A Fated Love

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this work.

A FATED LOVE

13 Perfect Strangers Collection

Cover art by Amanda Kelsey

Edited by Trinity Scott

All Romance eBooks, LLC

Palm Harbor, Florida 34684

www.allromanceebooks.com

This is a work of fiction and any resemblance to

persons, living or dead, or business establishments, events,
or locales is coincidental.

All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this may be used

or reproduced in any manner whatsoever with out written
permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied
in critical articles and reviews.

First All Romance eBooks publication: February 2011

Chapter One

“Wait! Hey, you! Wait!” Lee Volde raced across the

parking garage, but the squeal of echoing tires made it clear
the person who‟d whacked the daylights out of his fender
wasn‟t hanging around for the finer details, like insurance
swapping. “God damn it!” He threw his business jacket over
the hood, wishing he had something less valuable than his
briefcase that he could pitch in anger.

He grimaced as he crouched, setting his briefcase on

the  ground  at  his  feet  to  run  a  hand  over  the  front  of  his
Corvette  Stingray.  “Fucking  jerk.”  He  petted  the  jet  black
paint  like  he  was  soothing  a  wounded  animal.  “I‟m  sorry,
baby. I thought parking you up here would be better.”

He was running a thumb over the busted blinker light

and the scuff marks in the new dent when the sound of
approaching footsteps broke into his silent fuming.

“Excuse me?”
Lee whipped around to peer over and above his

shoulder. Holy daylights. Gods do walk the earth. He stood
carefully.

The gentleman pointed over his shoulder toward a

green H3. “I saw the whole thing from over there.” He held
up his cell phone. “Would this help?” An image of a
Cadillac appeared on the screen.

“You caught it?” Lee was flabbergasted. This stranger

had snapped a shot of the car?

Diana DeRicci

“Well, the culprit,” he joked with a white-toothed

smile, the smallest gap between his perfect front teeth. He
pointed at the screen. “License plate.” He moved a fingertip
with a blunt nail to the other edge of the glowing screen
when it flicked frames, showing the Cadillac backing up to
get around the Corvette, exposing the damage. “Proof of
dent. I think you can work with that.”

“Can you email that to me?” Lee‟s heart was lurching

and pounding. His car had been violated and a man the likes
of which he‟d never encountered was saving the day.

“Be happy to.” He held out a hand. “Vince

Mulholland.”

“Lee Volde.” When their hands connected, his skin

tingled, a pulse sending an already skittering focus farther
out into no-man‟s land. He shook himself, though when he
released Vince, he seemed in less than a hurry to do so. Lee
was too shook up to even concentrate on his reaction.

A crunch of molded plastic under his foot reminded

him of what he was doing. Searching his splayed suit
pockets, he found his cards and gave one to Vince. Without
asking again, he immediately sent the images to the listed
email, then called nine-one-one.

“Hi, I need to report a hit and run. No injuries.”
Lee all but sagged against his gem, surprised at the

amount of help Vince was giving him.

New to the city, he had no close friends yet and

honestly  hadn‟t  expected  someone  to  be  this  outgoing  to
give  him  a  hand.  Least  of  all  someone  who  looked  like  a
fashion model in Armani.

“So, what is it? A ‟67?”
Lee blinked. “A ‟69. I restored her and she‟s been my

baby.”

“I can tell. It‟s a beautiful piece.” Vince strolled around

the car, nodding and humming in approval. “The exhaust,
that‟s to the factory specifications?”

A Fated Love

“You know Corvettes?”
Vince winked. “Don‟t all young boys? You did an

incredible job with it.”

“Thanks. I had to get it professionally painted but

under the hood was all me.”

“Impressive.” Vince stopped in front of him. “I haven‟t

seen you in the building.”

Lee shrugged. “I‟ve only been in Houston for about

three months. A new acquire from Detroit.”

“Ah, so you‟re the numbers whiz that Frank was

cussing and praising in the same breath.”

Oh crap. He works for Shedwicke too. Fucking figures.

“I guess.” Studying Vince, he guessed him to be in his mid-
to  late-thirties.  Manicured  hands,  pressed  Armani,  an  H3.
And  someone  important  if  he  wasn‟t  shooting  wildly.  He
managed to put his admiration in a closet, shoving his want
to drool in with it. He doubted the man was even gay. Just
because he didn‟t wear a ring didn‟t mean shit. He might be
new  to  Houston  but  at  thirty-two,  Lee  sure  wasn‟t  new  to
men  who  liked  to  yank  chains  and  drag  a  male  around  by
their dick.

The sound of an approaching car drew both their

attentions. A police cruiser rolled to a stop on the fourth
floor of the enclosed garage and an officer stepped out to
join them. Lee folded his jacket and opened the door to drop
it over the seat, meeting the cop with registration and info in
hand.

