “No, those calls I mentioned seemed to

reproduce overnight. The studio doing the Australia film is trying
to arrange a boot camp for the actors, and it’s turning into a
logistical nightmare.”

Colin had honestly hoped that the calls had been canceled, or

dealt with that morning. He wasn’t sure how he was going to
handle being alone with Arturo all day. It was like a blind date,
except with more pressure, and Colin didn’t think he was up to the
task of impressing a man like Arturo. What would they even talk
about? Colin hadn’t even had the chance to think of potential
conversation starters.

“Do you take care of all of this stuff on your own? It seems like

Arturo should have an entourage or something.”

“Just me,” Leon confirmed. “His agent would love for him to

have an entourage, but Arturo would never go for it. He puts up
with the press and the publicity because it’s part of the package,

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but he wouldn’t miss it if it all went away. He just likes to perform,
the bigger the audience, the better.”

“So he wants to be famous without the inconveniences of

fame?”

“Nobody said he was perfect.”
“Who said I was perfect?”
Both Leon and Colin turned toward the sound of Arturo’s voice

as he emerged from the hallway. His hair was swept casually off
his face, glasses already perched on top of his head. Wash-softened
jeans revealed his muscular legs all too well, while the V-neck on
his gray pullover hinted at the dark hair on his chest. He could
have been on his way to a photo shoot rather than a date with
Colin. And Colin chastised himself for yet again thinking of this
like a date.

Who would say Arturo was anything less than perfect? Colin

needed to get himself under control, because he could not spend
the entire afternoon reflecting on how gorgeous Arturo was. He
needed to spend the day treating Arturo like a normal person who
didn’t make Colin’s head spin. Somehow, he needed to find a way
to treat the other man like he would treat Gwen.

“Nobody here, but I’m sure I can find a People article about

how great you are,” Leon offered.

Arturo grimaced. Even that was adorable. “You promised you

would stop bringing that up.”

“No, you asked me to promise. Big difference.”
“Can I bribe you?”
“When it bugs you every time I do? Not on your life.”
Arturo rolled his eyes. “I don’t know why I put up with your

shit.”

“Because I’m your oldest friend, which means I know all your

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secrets.”

“Stay away from him, Colin. Don’t believe a word he tells

you.”

Colin grinned, feeling slightly more at ease. “I don’t know. He

has a very trustworthy face.” Leon obediently smiled with
exaggerated innocence. “I don’t think he’d lie to me.”

“Oh, I’d never lie to you. Arturo’s the one you’ve got to watch

out for. I have to warn all the pretty ones to avoid his wiles.”

“Which reminds me…” Arturo picked up a copy of that

morning’s Tribune that rested on the coffee table and came up to
Colin’s side. His cologne was light, but still heady, filling Colin’s
senses. “I couldn’t get the tickets for the concert, believe it or not,
so I wondered if you wanted to try this out instead.”

Colin blinked, wondering if Arturo had turned to the wrong

page or maybe was confusing him with somebody else. “A
moonlight cruise?”

“Sure, why not? It’s got music, and dancing, and I can see the

city from the lake.” He smiled encouragingly. “You don’t think
that sounds like a good idea?”

“Music and dancing is always a good idea, and I’ve heard the

view from the lake is great. But it might be…” Too much like a
date. Is that what Arturo meant it as? Was there a way to clarify
without looking like a fool? “Too late for me.”

Arturo seemed to accept his excuse with grace, shrugging

lightly and tossing the newspaper aside. “Well, we can see how it
goes today. It might end up being too late for me, too.”

“I didn’t know there is such a thing,” Leon commented.
“That’s because you’re an old man who can’t stay up past

eleven.” He looped an arm around Colin’s shoulders. “Colin
probably outlasted all of us last night.”

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“Nope, I was in bed by midnight like a good boy,” Colin said

with forced lightness, Arturo’s spicy scent more overwhelming
now. A part of Colin wanted to step away. Another part of him
wanted to nuzzle into Arturo’s neck and breathe deeply. But Grady
was still there, hovering on the corners of his mind, blue eyes
disapproving. He would be sulking more than ever if he saw
Arturo touching him so casually.

“I know you outlasted Grady.” Arturo laughed. “He drank us

all under the table. There’s no way he didn’t pass out the second
you got him home.”

“I don’t remember him drinking that much in London,” Leon

said.

“He didn’t. In fact, he bragged then about his self-control.”
He hadn’t been drinking at Gwen’s birthday party, either.

Grady was the sort who felt most comfortable when in complete
control. He’d probably been the default designated driver for his
entire adult life. But there was no denying that Grady drank like an
old pro the night before.

“Well, I probably drive him to it.” Colin meant it as a joke, but

it didn’t sound like one.

“You? Nah, no way. Well, except for maybe having to fight

everybody off you to actually get any work done. That might do
it.”

If Grady and Arturo kept insisting he was hot, he was going to

start believing it. “I hope you don’t mind slumming it a bit.” He
ducked away from Arturo’s arm finally. “I’m afraid I don’t have
anything as nice as Grady’s Lexus.”

“Are you planning on us spending the whole day in the car?”
“Well…not anymore. Give me a couple of minutes to think of a

new plan.”

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129

More laughter, this time accompanied by a slap on the back.

“Oh, I knew I liked you. This is going to be fun.”

“Any last instructions for this juggling act I have to do?” Leon

asked as Arturo headed for the door.

Arturo waved him off. “You can handle it. You always do.”
“So does he ever get a day off?” Colin asked as Arturo closed

the door behind them.

“Of course, he does. Do I look like a slave driver to you?” He

stopped midway to the car. “Only answer yes to that question if
you’re currently picturing me in leather with a whip.”

Now how could he think of anything else? Black leather vest

and matching pants. Or maybe something softer for the pants.
Something smooth to mold over his thighs, something that begged
to be touched. Colin gave himself a mental shake. This was going
to be a long afternoon.

“I think you’d look great in something studded.” He started

walking again. “Maybe even an eye mask like Zorro’s.”

Before they reached the sidewalk, Arturo caught Colin’s hand

and squeezed. “In case I don’t get a chance to tell you later, I’m
having a blast. Thanks for doing this for me today.”

“You’re already having a blast?” Colin’s heart beat a little

faster as he tried to sort out Arturo’s signals. Was Arturo actually
interested in something more than a quick tour of the town? Colin
wouldn’t have thought it possible before, but Grady wanted him.
Maybe that meant something besides a miracle had occurred. “Do
they never let you out of your cage?”

“Leon tries, but I keep getting sucked into new projects. Like

this play, for instance. Leon and I had been talking about using this
downtime to go up to Alaska and escape for a few weeks, but then
Grady called, and…” He shrugged, smiling. “How could I say

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no?”

Colin pulled his hand away and opened the passenger door,

absently putting it between himself and Arturo. “Grady can be very
persuasive, I’ve noticed. I didn’t realize that you two were that
close, though, to give up your vacation for him.”

“I didn’t do it just for him. It was a combination of a lot of

things. Being onstage in Chicago. The charity.”

But the charity wasn’t the first thing on the list. Colin didn’t

necessarily begrudge him that. Fetal alcohol syndrome didn’t need
to be everybody’s pet cause, but it was a small reminder that he
had more important things to worry about than whether this was a
date, or what Grady wanted from him.

“With such a limited run, it’s sure to drum up a lot of interest.

Which,” Colin hastened to add, “is good for the charity.”

“Good for Grady, too. He can use some good PR.”
“Right. Like Grady needs to have a bigger head.”
Arturo chuckled. “Probably not. But after New York, anything

is good, right?” He slid into the front seat, not waiting for Colin to
respond.

What the hell did that mean? Colin walked around the car,

debating whether or not he should press for more information. By
the time he reached his door, he knew what he had to do.

“What was the buzz in New York?”
“Oh, you know.” Except Colin didn’t, not by a long shot. “I

don’t think anybody will ever know the whole story. Oliver James
is too smart for that. But whatever, I think coming to Chicago is
the best thing Grady could’ve done. It’s about time he proved what
he can do.”

The whole story about what? Was it particularly sordid? Did

Grady leave New York in disgrace? It was hard to imagine that.

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Grady didn’t act like somebody disgraced. And anyway, Colin was
oblivious to most things outside of school and his immediate
concerns, but if Grady had been involved in something really
controversial, Gwen would have heard about it. But there was still
a mystery there. One Colin wanted to get to the bottom of.

“A successful benefit would be a great way to do that.”
“Then, here’s to a successful benefit.” Arturo buckled in, and

shot him a smile. “As soon as we have our fun today.”

Fun. Which meant he couldn’t dwell on Grady’s past or on the

image of Arturo in leather. He had to concentrate, because as nice
as it would be otherwise, this afternoon was nothing more but
another one of his duties. No different than spending an afternoon
filling out tax receipts.

* * *

By the time Colin made it home all he wanted was fifteen

minutes alone in the shower followed by ten solid hours of sleep.
He had no idea that an afternoon with Arturo would be so utterly
exhausting. The actor had been serious about using his day off to
sightsee and explore the city, and Colin found himself going places
he’d never been, doing things he’d never considered, all just to
make Arturo smile. It would have been physically exhausting even
without the stress of trying to figure out if Arturo wanted to fuck
him. At least Grady didn’t waste time being coy.

Colin made it all the way to the front door before he realized

there was another car parked in front of the house. A familiar black
one. Grady was there. Grady James was there in his house doing
what, exactly? Couldn’t he give Colin one night of peace?
Couldn’t he just not invade Colin’s space and his mind—not to

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mention his body—for one night? And Colin couldn’t just throw
him out. Even if Grady dropped by unannounced, Elaine would
have insisted on feeding him dinner and hearing his entire life
story.

He could leave again. That was an appealing thought. He could

crash at Gwen’s. She’d let him shower and sleep on the couch, and
she’d only make him spill every detail about his day with Arturo in
return. A small price to pay to avoid Grady for a few more hours.
But he’d no sooner reached that decision than the option to leave
was taken from him.

“I knew you were home!” Noelle exclaimed triumphantly. “I

told Mom I heard the car. Why are you standing on the porch? We
have company.”

“Yeah, I noticed the car. Has he been here long?”
“He was here when I got home from school.”
It was already past seven. “What has he been doing here for

three hours?”

She ticked the things off on her fingers. “He helped me with

my Amelia Earhart report, we had dinner, he started doing the
dishes until Mom kicked him out of the kitchen, and we’ve been
playing Rock Band.” She giggled. “He’s really not very good. I
keep telling him to try one of the instruments, but he only wants to
sing.”

Colin forced himself to smile, even though the thought of

Grady spending an entire evening with his family made his temples
pound. Noelle clearly enjoyed Grady’s company, and so Colin
wasn’t going to lose his temper in front of her. “Sounds like you
should get back in there before they miss you.”

“You, too.” She snatched his hand and tugged. At ten, she was

a tiny slip of a thing, and often lost wrestling matches to the cat,

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but completely comfortable in her skin, at least here at home.
School was another matter, since she was smaller than anybody
else in her class, but she was learning how to cope with the meaner
comments from unthinking children. “I want you to play with me,
too.”

The very last thing Colin wanted to do was play Rock Band

with Grady. Especially when the shower and the bed were still
calling to him. But he couldn’t very well tell Noelle he wouldn’t
play with her. “Just a few songs, okay? I’ve got homework tonight,
too.”

“Grady can help you like he helped me.”
“I think Grady might know more about Amelia Earhart than he

does computer systems.”

Elaine appeared behind Noelle in the door, wiping her hands on

a dishtowel. “Why is everybody on the porch?”

“Grady’s not,” Noelle said.
“You left our guest inside all by himself?”
“Colin came home.”
“And Colin’s old enough to know better.” With a frown, Elaine

stepped back and waved them in. “Go ask Grady if he wants any
more coffee.”

“I think I fetch his coffee enough when I’m at work.”
“I’ll do it!” Noelle announced, hurrying down the hall before

anybody could stop her.

“What is he doing here?” Colin whispered.
With a careful glance toward the living room, Elaine closed the

door. “I got a call from the school that Noelle was having some
difficulty breathing at lunch today. Nothing too serious,” she added
at Colin’s look of alarm. “But they were out of her meds. So I
called Gwen to see if she could come get me and run me over

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there. She said sure, but when the car pulled up in front of the
house, it was Grady, not Gwen. He said since it was his fault I
didn’t have a car today, that it was his responsibility to make sure I
got where I needed to go. I invited him to stay for dinner when we
got back, but honestly, he’s been with Noelle almost the entire
time.”

Colin rubbed his hand over his face and tried to think of an

angle that would allow him to remain irritated at Grady. Maybe he
was trying to use Colin’s family to get close to him? But that was
so sleazy and he didn’t want to believe Grady capable of that.
Besides, it wasn’t like Noelle to take to strangers. Could it be that
Grady had just been nice because sometimes he was a nice guy?

“I’m sorry I had the car. And I’m sorry I wasn’t here to help

when Noelle needed it. It’s not going to happen again.”

“You couldn’t have predicted this would happen. And I’m glad

you went out. You deserve to have a good time with people closer
to your own age, for a change. Besides, it was good for Noelle.
Most of the grown-ups she deals with are either teachers, or
doctors, or us. You have no idea how surprised I was when she
asked Grady for his help on her homework.”

The argument was an old one at this point. Elaine wanted Colin

to have a life of his own outside of the house and Noelle’s needs.
That was one of the reasons he’d started volunteering, a
compromise which had temporarily settled the disagreement. It
was true that Colin had given up a lot over the past ten years, but
every sacrifice had been worth it, and honestly, Colin rarely
wanted to go out when he could spend time with Noelle.

“Colin!” Noelle darted out of the den and grabbed Colin’s hand

once again. “We’re waiting for you to play.”

“Oops, sorry. I’m ready now. Do I get to choose the song?”

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135

“It’s Grady’s turn to choose.”
Of course, it was. Colin allowed himself to be led away from

the front door, bracing himself the entire way for dealing with
Grady now, on top of everything else from the day. He was greeted
by the sight of Grady sipping the fresh coffee Noelle had just
brought, wearing the pink scarf she often used for dress-up, tied
around his head Bret Michaels style.

Grady grinned when he saw the pair of them, but quickly slid

his gaze to Noelle. “I’m ready to tackle Dead on Arrival again. I
promise, you won’t have to save me this time.”

Noelle parked herself behind the drum set, leaving Colin to

pick up one of the guitars. He sat on the opposite end of the couch
and had absolutely no idea what to say. Grady’s cologne lingered
in the air, mingling with the familiar scents of coffee and Elaine’s
cinnamon potpourri. And he looked good. Even with the silly pink
scarf over his hair, he looked really good.

“You’ve failed on that song three times already,” Noelle

protested. “Maybe Colin should sing it.”

“No, no. I wouldn’t want to infringe on Grady’s rock and roll

fantasy.”

“If you’re both playing, then that’s twice the chances we’ll

have at the power-ups to keep me from dying.” Grady dropped to
both knees and pretended to beg. “Come on, I know what I did
wrong.”

“Yeah, you didn’t play on easy.”
“Easy’s for schmucks.”
“You wouldn’t fail on easy.”
“It wouldn’t be any fun, either.”
“It’s too fast for you. You can’t keep up.”
“Tell you what.” Uh oh. Colin knew that tone. “If I fail this

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time, not only will I abdicate song selection for the rest of the
night, but I’ll also switch to an instrument, and play whatever you
want me to, okay?”

Noelle frowned and looked at Colin. “What does abdicate

mean?”

“It means he’ll let you choose the songs and he won’t whine

about it.”

She considered this for a moment before nodding. “Okay, but

you also have to play on easy for the rest of the night.”

Colin leaned toward Grady. “She takes this game seriously, in

case you haven’t noticed.”

Grady matched his pose with a smile. “Is there any other way?”
“Do we have a deal?” Noelle asked.
Hopping back to his feet, Grady grabbed the mic stand. “Deal.

Let’s rock-and-roll.”

What Grady lacked in talent, he made up with enthusiasm. He

sang with gusto, dancing and hopping around the room, and
generally made an ass of himself. Noelle was indifferent to his
antics, all of her energy focused on keeping the rhythm with her
drumsticks. Colin, however, was not so single-minded when it
came to Rock Band, and his attention drifted from the television
screen more than once. Grady was very energetic. Naturally, Colin
wanted to think about other ways for him to expend his energy,
which didn’t help him play any better. But Grady did make it to the
end of the song without dying once. Noelle applauded her approval
with a big smile before turning to Colin.

“You only got eighty-three percent. We could have had five

stars!”

“I’m still warming up.”
Grady nodded toward Colin. “Maybe we should make him play

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on easy.”

“Maybe you should stop jumping around and distracting me.”
He blinked in mock innocence, but Colin saw the teasing glint

in his eyes. “Noelle doesn’t seem to have any problems focusing
while I’m singing.”

“Maybe she’s good at tuning you out.”
“And you’re not?”
Colin met his eyes with a small quirk of his brow. “Not really.”
“Maybe it’s the pink scarf,” Noelle said. “You could take it off.

That might help Colin.”

“Sure. Whatever it takes to help Colin.” Grady whipped off the

scrap of fabric, but when he started to toss it aside, he hesitated.
“Let’s pick a different rock icon for the next song.” He shoved the
scarf into the back pocket of his jeans, letting the end hang out.
“How about Bruce Springsteen?”

“Who’s that?” Noelle asked.
Colin had to force himself to look away from Grady’s perfect

ass. He wanted to grip it with both hands and…but it was probably
best not to finish that thought. Especially while Noelle looked at
him expectantly.

“First, there aren’t any Bruce Springsteen songs in this game.

Second, nobody wants to see your impression of the Boss.” A
small lie. Colin would actually pay money to see that. “Third,
Noelle, I’m ashamed you even asked that question. I’ll get out a
few albums, we’ll listen to them tomorrow.”

“Can Grady listen, too?”
The question was innocent, as most of Noelle’s questions were.

But the air changed with it, becoming more charged, heavy with
expectation. Not his, he realized. Grady’s. He hadn’t reacted
visibly to the inquiry, ostensibly pulling the scarf from his pocket

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and setting it on the couch, but there was a sudden stiffness to the
way he held his head, like he was listening carefully for what Colin
might answer.

The only problem was, he didn’t know how.
When the silence dragged a second longer than was

uncomfortable, Grady flopped down on the other side of the couch,
closer to Noelle, and smiled ruefully at her. “Weekends are for
family time. I’d just be in the way. But thanks for thinking of me. I
appreciate it.”

“You can come over.” Colin began scrolling through the song

list so he didn’t have to look at Grady. “If you want.”

“He wants to, don’t you, Grady?”
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Grady’s surprised smile,

though he turned obediently toward Noelle to answer. “And get to
hang out with you? Of course, I do.” A pause. “Thanks, Colin.”

Colin nodded like it wasn’t a big deal and selected Float On .

Noelle sat at the ready, sticks poised over the drum pads, but Colin
was still sneaking glances at Grady. He seemed just as excited
about listening to Springsteen albums as Arturo had been about
sightseeing. Arturo didn’t have much downtime, so it made sense
for him to be eager to do something normal. But what was Grady’s
deal? Colin had a feeling that question was well on its way of
consuming his life.

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CHAPTER 9

The day might have started out shitty, but by the time nine

o’clock came rolling around, and Elaine popped into the living
room to remind Noelle it was time to go to bed, Grady decided the
end result was about as good as he could hope to get these days.

Talking Gwen into letting him pick up Elaine had started it all.

Elaine was warm and friendly, and didn’t make him feel like he
was the interloper only out for himself. And Noelle was a
wonderful surprise. Now, Colin’s commitment to the charity, in
spite of his obvious distaste for Grady, made sense. He had a
personal connection. A funny, sweet, little sister connection who
Grady adored on sight. His first thought was that she was like a
baby bird floundering outside of the nest. She was the tiniest ten-
year-old he’d ever seen. But appearances were deceptive. Noelle

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bubbled with smiles, and though he’d been around enough children
with fetal alcohol syndrome to recognize the slower brain function,
she didn’t seem to let it get in her way. She kept plugging on, even
when frustrations about her Earhart project reared their ugly heads.

He decided Elaine was probably the best mom on the planet, to

instill such values in her two kids. If she’d asked him to sign over
his Lexus instead of asking him to stay for dinner, he probably
would have done it without batting an eyelash.

When Colin came home, he’d braced himself for the worst. In

spite of the truly phenomenal sex, their night had ended abysmally.
His jealousy had gotten the worst of him, and honestly, if Colin
decided Arturo was a better choice, Grady couldn’t even blame
him. He would probably pick Arturo over himself, too. Arturo was
a flirt, but at least he was a good-natured one. He and Colin were
perfect for each other in a lot of different ways.

The thing of it was…the worst never came. Colin was wary at

first, but once they got into the Rock Band, it became more about
the music and Noelle and having fun than their history. He’d even
laughed once when Grady started playing air guitar during Gimme
Shelter and tripped over the mic stand in his enthusiasm. Grady
would have tried recreating it if it hadn’t looked like such an
obvious ploy for more Happy Colin. So he just focused on having
fun, all the way until Noelle left the two of them alone, after
surprising Grady with a quick good night hug.

He flopped down on the end of the couch and stretched out his

legs. “I guess my rock star days are over. I gotta work on my
stamina.”

“Is this where I tell you I’ve never had any complaints about

your stamina?”

He rolled his head along the back of the couch to look at Colin.

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He was too comfortable in the moment to lift it. “Only if you mean
it.”

Colin grinned. “You do look pretty beat. Don’t worry. I can

barely keep up with her, either.”

“She’s pretty great. It’s good to see the success stories, you

know? It makes it easier to keep trudging along when it doesn’t
feel like you’re getting anything accomplished.”

“Yeah, it is. You…” Colin turned his body toward Grady.

“Why did you come here? I mean, Chicago, not my house.”

The question came out of the blue. Colin had never expressed

an interest in actually hearing about Grady’s life prior to Chicago.
He’d made a lot of snap judgments instead. A step in the right
direction? It was hard not to let his hopes begin to simmer again,
but he answered Colin anyway, as bluntly as he dared.

“My father suggested it might be a good idea for me to try and

get some autonomy. You know, be Grady James, instead of Oliver
James’s son. I picked Chicago, because I knew I wanted to
concentrate on the Foundation, and Chicago is the biggest hub for
the satellite offices. I had the best chances at success here.”

“What happens after you make a name for yourself?”
“What do you mean? I get to be me.”
“As laudable as that accomplishment would be, I meant, what

are you going to do professionally? You didn’t come to Chicago so
you could work in our tiny office for the rest of your life.”

He hadn’t thought about it. He was focused on the here, the

now, because if he didn’t stay focused, he risked losing everything.
He wasn’t sure Colin would believe a word of that, though.

“What brought all this on?” he asked instead. “Are you worried

I’m going to bail on Noelle? Because I won’t. I swear it. I know
what stability means for her.”

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Colin blinked at him. “You know, that isn’t what I was worried

about. I don’t expect you to vow that you’ll never leave Chicago
just because you’ve…befriended my sister. Remember when I said
I doubted your sincerity? It’s because of things like this.”

“Why else would you even ask, though? You’ve never cared to

find out before. The only thing that’s different is now I’ve met
Noelle, so if it’s not about her, what is it about?”

“Because you said that it’s always good to see the successful

stories. It occurred to me that you might have been here because
you actually cared about the work, not just making a name for
yourself to impress your father.”

“I never said a word about impressing my father.” Colin’s

assumption pissed him off, and he sat up, reaching for the mic
stand to put it away. “And I do care about the work. This charity
means the world to me. But it doesn’t matter what I say, because
you’re always just going to jump to the worst possible conclusion.”

“Well, I was trying to give you the benefit of the doubt when I

asked why you came to Chicago. Just…okay, I promise I won’t
jump to any conclusions. Why this charity? Why does it mean the
world to you?”

He concentrated on moving the mic back to its place in the

corner, rather than the wealth of emotions Colin’s questions raised.
Colin probably thought they were simple. Any other day, he might
have mocked Grady’s answers. But he’d made a promise to listen,
and Grady was going to believe him, at least one more time.

“Do you know how the Foundation got started?”
“Your grandmother.”
“It was her passion. From the time I knew her, she only cared

about two things. This charity, and me.”

“She did a lot before she died.”

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“She did.” He perched on the arm of the couch, lost in a sudden

memory. “Every Sunday, from the time I was seven, until she died
two years ago, we had Sunday tea with a different adoptive family.
She kept track of every child in New York state with the diagnosis,
and every time one finally found a home, we visited. She was
amazing.”

“She sounds it.”
“If I’m dedicated to the Foundation, it’s because of her. She

can’t quite compare to your mom, but she was the closest thing I
ever had.”

“What would happen if you weren’t dedicated to the

Foundation? I mean…I doubt Oliver’s very concerned with the
Foundation in general, let alone the smaller charities under its
umbrella.”

“He’s not. According to him, it’s a sinkhole. The only time he

pays any attention to it at all is when he needs some good PR. But
you’re asking a moot question, because I’m not walking away.
Even if people would rather see the back of me.”

“I guess I’m probably to blame for making you defensive,

aren’t I?”

Grady sighed. “It’s not just you. There are some people back in

New York who don’t think I can make it without my father looking
over my shoulder to make sure I don’t screw up. And nobody else
in the office trusts me, either. So, you know, don’t sweat it. I’ll
come through. It’s what I do.”

Colin slid across the couch and ran his knuckles down Grady’s

arm. “I trust you.”

Though the gentle touch raised goose bumps along his skin,

Grady shook his head. “No, you don’t. You think I have shtick.
Which I do, sometimes. Just not when you thought I did.”

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“Yeah, well, that’s true. But I trust you know what you’re

doing now. I think the benefit will be a big success for the charity
and you, in that order. I trust that you want the best for children
like my sister. And honestly, if Noelle likes you, I pretty much
have to take you off my shit list.”

Grady snorted. “Who are you, and what have you done with

Colin Braugher?”

“Maybe I’m just more inclined to like you when I’m tired or

one of us is impaired.”

Mentioning how tired he was reminded Grady of how he’d

spent his day, but the sharp edge of jealousy didn’t cripple him like
it had the night before. He was sober enough to see how he’d
acted. Getting that drunk? He didn’t do that. Yet, the thought of
sitting there, having to listen to Colin and Arturo flirt had been too
much to bear without the alcohol.

“It’s just a shame we can’t figure out how to do that when

we’re not.” He stood and stretched, grimacing when his back
cracked. “So I’ll take my cue and say good night while it looks like
I’m actually ahead for a change.”

“You don’t have to. You can come upstairs and listen to an

album. Springsteen if you want, but I have a lot of vinyl.”

The invitation stunned him. Carefully, he lowered his arms, his

gaze never leaving Colin’s face. “Why? I thought you were tired.”

“I am. I had a long day chasing after a guy who has boundless

energy and his own shtick that gets a little less charming with
every hour. But now I think it would be really nice to stretch out
on the floor with you and listen to music.”

His first thought was, He doesn’t think Arturo’s charming!
The second was more of an image, of Colin in exactly the

position he described, eyes closed as something played in the

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background. Grady didn’t know what. The music didn’t matter.
What mattered was that in Grady’s head, Colin was naked and
hard.

His third thought was, Maybe Colin’s naked in his fantasy, too.
“I’d love to. But I’m not sure if we stretched out like that, if I

could promise not to touch you. And I’d really rather not have your
mom kick me out because I took advantage of her son under her
own roof.”

Colin chuckled. “Mom’s not going to kick you out. Are you

kidding? If she caught us together, she’d probably start planning
our wedding.” He stood and reached for Grady’s hand. “That was
mostly a joke, by the way.”

When his fingers curled around Colin’s, he would’ve sworn a

shock went through him. It was a curious gesture, both innocent
and full of promise, and he was powerless to refuse. He followed
Colin up the narrow stairs, but when they reached a closed door at
the end of the hall, he curled his free arm around Colin’s waist and
drew him back until their bodies were flush together.

“I was thinking earlier when Noelle went to bed that today

turned out to be the best day I’ve had here so far,” he murmured.
He pressed a light kiss to Colin’s nape, allowing himself the luxury
of closing his eyes for a moment and simply breathing him in. “But
you just topped it.”

Colin twisted the doorknob and pulled Grady inside, turning

around to face him once the door shut behind them. Colin reached
past Grady’s hip to lock the door, and his mouth was so
maddeningly close. All Grady needed to do was turn his head just
a little bit, and their lips would be touching.

“I’m beginning to think that you’re actually a nice guy. Maybe

everything isn’t a line.”

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“It’s not.” He tried to smile, and maybe he did, but he couldn’t

take his eyes off Colin’s mouth. “I’m not that smart.”

Colin kissed the corner of his mouth, but moved away before

Grady could turn his head to claim more. The bedroom was tiny—
he wasn’t even sure they could both comfortably fit on the patch of
visible carpet—but clean and utterly Colin. Grady didn’t want to
admit how happy it made him to be invited into Colin’s small,
private space. He watched as Colin flipped through his impressive
case of records, finally choosing what appeared to be a David
Bowie album.

“Arturo couldn’t get tickets for the concert he wanted to see. So

he asked me if I wanted to go on a moonlight cruise with him, and
he seemed to think it was a given I’d want to spend all day and
night with him. I don’t.” Colin looked over his shoulder to meet
Grady’s eyes. “So… you know… whatever happened last night…
we don’t need to do that again.”

His reference to Grady’s childish, drunken behavior was

embarrassing, but necessary, especially since his confession turned
the low burn in his gut to a high, roaring flame. Arturo wasn’t even
a consideration. Colin was with exactly who he wanted to be with.
“Okay,” Grady agreed, and then blurted, “I was jealous. I’m
sorry.”

“Your jealousy might not have been totally misplaced. It’s not

like I have to tell you how hot Arturo is, and I’m really flattered by
his attention. I know, that doesn’t really make you feel better.”
Colin sat and patted the bed beside him in invitation. “But I only
agreed to go with him today because I figured it was part of my
job.”

Grady crossed the short distance and sat. His heart was

thudding against his ribs. He felt like he was sixteen again, nervous

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and unsure. At odds with his own anxiety, Colin seemed
completely at ease. “You two got along so well at dinner. And you
didn’t even balk at going out with him. I guess…well, it pissed me
off that I had to work so hard just to get you to talk to me, and all
Arturo had to do was bat those baby browns.”

Colin grinned. “Like you’re above batting your baby blues

when the occasion warrants it.”

“Yes, well, it didn’t work as well for me, now did it?”
“Considering what happened last night and last Saturday, I’d

say you’ve got a much higher rate of success than he does.”

“I’m more persistent.” He half-leaned into, half-nudged Colin’s

arm. “And a better kisser.”

“You kissed Arturo?”
He hadn’t, but he liked the way Colin reacted to the possibility.

“Now who’s the jealous one?”

“Maybe I should kiss him, too, so I can make a proper

comparison and see if you really are the better kisser.”

And just like that, it wasn’t a game anymore. “Oh, no, you

won’t.” Grady scooped his hand around the back of Colin’s neck
and drew him closer. “He can’t have you.”

He meant for the kiss to claim Colin as his own, but the

moment their mouths touched, Grady’s resolve dissipated. Instead
of an onslaught, it was a caress, tender and searching as parted lips
lingered for long seconds before the tip of his tongue traced the
delicate skin. Colin’s breath caught audibly, and his hand came to
rest on Grady’s knee, but he didn’t try to deepen the kiss, or push
for more. For the moment, he seemed content to let Grady work
gently across his mouth, nibbling a corner here, tasting a swell
there.

His chest had loosened by the time he was done, but other parts

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of him had swung the other way, hardening and tensing in
excitement. He kept his hand on the back of Colin’s neck,
massaging carefully.

“I really do like you, you know. That’s not a line.”
Colin pressed closer to Grady, skimming his lips over Grady’s

in the lightest caress, sharing a soft puff of breath. “I think I like
you, too.”

The words were a gift, whether Colin realized it or not. They

encompassed everything Grady had hoped for, and proved Colin
had been telling the truth about trusting him. Even a tired Colin
wouldn’t lie about something like that.

Their next kiss lasted longer, each of them taking his time to

explore in ways they hadn’t previously. Colin’s hand crept up
Grady’s thigh, and Grady responded by reaching across and
grasping Colin’s hip. The tangle of arms put Grady solidly in
Colin’s embrace, a place both new and a little strange for him. He
was accustomed to being more in control, and certainly, in their
previous encounters, he had been. But letting Colin take it this time
felt oddly right, and definitely exhilarating.

Everything had been so rushed before, both of them focused on

the mutual goal of getting off. Now, they seemed to have a
different goal, though Grady wasn’t quite sure what it was. Colin’s
fingers worked over Grady’s thigh and groin, dancing across firm
flesh, massaging and tantalizing. They kissed until Grady’s lips felt
a little raw from the pressure and the constant movement of
whiskers over skin. Colin’s mouth was a little salty and infinitely
soft. No matter how many times Grady slid his tongue into its
depths, he never grew tired of it. He could probably kiss Colin all
night, not stopping until the room turned golden with new light.

Colin braced his hand on Grady’s shoulder and pushed him

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back until he was propped against the pillows. Colin settled
between his legs, one arm wrapped around his shoulders, the other
hand pushing beneath Grady’s shirt, seeking the warm stretch of
skin over his ribs.

Hooking his heel around the back of Colin’s calf was instinct.

A satisfied moan rumbled from Colin’s throat, and Grady gasped
to catch it. He wanted more of those. He’d loved Colin’s needy
whimpers, but like their tempo, this was different. The sounds
Colin made hummed dark, decadent promises, hints of what his
clever fingers teased at when they tweaked a hard nipple. Grady
had to slip his hand up the back of Colin’s shirt and splay his
fingers wide to hold on, because he already felt like he was falling.
Colin was the cause and his anchor. In the back of his mind, he
wondered if Colin knew that.

Colin worked Grady’s shirt higher and higher until he finally

sat up to pull it over Grady’s head. Grady mimicked him, sighing
when Colin settled against Grady’s chest again, allowing skin to
slide against skin. Colin didn’t meet his mouth again. He ducked
his head and the tip of his nose brushed over his collarbone. He
followed that with his lips. Then again with his tongue. Grady
tilted his head back and swallowed hard, lost in the sensations of
silky skin and rough whiskers and the occasional catch of teeth.

“Last night…” His voice was hoarse with desire, his head

spinning. He squeezed his eyes shut to try and control the shivering
taking over beneath his skin, but Colin spoiled success by nibbling
at a tender piece of flesh at the base of his throat. “You weren’t
ready to…take things further. But, you know…” He cried out
when teeth closed around a bare nipple, arching away from the bed
to strengthen the contact between them. How was he supposed to
think straight when Colin did that? He gritted his teeth and inhaled

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deeply, to better find the fortitude to finish what he’d been trying
to get out. “Nothing says we couldn’t switch it around.”

Colin paused and looked up through the dark fringe of lashes.

Grady watched as he pursed his lips and kissed the tip of his
nipple, his tongue darting out to delicately sample the skin. “You
want me to fuck you? Tell me.”

His ass clenched at hearing the bald words. “Yeah. I want you

to fuck me. We can move it to the floor if your bed squeaks, and I
can be quiet. I promise. Whatever it takes. Please, Colin.”

Colin moaned and surged up Grady’s body to claim his mouth.

This kiss was harder, a bit sloppy, and he rocked his hips, pushing
rhythmically against Grady. The mattress didn’t squeak, and the
headboard didn’t slam against the wall. Colin broke away from the
kiss long enough to smile with satisfaction, then resumed licking at
Grady’s mouth and chin and jaw.

“I’m definitely going to fuck you.”
To quell the shudders already coursing through him, Grady

curled his other leg around Colin’s, in anticipation of spreading for
him for real, and wrapped his arms around Colin’s shoulders. His
fingertips dug into the hard muscle, and he buried his mouth in the
curve of Colin’s neck, mimicking the attack Colin was making on
his skin. He had to pause every time Colin scraped his beard over
him, because his lungs always seized at the rough contact, but he
made it up by leaving no inch untouched.

Their groins rubbed against each other with matching strokes.

It teased of what it would be like once Colin was buried inside
him, and how his cock would slide across that hard stomach every
time Colin moved. He hadn’t been fucked in almost a year, and
that guy hadn’t exactly been well endowed. The knowledge that he
would be tight for this added to his excitement. Both of them

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would remember this long after the night was gone.

The room plunged into silence as the last track on the album

finished. Grady barely noticed, except for the fact that Colin pulled
away from him. Grady groaned in protest and pulled him back, but
Colin was determined and managed to break free of Grady’s hold.
He watched, cock throbbing against his too-tight jeans, while Colin
turned the vinyl over, shucked his pants, and bent to grab
something beneath the bed. Grady unzipped his pants and had
them down to his ankles by the time Colin straightened, holding a
bottle of lube.

Colin knelt between Grady’s legs, curving forward to nuzzle

against Grady’s cock. He barely felt the soft pressure of Colin’s
lips, but he felt every single whisker as the rough ends dragged
over his sensitive tip, tracing through the gathering pre-come.

He reached to settle his hand on the back of Colin’s head, but

Colin moved at the last moment, grinning as he slipped beyond
reach. Grady had to watch while he bent his head again, this time
along the inside of Grady’s thigh. His muscles twitched, but he
planted his heel into the mattress to keep from shying away from
the almost delicate kisses. His skin had never been this sensitive
before. He wondered if that was because of how long it had taken
them to get naked, or all their kisses, or the fact that it was Colin
between his legs. Probably all three.

Colin’s mouth traveled over both thighs in different textures

and speeds, sharpening Grady’s pleasure until his whole body was
covered in goose bumps. His abdomen was tight, tendrils of hot
desire winding from his stomach to his throat, tighter and hotter
with each brush of contact. When Colin straightened, Grady didn’t
know if he should be disappointed or relieved. His senses were
heightened, and the click of the bottle cap lifting echoed in his

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ears.