*****

Vince waited a small distance away, giving Lee space

and room to make the report. With the pictures, his
insurance should be able to find the other driver and press
for damages. It was a shitty shame that his ‟Vette had been
the victim. It was a sweet piece of machinery. Frank had
been spouting about Lee for weeks, though Vince had never
expected to meet the new accountant. Vince didn‟t work for

Diana DeRicci

Frank  and  except  for  today,  likely  never  would  have  met
Lee  at  all.  He  only  came  downtown  for  the  occasional
meeting. Frank was a hard man to get out of the office.

Vince knew this much. If he had seen Lee anywhere,

he sure as hell would have remembered him.

Striking green eyes behind thin gold-tone glasses,

which  rested  on  a  long  nose.  The  draw  was  his  lips.  The
man was this side of thin, a good set of shoulders, narrow
waist and a tight, high ass.  A  mouth that demanded kisses
captured Vince‟s attention with a steel grip. Full lips, a little
wide, easy to smile, and Vince would bet an unsigned check
that his face lit up when he did. What looked like soft blond
hair was cut short, not cropped, pretty much wash and wear.
A no-fuss, no-hassle kind of guy.

Usually the kind of man he wasn‟t attracted to. He

cleared his throat, glaring downward as he cursed his cock.
Don’t do it. You don’t know one thing about him or if he’s
available. His body seemed to get the picture and he let out
a  slow,  relieved  breath.  He  did  not  need  a  boner  while
standing in a marginally lit garage with probably the hottest
guy  he‟d  seen  in  over  a  year.  Especially  with  a  cop  right
there.

“Vince?”
The call of his name had him whirling on a dime.
“Could you tell the officer what you saw?”
“Sure.” He slipped his hands into his slacks pockets,

just in case. He gave the details, and showed the man the
photos on the phone screen.

“Okay. That‟s all I need for now,” the officer said.

Vince zoned out as he gave other advice and instructions.
The glint of glasses on green eyes was making his skin feel
tight. The sudden desire to see how those same eyes would
react, filled with wanting, hit Vince square in the gut.

He shook himself. “Geez, get a grip,” he muttered, glad

the other two were too engrossed to catch him talking to

A Fated Love

himself.

“Thanks, Officer. I‟ll send this in tomorrow.”
“Have a nice night,” the officer replied, striding around

his car to leave them alone once more.

Lee faced Vince. “Thanks so much for what you did.

When I saw the car hauling ass, I knew I was fucked.”

Vince shrugged. “Happy to help. Maybe you‟d like to

join  me  for  a  drink?  Ease  the  pain  a  little?”  He  could
sympathize  over  the  car‟s  damage.  It  wasn‟t  going  to  be
pretty to get it fixed either. Vince was sure Lee‟s insurance
company would hunt for the driver of the Caddy.

Lee sighed, running a hand over a suddenly haggard

face. “I‟d love to, but I‟m beat. It‟s been a long week and
this just…” He gazed at his car with a forlorn weight.
“Maybe another night?”

“Sure.” Vince smiled with understanding, though

disappointed  in  the  answer.  He  was  having  a  hard  time
reading  Lee;  usually  his  instincts  were  quick  and  on  the
money.

Lee held out a hand. “Thanks, Vince, especially for

your quick thinking. You might have just saved me a huge
chunk on the insurance claim with the other car‟s
information.”

Vince warmed, though he‟d only done what he would

have done for anyone—helped, made sure they were okay.
It‟s what most would do, and what many had forgotten cost
nothing but a little effort and time.

After shaking his hand again, Lee opened his car door

and  slid  in.  The  motor  started  with  a  smooth  rumble  that
calmed  to  a  purr  of  mechanic  perfection.  “That  sounds
incredible.”

It was Lee‟s turn to smile for a compliment, and Vince

was right. The man was gorgeous. Biting his tongue, he
lifted a hand and waved as Lee carefully pulled forward and
away. Vince stood for a moment, wishing Lee had said yes,

Diana DeRicci

but understood where he was coming from.

About to turn to his own vehicle across the aisle, he

spotted  a  briefcase  a  few  feet  away  from  where  Lee  had
been  parked.  He  glanced  to  see  if  he  was  returning  for  it,
sure  it  was  his.  There  were  no  other  sounds  but  his  own
breathing. Lifting it, he popped the top and double checked
for  I.D.,  finding  a  planner  and  files.  Carrying  it  on  a
supporting  forearm  as  he  walked,  he  fingered  through  the
planner, but found very little. He was positive it had to be
Lee‟s, and hit pay dirt when he found the man‟s checkbook
under everything. Shaking his head, realizing the poor man
had really been shot if he forgot something this important,
he  closed it  with  sound  snaps  of the  clasps. With his  door
open, he tossed it on the passenger seat of his SUV.

Another, much nicer, realization came to him as he

drove down the angled ramps to leave the garage.