The lube was cold against his hot skin. Almost too cold. He

automatically jerked away from Colin’s probing fingers, hissing
from the shock of it. Colin smiled a little before wrapping his lips
around Grady’s cock, allowing the silky heat of his mouth to
distract Grady from the cool fingers sliding into his ass.

“Oh, God…”
Colin hadn’t settled for a single digit. He’d started with two,

and the stretch suffused heat through his hips, in spite of the
chillier slick easing their passage. When Grady spread his legs
wider, he inadvertently pushed a couple more inches of his shaft
into Colin’s mouth. Colin took them. Then, he took some more.
His fingers didn’t stop, twisting and digging, curling at least once
to brush against Grady’s prostate.

“Do you know what you do to me?” He kept his voice at a

whisper, too worried about drawing undue attention and having
this glorious night interrupted. “Jesus, Col, I stop thinking straight
whenever I see you. And when I’m lucky enough to touch…” His
words ended in a choked cry when Colin pressed a third finger
inside him.

Colin stretched his body over Grady’s, his fingers pumping in

and out of him slowly, almost languid. Grady didn’t lose time
catching Colin’s mouth, and he tasted traces of his own pre-come
still clinging to Colin’s tongue. If Colin would move his hand a
little faster or kiss him a little harder, he knew he would be
consumed by his pleasure and lust. But Colin kept it slow, kept his
flesh in a constant state of want, his thoughts in a constant loop of
pleading for just a little bit more.

“I can’t even begin to understand what you do to me.”
Grady smiled against his mouth. “Apparently, I bring out your

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aggressive side.”

“You do.” Colin thrust his fingers inside with a bit more force,

and Grady’s cock jerked. “Not to mention the way you irritate me
and drive me crazy.”

“I guess it’s a good thing I’m good at the sex part.” He

slithered a hand between their bodies and found Colin’s prick,
gripping it with the same amount of strength Colin was using.
“Though I think I drive you crazy with this, too.”

“You do,” Colin choked out, resting his head on Grady’s

shoulder, thrusting against Grady’s hand. His skin was hot, so slick
that Grady’s fingers kept slipping and pre-come coated his palm.
“I’ve never wanted anybody the way I want you.”

“Me, neither.” And it was true, though he had no doubts he’d

had a lot more partners than Colin had. He didn’t get jealous, and
he didn’t get plastered, and he didn’t let dreams of skinny dark-
haired boys consume his days and nights. Until now. Turning his
head, Grady brushed a kiss over Colin’s ear. “And you want to be
inside me right now, don’t you? You don’t want my hand. You
want my ass. You want to pound into me until we’re both wrecked
from it, I know you do.”

“God, yes I do. Do you have a condom?”
“Wallet.” He had to let go when Colin peeled away to reach for

Grady’s pants, but the view made it all worth it. “I’m not rolling
over, by the way. I plan on watching you the whole time.”

Colin reached into the back pocket and pulled Grady’s wallet

out, not commenting on the designer label. He handled the leather
with his dry hand, awkwardly flipping it open and snagging the
corner of the condom between his thumb and forefinger. Time
seemed to slow as Colin opened the wrapper with his teeth, and
Grady’s ass clenched with his anticipation. He stared openly,

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fascinated by the lines of Colin’s body, the thickness of his cock,
and the way his spine arched as he slid the condom on. He poured
more lube over his length, smiling a little as he spread it from the
tip to the base.

“Remember to be quiet,” Colin murmured, settling between

Grady’s legs. “I’m gonna go slow.”

“Is whispering allowed?” To demonstrate his point, he cupped

the back of Colin’s head and pulled him down until they were
chest to chest, and his mouth had returned to Colin’s ear. “I’m glad
you’re going slow. I want to feel every second of this.”

“Whispering’s allowed.” Colin braced himself with one hand

and used the other to position the head of his cock at Grady’s slick
entrance. “Oh my God. Oh my God, Grady. Oh my God.”

Colin didn’t stop whispering as he slid into Grady’s channel.

He kept his word, easing in a half-inch at a time, pausing to catch
his breath and kiss Grady while he waited for the tight muscles to
adjust around him. When he was fully sheathed, he pulled away
from Grady’s mouth and gasped for breath.

“Tell me how it feels.”
He’d taunted about whispering, but now that Colin was buried

inside him, Grady could barely breathe. His eyes burned, and his
skin was tight, and he swore he could feel Colin in every cell of his
body. Swallowing hard, he slid his free hand down Colin’s back,
molding over one perfect buttock and squeezing at the same time
he tightened around Colin’s cock.

“Better than I ever thought possible. So good, you’re going to

have some serious trouble getting rid of me now, I hope you know
that.”

Colin laughed, but it was more of a shaky exhale. “I already

figured that, Grady.”

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He rolled his hips, rocking against Grady without pulling out.

For the moment, Grady didn’t want anything more than that. He
wrapped himself around Colin, breathing hard as the pleasure
beneath his skin built, growing to consume every inch of him.
When he thought he couldn’t take another second of the pressure,
Colin eased his hips back, adding the most delicious friction.
Grady gritted his teeth, swallowing back a loud moan.

The room spun, but he didn’t dare shut his eyes, no matter how

dizzy he got. He was going to watch Colin from start to finish. He
was going to see each bead of sweat form on his brow, each
glimmer of lust in his bright eyes, each quirk of his mouth when
he’d surprise Grady with a smile. Grady would never tire of those.
They were worth every second of fighting they’d suffered through,
especially since those seconds had led them to here, and now, and
this exhilaration as Colin carefully pressed forward again.

Colin reached between them and fisted Grady’s cock. His palm

traveled up and down the length slowly, and he squeezed every
time he thrust forward. Grady clenched around him, bearing down
so tightly on Colin that he wasn’t sure how the other man could
even move. He wasn’t sure how either of them could move. His
body had a will of its own, straining for more contact and friction,
yearning for anything more Colin could give him.

“Fuck, you’re killing me, Grady. God.”
“I’m killing you? Are you kidding me?” He caught Colin’s

mouth in a bruising kiss, a study in contrast to the languorous pace
of their lower halves. Teeth nipped at tender lips, tongues twisted
together only to come apart again with harsh pants from both of
them. He stared up at Colin, awed and more than a little
overwhelmed. “I’m going to fly apart here, and we’ve just started.”

“Don’t fly apart yet.” He licked as the sweat gathering on

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Grady’s neck, and the rasp of his tongue was almost enough to
undo him. “I don’t want to stop.”

Neither did Grady. He was starting to believe he was never

going to be able to walk away from Colin, all their teasing be
damned.

Colin slackened his grip on Grady’s cock, enough to pull him

back from the brink, but his strokes didn’t speed up. He seemed to
need every possible inch of contact, stopping only when his balls
slapped lightly against Grady’s ass, or when just the very tip
remained inside his channel. It meant time to adjust to the
thickness inside him, for the edge of pain to melt away, leaving the
rising inferno behind. It also meant trembling every time Colin
withdrew, and gasping when he’d thrust forward again.

“Faster.” He mouthed along Colin’s shoulder, licking at the

sinew and trying not to beg more than he already was. “God, I
know you said slow, but I can’t take this, Col. I can’t. Please fuck
me faster. Or harder. I’ll settle for harder. Just anything. Please.”

“Wait a sec.” Colin pushed himself up to his knees and looked

down at Grady with heavy-lidded eyes. He stroked Grady’s cock
with firm fingers, winding him tighter and tighter until he thought
he’d snap in two. When Colin released him, he instantly missed the
pressure, but his moan of protest was overwhelmed by a sudden
yelp as Colin drove his hips forward, taking advantage of his new
leverage. Colin slapped his hand down on Grady’s mouth,
smearing the taste of his own pre-come across his lips.

Grady bit back his scream and bowed away from the bed,

meeting Colin’s new fevered thrusts with equal, unleashed need.
He grappled for any kind of purchase on Colin’s body, his fingers
sliding against sweaty skin and rippling muscles until he finally got
a grip around a single thigh. With Colin’s hand still firmly

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muffling his mouth, it was the best he could do. And when he felt
the first rough glide across his prostate, the sparks shooting
through his balls and along his cock, his need for Colin to finish
jerking him off eased.

Colin’s bottom lip was caught between his teeth and he grunted

softly with each snap of his hips. The world narrowed down to
Colin, everything except his flawless body falling away. But when
Colin hit his prostate, it was hard to even see that much. His vision
blurred and sweat stung his eyes. The room smelled of sex and the
only sound besides Colin’s grunts was the sharp slap of flesh
hitting flesh.

“I want you to come first. I want to feel it.”
If Colin had moved his hand from Grady’s mouth, he would

have heard every plea and promise to give Colin what he wanted,
as long as he didn’t stop. But without being able to utter the words,
Grady could only look at him and nod.

He opened himself up to the sensations, to the heat of their

bodies and the thick shaft splitting his ass, to the burn in Colin’s
eyes and the sting of their short nails digging into their flesh. He
gave up trying to hold it back, letting the pleasure crest beneath his
skin. His balls tightened, and his body moved of its own accord,
and then, there it was, the rush slamming forward to greet him, hot
and heavy and too much to resist.

Everything in Grady locked down. His cock jerked without

being touched, thick strands of come shooting onto his chest, and
for the first time, he had to close his eyes, the world just too white-
bright. Crying out against Colin’s palm, he struggled not to shatter.
He wasn’t entirely sure he succeeded.

“Oh…fuck.” Colin’s voice was even louder in the absence of

music. But neither of them cared. Not while Colin was vibrating

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with the force of his orgasm, his cock twitching deep in Grady’s
channel. He rocked his hips again and again, like he was pushing
for every second of pleasure he could get, milking the pleasure for
as long as possible.

As soon as he could, Grady caught Colin’s wrist and pulled it

away from his mouth, kissing the palm once before tugging Colin
down. He landed with an oomph, and an awkward crush of their
lips, but it was the weight of him Grady wanted, the nearness and
knowledge that the sex had been overwhelming for both of them.

“I kinda wish we’d done that last night,” Colin said between

kisses.

Grady smiled. “Me, too. Except not instead of. In addition to.”
Colin let the tension leave his muscles, resting his full weight

on Grady. Grady really didn’t mind. “Mmm. Yes. You really are
good at this sex thing.”

Slowly, he skimmed his hands up and down Colin’s back,

closing his eyes and simply enjoying the moment. “So what
happens now? Can I talk you into coming back to my place to
spend the night?”

“Can we compromise? I’m too tired to go anywhere right now.

But you come back tomorrow for lunch, we’ll listen to some
albums with Noelle, then you and I can go back to your place. Or
anywhere else you like.”

His hands stopped. “Wait. You’d actually let me take you out

on a real date?”

“Sure. I…well…I don’t think I’d mind spending a few non-

naked hours with you. We didn’t get in one fight tonight. Well, not
a serious one.”

“I’m willing to try if you are. We can do whatever you want.”

He smiled, though Colin wouldn’t be able to see it in their current

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cuddling position. “If I promise to set aside being jealous, and you
promise not to assume I’m insincere, we should be home free.”

“I’ll do my best.”
That was all Grady could hope for.

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CHAPTER 10

Colin woke up feeling refreshed and fantastic. The morning

light had a certain quality to it that made Colin think this was
going to be a beautiful spring day. He heard Noelle watching
cartoons downstairs, the neighbor kids playing in the street, and his
mother moving around the kitchen, and the familiar sounds added
to his overall feeling of delight. He kicked his blankets down to his
feet and stretched leisurely, reaching his arms high overhead and
arching his spine. In no hurry to get up, he settled back against the
mattress and idly scratching his chest, considering his plan for the
day. He needed to finish his regular weekend chores, check his
work voice mail and email, listen to albums with Noelle and
Grady…

Colin stopped, repeating that last part back to himself. Grady

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was coming over for lunch. Grady would be back in just a few
hours because Colin had invited him over for the day after fucking
him until they were both mostly incoherent. He turned those facts
over in his mind, remembering more and more of the details as his
brain became more alert. He didn’t regret any of it, not even the
invitation, but what on earth had possessed him to let Grady stay,
invite him up to his bedroom, and fuck him right there on his
childhood bed? Not to mention the fact that they were going on a
date now. An actual date.

Actually, Colin knew what possessed him, besides the fact that

Grady was unbelievably hot and they had serious sexual chemistry.
Playing Rock Band with Grady had been really fun. Watching him
with Noelle also shifted his opinion of Grady in general. For the
first time, he felt like he actually had a glimpse of the real Grady
James. The one who existed if you stripped away the money, the
family name, and the perfect façade. And once all that was gone,
Colin didn’t find him objectionable in the slightest.

Their date that night would be the real test. Colin wanted to

give Grady the benefit of the doubt, and he was not going to look
for the negative side to everything the other man said. If they
couldn’t go through the whole night without irritating each other,
what did it mean? Was he going to stop sleeping with Grady?
Colin didn’t want that. Not after last night. It would be criminal to
deny either one of them that sort of pleasure.

He stretched again and rolled out of bed. He added change the

sheets to his mental list of chores and shuffled into the bathroom to
shower away the dry flecks of come and the lingering stench of
sweat. He busied himself with chores after that, cleaning the
bathroom, his bedroom, taking out the trash, and vacuuming the
living room. Almost as soon as he finished, Grady knocked on the

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door. Colin’s stomach fluttered, and by the time he reached the
door, his chest and throat felt a little tight. He was actually excited,
and a little nervous, to see Grady. That feeling didn’t go away
when he opened the door to Grady’s wide smile and sparkling
eyes.

Noelle raced down the stairs and nearly collided with Grady’s

legs in her excitement. Colin smiled as she told Grady about her
morning—she saw two kittens in the adjoining yard, Mom said she
couldn’t have a pet, her favorite show has a new episode, they had
eggs and bacon for breakfast—and Grady patiently responded to
each of her stories with the appropriate follow-up questions.

“Noelle, why don’t you go tell Mom Grady’s here,” Colin

suggested when she finally seemed a bit breathless with all her
talking. She amiably left to find Elaine, leaving the two men
standing in the entryway. Colin suddenly felt inexplicably,
illogically shy.

“I know I’m a little early,” Grady said, hesitating in the foyer.

“I hope that doesn’t throw things off.”

“No, it’s fine.” He wanted to kiss Grady, but Noelle or Elaine

could be back any second. Everything was too new and strange to
explain, and he would have to explain if they were caught sucking
face. “Come on in. Do you want something to drink?”

“Nah, I’m good. But thanks.” He followed Colin into the living

room and took the corner of the couch, the one Colin was already
starting to think of as his. He fidgeted more than once, finally
settling his ankle on his knee, but when he lifted his gaze and
offered Colin a half-smile, it dawned on Colin why. Grady was
nervous. “I’ve been up since six. I cleared any possible work issues
so I wouldn’t have to worry about interruptions for the rest of the
day.”

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“Six? You didn’t leave here until after two.” Colin sat beside

him, resisting the natural inclination to put a decent amount of
space between them. “You’re not going to need a nap later, will
you?”

“And miss out on spending time with you? No way. I’ll

mainline Red Bulls if I have to.” He stretched his arm across the
back of the couch, his fingertips grazing lightly across Colin’s
nape. “I was too excited to sleep anyway. You have no idea how
much I’m looking forward to this.”

It was difficult to remember his promise when Grady said

things like that. He appreciated the sentiment, but how could
anybody be so excited to see him that it impaired their sleep? The
implication of expectation made him uncomfortable, too. What if it
was just a normal date, not particularly good or bad? Would Grady
be disappointed then, too? But then he remembered the night
before and the look on Grady’s face when he mentioned that
nobody believed in him right now. He was clearly lonely, and
maybe the prospect of spending time with somebody really was
that exciting.

“I spent the morning taking care of my to-do list, so I’m yours

until tomorrow.”

“Good.” The widening of his smile was pure relief. “Did you

have thoughts on what you wanted to do? It’s completely up to
you. We could hang out here, or go out to dinner, or you know, if
you were having second thoughts about calling this a real date, we
could call Gwen or Arturo or anyone and make it more of a group
effort. Your call.”

Grady’s nerves were a little comforting. It was good to know

they were both a little anxious. “I don’t want to hang out at home
all night, and I definitely don’t want this to be a group effort. I just

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want to go on a nice, normal date. With you.”

“Normal usually means dinner and a movie. Which is fine, if

that’s what you want. But if you don’t care, I saw something online
that looks interesting. And as of this morning, it still hadn’t sold
out.”

Colin leaned a little closer, still wishing he could kiss Grady

but contenting himself with the warmth of his body. “What? Or is
it a surprise?”

Grady laughed. “I think I’m done with surprises for a while.

It’s a class actually. Sushi making. I thought it sounded like fun.”

“That actually does sound like fun. Yeah, let’s do that.”
“Well, well, well aren’t we cozy in here,” Elaine said brightly

as she entered the room, Noelle right behind her.

“Cozy,” Noelle echoed, crawling onto the couch and settling as

close to Colin as he was to Grady. “What are you talking about?”

“A sushi class.”
“What’s sushi?”
“Raw fish and seaweed.”
Noelle wrinkled her nose. “Really? That’s gross.”
Grady leaned across Colin’s lap to peer into Noelle’s eyes.

“Have you ever had sushi, young lady?”

“No.”
“So how do you know it’s gross?”
“You’re not really trying to reason with her about food, are

you, Grady?” Elaine asked, laughing.

“Fish is slimy,” Noelle said. “It makes me gag.”
“Do you like rice?”
“That’s not fish.”
“I know, but it’s in sushi, too. Do you like it?”
“Yeah.”

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“So how about this. We’ll bring back a piece of sushi we make

for you to try. Something called a California roll. If it still makes
you gag after you try it, I’ll take you and your mom out to eat
sometime this week, your choice of food, to make up for it.”

“What about Colin?”
Grady straightened and looked at him with a tilt of his head and

a smile. “Well, that’s up to him.”

Colin smiled, realizing Noelle already had Grady wrapped

around her finger. Generally, nobody was immune to her charms,
and Grady was no exception. As the afternoon progressed, Colin
had no reason to change his opinion. Noelle insisted on sitting next
to Grady during lunch, giving him a tour of her bedroom, and
introducing him to her favorite toys. The only time she didn’t act
like she was replacing Colin with Grady was when they all
squeezed into his room to listen to music. Then she took her place
on Colin’s lap, curled against his chest with her eyes closed.

“Is she asleep?” Grady asked softly.
Colin shook his head. “No, she’s just listening.”
Since the class started at seven, Colin began the work of

herding Grady toward the door at five. He said it was to beat
traffic, but he mostly just wanted to have a few minutes of quality
kissing time before they were surrounded by people again.

Grady stopped on the front step and turned back to Elaine.

“Thanks again for another great day.”

“You’re welcome anytime.” She stepped forward and gave him

a hug that seemed to startle Grady for a moment. He recovered
quickly, however, and returned the squeeze, a smile lingering on
his face when she stepped back. “You two have fun tonight.”

“That’s the plan.”
“And don’t worry about how late you get,” she directed to

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Colin.

“So the ten o’clock curfew isn’t in effect?”
She swatted at his arm. “That hasn’t been in effect since I

realized it’d be a miracle to get you to stay out past six.”

“Goodnight, Mom.” Colin waited until Elaine was behind the

closed door before turning to Grady. “I guess I don’t have an
excuse not to go home with you tonight.”

“Oh, please.” Grady caught his hand and started down the

sidewalk for the car. “After last night, you would’ve sneaked out
again, just to come over and get some more.”

“If I tried to deny that, you wouldn’t believe me at all, would

you?”

“Nope. I was there. I have firsthand knowledge that is

irrefutable.” They reached the Lexus, but Grady didn’t let him go.
He stepped closer, closer than they’d been all day, his nose only
inches from Colin’s. “How long do I have to wait to kiss you? Can
I do it here, or do we still have to be discreet?”

Colin answered by grasping the back of Grady’s neck and

tilting his head forward. The kiss he pressed to Grady’s mouth was
short and soft. His lips were warm and pliant, and Colin had only
meant to tease him a little, but once he got a taste he wanted
another one. The second kiss started with closed lips, but when he
felt the brush of Grady’s tongue against his mouth he parted his
lips in invitation.

The caress remained delicate, languid in their shallow

exploration. Grady’s skin was hot beneath Colin’s hand, and he
moaned in the back of his throat when Colin nibbled at the corner
of his mouth.

“The problem with kissing you is I never want to stop once

we’ve started,” he murmured when they parted.

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“Mmm, that’s what I was afraid of,” Colin said, already

missing the pressure and texture of Grady’s mouth. “Noelle is
smart for her age, but I didn’t want to have to explain what you
were doing to her brother.”

“No, I can’t imagine that would be an easy conversation just

yet.” Grady finally let him go, though the slow release of his
fingers was proof of how reluctant he really was. “It’ll be good for
me, though. I hang around her with you in the room, and I might
actually learn some self-control.”

“What a thought.” Colin settled in the passenger seat, for once

not annoyed by the leather interior. Possibly because he wasn’t
deeply invested in finding things to be annoyed about. It really was
a comfortable car. With a big backseat. “Have you ever gone
parking in this thing?”

Grady was grinning when he slid behind the wheel. “Is that a

request?”

“I’m just curious. Seems a waste if you haven’t.”
“I’ve only had it since I got to Chicago.” He pulled onto the

street and headed for the corner. “And since you’re the only guy
who’s interested me for more than two seconds since I got here,
the answer to that question is no.”

Colin eyed the backseat again and decided he would be making

a request later. “You must be a bit of a masochist, if I’m the only
one you’ve been interested in.”

“I like to think of it as knowing what I want.”
Colin nearly teased him about always getting what he wanted,

but Grady seemed oddly sensitive to that particular type of humor.
Perhaps because he didn’t want Colin to think of him as a spoiled
little rich kid, but Colin doubted he’d ever get over that impression
of Grady. Regardless of what his childhood had been like—and it

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probably hadn’t been as happy as Colin’s—he did have a huge
amount of wealth at his disposal. Wealth that Colin couldn’t really
imagine.

“It could be both. You might want me because you’re a

masochist.”

Grady’s smile was rueful as they pulled up to red light. “Well,

I’ll admit, I did wonder about my own sanity for a while there.
People don’t usually react to me the way you did, at least, not to
my face. But then I decided, that was just proof that you were an
honest guy. That you weren’t the kind to play games, and that just
made you all the more appealing.”

Colin wondered if that was code for not impressed with the

money. He’d never really considered that angle before, assuming
that being gorgeous and fabulously rich would only expand one’s
dating pool. And in a way, it clearly did. But maybe not in the way
that mattered.

“That’s a generous way to look at things.”
“Plus…” The light turned, and the car eased forward again.

Colin would’ve sworn he saw a twinkle in Grady’s eye. “…you’re
hot when you’re all pissed off. Your eyes get bright, and you have
a tendency to storm away from me, which gives me a great view of
your ass.”

“I bet angry sex would be really fantastic. Of course, when I’m

pissed off at you, I’m feeling more violent than sexy.”

“Give me permission to fight back, and I don’t have a problem

testing your theory.”

“I didn’t realize you didn’t have permission to fight back.”
A flash of a smile. “I meant, the violent part. Next time I piss

you off, take a swing. I’ll have you pinned to my desk before you
can yell for Gwen.”

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“Which would lead to the sexy part or are you bragging about

how you could totally beat me up?”

“I wouldn’t be beating you up. It’s motivation to have you

kicking and screaming underneath me.”

“Oh okay. Because you could, you know. Beat me up. It’s why

I never tried to take a swing before.”

The look Grady shot him was a curious one. “Do you really

think I’m the kind of guy who does that kind of thing? Honestly.”

“No. I don’t think you beat people. But I tend to assume that

most people would retaliate in kind when hit.”

“Well, probably, but I’ve never been put in that position. What

about you?”

“Oh, no. I’ve never been in a fight in my life. I was always the

quiet dork that nobody wanted to even be around except other
quiet dorks. And we got on fine.”

“You’re not a dork.”
“Yeah, I pretty much am. I think I’d have to be a bigger fan of

sci-fi and video games to be a geek, and I was never smart enough
to be a nerd.”

Grady snorted. “I didn’t realize there was such a fine

distinction between the terms. But for what it’s worth, dork or not,
you’re the hottest guy I’ve ever been with.”

Colin wasn’t even tempted to call that into question. He didn’t

need Grady to tell him that—he could see it in the way Grady
looked at him. Especially the night before. There was no way to
fake that sort of naked desire.

“Thanks. I’d say you’re my…third hottest.”
A single brow shot up. “Third? Who are the two ahead of me?”
“Are you kidding? I was joking, Grady. I don’t even know two

people hotter than you.”

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Though Grady visibly relaxed, he shook his head. “You know

Arturo. Though now that I think about it, I don’t want to consider
you being with him.” He grimaced. “Ouch. Sorry. That bordered
on jealous there, didn’t it? Shit.”

“He’s not hotter than you.”
A flush crept up the back of Grady’s neck. There was no

mistaking the delight he tried to hide by turning away to check for
oncoming traffic. “Most of America would disagree with you. And
half of the rest of the world.”

Colin smirked. “Well, yeah, if you like swarthy good looks and

a body that doesn’t quit, he’s a god.”

Grady turned the corner, keeping his eye on the road until he

was safely onto the merge for the highway. “I’m calling a
moratorium on any more Arturo talk. We’re the hottest people we
know, we’re finally getting a real date, and I’m changing the
subject. Okay?”

Colin chuckled. “Fair enough. What’s your favorite movie?”
“Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. What’s yours?”
“Some Like it Hot. I used to watch it with my mom. One night

we were watching it and I just blurted that I was in love with Tony
Curtis. Which is how she found out I’m gay.”

“Really? Doesn’t everybody love Tony Curtis in that movie?

He’s so pretty, it hurts to look at him.”

“Apparently straight boys don’t wish with all their hearts that

they could change places with Marilyn Monroe. Or wish they were
Marilyn Monroe.”

“How old were you when she found out?”
“That particular conversation happened when I was thirteen. So

it was actually a lot more mortifying than I’m letting on.”

“Yeah, but this is your mom. I can’t see her making a scene.”

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“No, she was totally cool about that. But what thirteen year old

boy wants their mom to know who they fantasize about?”

“True.” He lapsed into silence for several minutes, seemingly

concentrating on the road. His voice was contemplative when he
spoke up again. “Is it too soon to ask what happened to your dad?
It’s okay if it is, I’m just…curious.”

“He left.” Colin still felt a twinge in his chest when he thought

of his father, Jack. An echo of the initial shock and betrayal that
Colin never expected to fade. He never talked about Jack
Braugher, not even when Elaine tried to prompt him to share his
thoughts. He couldn’t even begin to try to tell Grady. “When I was
twelve. He just got tired of being married, as far as I can tell.”

“I’m sorry.” It sounded genuine. A hand reached across the

distance and squeezed Colin’s knee. Just once, and then it
retreated, but it was reassuring, all the same. “For all of you.”

“Thanks. But…it wasn’t all bad. Things were actually pretty

good, all told. Did you…when you talked about your grandmother,
I got the impression you spent a lot of time with her.”

“I did. My mom was wife number two for my dad, but she died

when I was three. Wife number three didn’t want anything to do
with me, so I got shuttled off to my grandma’s as often as she
could get away with. It didn’t take long for me to ask to go there,
and then to go there on my own when nobody was listening.”

“You’re an only child, right? Or are there some lesser known

half-siblings around?”

“Yep, I’m the only one. Which, trust me, my father is not too

thrilled about.”

Colin had the feeling that Oliver’s disappointment didn’t stem

from the fact that he loved children and always fantasized about
having a full set. “What’s his problem?”

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“Pick a day. It changes with the wind. Most of it stems from

the fact that I’m gay.”

“Yeah, color me not surprised that Oliver’s a prick like that.”
Grady shrugged. “I’m ashamed to admit it, but I haven’t helped

matters. I could’ve broken it to him a little more tactfully, or not
flaunt it as much as he seems to think I do.”

Flaunt it. That probably meant Grady had had a lot of lovers

and flings. No wonder he knew what he was doing. “You know
him better than I do. But I’ve got the feeling that he’d be a prick
about it no matter how careful and considerate you are.”

“Probably,” he conceded. After a moment, he added, “All

things considered, I’d trade it all for a family like yours. I hope you
know how lucky you are.”

“I wouldn’t trade my family for anything in the world, but it’s

not all like the past two days, Grady. It’s been…it’s been a lot of
hard work to get to this point.” To put it mildly. This was the first
year in a decade when the good days outnumbered the bad, and
Colin didn’t live in fear of everything flying apart. “So you’d be
trading it all in for that, too.”

“It’d still be worth it.” He said it with a quiet vehemence that

belied his relaxed posture behind the wheel. “But thank you for
letting me share it for a little while. I probably sound pathetic
admitting this, but…there’s parts of living in Chicago that have
been really tough for me. Getting to hang out with Noelle, and you,
and your mom, has helped.”

“Are you homesick for New York or are you missing

somebody you left there?”

“Neither. It’s…” He sighed. “I have too much time to think

here. Back in New York, there’s always something going on,
something to keep me busy, somebody I could call if I just want

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some company. Here…not so much.”

“You’ve only been here a couple weeks,” Colin said

encouragingly. “It won’t be long before Chicago starts to feel more
like home.”

“I hope so.” An idiot in a BMW distracted Grady for several

seconds when he cut abruptly in front of their car. They slowed to
avoid collision, and as soon as he’d zoomed off to annoy someone
else, Grady said, “Do you think this is where you’ll stay when you
graduate?”

“Probably.” Colin fidgeted, absently running his fingers over

the dashboard. “Everybody else I know started looking for jobs last
year. But…not me. I thought…well, Gwen promised me that when
I graduated, she’d have a job for me.”

“Is that what you want? Or are you doing it because you want

to stay here with your family?”

“There’s not anything I want more, you know what I mean? I

don’t think it ever really occurred to me to think of what else I
wanted. Not after dad left.”

Grady cut a frown in his direction. “But you know that’s not

what your mom would want for you. She’d never want you to
settle, Colin.”

“Staying in Chicago until Noelle at least graduates wouldn’t be

settling. I want to be here for her.”

The answer seemed to satisfy Grady. The lines in his forehead

disappeared. “Well, I can’t argue with that. If I had somebody like
Noelle tying me to New York, I wouldn’t have left, either.”

Talking about his still vague and shadowy future was almost as

bad as talking about his past. His dreams and anxieties were
bundled together so tightly that Colin didn’t even know how to
share one without exposing too much of the other. Maybe one day

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he could be more open with Grady, but not yet. He shifted the
conversation back to movies, and Grady graciously stuck to that
topic until they reached the class and raw fish claimed their full
attention.

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CHAPTER 11

Colin thoroughly enjoyed the sushi class, though that might

have had something to do with the fact that Grady was all thumbs,
couldn’t cut straight, and accidentally ate enough wasabi to make
his face red and sweaty. He laughed along with Colin, accepting
his mostly gentle ribbing with good humor. By the time they left,
Colin’s skin was flushed with heat and amusement, and his mouth
tingled from the wasabi and ginger and desire to feel Grady’s lips
on his. They didn’t talk about going anywhere except Grady’s
place once they reached the car.

Nerves tickled Colin’s stomach and the back of his neck. This

was the first time they were both in full silent agreement of where
they were going and why. It was different from drunkenly,
hungrily, falling together after a full night of watching but not

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touching. In fact, Colin had never intentionally gone home with
another man purely for sex. And he wasn’t harboring under any
illusions that they were going to chat over a cup of coffee. Just
looking at Grady got his blood racing, and knowing that they
would have all night together in a big, comfortable bed made him
half-hard.

“Oh, I picked up the schedule for the other classes they’ve got

coming up when you were in the bathroom,” Grady said. The
security gate rolled up, and he eased forward, down a slight slope
and into a brightly lit, underground parking structure. Colin had
half-expected him to have a place on Lakeshore Drive, though
Washington Street wasn’t far off. “They’ve got a cupcake class
next month. Do you think Noelle would like to go?”

Colin tried to imagine Grady and Noelle attempting to conquer

cupcakes. There would be too much pink frosting involved,
streaked across Grady’s face and caught in the tips of his hair. The
thought wasn’t an unappealing one, especially if Colin got to help
with the clean up. “She’d love it, right up to the point she decides
she knows more than the instructor.”

Grady drove slowly down the row to pull easily into a wide

spot near the loading dock elevator. “I’ll double-check it doesn’t
conflict with anything with the play, then, and pick up some tickets
if we’re in the clear. I’m pretty sure it doesn’t. And hell, if there is
a conflict, I’ll just rearrange the schedule.”

Colin blinked and looked away, swallowing down his

automatic skepticism. Because now at least he knew Grady would
really inconvenience dozens of people, including Arturo, in order
to escort Colin’s little sister to a class for decorating cupcakes.

“I’m sure it won’t be necessary to reschedule anything. The

work can continue without you.”

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“Oh, I know that.” He killed the engine, and turned off the

headlights. The smile he shot Colin before reaching for the door
was brilliant. “I was referring to you.”

Colin couldn’t help his grin as he emerged from the car. “Well,

things around there do tend to fall apart without me.”

Grady grabbed his hand and headed for the nearby elevator.

They didn’t speak as they entered, or as it went up to the top floor,
but the hypnotic slide of Grady’s thumb up and down the side of
Colin’s thumb was too distracting to think of conversation. It
finished the job his expectation had started, and the elevator
creaked to a halt with him hard, hot, and hungry for more.

“I’ve got the best whirlpool tub.” Grady grabbed the gate and

yanked it to the side as the outer doors slid open. “I can’t wait to
get you in it.”

Colin’s retort was poised on the tip of his tongue, only to fade

away as he caught his first glimpse of Grady’s condo. The building
itself wasn’t modern. It had a brick exterior, and looked like it
might have been an office building at one point. Inside, however,
was another matter. The ceiling was more than vaulted. It was over
thirty feet high, with a second row of windows above the main
level and skylights in the ceiling. Exposed beams gave it a more
rustic feel, and the hardwood floor gleamed throughout the
massive space. The level they were on had no interior walls. The
living room flowed into an open gourmet kitchen, with a stainless
steel double refrigerator and a six-burner gas stove that looked like
it had never been touched.

“I…” Colin knew he was slack-jawed and staring, but this was

far beyond anything he might have imagined. “Do you live here by
yourself?”

“No, I’ve got a rent boy I keep in a cage in the closet.” With a

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laugh and a shake of his head, Grady tossed his keys onto the
breakfast bar. “Do you want something to drink?”

Colin licked his dry lips. “I think I need something to drink.”
“I’ve got water, I’ve got beer, I’ve got Diet Coke.” Grady

opened the fridge and frowned. “Oh, scratch the Coke. Crap. I’ll
have to pick up some tomorrow when I run you home.”

“Beer, thanks.” Colin didn’t even care what kind of beer it was.

What was he even doing in a place like that with a person like
Grady? The sense of not belonging only increased when Grady
returned to his side with the bottle and Colin realized he just
walked across a space roughly equivalent to his entire house. But
when Grady’s fingers brushed against his, Colin’s world narrowed
down to the heat of Grady’s skin.

“I know it’s big,” Grady said. His jocularity was gone, his gaze

more solemn. “When the realtor showed it to me, I fell in love with
all the light, and all the space I never really had in New York, and I
didn’t even think twice about buying it. But remember what I said
about having too much time to think?” He gestured with his beer
bottle toward the living room and the wrought iron stairs that led to
the second level. “I’m well aware I probably sabotaged myself.”

Colin would be lonely, too, if he spent all of his free time

rattling around in a condo that could comfortably house a family of
twelve. “The light and the space is very nice. I mean, everything is
very nice.” Grady must have felt like he was slumming it the night
before. Except…no, Grady wouldn’t think that. It was too cruel,
and Grady wasn’t a cruel person. “Want to give me the grand
tour?”

“Well, you’ve seen all this.” Another sweep of Grady’s arm,

distracting him as Grady laced his other hand through Colin’s. He
tugged with a small smile, edging away from the stairs and toward

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the far end of the room. “This is the second bedroom, but I’m
using it as a game room, instead.”

The so-called game room had a plasma screen mounted on the

far wall, with a stereo system, an Xbox, and a Wii situated on the
glass shelving unit below it. Two extra-wide, black leather
recliners sat in front of it. One still had the impression of Grady’s
wide shoulders against the back.

Colin was probably the first person to join Grady in the room

he clearly designed to be enjoyed with friends. He remembered
Grady’s enthusiasm the night they met and his own surly attitude
with a slight pang. “I hope you didn’t tell Noelle about this room.”

“That depends.”
“On?”
“How much trouble I’d get in if I did.”
“Well, that depends on how much she starts bugging me about

it.”

“She’s always welcome here. Both of you are. You know that,

right?”

“I had a feeling we would be.” Colin squeezed Grady’s fingers

and pulled him toward the stairs sweeping up to the condo’s
second floor. “What’s up here?”

Though the risers were industrial iron, their footsteps were

surprisingly quiet as they ascended. “The room downstairs is more
convenient, I know.” Grady stopped once they reached the top,
letting Colin take in the understated elegance of the king-sized bed
and its chic navy comforter, the clean lines of the dark dressers,
and the open doorway of the bathroom. After a moment, he turned
around and leaned his forearms against the railing, cradling his
beer between his hands. “But I can’t get over this view.”

His face was relaxed, his mouth turned up a little bit. Colin was

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forced to agree that the view was great and the overall impact of
the space was powerful. If he had the money, he would look for a
place like this. He’d give up cramped and cozy for open and
spacious any day. He left Grady at the railing, wandering around
the perimeter of the second floor to absorb the little details of
Grady’s life. The framed photographs on the dresser that were
mostly of Grady’s grandmother, though there were a few of Oliver
and a younger, blonde woman that must have been his mother. The
stack of books on the side of the bed with both fiction and
nonfiction titles.

When he reached the bed, he sat on the edge of the mattress,

bouncing to test its firmness. Colin looked up to meet Grady’s eyes
and smiled slowly. “Not bad.”