He would need to return the briefcase, as any good

Samaritan would do. Which meant he would have a chance
to see Lee again. And maybe the next time he met the man
face-to-face,  he  would  get  a  bead  on  him,  because  as
unusual as he was to pique Vince‟s interest, there was little
doubt  he  had.  From  the  sharp  intelligence  in  those  green
eyes  to  the  firm,  confident  hold  of  his  hand,  something  in
Lee was pulling hard at Vince.

At thirty-seven, he‟d had his share of lovers. A few

were worth remembering, most weren‟t. Vince wasn‟t
jaded, but he wasn‟t expecting to find that one person so
many rhapsodized about, not at this stage of the game. Even
if Lee wasn‟t available, maybe they could be friends. A man
new to town wouldn‟t turn that down, would he?

Chapter Two

Lee held his throbbing head in his hands. He was about

to start pulling out hair.

He‟d lost his briefcase.
He remembered setting it down in the garage and

thought he‟d tossed it in the car with his suit coat. Nope.
That would be the logical thing to do. Apparently, logic had
deserted him yesterday.

He‟d called the building security offices. They‟d found

nothing and no one had turned it in.

Some lucky bastard had found it He‟d finished making

the  claim  with  his  insurance  and  they  were  sending  an
adjuster  that  afternoon  to  get  the  close-up  pictures  and
probably cut him a check. Yay. All he wanted to do was get
it  over  with,  see  five  o‟clock  and  get  the  hell  out  of  the
office.

Unfortunately, it was barely after ten and he still had a

long day ahead of him. While some lucky shit had his
checkbook and ATM card. Your mother warned you about
carrying it in there, he mocked himself in silent derision.

His phone rang. He so wasn‟t up to dealing with

humanity. “Volde.”

“There‟s a Mr. Mulholland to see you.”
Great. His ideal man that he couldn‟t have. “Sure. I‟m

here, Dixie.”

Diana DeRicci

A few minutes later a light knock preceded Vince‟s

arrival. Lush, dark brown hair and gorgeous marbled gray
eyes. And a smile that could knock a saint on his ass. Lord
knew he‟d managed to do it to Lee, and he wasn‟t sure he‟d
recovered yet.

“Hi…” Oh, shit. Was it Vince or Mr. Mulholland?

Better CYA. “Mr. Mulholland.”

Surprise widened his eyes, his hand on the doorknob.

“Hi…Lee,” he replied hesitantly. “I didn‟t think Frank was
that big on professional titles.”

“Huh?” Lee couldn‟t tear his gaze away from the broad

shoulders and solid thighs in casual Friday wear.

“I come bearing gifts.” Vince brought his missing

suitcase forward.

Nothing else registered, overjoyed with having his

property within reach again. “Thank God!” He jumped out
of his chair and circled his desk, not concerned as Vince
shut the door behind him. “I thought it was gone.”

Vince held it back. “Have a drink with me.” It wasn‟t a

request.

Lee paused a few steps away, his arms limp at his

sides. Now he was really confused. “Isn‟t that
fraternization?”

“Personally, I thought it was just being kind to the new

guy in town.”

Lee narrowed his eyes to study Vince. “Mr.

Mulholland—”

“That again. Why so formal today?”
He sounded genuinely surprised to Lee.
“Because  we‟re  at  work,”  he  stated,  a  touch  cross.

Something about Vince made it hard to look away, made
him hard, though he fought to keep it from happening or
becoming obvious.

“No, you‟re at work. I‟m returning your case.”

A Fated Love

Lee hadn‟t expected that. “You don‟t work here?”
“Not at all.”
Oh man. That just made him all kinds of dangerous. He

cleared his throat. “Thank you for bringing my case,
Vince.” He held up an open palm, hoping beyond all hope
that Vince would simply place it as requested and leave.

His heart thudded when what Vince did wasn‟t even

close.

He stood straight from the door, erasing the gap of

office space in three easy strides until he stood in front of
Lee. “Have a drink with me.” Gentler, but still not a request.

Lee trembled. The man‟s voice was honey. He

swallowed. I’m so going to regret this. “Okay.”

“I‟ll meet you at Fergie‟s. Do you know where it is?”

There was something predatory in Vince‟s gaze now.

“On Eighth?” Lee almost gulped, finding sizzling

agreement in Vince‟s gaze.

“I‟ll be there by five thirty. If you‟re not there by six,

I‟ll know why,” Vince barely whispered. Lee almost whined
at  the  intensity  arcing  between  them.  His  knees  were
rubbery  and  his  heart  was  pounding  with  the  force  of  an
exploding  cannon  into  his  ribs.  Sheer  animal  magnetism
raced between them.

Lee was melting in his loafers.
A very slow, gentle smile rose on Vince‟s delectable

mouth.  “You‟ll  be  there,”  he  breathed.  Then,  almost  as
though he could vanish without a trace on a breeze, he did,
leaving  Lee  standing  in  the  middle  of  his  office,  nearly
panting,  gaping  at  his  closed  office  door.  He  clutched  his
briefcase, unsure of what had just happened.