Grady drained the rest of his beer and set it down on the dresser

as he came around the side of the bed. “Okay, I’ll admit it. I like
my creature comforts.” Stopping in front of Colin, he carefully
took the bottle out of his grip and put it on the nightstand. “But I
like you on my creature comforts even more.”

The fingertips he slid around the back of Colin’s neck were

cold from the beer, but the shivers that rippled through Colin didn’t
stem from the chill. They came from the almost chaste kiss Grady
brushed across his upturned mouth, then from the satisfied sigh
that wafted over his lips when Grady drew back. He didn’t go far.
The tip of his nose was almost touching Colin’s, and his eyes were
brighter than Colin could ever remember seeing before.

“Tonight was the best night I’ve had since I got to Chicago,” he

murmured. “And I mean that, even if you were to stand up right
now and ask that I take you home.”

“I’m definitely not going to do that. You’ve been really good

company.”

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The corner of his mouth lifted. “And the fact that we’ll have

more room in my bed than yours doesn’t factor into that at all?”

Colin gripped the front of Grady’s shirt and pulled him closer,

until only a hairbreadth separated them. “It certainly doesn’t hurt.”

His other hand went to the back of Grady’s neck, and their

mouths met tenderly. Colin dipped his tongue between Grady’s
lips, moaning when Grady immediately responded. His mouth did
taste a little spicy, and the familiar heat was overwhelming. It
didn’t matter if they were in a big bed or on the cold floor. Colin
eased back and Grady followed, not allowing their lips to break
apart for a second.

His knee came to rest between Colin’s legs, his weight bearing

him down into the mattress as he gently stretched out atop him.
Grady took his time with the kisses, allowing Colin to seek out as
much as he wanted, never demanding more but unrelenting in the
contact, as if that was what mattered the most, as if he didn’t have
any inclination to ever let it end. He released his hold on the back
of Colin’s neck to slide down to his hip, but even that grip was
gentle. The only harder friction came in the slow rocking of his
groin against Colin’s thigh, his arousal unmistakable.

“Grady…” He pulled Grady’s lip between his teeth and bit

gently, sucking at the flesh when Grady jerked, driving his hips
downward. “Are you going to fuck me tonight?”

Grady stilled. He lifted away, his eyes searching Colin’s. “Is

that what you want?”

He was more than a little nervous at the thought, but there was

a tightness in his abdomen, a sort of fluttering ache that he’d never
experienced with anybody else. He wanted to be filled and taken.
“Yes.”

The smile that lit Grady’s face shattered any reservations he

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might have had. Everything he’d loved about the night so far was
there—the joy, the fun—and something more, a gratitude that
Colin would be willing to want Grady to be his first. “You won’t
regret it,” Grady promised. “If I have to wait all night to make sure
you’re ready, it’ll still be worth it.”

“I hope it doesn’t come to that.” Colin rolled his hips, grinding

his aching erection against Grady’s leg. The pressure was
welcome, but his pants felt more restrictive than ever. “I don’t
think I could wait all night.”

Grady tightened his hold, forcing Colin to stop moving. “Now,

see, you say things like that, and I start to take it as a challenge.”

“Which part of that was a challenge?”
“You saying you can’t wait.” He nuzzled his nose in Colin’s

neck, his tongue darting out to lick along the edge of the whiskers.
“Think of how hard you’d come if I just kept winding you
tighter…” He traced the edge of Colin’s earlobe. “And tighter…”
Catching the lobe between his teeth, he tugged lightly. “And
tighter, before I finally get inside you.” His mouth settled over
Colin’s ear, no longer teasing, his breath hot and quick. “I love
long, slow fucks. Like last night, remember? You think you’re just
going to lose it, and then it gets even better.”

Colin’s whimper wasn’t very manly, but it was honest. Grady’s

voice dropped as he spoke, until it was nothing more than a low
growl sliding over Colin’s spine. His chest moved rapidly,
matching Grady’s quick breathing, and a slow flush crawled up his
neck, like his blood was rushing to meet Grady’s mouth.

“Grady…please…”
“Please…what?” The hand at Colin’s hip began to move, but

just the thumb, in slow, hard, rhythmic circles that edged close to
but never touched Colin’s cock. “I’m not wrong. Not about this. Or

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about you. Or us.” His breath caught, and for a second, Grady
didn’t move. The rush of Colin’s pounding blood was all he could
hear, echoing louder and louder until Grady exhaled in a rush, his
lips pressing to the soft skin below Colin’s ear. “Us. I like the
sound of that. I think the only thing I might like better tonight is
the sound you make when I finally split you open.”

Eager to feel more than just Grady’s thumb, Colin bucked his

hips. But Grady had him trapped, comfortably pinning him in place
beneath his weight and his hot breath. He didn’t know exactly what
he was begging for, but he was scared if he opened his mouth
again he wouldn’t be able to do more than choke out another
please. He’d never seen Grady like this before, and it was doing
strange things to him.

“Please…that’s what I want. Split me open.” Colin pulled at

Grady’s shirt, seeking his warmth anyway he could get it. “Make
me scream.”

He actually felt the shudder go through Grady. Teeth nipped at

his neck, and then Grady was finally moving, his hand sliding
inward to pop the button on Colin’s jeans. Just one. Nothing more.
Just enough to take the pressure off the tip of Colin’s cock. Just
enough to make him want to growl in frustration. His fingertips
grazed back and forth along the front of Colin’s stomach, getting in
the way every time Colin tried to get to Grady’s skin. He was
pretty sure Grady was doing it on purpose. He was even more sure
he didn’t want him to stop.

Every caress reverberated through him, right down to his

bones. Colin didn’t understand why every ache had to be muscle
deep, or where all the heat gathering in his stomach was coming
from. He shivered when Grady popped the second button open,
already anticipating the glide of Grady’s knuckles across the newly

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exposed skin. Colin put his heels against the bed for more
leverage, holding his breath as the third button came free. Grady’s
fingertips were so close to his cock that he could feel the warmth
from his skin, and Colin turned his head sharply, catching Grady’s
mouth just in time to stifle an impatient moan.

Grady forced the kiss to slow, twisting around Colin’s tongue

at the same tempo his fingers slid beneath Colin’s cock. He cradled
the length rather than held it, and ran the edge of his thumbnail
back and forth over the wet slit. Colin squirmed, trying to
strengthen the contact, but the moment it firmed, Grady withdrew,
skimming down the top of his shaft to release the last of the
buttons.

Colin quickly took advantage of the opportunity, thrusting

against Grady’s hand while trying to work the jeans down his legs.
The tip of his cock scraped across Grady’s thigh, the denim rough
and almost painful against his sensitive skin. The slight discomfort
wasn’t enough to dissuade him from doing it again. Gentle fingers
curved around his balls, and the light squeeze had Colin crying out,
his face twisting as his stomach tightened. When Grady’s fingers
flexed again, Colin felt it all the way to his throat.

“Have you thought about it?” Grady stretched a single finger to

stroke the skin behind his sac, dipping like a tease into the
beginning of the crease, only to retreat again and repeat the caress
until Colin clenched reflexively. “How are you going to want me?
From behind? Your ass in the air, your head in your pillow,
hanging onto the headboard so you don’t slide across the sheets
from how hard I’m going to fuck you?”

Colin had thought of little else throughout the day, but now all

of his previous fantasies were utterly consumed by the image
Grady planted in his head. He liked the thought of being bent over

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and completely open to Grady, vulnerable and begging for it.
Which was exactly where he was heading at the rate they were
going.

“Yes…then I want to ride you. Want to fuck myself on your

cock.”

Grady’s head dropped, his damp brow resting on Colin’s.

“Fuck,” he swore under his breath. The smoothness of his strokes
skipped like a stone across the surface of a calm lake. It almost
seemed like his hands were shaking. “That’s what you’re going to
get, then. I promise.”

Colin slid his fingers through Grady’s hair and pulled his

mouth closer to tease his lips. Grady tried to pin him for a kiss, but
Colin was determined to drag his mouth along his chin and down
his throat, biting and licking in turns. He reached the collar of
Grady’s shirt far too soon, and he reacted without thinking,
dropping his hand to the material and giving it a hard tug.
Something might have ripped, but Colin barely noticed as he
pressed his mouth to the newly exposed skin.

The trembling he’d suspected was there, just below the surface.

It reverberated against his lips, adding heat to an already blazing
inferno, only to skitter beyond his reach when Grady shifted and
pulled away to tug at his shirt. Colin got a brief glimpse of the
broad chest, the fine sprinkling of hair that led down to his navel,
but then Grady covered him again, his hand scooping around
Colin’s hip to mold over his ass.

When his weight wasn’t sufficient to force Colin to still, Grady

threaded his free hand through Colin’s hair and gripped it tightly.
Now, they were both motionless, eyes locked on the other’s, as
Grady stretched his fingers to delve into the crease. His tongue
darted out to moisten his lips, and his labored breath warmed the

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space between them. Colin tried to move, but Grady strengthened
his grip. Colin had no choice but to remain like that as the tip of
Grady’s middle finger finally circled his hole.

Colin gasped up at him, his ass clenching tight. Grady smiled a

little and broke the contact, waiting until Colin relaxed before
touching him again. This time the feel of Grady’s finger against his
skin didn’t startle him, but he still tensed. Grady didn’t stop
circling the sensitive muscle, each rotation slow and deliberate.
Colin bit his lip to distract from the maddening sensation, rocking
against Grady’s hand when the light pressure was quickly not
enough.

“Want it, don’t you?” Grady licked at the corner of Colin’s

mouth, then suddenly ground his covered cock roughly into
Colin’s thigh. “Maybe almost as bad as I do.”

“Yes. Yes, I do.”
Grady’s hand disappeared and Colin’s frustration instantly

skyrocketed, his skin missing the attention as soon as it stopped.
Grady lifted his head and touched Colin’s mouth with his fingers,
pressing lightly for entrance. Colin obediently parted his lips, his
tongue winding around Grady’s middle and forefingers, wetting
the rough skin. Grady’s breath caught as he watched Colin, and
when their eyes met it sent an electric shock through him. The
fingers moved away from his lips, back down his body, slipping
between his legs.

“The trick to it not hurting is taking the time to make sure

you’re wet and stretched,” Grady murmured. Instead of a single
finger, he pressed two to the tight muscle, pushing them both in to
the first knuckle. “So the longer we do this, the better it’ll be for
you.”

“You’re sadistic,” Colin managed. “You’re just looking for an

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excuse to torture me all night.”

“Would you rather it hurt so much you never do it again?” His

fingers withdrew, traced around the ring, and pushed in again, this
time a fraction deeper.

Colin appreciated Grady’s concern, but he still thought Grady

enjoyed torturing him. He couldn’t stop himself from moving, his
hips rocking and twisting as Grady pushed a little deeper, and then
a little more. The burn had been bearable before, but as he
stretched around more of Grady’s fingers, Colin could see what he
meant about it hurting. There was more than pain, though. Beneath
that discomfort was a more urgent pain, a relentless, throbbing
need.

“Maybe you need more distraction.”
Colin almost cried out when Grady pulled his hand free, and

then when he climbed off the bed. He reached out to grab Grady
back, but his tormenter just grinned and stepped farther out of the
way, his hands working nimbly at his fly. Colin’s brain stuttered to
a halt when he realized Grady was stripping down the rest of the
way. His body took a few seconds to catch up, but when it did, his
shirt was tossed aside before Grady’s jeans had fallen to the floor.

“Lay down,” Grady said. “And bend your knees.”
As Colin complied, Grady crawled back onto the mattress. This

time, he threw his leg over Colin’s chest and straddled his
shoulders, his thick erection only inches away from Colin’s mouth.

“Suck me.” The order was swift, Grady’s voice rough with

desire. No other words came. Grady was too busy bending down,
prying Colin’s ass apart with his strong, blunt fingers, and licking
across the waiting hole.

Colin didn’t need to be told twice. He gripped the base of

Grady’s cock and guided the slick head between his lips. Grady

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sank down, letting his shaft slide along Colin’s tongue until the tip
reached the back of his throat. Colin closed his eyes and sighed as
his lips stretched and Grady’s flesh throbbed against the roof of his
mouth. He loved Grady’s cock. That was one thing he couldn’t
deny. He didn’t want to deny it. Even if he still hated Grady, he’d
probably agree to suck him off whenever Grady wanted.

The only thing that could distract Colin from Grady’s cock was

Grady’s mouth. Colin had been shocked the first time he felt
Grady’s tongue on his ass, but that shock had quickly given way to
pure pleasure. Now was no different. The cock in his throat
muffled his moans, but that didn’t stop them from gaining in
frequency and volume as Grady licked at him.

His tongue dug into the muscle, teeth scraping against Colin’s

ass. When Grady pulled away, his fingers took his mouth’s place,
pushing into the passage with the same insistency. He alternated
that way for endless minutes, his pace faltering only when Colin
grabbed onto his ass and forced more of his cock into his throat.
Then, Grady’s breath hitched, his body going rigid until Colin let
him go again.

“Now you’re not playing fair.”
Colin smiled to himself and forced Grady down again,

delighted by the way the thick shaft filled his throat. He exhaled
through his nose and kept his jaw loose, holding Grady in place for
as long as he could stand it before easing the pressure. Grady
jerked forward, pulling away from Colin’s mouth completely.
Colin licked at the head, dipping his tongue into the slit before
sucking on the hot skin. Grady spread Colin’s cheeks wider and
thrust his tongue inside once again, his chin pushing against
Colin’s balls with each hard push.

Curious, Colin slid his hand over the back of Grady’s thigh and

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over his ass. His finger slid between the crack, and he traced
Grady’s ring slowly before easing his index finger into the tight
channel.

The sounds Grady made were muffled and ragged, the way his

body jerked electric. He drove back into Colin’s waiting mouth, his
muscles clenching around Colin’s finger, but his tongue
disappeared, the grip of his hands shifting to brace against the bed.

“Okay, I can take a hint.” He held deep in Colin’s throat for

another moment, then pulled out, groaning when his cock came
free. His leg swung over, and he knelt on the bed, slapping at
Colin’s hip with an impatient hand. “Roll it over. You wanted to
get fucked? You got it.”

Colin rolled onto his stomach and pushed himself to his hands

and knees. He heard Grady open the nightstand drawer, heard him
rummaging until he found what he was looking for, and the
familiar click of a flip-top opening. He stared at the bedspread
beneath him, mouth dry, sweat tickling the back of his neck. His
body was tight with equal parts fear and anticipation, the emotions
twisting and coiling together until they couldn’t be separated.

The first thrust of Grady’s lubed fingers drove him down to the

mattress, his arms bending beneath him easily, his face dropping to
the pillow. He couldn’t breathe, no matter how hard he tried, and
so he didn’t have enough air to speak and beg Grady to stop.

Though each probe of Grady’s fingers was strong and sure, he

never pressed too deep or too hard. He twisted his wrist when he
pulled out, and massaged the small of Colin’s back when he
pushed back in again. More than once, he glanced across Colin’s
prostate, but it always seemed to be an accident, his presence never
lingering, never offering anything but the most fleeting of
sensations.

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190

He heard the condom wrapper tear, followed quickly by the

snap of latex as Grady rolled it into place. The next nudge at his
opening was thicker than before, but Grady paused before pushing
forward.

“God, please tell me you’re ready for this, Col.”
“I’m ready. I’m more than ready, Grady.” His voice didn’t

sound normal. It was pitched too high, the words almost falling
into each other. “I need it. I need you to fuck me. I need…”

Grady didn’t need any more encouragement than that. He

pushed hard enough to force his thick head past the slick skin, but
stopped there, allowing Colin to adjust. Colin needed the extra
time. Grady’s cock was so much thicker than his two fingers that it
was almost like Colin hadn’t been stretched at all. He clenched,
automatically resisting the pain, unconsciously trying to force
Grady back out again. Grady continued to stroke Colin’s back,
caressing him in soothing patterns until Colin felt the tension
slowly drain away.

Grady’s patience never wavered. He claimed as much as he

could with each subtle shift of his hips, pulling out completely
when Colin couldn’t relax around the intrusion. Colin was silently
grateful for the care Grady took, but decidedly vocal when Grady
finally buried his full length in Colin’s ass.

The thighs pressed to the back of his quivered. Though Colin

couldn’t see him, he imagined Grady gleaming with sweat, his skin
dewy from the time and exertion it took to finally breach Colin’s
resistance. The muscles in his neck would be standing out from
how hard he was keeping his body in check, and his normally
brilliant eyes would be black with desire. Colin had seen that
enough now to crave recreating it whenever he could.

Slowly, Grady eased out. He didn’t go far, only a couple

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inches, but enough for Colin to feel the slow exodus, more than
enough for him to want him back inside. Grady sighed when he
thrust forward again, and the slight slap of his balls against Colin’s
skin punctuated the pleasure rolling through him.

“Oh yes…yes…Grady yes…more…more please.” Colin

wasn’t even sure Grady could hear him, since his face was still
buried in the silk pillow. He twined his fingers in the bedspread,
gripping it until his knuckles hurt and his shoulders ached from the
tension. He knew he needed to relax, knew it would be better for
both of them if he calmed down with a few deep breaths, but he
couldn’t. It was just too much. He didn’t know how to process the
way it felt to stretch around Grady’s length, or how to handle being
so close to Grady that he could feel every rapid beat of his heart. It
didn’t feel good, not like a blow job would, but it didn’t feel less
than amazing, either.

The caresses continued. Grady stroked his flank, his back, the

curve of his ass every time he withdrew. The strokes lengthened,
though Grady didn’t add more force. He seemed more intent on
Colin feeling every inch, pulling out until only the tip was inside
his passage, then burying himself balls deep. And every time, he
exhaled audibly, his enjoyment evident in such a simple sound.

He surprised Colin by falling forward, covering Colin’s body

with his own, an arm sliding beneath Colin’s chest and holding
him close. His lips skimmed across the back of Colin’s neck, but
his hips didn’t stop. In fact, they quickened, his thrusts growing
rougher.

“I thought I knew how good this was going to be.” The last

vestiges of control had been stripped from Grady’s voice. “But I
didn’t have a fucking clue it would be this amazing.”

“Grady…God…God…faster. I can…I need…more.” Colin

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turned his head, trying to get a glimpse of Grady’s flushed face. “I
need more.”

Grady didn’t hesitate, didn’t make Colin ask again, didn’t even

make Colin clarify what he wanted. Somehow, despite the jumble
of words and breath, Grady understood exactly what he was trying
to convey. Each thrust was hard enough to make his teeth snap,
and Grady didn’t break that rhythm even when Colin gave up
words in favor of soft grunts.

Grady’s arm turned, his hand sliding down the front of Colin’s

stomach. Colin expected hot fingers to curl around his cock,
wanted it more than anything, but Grady chose instead to grasp the
base, his fingertips digging into Colin’s balls.

“Did you still want to ride me?” Grady licked along his neck.

“You can take all you want, then.”

“Yes oh please yes.”
Grady pumped his hips once more before pulling free. He

collapsed beside Colin, his chest rising and falling rapidly, his cock
jutting up from between his thighs. Colin wasted no time
straddling his hips, eagerly reaching behind him to grip Grady’s
hard flesh. He guided the tip to his entrance and sank back, stunned
by how easily his body accepted Grady’s width now. Colin pushed
down and arched his back, taking every single inch. New pleasure
erupted inside of him, traveling up his spine and spreading through
his arms and legs.