*****

Vince nearly did a fist punch into the air as he neared

the elevator. Lee was definitely on his team. He‟d played
dirty, making him agree to the drink, but he‟d needed to

Diana DeRicci

know. Vince had slept barely a wink, thinking about green
eyes.  Plus,  he  got  to  have  a  new  dose  of  Lee  and  all  the
various  parts  of  him  by  seeing  him  this  morning.  From
those  incredible  eyes  to  his  supple  lips.  He  swallowed  the
groan when the instant image of those lips around his cock
hit  him  between  the  eyes.  Instant  pleasure—just  add  one
Lee Volde.

He jabbed the elevator button harder than he needed to.

He needed to get to a private place and get a grip on his
runaway libido. Walking through halls loaded with busy
worker bees wasn‟t conducive to adjustments.

He was only marginally aware of getting outside and

opening  his  vehicle  door.  Sliding  in  and  stretching  on  the
leather  seat,  he  nimbly  readjusted  his  shaft  from  its  usual
dead  to  the  world  position  to  the  “suddenly  aware  of
everything about Lee” position. He gasped a shallow groan
as relief coincided with a fresh rush of blood.

“Not good, Vince,” he grumbled. He had to go back to

his own office and walking around with that was just a bad
idea.  He  started  reciting  the  morning‟s  stock  quotes,  oil
prices  by  the  barrel,  the  stock  divisions  for  about  every
company in his portfolio he could think of, and after about
ten minutes, it began to work.

A few deep breaths and he felt reasonably sane enough

to conquer the day. He was almost at work when his cell
phone chirped.

He parked in his marked space and answered the tone.

“Hello?”

“I‟m not even sure what to say about this,” Lee rushed

in an anxious tone.

“Hello, Lee.” Vince smiled, well aware of what he was

referring to.

“What if you‟d been wrong?”
Vince shrugged. “I would have fibbed it off.”
“Well practiced?”

A Fated Love

Vince snorted. “Hardly, but you wouldn‟t have known

the difference and I would have known either way how to
move forward, as a friend or…” Vince left it hanging.

“It‟s the „or‟ that I‟m worried about, Vince. Though I

have to admit, I‟ve never had someone surprise me with a
flower like that before.”

Damn, so was I right? He kept the uncertainty out of

his words when he replied, “I thought it might make your
day a little better.”

“It was a very nice gesture,” Lee agreed.
Vince could hear the sincerity in Lee‟s voice. He‟d

made a good choice with the daisy. Something light, not as
gripping as a rose, but a gentle touch. He had a feeling Lee
didn‟t have much experience with those. And he could‟ve
fibbed easily that his friend had done it to cheer him up after
being regaled of Lee‟s evening. Thankfully, that lie would
never materialize now.

“So, I am right, then?” Vince had to ask, just to make

sure.

“You were confident enough to put this in here before

accosting me in my office,” Lee pointed out with mild
amusement.

“I didn‟t accost. I blackmailed.”
Lee‟s laugh was decadently low and sexy as hell. The

hard-on he‟d battled since leaving the man‟s office was
daring to return, stroked by the sound.

“Well, I guess you‟ll have to see if blackmailing me for

a drink will prove you right.”

“Lee… That‟s not fair, Lee,” he pointed out.
“Got to go.” And he hung up.
“Well, shit.” He made sure the call ended then started

to laugh. He hadn‟t been confident as Lee had said, more
taking a chance with a fifty/fifty shot in either direction. He
honestly hadn‟t been sure in the least with Lee‟s preferences

Diana DeRicci

when he‟d decided to do that this morning. Not until those
few  minutes  shared  in  his  office  had  he  felt  secure  in  the
possibility, when those green eyes had darkened and boldly
stared back at him. When those lips had parted and for the
just the briefest instant, he‟d wanted to kiss Lee breathless
right then and there, damn the consequences. It had been a
long  time  since  anyone  had  tugged  at  Vince‟s  needs  so
deeply or so quickly, without having ulterior motives.

That was another attractive thing about Lee. He had no

idea who Vince was. That, by itself, was the most refreshing
thing to happen to Vince in ages.

He was definitely looking forward to that afternoon,

and even more, what may come of it.

Chapter Three

Lee had a difficult time concentrating the rest of the

day, the daisy resting on his desk a constant reminder of the
kindness of one man.

Oh, who am I kidding? That man is hot. Kindness be

damned. The thoughtfulness of the single flower made his
day more than having his briefcase returned. Every time he
looked up, the soft cream petals lured him, and he wanted to
smile.

He wasn‟t going to jump aboard the V train just

because the man was thoughtful enough to sneak a flower
into his briefcase, but it did earn him points. It also made it
clear where the man stood.

Yesterday Lee had been frazzled and beyond upset

over his baby. He knew what it was going to take to do the
body  work.  He‟d  already  had  some  body  damage  repaired
when he bought it off his uncle out of his barn seven years
ago.  Every  dime  he  could  squeeze  out  of  living  expenses
went to have the car repaired and polished, and now some
twit  in  a  freakin‟  Cadillac  had  tried  to  roll  over  the  front
end.