Coiling one arm behind his head, Grady grabbed onto the

headboard, holding his body steady as Colin rose up and down
along his length. His other hand smoothed up Colin’s thigh and
aimed straight for his cock. The look in his eye as he fisted the
shaft was pure lust.

Colin dropped his head back and closed his eyes, surrendering

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himself to the waves of sensation washing over him and through
him. But with his eyes closed, he couldn’t admire the way Grady’s
muscles flexed in his chest and shoulders. He couldn’t appreciate
the blatant hunger on Grady’s face. When Colin looked down, he
was caught by the sight of Grady’s strong fingers working his
shaft, pumping Colin’s length in a jagged rhythm. Intoxicated by
everything, Colin released the last of his self-control and fucked
himself hard, bracing himself on Grady’s shoulders as he slammed
down and rose again and again.

The orgasm didn’t build on itself, and Colin didn’t even have

time to warn Grady that he was close. He wasn’t even sure exactly
what happened. One second, he was thinking about how he could
really ride Grady all night, and the next everything was flashing
white and black and his hips were stuttering as he shot hot come
across Grady’s chest. Colin couldn’t stop moving though, and even
when his cock stopped jerking, he kept going, trying to claim every
second of pleasure he could.

His release seemed to be the trigger Grady needed. His hips

powered upward, meeting every slam of Colin’s ass, and his come-
coated hand grappled for a sure hold. His lips moved, but the
words he uttered came out soundless, lost in his inconstant breath.
As Colin watched, Grady’s eyes went wide, then squeezed shut,
and the distinct sensation of his cock pulsing inside Colin’s
passage sent a fresh wave of tremors through both of them.

Grady’s voice returned a moment later.
“Col…Col…” He swiped his tongue over his lower lip, his

eyes pleading, his body shuddering.

Colin bent forward and claimed Grady’s mouth, sharing his

breath as the aftershocks rolled through both of them. Grady’s lips
were pliant, and the kiss was clumsy and grateful all at once. They

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were still kissing when the trembling finally stopped, Colin only
breaking away when the need for oxygen became too pressing to
ignore.

“We are definitely doing that again.” Grady panted.
“Yes. We can even do it again tonight if you want.”
“We might have to wait a few minutes for that. I can’t feel my

legs.”

Colin couldn’t either, but he was serious about doing it again.

“We both need a bit of time to recover. Can I stay where I am?
You’re comfortable.”

Grady’s arms wrapped around him, the glint in his eye gone

serious. “You really think I’d let you move?”

“Well, no, not when I consider how much you like to cuddle.”
“I like you.” The corner of his mouth lifted. “The cuddling is

just a bonus.”

Colin settled with his head on Grady’s shoulder, his mouth just

touching the sinew of his neck. It’d been a struggle to send Grady
away the night before, and Colin was more than a little stunned to
realize how happy he was that neither of them needed to move or
get up. His body ached in a pleasant, if rather persistent, way. A
constant reminder that Grady had split him open, a reminder that
he wanted to experience that again as soon as he could.

“I like you, too,” he murmured, eyes comfortably closed.

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CHAPTER 12

It was just as well that they weren’t trying to keep anything a

secret because everybody in the office knew what they were up
to—again—by Monday afternoon. Grady didn’t attack him in front
of God and everybody, but Colin’s self-control ran out around five
o’clock, and he went to Grady’s office “just to talk,” shutting the
door firmly behind him. When they emerged two hours later,
everybody but Gwen was gone, and the look she shot Colin was
equal parts amused and surprised. The look she gave Grady could
have peeled paint, the message impossible to miss. Hurt him, her
brown eyes said, and you’ll be dealing with me .

They repeated that pattern every day for the rest of the week.

Colin always went to Grady’s office, never the other way around,
and Colin always made the first move. He appreciated that Grady

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surrendered so much of that power to him. Or perhaps Grady could
admit to himself that if it were up to him, Colin would spend the
entire afternoon on his knees, stretched out on the couch, bent over
his desk. Colin didn’t mind that in theory, but they had work to do.

The week after that, Colin didn’t have time for Grady at all. He

didn’t volunteer. He holed up in his bedroom, only taking a break
when he needed a change of scenery and biked over to the library.
Finals week always stressed him out. But this was the worst. This
was it. If he wanted to graduate, he needed to ace everything. And
since it was too stressful to think about the world outside of school,
he devoted himself to the task, pouring all of his fear and anxiety
and hope and energy into the exams and projects that would be
used to judge him as a student and a person. Grady couldn’t be
shut out completely, however, and he showed up three times. Each
time he arrived with a gift for Elaine, coffee for Colin, and a new
book or game for Noelle.

He didn’t talk to Leon or Arturo that week, either. Gwen took

the brunt of his work, though the smaller tasks were either
postponed or reassigned. A full ten days passed without any
communication between them, and when Colin finally returned to
his cubicle—exhausted but triumphant—there were four voice
mails waiting for him. All from Leon. All marked urgent. He
debated trying to push Leon off to somebody else, but school was
finally finished and Colin was eager to return to his normal life.
And at the moment, his normal life included making life as easy as
possible for a gorgeous celebrity.

Leon picked up on the second ring and Colin greeted him

cheerfully. “I would have called you sooner, but I’ve been
swamped with school. What can I do for you?”

“We need to talk.” Leon sounded far less happy than Colin felt.

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“Do you have privacy right now? If you need, I can wait a couple
minutes until you get someplace where you can talk without being
overheard.”

“I’m alone.” Colin sounded calmer than he felt. His heart and

mind were both racing, making him dizzy with terrible
possibilities. “What’s going on?”

“I’ve had a couple calls about Arturo’s association with the

play and Grady’s charity. Very worrying calls.”

“Wait, what kind of calls? And isn’t this something you’d want

to talk to Grady about?”

“No, from the sound of it, Grady’s the potential problem here.”
Colin didn’t like the sounds of that. His heart slowed to a dull

thump, and he leaned around the cubicle wall to check Grady’s
office. He was inside, but the door was closed, and he seemed
engrossed by his own phone call.

“What is the problem, exactly?”
“Grady’s reasons for leaving New York. The studio financing

the Australia project is worried Arturo’s association with someone
accused of embezzling money from a charity will taint the
publicity for the movie. I need you to tell me whether there’s any
truth to all the rumors. Because if there is? He’ll have to pull out of
the project.”

The air rushed out of Colin’s lungs. “Embezzling? Why did

you call me? Why not contact somebody in New York?” Those
probably weren’t the most important questions to ask at the
moment, but his mind was hung up on the thought of Grady
stealing from his grandmother’s foundation, and while he struggled
with that concept his mouth still needed to do something. “Where
did this even come from?”

“Someone called the studio, and the studio called me.” Leon

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sighed. “Look, I like Grady. So does Arturo. And the last thing we
want is to screw the play over if it’s all on the up and up. I called
you first because I’m hoping you’ll tell me what exactly
happened.”

Colin almost growled with frustration. Why didn’t Leon call

Grady himself? Or Gwen? Or anybody else who would have
access to useful information? But at the same time, he understood
Leon was doing him a favor by speaking to him about the issue at
all. If Arturo walked at this point, they would be fucked. Utterly
fucked.

“I’ll need to call you back.”
“Do I need to worry?”
“No,” Colin said with as much confidence as he could. “Not at

all. I just want to make sure that I have all the information you’ll
need to set your mind at ease.”

“I sincerely hope you do, Colin. I know what this charity

means to you. I’d hate to think we all got conned.”

“Yeah, me too.”
Colin dropped the phone and buried his face in his hands,

taking a shaky breath. Whatever the rumors or the charges, they
were serious enough that somebody felt they had to contact the
studio. They were serious enough that the studio execs expected
some sort of taint, maybe even a scandal. Grady was living in
Chicago with a brand new Lexus, a condo worth more than a
million dollars, and an expensive taste in food. Was that normal for
somebody in Grady’s position? He was the son of a billionaire,
after all. He didn’t really need to steal money from a children’s
charity, did he? Not that need and necessity had anything to do
with greed. Maybe Grady was a natural born con artist. Maybe he
got off on charming everybody, lulling them into an easy sense of

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security just before he struck.

But that just didn’t make sense. There were still times when

Colin felt a little niggle of doubt when it came to Grady’s sincerity.
But at most, he thought that was an act to convince people to like
him, not part of a larger scheme to steal their money. Colin wanted
to hide in his cubicle for the rest of the afternoon and mull over
this problem, reliving every single exchange, every second they
spent together, to see if something just didn’t add up. But Leon
was expecting Colin to return his call, and he couldn’t hide from
the reality of what he had to do.

Grady waved him in when he knocked. “No, really, I’m going

to hold you to that,” he said to whoever he was speaking to on the
phone. “I’m a little tenacious that way.” He laughed. “All right, I’ll
see you then. Bye.” He hung up with a shake of his head. “Theater
people have got to be most unorganized people on the planet.
Remind me of that the next time I think a play is a great
fundraising idea.”

“I will.” Colin sat across from Grady and tried to really look at

him. It’d only been about a month since he first met Grady, but at
this point, he felt like he knew the other man. Really knew him,
like they were friends. Colin didn’t really know how to classify
their relationship, or if they even had a relationship, but he’d seen
Grady naked and vulnerable. He’d even comforted Grady
whenever the conversation shifted to his grandmother—and
considering they both worked for her foundation, that happened a
lot. But what did he know? Maybe it was all an elaborate ruse. “I
need to talk to you about something. Leon just called me.”

“Oh?” He seemed completely unperturbed by the mention of

Leon. “What about? Does Arturo need something else on his
rider?”

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200

“No. It’s…” Colin rubbed his hands over his knees and

wondered if he’d started this conversation all wrong. “Grady…did
something happen in New York? Something that might have
prompted you to leave?”

“What? No, nothing happened.” His smile was gone, his brows

pulled together into a frown. Leaning forward, he rested his arms
against the desk and searched Colin’s face. “Are you okay? You
look awful.”

“There were no…rumors? Nothing that might make your job in

New York more difficult?” Guilty or innocent, there would have
been gossip. There was enough gossip circulating to get back to
Leon, which meant Grady must have been aware that people were
talking about him.

“The only thing that made my job more difficult were all the

trips my father kept sending me on.” Abruptly, he rose and came
around to the front of the desk. “What’s going on? What does New
York have to do with anything?”

Colin stared at him, trying and failing to read his expression.

There wasn’t any hint of duplicity or indication that Grady might
be lying. On the other hand, if Grady had been lying to him from
the moment they met, how would he know the difference?

“Leon called because he and Arturo are concerned

about…having ties to this charity. To you. They’re concerned
about their association with you because…” It shouldn’t have been
so hard to say, but the word suddenly seemed ugly. Profane, even.
“Because the studio for the Australian project has heard that
you’ve been accused of embezzlement.”

Grady’s eyes widened, and the color leeched from his face. He

looked like someone had just rammed a fist the size of a small
animal into his gut. “They heard what?”

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201

“He said you were accused of embezzling from the charity. I’m

assuming he meant the James Foundation.” Colin spoke slowly,
never taking his eyes from Grady. “And that’s why you left New
York. Now it sounds like Arturo is concerned he’s been lied to.”

Grady started shaking his head before Colin finished speaking.

“I haven’t…I didn’t…” When the words failed to come out, he
snatched up his cell phone from his blotter and punched something
in. His hand was shaking. “I don’t know who’s trying to spread
these kind of lies, but—” Someone answering the other end of the
line jerked his attention away from Colin. “Loretta. I need to speak
to my father. Now.”

“Arturo hasn’t decided anything,” Colin continued softly.

“Leon asked for reassurances that this was all a misunderstanding,
and I told him I’d call back with that as soon as I could.”

The eyes that met Colin’s were dark and bleak. “I didn’t steal

anything. Tell me you believe me, Col.”

Colin didn’t have the luxury of pushing Grady aside until he

felt ready to answer. It all came down to two choices. Either Grady
was a coldly manipulative liar with no compunctions about
stealing from the people who could least afford to lose money, or
Grady was the sweet, if overeager, man Colin was beginning to
have softer feelings for.

“I believe you. We need to get this straightened out and fast.”
The relief that passed over his face hardened as his attention

went back to the phone. He listened intently for a moment and
shook his head. “I don’t care, Loretta. This is more
important…Did you tell him it was me?” The shadows returned to
his eyes, though he turned away from Colin as he waited out the
other side of the conversation. “Tell him he needs to call me back
as soon as possible then.” He disconnected with a string of curses

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202

and threw his phone into his chair. “Son of a bitch!”

Colin licked his lips, surprised but strangely encouraged by

Grady’s obvious anger. “Do you think he knows something about
it? It might just be an ugly rumor. I’m sure there were plenty of
dicks in New York who could start spreading that.”

“If someone is accusing anybody of wrongdoing in the James

Foundation, he knows about it. That’s what he does. That’s how
he’s always done it.” His eyes narrowed. Whipping around the
desk again, he picked up the phone he’d just thrown and began
scrolling the numbers. “Did Leon have any names? Anything
specific?”

“No, he was hearing it from somebody at the studio, who heard

it from somebody else. It’s like an evil game of telephone. I’m
surprised it didn’t end with ‘purple-monkey-dishwater.’”

He had to sit and wait as Grady called a new number. This one,

however, never picked up.

“Somebody’s going to know something,” Grady said. He stared

at his phone, his fingertips white from how hard he clutched it.
“Jesus. I don’t even know who’s left to call that I can trust. If I say
something to the wrong person, and it turns out to be some kind of
malicious attack, it could start the wrong kind of rumors anyway.”

“Is there anything I can do? I can make calls or something.”
“No, you don’t want to be a part of this.”
“That doesn’t matter. It’s my job to help you. I’m involved

now.”

“Did you tell Gwen?”
“No, I came straight to you.”
“Will you keep it to yourself for now? Please?”
“Yeah, but I can’t for long, Grady. It’s not that I want to tell

her, but I don’t know how patient Leon is going to be about this. If

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203

she catches wind that Arturo is thinking of pulling out, I’m going
to have to tell her why.”

Grady nodded, but he was obviously distracted. His thumb

tapped at his phone for several seconds before he seemed to make
up his mind about something. Paging through his contacts this time
took longer, the lift of the phone to his ear more measured.

“Hey, Cam, it’s Grady James…yeah, too long. Listen, I know

this is going to sound out of the blue, but you’re one of the few
people I can think of who’ll be straight with me.” He listened, then
laughed, though Colin realized it was forced. He’d heard enough
genuine laughter from Grady now to understand the difference.
“Yeah, yeah, well, I’m the one who told you not to pick him up,
remember? There was no way he looked eighteen, I don’t care how
drunk you were.” Grasping the edge of the desk, he braced against
it to lean on the edge, like he needed the added support. “No, I’m
still in Chicago. Why?” The longer he listened, the paler he
became. Even his mouth seemed to lose all its color. Finally, he
took a long breath and rubbed at his eyes. “Actually, that explains
a lot. No, really, Cam, thanks. I appreciate it.”

Grady put his phone down and stared at the desk with a pensive

frown. Colin fidgeted, thinking about how nice it would be to get
up and pour them both a stiff drink, like in an episode of Mad Men.
A fully stocked wet bar would be a godsend. Especially as the
minutes crawled by, and Colin didn’t know if he should stay where
he was or get out of Grady’s face.

“Grady?”
“The rumors aren’t new.”
Colin frowned, fresh apprehension crawling through him. “But

if they’re not new, why is this the first you’ve heard of it?”

“I don’t know.” He snorted. “Because I’m a naïve idiot? That’s

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204

always been the general consensus anyway. But I guess the joke’s
on me, because it turns out, when I was laughing them all off, they
were all actually right.”

Colin rose, tired of keeping his distance, and circled the desk.

He perched on the edge, not quite touching Grady, hands braced
against the smooth wood. “What’s going on? What did Cam tell
you?”

Grady stared, sightless, at the wall in front of them. “He was

just…joking around. Said it was too soon for me to come back to
New York to party anyway, that people’s memories were short, but
not that short, even if my father was the king of cover-ups. He
said…not even I could’ve run through all that money already.”

How much money had he dropped since his arrival in Chicago

and how many people had taken notice? No wonder the rumors
had been enough to disturb Leon when they finally reached him.
There must be all kinds of circumstantial evidence. Little things
that individually meant nothing, but created a damning portrait
when taken together.

“It’s getting late. Why don’t we get out of here and you can try

to call Oliver again when you get home.”

“So he can ignore me again? As far as he’s concerned, his part

is done. Anything that happens now is on my shoulders.” Grady
stiffened. “Can you put Leon off until tomorrow?”

“Yes, but Grady, I really think you need to talk to your father. I

think…you’re missing something here.”

“I am going to talk to him. I’m just not going to give him the

opportunity to ignore me.” He stood, then paused. “What do you
think I’m missing?”

Colin took a deep breath, every ounce of common sense he

possessed telling him to keep his mouth shut. He didn’t know

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205

Oliver, and he certainly didn’t know anything about the
relationship between him and his son. He could barreling right into
a pile of shit.

“There might be a kernel of truth in these rumors. If there was

ever money missing or misappropriated…and you didn’t take
it…who else would have had the ability? Not only to take the
money but to neatly distract all the attention from himself?”

Grady frowned, his gaze sliding sideways as he considered

Colin’s questions. “It would have to be somebody in the New York
office. There were three of us with direct access to the finances,
but I can’t imagine the others doing something like this. Or setting
me up.”

Colin stared, unsure if Grady simply didn’t see or if he was

playing his cards close to the chest. Colin wasn’t going to outright
suggest that Oliver James had stolen from his dead mother’s
charitable foundation and casually implicated his son to protect his
own ass. He couldn’t say that without proof beyond it was the only
scenario that made sense. While he tried to work that out, the rest
of Grady’s words caught up to him.

“You’re not going to give him an opportunity to ignore you?

What are you…are you going to New York?”

“I have to. If I’m in his face, he has to answer my questions.” A

muscle twitched in his jaw. “And if he’s lying, I’ll know. It’s the
only way I can be sure of anything.”

“I’ll take care of the flight. I don’t know if you have your own

personal jet, but given the situation, I wouldn’t be seen with it.”

“No, no jet. And thanks. If you can book the soonest flight

possible, I’d appreciate it.” He started to turn back to his desk, only
to stop and rest a tentative hand on Colin’s knee. “You have no
idea what it means to me to have you believe me. Especially since

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206

I know that it wasn’t that long ago, you wouldn’t have.”

Colin cupped the back of Grady’s neck and pulled him closer.

“Grady, even when I didn’t like you a bit, I never thought you
were the type of man who’d steal from your grandmother or sick
children.”

A shuddering sigh wracked through Grady, and he leaned his

forehead against Colin’s. “Just when my life was looking pretty
darn wonderful, too. I guess I should’ve expected something like
this.”

“No, you shouldn’t have.” Colin kissed him briefly then moved

away before he gave in to the temptation to kiss him again. “You
really shouldn’t have expected anything like this. I’ll let you know
about the flight.”