Lee sighed, tossing the pen in his hand to the desk. The

insurance company was going after the driver.

“How much do you want to bet the driver was

texting?” Daren, his agent, had said in vibrant disgust. It
wasn‟t clear enough in the images, but blown up, the driver

Diana DeRicci

was  discernible  enough  to  pick  out.  Once  the  owner  was
found,  Lee  was  sure  his  agent  would  move  forward  with
whatever he needed to do. “I‟m sorry, Mr. Volde. We‟ll get
right  on  this.”  That  had  been  two  hours  ago.  His  stomach
rumbled. With his mind as far from work as it could get, he
stood and walked from his office.

“Dixie, I‟m going downstairs for lunch.”
“Okay, Mr. Volde.”

*****

At five, Lee was gnashing teeth. He‟d never been more

anxious to beat feet on a Friday than he was today. The
agent had come and gone. After discussion, dealing with the
paperwork, showing the hit and run images again, Lee was
just ready to go. Like now.

Stuffing what he needed in his briefcase, Lee double

checked  he  had  everything.  He  wasn‟t  leaving  a  penny
behind  this  time.  Then,  with  the  daisy  held  between  light
fingers, he slalomed out of the building for his car.

He could only shake his head at the sight of his fender,

sighing. He guessed the next step was finding a body shop.
He couldn‟t take it back home to Detroit, where he knew
whom he could trust.

Easing his six-one frame into the low body of the

Stingray, he relaxed with another exhale. Nothing like it on
the planet. So he was obsessed with his car. It was his. He
didn‟t have to report to it, didn‟t have to make promises,
and didn‟t expect anything other than what the machine was
created for. It was no wonder men preferred cars.

His gaze landed on the daisy. Lee had, however,

promised Vince he‟d meet him. One drink. Fergie‟s was a
nice restaurant with a respectable after-work kind of crowd.
He guessed he‟d find out just what Vince was up to this
way.

After starting the car, he drove through downtown to

reach Eighth, finding a spot in the restaurant parking lot.

A Fated Love

Glancing around, he searched for the green H3 but couldn‟t
see it. Was he even there? He really doubted Vince
wouldn’t show.

With a glance at his watch, it was just after five thirty.

Lee might have beat him there. He‟d wait inside.

Lee smiled at the young lady holding the door for him.

“Meeting a friend,” he explained.

“Enjoy,” she chirped in reply.
Lee needn‟t have worried. He spotted Vince as soon as

he walked in. Cruising through the crowd, he came to a
high-standing bar table, Vince holding a chilled beer in one
hand as he relaxed. Though it wasn‟t what he drank that
sent shocks down Lee‟s spine. It was the obvious heat in his
gaze that was sparking over his nerves. If there‟d been any
doubts, the hungry desire in his eyes blew them out of the
water.

“I made it,” Lee offered in quiet greeting.
“I‟m glad you could,” Vince replied in a low tone, the

rumble deep enough to rival his ‟Vette‟s purr. More sparks
erupted, nearing shiver status. “Have a seat. What would
you like?”

“I don‟t care.” You.
A moment later, the waitress came and Vince made an

order, though the “what” didn‟t really matter. Vince slid his
chair closer when Lee became comfortable, not invasive,
but close to talk in the hum of the restaurant. Lee‟s heart
picked up speed when their shoulders touched.

“I‟ve been trying to figure you out,” Vince said, openly

staring at Lee with undisguised interest. “So, are you or
aren‟t you?”

Lee smirked, thanking the waitress for the delivery of

his beer with a tip of his chin. “If I weren‟t, I wouldn‟t be
here.”

“Good point,” Vince remarked with a low chuckle.

Diana DeRicci

“Usually my gut is on the money, but I just couldn‟t tell
with you.”

Lee smiled, feeling a little shy at Vince‟s single-

minded attention. It was flattering and so what he wasn‟t
used to. “First impressions and all that,” he quipped.

“Would you be against getting to know one another?”
Lee choked on his beer, coughing. He set it back on the

table  licking  his  lips.  “Vince.”  He  looked  up  then  quickly
evaded  the  heat  in  his  gray  gaze.  Didn‟t  the  man  hide
anything? Anyone looking would notice he was as focused
on  Lee  as  a  hunter  with  a  scope,  and  he  was  in  the
crosshairs.

The light caress of lips wisped over his ear when Vince

leaned closer. Lee couldn‟t get past that simple stroke, his
heart thudding heavily. “You‟re tying me up, Lee. I can‟t
think straight.” He moved away, giving Lee some breathing
room. “I won‟t lie to you. I‟m not the epitome of perfection.
Like right now. I don‟t give a shit about who is here, who
might see it, but I want to kiss you. I‟m behaving because
the last thing I need is my picture in the paper under some
heinous caption of sexual degradation.”

Lee gulped, then drank several large swallows of his

beer, the taste not even registering. He took a few measured
breaths. “If you only asked me here to get me to bed…” he
said with firm disappointment, not looking his direction,
“I‟d have to say goodbye. I‟ve been played, Vince, and it
hurts too fucking much to be that gullible more than once.”

“Someone hurt you?” The caressing stroke of a

forefinger soothed him along his arm where he rested on the
table. Nothing too forward, but clearly meant for him.

“We all get hurt, Vince,” he answered vaguely.

“Allowing it to happen more than once is the sign of
insanity.”

“No, repeating an action more than once and expecting

different results each time, that‟s insane.”

A Fated Love

Lee smiled, hiding it some behind his lifted bottle. “So,

you‟re saying you‟d be different?”

“From someone who hurt you? I‟d hope so.” He

knitted  his  fingers  together,  clasping  his  palms  around  his
bottle.  Well-formed  eyebrows  tightened  as  he  thought.
“How  about  this?  You  control  the  game.  You  make  the
decisions.” Vince raised his eyes and all Lee could see was
honesty. “Believe me, you have no idea how hard giving up
control is for me. I‟m a shark compared to you, but I don‟t
want to just take you home and screw you, either.”

Lee‟s jaw opened partially. “You are one blunt

bastard.”

Vince‟s eyes softened. “If I‟d said I want to take you

home  and  make  love  to  you,  lay  you  on  my  bed  and  kiss
every  inch,  discover  every  dip  and  hollow  and  hear  your
pleasure while I‟m at it, would you have liked that better?”
he posed, humming in quandary.

Goose bumps raised the hair on Lee‟s arms. He

swallowed around the thick lump in his throat. Lee
considered it, and knew what Vince meant. “No. I wouldn‟t
have believed you.”

“Exactly.” He leaned close again, as though discussing

deep  secrets,  which  they  were,  only  probably  not  the  kind
most  would  expect.  “But  let  me  make  it  clear.  That  is
exactly  what  I  want  to  do  to  you.  Today  was  the  longest
bitch  of  a  day  that  I  can  remember.  What  made  it  worse
was, until I knew, until you sat here this evening, I had no
idea if I was losing my mind or not.” He straightened on his
stool  and  Lee  drew  a  calming  breath  with  the  presence  of
his  magnetism  lightened.  Thoughts  that  Lee  couldn‟t
decipher raced over Vince‟s expression.

“So what are you suggesting? Dating?” Lee couldn‟t

believe he was even thinking of such a thing with this man.
There was no illusion. Vince could chew him up, run him
over and turn him into dog meat without exerting an ounce
of effort. His own admittance of being a shark wasn‟t

Diana DeRicci

surprising. Vince had that quality and was well-versed in
how to use it to his advantage.

“Isn‟t that the traditional starting point?” he remarked

with a smirk.

Lee rolled his eyes. “We just met.”
“And I think it‟s a valid option.” He leaned close

again. “Unless you‟d like to just skip to what comes next
and come home with me.”

Oh God, Lee whimpered inside. “You wouldn‟t respect

me in the morning,” he retorted, only half joking. He sipped
his beer to keep himself from agreeing in pure, horny
abandon. “Besides, I don‟t know what your tie is to
Shedwicke International. I don‟t need problems at work.”

Vince nodded. “Okay, fair. Frank is my step-brother. I

help him with the occasional business decision or as a
sounding board when he has to make a presentation to the
investors. I‟m a stock analyst and I do trading for him.”

Lee slouched a touch into his chair. “I didn‟t know

anything about his family.” And didn‟t that just suck? The
boss‟s step-brother. So…off-limits. Vince might as well be
hanging halfway over the Grand Canyon. Unreachable and
untouchable.

“We don‟t toss that out on the Christmas greeting

cards, if you want the truth, but I feel you deserve to know.
I don‟t like pretense or shades of truth, not in business
relationships, and not in personal ones.” He lifted his beer
and finished the last sips. “So what do you think? I know
you‟re not already seeing someone.”

“How?” Lee tilted, studying the man next to him.
Vince had the audacity to lean forward on his elbows.

“You wouldn‟t have made the dating suggestion.” Then a
small smile twitched the corners of his mouth. “And Frank
let it slip during our lunch this week. One of his many bouts
of bragging about his new head accountant.” Vince shared
his admiration. “I was almost jealous that he got you first,

Chapter Four

Vince watched Lee‟s reactions, relying on his skill to

decipher any nuance to read the man at his side. Since he‟d
sat down, Vince had been fighting the urge to pull him into
his  arms  and  beat  his  chest  that  Lee  was  his,  taken;  so
completely  off  limits,  anyone  even  thinking  of  looking
would be fried to a cinder.