“Thank you. Again.” Colin was almost to the door when Grady

added with a rueful smile, “I don’t suppose you’d let me smuggle
you in my luggage to be my good luck charm, would you?”

“I already planned to book a seat for myself. I’m not going to

let you go to New York by yourself.” Because maybe Grady was
just a little too good natured for his own good, and maybe that
could be interpreted as naiveté. Grady would need his support.

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CHAPTER 13

They barely made the last flight of the day to New York, but

even on the plane, knowing they’d be in Manhattan no later than
eleven, Grady couldn’t relax. He’d tried two more times to get a
hold of Oliver, and two more times, his personal assistant Loretta
had given him the brush-off.

“He’s had this dinner meeting scheduled for months,” she’d

said. “He’s not taking any calls at all, Grady. I’m sorry.”

He didn’t believe her for a second, but he thanked her politely

anyway. Loretta was the last person he wanted to piss off. She
managed Oliver’s life all the way down to buying his socks. The
possibility that he’d already managed to do it, that she wasn’t
connecting him out of some personal vendetta, had crossed his
mind, but until he got to see her in person, he had to assume the

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best. No matter what Colin might think.

Grady was at a loss. Never in a million years would he have

thought he’d be in this position. He might sometimes be
considered insincere, and he might sometimes have to sugarcoat
the truth, but he didn’t break the law, and he most definitely wasn’t
a thief. He especially had no need to steal money. What he hadn’t
gotten in his trust fund from his father, he’d inherited from his
grandmother. He’d taken a hit when the American economy had
crashed, but it would’ve been a lot worse if he hadn’t diversified
his holdings overseas as well. He was more than comfortable.
Anybody who knew him should have known that.

Except, if Cam was to be believed, nobody did. The rumors

floating around said Grady had stolen a few million from the
Foundation, and that Oliver had pulled a lot of strings to keep him
out of jail. His departure was his punishment, apparently. Exile to a
small, unprofitable satellite office nobody in his right mind would
ever want.

If he was Arturo, he wouldn’t want to be associated with him,

either.

Having Colin with him helped. More than he thought Colin

could imagine. This should have been the perfect validation of
everything Colin had first thought about Grady, yet Colin refused
to believe the accusations. He’d looked Grady in the eye, and he’d
volunteered to help, and Grady could have kissed him on the spot
and promised him the world, just for being the man Grady already
couldn’t imagine living without.

When the pilot announced their descent into JFK, Grady broke

the silence that had settled between them. “I’ll get us booked into a
hotel before I track down my father. I’m assuming you won’t care
where we stay?”

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209

“No, I don’t have any preferences, as long as I can get some

room service.”

Grady frowned. “There are hotels that don’t have room

service?” When Colin blinked, he laughed. “I’m kidding. I figured
room service was a given, considering I’ve dragged you away like
this.”

“You didn’t drag me anywhere. I chose to abscond with you

into the night. Do you mind if I order steak and lobster?”

“What happened to keeping a low profile on the money?”
“Who’d begrudge you dinner?”
“I’m just kidding. Order whatever you want.” Leaning his head

against the back of the seat, Grady closed his eyes and tried to
relax. “Just save some for me. I’ll need a treat when I get back
from my father’s.”

“I’ll have a treat ready for you.” Colin gave his fingers a

reassuring squeeze. “It’s probably not going to be as bad as you
think.”

“I really hope you’re right.” The plane bumped more than once,

and Grady tightened his grip on Colin’s hand. “If I gave you the
names of the others who had access to the money, do you think
you could look them up online and see if they’ve done anything
weird in the past few months? I can’t believe they’d set me up like
this, but somebody sure did.”

“Of course, I’ll do what I can. I’m no hacker, but my Google-fu

is strong. Have you thought about what you might do after you
speak to Oliver? I mean, besides come back to the hotel for treats.”

“No, I don’t…I can’t think that far ahead yet.” Every time he

tried, he wanted to throw up. Because in the end, the damage had
already been done. Even if he exposed the real embezzler, the fact
of the matter was, Oliver hadn’t trusted him with the knowledge of

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his plan. He hadn’t even asked Grady to defend himself. He’d just
assumed the worst and then proceeded to cover up his foolish son’s
wrongdoings. That hurt worse than any slight Grady had ever
imagined. “Can I just focus on you lavishing me with treats?
That’s a lot more pleasurable.”

“Yes, you can. We’ll concentrate on treats tonight and worry

about the other stuff tomorrow, after a decent sleep.”

“There’s sleep in these treats? Since when?”
“I’ll make sure you get some sleep, one way or the other.”
He could imagine nothing better than falling asleep with Colin

curled around him, long arms tucked beneath his body, his legs
tangled with Grady’s. He almost hoped he couldn’t get to Oliver
tonight, just so he could go back to the hotel and forget his
miserable luck for a few hours with Colin. That would only
prolong the inevitable, though. And he didn’t want to stick around
in New York any longer than necessary.

They hadn’t bothered with luggage, and headed straight for the

taxi rank. As they stood in line, Grady called the one hotel he knew
he could count on. It was pricey, and a little showy, but damn it, if
Colin wasn’t going to worry too much about the money tonight,
Grady was going to treat him to an excellent stay.

“The Ritz-Carlton, Central Park,” he instructed the cab driver

when he slid into the back seat.

“Wow, really? That’s…much nicer than I expected.”
Grady reached across and took Colin’s hand. Already, he felt

better. “You deserve it. Plus, it’s not that far away from my
father’s apartment.”

“How far? Maybe I could wait for you in the taxi or the lobby

of Oliver’s building.”

“It’s walking distance.” He’d never make Colin wait for him

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211

like that, but his words suggested a different possibility, one Grady
was almost afraid to consider. “You wouldn’t be afraid of running
into him?” he tested.

“I’m not afraid of Oliver James. I guess I’d want to avoid

running into him because I wouldn’t want to say something that
might upset you, too.”

“I don’t think you could say anything right now that could

possibly make this situation any worse.”

“You have so little faith in my ability to find something

insulting and wholly inappropriate to say?”

“I have every faith you could. It might not help, but I think at

this point, it would certainly make me feel better.” He squeezed
once, and took a deep breath. “Do you want to meet him? You’ll
have to sooner or later anyway.”

“Tonight? I don’t know if that’s such a good idea, Grady. You

need to go and get some information from him. I’d just distract
from the issue.”

“You’re not a distraction. You’ve been the one thing that’s kept

me together since I found out. I didn’t want to subject you to
what’s probably going to be a big fight, but to be honest, I’d feel
better knowing you were there to watch my back.”

“I promise to watch your back and try not to make everything

worse. I’m not bothered by big fights. Especially when I’m
backing the wronged party who deserves a serious explanation.”

His relief was palpable. The vise that had been tightening

around his head and shoulders felt looser, and the throbbing that
had settled behind his eyes faded into the background. On impulse,
he leaned over and kissed Colin, ignoring the frown from the
driver in the mirror.

Maybe it wouldn’t be so awful, after all.

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212

* * *

Though he wanted to show off the hotel to Colin, they didn’t

linger in their room. Another call to his father’s private number
bypassed Loretta this time, which meant he was in for the night.
This was Grady’s best chance for an audience with Oliver. He
wasn’t going to waste it.

He smiled when he saw Dalton in the lobby of his father’s

building, holding it as the portly older man waddled from behind
his desk to open the door for him. “I still have my key,” he said
after they’d entered. “You didn’t have to get up.”

“Always trying to take my job away from me,” the doorman

grumbled. It was all put on. Dalton had treated Grady more like a
grandson than a tenant’s relative the entire time Oliver had lived at
the Central Park property. He was the one who’d covered for a
teenaged Grady when he’d accidentally broken his curfew, though
that was the least of the favors they’d done for each other over the
years. “I suppose you won’t want me to call up to your father,
either, will you?”

Grady laughed. “You know me too well.” Aware of Colin

hanging back, he caught his hand and dragged him forward. “This
is Colin. Colin, this is Dalton. He’s the one you come to if you
want all the dirt on what I got into as a kid.”

“I think I can imagine what you got into as a kid.” Colin smiled

at Dalton. “Good to meet you.”

“Likewise.” He nodded at Colin politely and turned back to

Grady. “If you’re looking for your father, he came home about an
hour ago. Between you and me, it seems like something put him in
quite the mood.”

“Yeah, that doesn’t surprise me.” He looked to the bank of

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213

elevators. Now or never. “I better not give him the chance to lock
me out, then. Come on, Col. We’re off to see the wizard.”

Dalton’s encouraging smile and Colin’s warm hand helped

quell some of the worst of his nerves as they rode up to the twelfth
floor. He had no doubts his continued attempts to get a hold of
Oliver were the cause of his bad mood. He just hoped he got the
answers he needed to put an end to the rumors, once and for all.

The keys slipped in his sweaty grasp as they came to a stop

outside Oliver’s door. “Last chance to run back to the Ritz and
hide,” he joked.

“I have the feeling it’ll only get worse the longer we put it off.”

Colin leaned over to kiss his cheek, letting his mouth linger as he
whispered, “I know you can do this.”

Grady closed his eyes and let the heat from Colin’s mouth and

words sink in. Colin had faith in him. Now he just had to muster
the faith in himself.

The lock turned easily, the door swinging silently open. The

distant strains of some early Clapton drifted from the living room.

“Crap,” Grady muttered. “That’s not good.”
“Do you have something against Clapton?”
“That’s my father’s ‘everyone’s an idiot but me’ music.” He

closed the door carefully behind them. “That’s usually my cue to
avoid him for the next month.”

“Do you want me to wait here? Oliver might not want to talk

about this if I’m in the room.”

“No, you’re here now. And you’re my corroborating witness in

case he tries to deny anything.” A deep breath didn’t actually do
much except stall another couple seconds. “Okay, let’s do this.”

With more confidence than he felt, Grady strode forward,

deliberately letting his keys jangle as he slipped them back into his

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pocket. The music quieted, though didn’t stop, and when he
stepped into the elegantly appointed, cream and beige living
room—and Grady still thought that designer should have been
shot, because ninety-nine percent of the world thought they were
practically the same fucking color—Oliver was framed against the
large picture windows overlooking Central Park, as if he’d
orchestrated the entire entrance. Which he probably had.

“Did your dinner meeting not go as well as you hoped?” Grady

said in lieu of a greeting. He plopped down in his father’s favorite
chair and rested his heels on the glass coffee table. “That’s a
shame. Loretta said it was an important one, too.”

Grady was aware of Colin hovering near the entryway, but his

attention was focused on Oliver. “Grady, you shouldn’t be so
impatient,” Oliver said. “I was just about to return your calls, you
didn’t need to fly all the way to New York.” His attention flickered
over Grady’s shoulder to Colin. “Your new assistant?”

“He’s one of the key people in the Chicago office.” Grady

waved him forward. “Colin Braugher, meet the infamous Oliver
James.”

Oliver scowled at the introduction, but managed a curt nod

Colin’s direction. “What are you doing here? Are there problems
in Chicago? Considering you’ve only been there a month, I very
much hope not.”

“Oh, no, things have been going along swimmingly. We’ve

been in the throes of putting together a fantastic show. Even
managed to snag Arturo Taveras to star in it.”

Oliver leaned against the wall and folded his arms. “Yes, I

heard. That should attract a good deal of press for the Foundation.
Good work.”

“That’s what I thought, too. But then, wouldn’t you know it,

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something decided to hit the fan.” He pretended to brush off lint
from the wide arm of the chair. “Arturo’s people are pushing for
him to pull out. Apparently, they don’t want him associated with
me.”

If Oliver was surprised by the revelation, he didn’t show it. Not

that Grady expected him to. Nobody in the world had a poker face
like his father, and even after twenty-eight years of being on the
receiving end of that impassive glare, Grady still couldn’t read
anything into it. Oliver might have been surprised, annoyed,
amused, or nothing at all.

“What did you do to cause this change of heart? And more

importantly, what makes you think you should talk to me about it?
I made it very clear when you left New York that I was not going
to let you use me as a crutch.”

“See, that’s the thing, Dad.” Oliver hated the more casual

greeting, but Grady’s temper was fraying the longer he sat there
and listened to the lecture. “I had every intention of making my
mark without you. I wanted that more than anything. But Arturo’s
people think I left New York because I had to. They think I was
stealing money from the Foundation, and, get this, they think you
covered it up.”

Grady wished Oliver would at least blink at this revelation. “So

did you come here to yell at me for cleaning up your mess? Or for
not doing an ideal job? Honestly, Grady, I’m not omnipotent. I
can’t stop people from talking.”

“Except I didn’t do it. I never even heard about any of this until

Colin got the call.”

Oliver exhaled. “Well, Grady, I must say that I’m relieved to

hear it. I’m sorry that you were caught flatfooted, but I thought it
was understood…I thought that was why you agreed to go to

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Chicago.”

Hearing the admission of Oliver’s belief in his guilt stabbed

deeper than he anticipated, and he struggled not to lose it, not here,
not in front of the man. “You didn’t even ask if I did it,” he said.
“Why would you assume it was me?”

“Yeah, why would you do that?” Colin had been utterly silent

for the whole exchange, but now his voice filled the room, and
Grady turned in time see him take a casual step forward, his arms
folded across his chest. He looked more curious than annoyed, but
Grady was adept at reading Colin at this point and knew it was
mostly just an act.

“Excuse me?”
“Why would you assume Grady’s guilt?” Colin asked slowly.

“He’s never done this sort of thing before, has he? Plus, the
Foundation was established by his grandmother, for Christ’s sake.
Do you think you raised a man who would do something like
that?”

“I don’t know who you think you are but…”
“I’m the guy who’s going to make some calls in the morning.

Starting with the FTC.”

Grady’s eyes widened. Colin hadn’t mentioned the trade

commission before. And from the look on Oliver’s face, it was a
threat he hadn’t actually considered.

“This conversation is over,” Oliver said.
“Oh, no.” Grady leapt to his feet. “We’re only getting started

here. I deserve some answers. At the very least, you’re going to
help me find out who actually did embezzle the money. I am not
having my name tainted by this.”

“I think that’s an excellent question.” Colin didn’t seem

concerned by the fact that he wasn’t helping matters. “A couple of

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million disappears in this economy and you just naturally try to
cover it up? Where did that money go, Mr. James? Aren’t you the
least worried about it?”

“What are you trying to say?” Oliver asked, his voice low and

chilled.

“I’m just trying to say that I think you should make it a priority

to find the money. Or somebody should. Then Grady’s name will
be cleared and the authorities won’t have to be involved.”

“Did you even investigate Vanessa and Tony?” Grady asked.

“What proof did you have that I was in any way connected to
this?”

“Yeah, was there an investigation of any kind? Or was this

more of a gut feeling?”

Oliver pointed at Colin, all brittle fury. “This is none of your

concern. I should have you dragged out of here and thrown in the
street.”

“Okay.”
“What?” Grady and Oliver said at the same time.
“Throw me out. It doesn’t make any difference to me.”
“You’re not going anywhere,” Grady said.
Oliver marched over to the sideboard. “Oh, yes, he is.”
Darting forward, Grady caught Oliver’s wrist before he could

pick up his phone. “You are not throwing out the one person who’s
on my side in this.”

Oliver’s nostrils flared. “This is my home, Grady, and I do not

have to tolerate these kinds of unsolicited attacks.”

“Nobody’s attacking you. I just want some answers.”
“They sound like attacks to him because he doesn’t have any

answers,” Colin said softly.

Grady’s gaze swung back and forth between the two men. “He

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has to. He’s the one who covered it all up.”

Why was it so hard to get straight answers from him? And

Colin’s question about where the money went was a valid one. It
wasn’t like Oliver to ignore a loss. Even if he’d thought Grady
guilty, he still would have insisted on getting the money back
somehow.

And the family name was everything to Oliver. If he believed

Grady guilty, he would never have let him out of his sight. Instead
of shipping him off, he would have kept him under his thumb to
ensure he didn’t do anything more to sully the James name.

But he’d never even mentioned it.
He’d never mentioned any of it. He’d left it for Grady to

discover on his own, if he ever expected Grady to find out at all.
He’d ignored Grady’s calls, and he’d failed to answer a single
question since they’d arrived.

Slowly, he let go of Oliver’s wrist and backed away. “You

know where the money is.” His eyes never left Oliver’s face. “You
know who took it.”

“I’m not going to continue this conversation with him here,”

Oliver said stiffly. “This is a private matter, son, and we should
discuss it privately.”

“Anything you say to me, you can say in front of Colin.”
“No, I cannot and I will not.”
Grady immediately opened his mouth to protest, but Colin’s

hand on his arm stilled him. “Don’t. If you don’t know anything,
then you won’t have to lie to the investigators.” He leveled a look
at Oliver. “And there will be people investigating this. You can
count on that.”

He didn’t want to just give up, but Oliver’s jaw was stone. He

was not going to budge on speaking in front of Colin, and Grady

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couldn’t deal with the thought of sorting through this whole mess
without Colin at his side to help him keep his head straight.

With a nod, he retreated another step until he stood directly at

Colin’s side. “If you’d wanted privacy, you should have taken my
calls. Anything that happens now is all on you.”

Turning on his heel, he marched out of the apartment, Colin

right behind him. He was fine as he closed the door, but as soon as
it clicked shut, his knees rebelled, and he slumped against the wall,
his entire body shaking.

“Hey, it’s going to be okay,” Colin murmured, clasping

Grady’s shoulder in a gesture that was both casual and intimate.
“You’re going to be okay.”

“We just sicced the FTC onto Oliver James. How is that in any

way okay?”

“Because…look at me.” He waited until Grady opened his eyes

before continuing. “I think your relationship with your father is
pretty much toast. I’m sorry about that. But if you cooperate fully
with a federal investigation, you will clear your name. Even if
some people still gossip about you, your whole future isn’t going
to be flushed down the toilet. But you’ve got to move on this
before he does.”

“You think he’s going to cover it all up, don’t you?”
“Grady…I think he’s setting you up. Probably because he

figures you won’t act to defend yourself.”

Somewhere, in the darkest depths of his thoughts, he’d

suspected that. But he hadn’t dared acknowledge even its
possibility, because that would have meant far more than his father
not having trust in him. Colin had likely known all along, but
because he was a far better man than Oliver James could ever
dream of being, he’d held off on hurting Grady by saying so.

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220

However, Oliver was the most logical answer to it all. As much

as he hated to admit it.

“We have to protect the charity. No matter what.”
“Which means we have to focus on protecting you right now.”

Colin gently pulled him from the closed door, leading him to the
elevator. “Because if you go down for this, the Foundation will
probably go with you.”

Whatever else happened, losing the charity was unacceptable.

By forcing Grady to choose between him and Grady’s
grandmother, Oliver had done the one thing guaranteed to make
him fight.

Colin slipped an arm around his waist when they were safe

inside the elevator. Grady turned into the embrace and breathed
him in, borrowing the strength Colin so readily offered.

“He has a fight on his hands, then. Because I am not letting him

destroy everything Grandma worked for.”