Lee was definitely interested, and he didn‟t have to

check beneath the table to know he was turned on. Rising
lust made his green eyes burn. Right at the moment, he was
focused on his bottle and Vince was challenged to guess his
next thought. Though he didn‟t have long to wait to find
out, Lee didn‟t do anything Vince would have expected.

A moment later, Lee stood from his seat. “Thank you

for the beer, Vince. I‟m sorry, but I can‟t.”

Vince blinked, positive he‟d heard wrong. People told

him no all the time, but he hadn‟t expected it this time.

He just caught himself from reaching out, grabbing and

stopping the man in his tracks. “Can you tell me why?”

Lee met his gaze, and what surprised Vince was the

genuine regret he found there. He didn‟t want to say no, but
something was stopping him.

Lee nodded, then rolled a shoulder, encouraging him to

follow.  He  did.  He  quickly  dropped  a  couple  bills  on  the
table  to  cover  the  beers  and  a  generous  tip  for  being  left
alone and trailed Lee out of Fergie‟s.

A Fated Love

The instant volume change was jarring. Although that

was probably a good thing. He hadn‟t wanted any
eavesdroppers inside anyway.

Lee paused, letting him catch up at his shoulder to

walk with him to the adjacent parking lot.

“Vince,” Lee said, his keys in his hand. Vince found it

drove him crazy when Lee wouldn‟t look right at him.
“You‟re Frank‟s, Mr. Shedwicke‟s brother—”

“Step-brother.”
“Semantics,” he stated. “You‟re still part and parcel,

which means if we did, and it fell apart, my job, the whole
reason I moved here from Detroit, would be in jeopardy.”

“I could guarantee it wouldn‟t be.” All it would take

would be one phone call to Frank—

“Then I‟d be no better than a paid-for lay,” he

explained, tonelessly. “I don‟t need my job used as leverage
for any reason.”

Vince almost lost his teeth when his jaw fell loose over

that. “Where do you get that idea? Why would you
think…?” He was shocked speechless.

Lee finally raised his face. They stood eye to eye but

Lee had a way of making Vince feel bigger, taller, just
more.

“Believe it or not, I‟d love to. You‟re so hot, I can‟t

stand to not touch you. I also know you‟re out of my league.
I‟m a walking abacus, and just from what I‟ve seen, from
what you‟ve said, you deserve more than a blue-collar
college grad.” Lee‟s attempt at a smile was weak. “Thanks
for the beer, and for your help yesterday. Knights like you
are rare.”

He went to turn away, and Vince couldn‟t let him go.

His hand rose to cup Lee‟s shoulder and the shock of skin
stole his air.

“I don‟t even get a chance?” he asked.

Diana DeRicci

Lee trembled then drew a breath as he met his gaze.

“Believe me, you‟re the one I wish I could take a chance
on,” Lee told him. “‟Bye, Vince.”

He didn‟t try to stop him again, though the image of

slamming Lee into the side of that hardtop and drowning in
his kiss was a dream he wanted to see become a reality. Yet,
he let him get away. He didn‟t even know how long he
stood in that spot, staring after him in the direction he
vanished.

What did I just do? Vince never let them get away.
Growling, he fished out his phone and hit speed dial.

When it started ringing, he began stalking down the parking
lot to where he‟d left his vehicle. Like Lee and his baby, he
hated parking in crowded locations.

“Hi, Uncle Vince!”
He tried to smile. “Hello, gorgeous. Is your mom

around?”

“Um, I think so. Mom, not Dad?”
“Please.” He was about to go out of his mind and as

much as he knew Frank could help, he really needed
Beatrice.

He held the phone away from his ear when his ten-

year-old niece screamed for her mother.

Harried, she answered. “Got it!” Click. “Hello?”
“I need your advice.”
“Wow, good to hear you too, you poor explanation for

chromosomes.”

“Ha. Ha. Don‟t be a bitch, Bea. Can you talk?” With

the key fob in hand, he hit the button and watched as his car
beeped and blinked at him.

“Sure, Vince. Come on over. You‟ll be in time for

dinner.” A crash echoed in the background. “Oh shoot!
Gotta go. Baby.”

He barely said goodbye before the call fell silent.

A Fated Love

Chuckling,  he  shook  his  head.  Staid,  quiet  Frank  and  his
firecracker  wife  and  offspring.  He  was  used  to  them  and
adored  them  all.  Bea  and  Vince  had  hit  a  friendship  early
on,  almost  a  brother/sister  camaraderie,  which  Frank  was
glad of. After the whole mother/father/father/mother fiasco
of  their  mixed  upbringing,  they  both  appreciated  the  tight
family they had formed for themselves.

What really made Frank‟s wife irreplaceable was her

absolute non-issue of his sexuality. Frank had known when
they were teenagers, and Vince and sworn him to secrecy
until Vince could do things his way. Frank, however, had
never held a secret from Bea. Ever. Her total response had
been, “So? Did you want tea with dinner?”

And that attitude had been picked up by their kids.

They loved their Uncle Vince and he felt the same. Frank‟s
kids helped fill a void that Vince knew he‟d never have the
chance to do something about.