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CHAPTER 14

By three that morning, a picture was beginning to form. Grady

was busy on the phone, speaking to a parade of people who, Grady
assured him, lived to take these kinds of calls in the middle of the
night. There were lawyers and accountants and consultants. They
started knocking on the door at twelve, armed with their
computers, smart phones, and trays of coffee. Colin busied himself
with what he did best—running errands. If anybody needed
anything, Colin jumped on the task before it was fully articulated.
While he worked, he kept his head down and his ears open,
collecting the details like puzzle pieces and figuring out the way
they fit.

The long and short of it was that Oliver fucked up. It was

difficult to say how many years he’d been skimming from the

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charity, but Colin wouldn’t be surprised if this was not a new
development. This time, he didn’t cover his tracks. When the
Foundation’s CFO, Donald Lane, discovered the money was
missing, he went directly to Oliver. Colin didn’t know if Oliver
accused Grady himself, or if he merely allowed Mr. Lane to
believe that Grady took it. Either way, Grady was sent from New
York and money was moved around, making it more difficult to
trace just how much was taken and from where. Oliver might have
thought everything would quietly blow over, especially after he
pushed Grady out of town. But Oliver had said it himself—he
wasn’t omnipotent. He couldn’t stop people from talking.

Grady took everything in stride, his mouth set in a serious

frown, his eyes drawn but bright. He directed the small army he’d
amassed with ease, juggling several conversations at once, not to
mention his emails and everything he needed to sign. There were a
surprising number of documents that required Grady’s signature,
and Colin rushed out of the room at least once an hour to scurry
downstairs to the business center to take advantage of the twenty-
four hour copy and fax service.

By the time everybody left, the sun was already visible on the

horizon, and Colin felt like he’d been completely wrung out. He
dragged himself to the bed and belly-flopped onto it, too exhausted
to undress. He wasn’t even sure he could turn over onto his back.
The adrenaline that had kept him running all night was starting to
ebb, falling back like waves from the shore, and without that
adrenaline, he had nothing to stop his mind from traveling down
dark paths. Namely, he’d just made an enemy out of Oliver James.

The bed bounced as Grady fell onto it next to him. A warm

hand landed on the back of his thigh, across his ass, and started to
knead. “This wasn’t exactly how I saw my trip turning out,” Grady

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said.

“Please tell me we’re through the worst of it now. Lie to me if

you have to.”

“You’re through the worst of it.” He slapped at Colin’s bottom.

“You should get some sleep.”

“We both should.” Colin peered up from over his arm. “You

look like warmed-over death.”

“I can’t. Not yet, anyway.” He smiled at Colin, though his blue

eyes weren’t as bright as usual. “The FTC meeting is at nine sharp.
I have to make an appearance, in case my father decides to show
up and throw a wrench in the works.”

“You can’t go by yourself. If Oliver does show up, you’ll need

to have somebody there who doesn’t mind making a complete ass
of himself.”

“That’s what the lawyers are for.” Rolling onto his side, Grady

bent and brushed a kiss across Colin’s temple. “It won’t be for too
long. I just have to get the ball rolling. But I appreciate the offer.
You have no idea how much I needed you tonight.”

“What’s going to happen now? Are you…did you fix things?

Or…I mean, am I going to wake up alone this afternoon because
you’re in jail?”

“I won’t be in jail. And I know you’re not going to want to hear

this, but neither will my father. Not yet, anyway. If ever. The
investigation will suspend licenses on the affected branches of the
Foundation, and freeze assets until they’ve reached a verdict. But
my assets have been separate from the Foundation since I turned
twenty-one, and my accountants are ready to have them gone over
right away, so I shouldn’t be affected for very long.” He rested his
head on his outstretched arm. “That’s one advantage to actually
being innocent. I don’t have anything to hide.”

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224

Colin released a shaky breath and buried his head in his arms

again, relieved Grady couldn’t see the sudden tremor in his fingers.
He’d elbowed his way into the middle of this clusterfuck, leveling
not-so-veiled accusations at a man who could utterly destroy him.
He’d done so without evidence and without speaking to Grady.
How many ways could that have backfired in his face? How many
ways could it all still backfire? The tremors were spreading from
his hand.

“Are you okay?” Colin asked, his voice muffled.
“I won’t lie. I think today is going to be hell. I think I’ve

probably given up any shot at living in this town again, because
people are going to remember that I was the one who turned my
father in. And I’m afraid if I don’t move fast enough, all
Grandma’s work will get fucked over because of his greed.” The
weight returned to Colin’s back, Grady’s hand warm and
reassuring. “I’m sorry you got stuck in all this, too. If there is
anything you want, anything at all, just name it. Because I owe you
everything, Colin.”

“I’m sorry,” Colin blurted, lifting his head. “I’m sorry, I forced

this stuff. You might have been able to take care of everything
quietly and quickly and I…and I made sure you couldn’t because I
couldn’t keep my mouth shut. But he was just…I hated to see him
lie to you like that.”

Grady shut him up with the fusion of his lips over Colin’s, the

kiss firm and lingering if not deep. When he pulled back, he was
smiling, and in spite of the exhaustion in his face, he looked a lot
less miserable than Colin felt.

“That’s what I love about you. I think you’re the most decent

man I’ve ever met. The best night of my life was that boring
concert, just because that’s the night I got to meet you.”

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225

“The concert wasn’t boring,” Colin murmured with a small

smile. “You really think the night you met me was the best night of
your life?”

“Absolutely. There isn’t a part of my life you haven’t made

better, just by being in it.”

Colin couldn’t detect a hint of insincerity in Grady’s voice or

on his face. Colin’s face flushed, his eyes and nose tingling a little.
He leaned forward but didn’t quite touch Grady’s lips. He inhaled,
his nose brushing across Grady’s, and he wanted to be closer than
that, but he didn’t think he had the energy to kiss Grady properly.

“I’m glad I could help you. You know I…you can count on

me.” It sounded great in his head, but unbelievably lame when he
actually uttered the words. He ducked his head again to hide his
mortification.

“My Grandma would’ve loved you,” Grady said. “You’re

everything she wished I’d find.”

Colin felt like the room was dipping and spinning around him,

and he knew he was just exhausted. He shouldn’t say anything if
he didn’t have all his wits about him, even if Grady was being
sweet and smelled unbelievably good.

“I wish I could have met her. When do we get to go home?”
“Tomorrow, hopefully.” He rubbed small circles along Colin’s

spine, his fingers strong and unbelievably relaxing. “If you want, I
could put you on a flight today. There’s no reason for you to stick
around if you’d rather be in your own bed.”

“No.” Colin lifted his head again. “No. I’m staying here until

you’re ready to go back.”

“At least let me make the call to Leon about everything that’s

going on, then. You shouldn’t have to deal with that, too.”

“Okay, you can do that.” Colin rolled to his side and threaded

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his fingers through Grady’s hair, thumb tracing over his ear.
“You’re really not going to sleep before the meeting?”

Grady leaned into the touch, his eyelids drooping. “I will if you

keep touching me like that. There’s something about curling up
next to you that makes me want to tell the world to just fuck off.”

Colin shifted closer, hitching his knee over Grady’s leg, their

hips aligning. He combed his fingers through Grady’s hair again
and again, quietly watching the look of bliss flutter over his
handsome features. Colin sighed and dragged his hand over the
knotted muscles in Grady’s neck and shoulders.

“We can do that. After you get everything taken care of here.

We could go somewhere for the weekend.”

“I like that idea, but we’ve got the play to get through, too.”

Colin hit a particularly hard spot, and Grady groaned. “Oh, God,
don’t stop. That feels amazing.”

“We could leave the play in Gwen’s capable hands.” Colin bent

his knuckles, pressing firmly into one of the myriad of knots.
“Because you deserve a break, Grady. You just…after everything
you just went through, you deserve a few days to fuck off and
catch your breath.”

In spite of Colin’s attempts to relax him, Grady’s jaw tensed.

“Part of me’s afraid if I do that, I’ll end up thinking too much
about what happened here. If I’m busy, maybe it won’t be so bad.”

“I can keep you busy.”
A smile started to form again. “Sounds like you’re just tired of

my desk.”

“I enjoy your desk. I’ve had some very good times on your

desk. But I…I really want to make things better for you. It’s kind
of weird to me, how much I want to make things better for you.”

Slowly, Grady’s eyes opened again. What Colin saw there

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made him duck his own and focus on the rhythmic pulse point at
the base of Grady’s throat.

“I don’t think it’s so weird,” Grady said softly. “That’s how

I’ve felt about you for a while now. I’m not saying it’s the same
thing, but…this stopped being a casual thing for me that night we
went out for the sushi lessons. That’s when I realized I was falling
in love with you.”

It didn’t come as a massive surprise. It just felt…right. Like

Grady was reminding him of something he’d known for most of
his life. Colin didn’t know if the confused tangle of emotions
sitting right over his stomach was love or something else. But what
else could it be? He would do anything for Grady. Oliver was the
most terrifying person Colin had ever met, but he would have gone
toe-to-toe with the older man over Grady’s integrity. He would
have gone further than that, if necessary.

“I need…” Colin bent his head and delicately kissed Grady’s

lips. “I think I should sleep. I don’t know what…everything is
jumbled in my head.”

“Sleep is good.” An arm stole around Colin’s waist, pulling

their bodies into a close embrace. Grady’s mouth settled over his
ear, and the warm, rhythmic brush of his breath soothed Colin even
more. “I’m going to shower and get out of here. The quicker I get
this over with, the quicker I can come back here and crawl into bed
with you.”

Colin fisted Grady’s shirt, fingers curling tight around the

material as he gave in to his exhaustion and closed his eyes. He
was curiously reluctant to let Grady go, though he agreed with
Grady’s general plan. “I’ll be here.”

* * *

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228

Though he almost fell asleep on the cab ride back to the hotel,

Grady managed to keep it together long enough to get to his room.
He dropped the case of new paperwork everyone wanted him to
sign by the door and headed straight for the bedroom.

Colin was still asleep.
At some point, he’d burrowed under the blankets, only the top

of his dark hair peeking through to splay across the pillow. Grady
leaned against the jamb to watch, all the tension from the day
evaporating. Colin was still here. He hadn’t run away because
Grady had opened his big mouth and confessed to being in love
with him. He was asleep in the bed they should’ve been sharing,
and he would still be there if Grady walked over right now and
woke him up.

Grady had no idea what he’d done to deserve it. His life was a

mess. The fight with his father was going to be ugly and long,
though thankfully Grady would get exonerated soon. But Oliver
wasn’t going to take any of this lightly. He didn’t handle failure
well at all. He might not be able to frame Grady for his own
crimes, but he wouldn’t hesitate to do everything he could to cast
him in a bad light, all in the name of saving face. Nobody should
have to put up with that kind of crap, yet Colin had stepped into
the fray without batting an eyelash. And he was sticking around to
make things better. His words. Not Grady’s.

As much as he wanted to crawl into bed with him, however,

there was still at least one ball to get rolling. He returned to the
living room and sat at the desk, thumbing through his phone until
he found Gwen’s number.

She listened silently as he explained everything that had

transpired in the past twenty-four hours. He had no idea how much
Colin might have told her, so he made sure to cover it all, ending

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229

with, “I’ve booked us on a flight for Chicago first thing tomorrow
morning, but my question to you is, do you think we should wait
and have me tell everyone what’s going on when I get back, or do
you want to sit everybody down today and fill them in so they’re
not asking questions in case they see something on the news or
online?”

“I’ll call a meeting today and tell them the gist of what’s going

on. I’ll wait for you to fill them in on the details. It’ll be better if
nobody is blindsided. But…the Foundation is safe right? They’re
going to be worried about their jobs.”

“Their jobs are safe,” he assured. “But I’ve started measures to

get the charity out of the Foundation’s umbrella. Gwen, I need you
to be honest with me. Do you see us working together long-term?”

“Yes,” Gwen answered without hesitation. “I know we all got

off to a rocky start, but I’m not going anywhere and I know how
dedicated you are.”

His shoulders sagged in relief. “Good. Because one of the

things I’d like to do is put you on the books as my joint director.
That’d put you in an equal position to me in running everything
about the Chicago office.”

Gwen’s gasp was audible. “I…running everything? Me? Are

you sure you mean everything?”

“That’s exactly what I mean. I know you can do it. You were

mostly doing it before I poked my big nose in anyway. And the
fact of the matter is, I know I can’t do this by myself. I need you. I
refuse to let my pride get in the way of making the charity a
success. It’s more important than any one of us.”

Gwen sniffed, but when she spoke, her voice was even. “I’m

honored, Grady. Thank you. I promise I won’t let you down.”

“I know. You’re the best, Gwen.” He was about to disconnect

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230

when he remembered something else. “Oh, and when we finally
get Colin on the payroll, make sure he’s reporting directly to you,
okay? I’ve messed with the power dynamics enough in that office
without being his boss, too.”

“Of course. Does Colin know you’re putting him on the

payroll?”

“I hope so. He’s the one who told me he wanted to work for us

full-time after he graduated.”

“He told me he’s not going to make any assumptions, and I

think he’s scared to ask you about it directly because of the, as you
say, power dynamics.”

“What do you suggest I do?” He was willing to hear whatever

advice Gwen had. He might love Colin, but she knew him best.

Gwen laughed. “Offer him a job. Maybe one with a fancy

title.”

Fancy titles didn’t seem like Colin’s thing, but if Gwen thought

it was safe to offer him the job personally, then that’s what he
would do. “Thanks, Gwen. For everything.” He disconnected with
a smile. Now, he could get some sleep.

On the way back to the bedroom, he toed off his shoes and

unknotted his tie, tossing it aside before starting up on shirt
buttons. He had it open and half off when he reached the door,
only to find Colin rolled onto his side, wide awake and watching
him.

“You were supposed to still be asleep so I could crawl into bed

with you,” Grady teased.

Colin pulled the corner of the bedspread back and patted the

mattress beside him. “You can still crawl in.”

The view he got of Colin’s naked chest was the only impetus

he needed to finish stripping out of his clothes. With more energy

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231

than he realized he could muster, he left a trail on his way to the
bed, sliding into the intoxicating heat Colin’s body had generated
beneath the blankets. As he rested his head on the pillow, the first
thing he did was sigh in satisfaction.

“I have been looking forward to this all day,” he breathed.
“How did the meeting go? Was it terrible?”
“It could have been worse. He didn’t show up. He just sent his

lawyers, like all this was some routine investigation and totally
beneath him.” Which was what Grady should have expected if he
hadn’t been so tired and rattled. “We can go home tomorrow. I’ve
got our flights already.”

“I’m glad it’s not as bad as it could have been.” Colin nuzzled

closer, burying his face against Grady’s neck. “We haven’t really
had a chance to talk about…how you’re feeling about your father.
We can, if you want. Or we don’t have to.”

Did he want to talk about it? Not really. The emotions weren’t

happy ones, and he was too tired to put a filter on. The invitation,
however, surprised him, mostly because he’d never really known
anyone who would’ve offered before. It was even more reason to
love this man. Not that he needed more.

“I think I’m more disappointed than anything else. The fact that

he would steal from Grandma’s dreams, the fact that he had so
little faith in me he thought he could use me as his patsy, the fact
that I never really knew him at all because I honestly never thought
he could be the one behind all this until you started pushing him.”

Colin lifted his head and traced Grady’s jaw, his eyes still soft

with sleep, then leaned forward and caught Grady’s bottom lip. He
sucked on it for a moment before deepening the kiss, letting his
tongue dip into Grady’s mouth. The kiss was so slow,
directionless, and just what Grady needed.

SCORPIO: THE HEART TO HELP

232

“It sounds like he never really knew you, either.”
“You did.” He drank Colin in, still a little awed that this was

happening, that Colin was here. “That’s all I need.”

“What were you talking to Gwen about? Are you

reorganizing?”

“Yeah. It’s the best way to keep the charity safe. But to

incorporate in Illinois, you need at least three board members, so I
asked her if she wanted the job.”

Colin nodded his approval. “Good. You couldn’t have picked a

better person for the job.”

“Speaking of…she’s going to need an assistant. Would you be

interested?”

“Really? I seem to recall somebody telling me my talents were

wasted at that sort of job.”

“Are you kidding?” He knew Colin was teasing, but two could

play that game. “We’re going to need some major systems help.
You’re going to have to redesign everything from the ground up,
since we won’t have access to the Foundation resources or its
checkbook. I’m not made of money, you know.”

“Oh my God, you’re actually going to make me work?” Colin

sighed heavily and rolled onto his back. “You’re probably going to
be really demanding, too, just so nobody thinks you play
favorites.”

“Yep. I see lots of overtime in your future.”
“I hope you mean sexy overtime.”
“There’s another kind?”
“Just wanted to make sure I know what’s expected of me.”

Colin licked his lips and the smile faded slightly. “Earlier, before
you left, you said something and I didn’t really…address it.”

He knew what Colin referred to, but the last thing he wanted

SCORPIO: THE HEART TO HELP

233

was to put pressure on him. “You don’t have to. I didn’t tell you
that to make you say it back. It’s just important to me that you
know where I stand. That I’m taking you seriously.”

“I know you didn’t want to make me say it back. But I’ve been

thinking about it, and the past month, and everything that happened
last night. I’ve never been in love with anybody, so I don’t really
know, but…” Colin’s sigh was almost a growl. “This is all coming
out stupid.”

“It’s not stupid.” He rolled onto his side to better see Colin, and

rested a hand on his flat stomach, stroking it gently. “What you
did…that says it all, don’t you know that?”

Colin’s lips quirked. “Then it shouldn’t be hard to say it,

should it? So in the immortal words of David Cassidy, hey, I think
I love you.”

“David Cassidy?” He grinned. “You are never allowed to slam

my choice of music ever again.”

“Given your taste in music, I thought it was a reference you

might get.”

Grady shook his head and pretended to sigh. “What am I going

to do with you?”

At Colin’s laughter, he nestled against his side, burying his face

in Colin’s neck and kissing along the rough edge of his whiskers.
The question had been thoroughly rhetorical, of course. Because
when it came to Colin Braugher, he knew exactly what he wanted.

And he had a lifetime to do it.

AMIE

RAIG

Jamie Craig is the collaborative efforts of Pepper Espinoza and
Vivien Dean. Both successful authors on their own, they began
working together in early 2006. Pepper lives with her husband and
cats in Utah, where she attends graduate school, and Vivien resides
in northern California with her husband and two children.

* * *

Don’t miss Wearing Death

by Jamie Craig,

available at AmberAllure.com!

When veterinarian Jeremy Reed hears a thump one night on his
front step, he expects to find an abandoned animal. What he gets is
battered and broken cop Brendan Wheeler. Kidnapped from his
apartment five days earlier by an unknown man, Brendan now
sports a vivid tattoo across his back depicting a young woman’s
death, a woman nobody knows.

Until the next morning when Jeremy discovers her dead body.

Brendan wants to find the killer. Jeremy wants Brendan to survive.
And someone wants both of them to pay…

MBER

UILL

RESS

, LLC

OLD

TANDARD IN

UBLISHING

UALITY

OOKS

OTH

RINT AND

LECTRONIC

ORMATS

CTION

DVENTURE

USPENSE

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