*****

“Nikita! Get your brother down here. He left his

homework on the table again.”

That was the war cry Vince heard when he opened the

house front door.

“He says he‟s busy!”
Bea‟s voice carried very well through their house.

“Tell him if he doesn‟t come get it, I‟m feeding it to the
iguana and Rufus and he can explain that to his history
teacher!”

Vince chuckled, approaching the kitchen with caution.

“Is the front line safe, Captain?”

Bea smiled over her shoulder. “Incoming artillery is at

a minimum tonight.”

Code for the kids were actually doing well.
“Frank‟s in the shower, Niki is probably irritating

Alex, and the baby is in her playpen for the third time.”

Diana DeRicci

“And you managed to repaint the Last Supper on the

cathedral ceiling between them and dinner, right?”

Beatrice shook her head at him, laughing. “Don‟t mock

motherhood,” she warned him with a false glare.

“Wouldn‟t dream of it. I honestly don‟t know how you

do it and stay sane.”

She barked in humor as she finished filling platters for

dinner. “Who said anything about sanity? That went out the
window with the „I do‟.”

“Do you want some help?”
“Sure. Could you go kill my kids and tell Frank it‟s

ready?”  She  batted  her  lashes  at  him.  Even  after  eleven
years  and  the  three  kids,  Beatrice  was  still  a  wisecracker,
sharp and glowing with happiness. She loved her family and
was  a  great  mother.  Frank  knew  what  he  was  getting  into
with marriage and kids after their less than stellar upraising,
but Bea was perfect for him.

Chuckling, he left to do one of her requests.

*****

Quiet. Amazing. “This is nice,” Vince said, sitting in

front of the large, empty fireplace after dinner, three baths
and one baby nap later. “The craziness is just
unfathomable.”

Frank raised a hand. “You get used to it. Besides, it

doesn‟t last forever. They grow up to leave by jetpack and,
they prefer, with a credit card in their hands.”

“Not like us, huh?” Vince mused, relaxed.
“Not hardly. So what‟s up? Didn‟t I just get browbeat

at work by you this week?”

Bea walked in and offered fresh tumblers of tea.

“Thanks, love.” Bea blew Frank a kiss then sat beside him
on the arm of his lounger. Frank curled an arm around her
trim, though no longer teenage, waist and Vince got hit with
such a wallop of longing, he sighed.

A Fated Love

He couldn‟t miss the curious look shared between Bea

and Frank.

“Okay, Vince. Spill.” Bea braced herself against

Frank‟s side, leaning against his shoulder for support.

Vince couldn‟t help it. He squirmed under their unified

examination. “I met someone.”

“Wonderful,” Bea cheered, waving for more

information. “So, is he cute? Young? Dashing? A rebel?”
She clapped her hands. “Oh, I know. He‟s swept you off
your feet, right?”

He grinned, though shook his head. “Not exactly.”

Looking at his brother and his wife, he asked, “Do you
think it‟s too late for me?”

Bea gaped at him like he‟d suddenly turned purple.

“Explain.”

Vince drew a steadier breath, wishing the tea was

spiked as he sipped at it. “You two, you knew to some
degree you were right for each other, right?”

“Well, it took some convincing,” Bea said tenderly.

“Frank was a tough nut to crack.”

“Me?” Frank huffed in indignation. “I‟ll have you

know, I pursued her until she caught me, fair and square.”

Vince grinned, laughing behind closed lips, used to

hearing that part of their courtship.

“What‟s the matter, Vince?” Frank asked sincerely. As

step-brothers, they really didn‟t look much alike at all.
Frank was decidedly larger, taller, broader and more square
all around. Vince took after his mother‟s lineage being more
lean, tight and tall, though they shared the same father.

He swirled his glass, watching the ice circle within, a

mini whirlpool. “Until now, I never thought I‟d find any one
person that I wanted, I mean really felt I couldn‟t be
without. I guess you could say, I quit looking.” He certainly
hadn‟t been dating and the last guy he‟d introduced to Frank

Diana DeRicci

had  been  several  years  before.  Glancing  up,  he  was  glad
they  sat  there,  only  listening,  not  judging,  and  loved  them
more for it. “Tonight, I had a few minutes to be with him,
just  a  beer  at  Fergie‟s,  but  when  I  asked  him  to  give  us  a
chance, he said no.”

Compassion warmed Bea‟s face. “Any reason why?”

she asked gently.

“He works for Frank, and to be fair, I told him about

you being my brother…step-brother. He didn‟t flip out over
it, but it seemed to immediately put the brakes on any
interest.”

“He was interested?”
He nodded in answer to Bea. Vince could still

remember the longing in Lee‟s gaze when he‟d said exactly
how much he was interested standing by his car.

“What was his reasoning?” Frank asked. “The actual

details.”

“He doesn‟t want his job to be in jeopardy if things

should not work out.”

Frank nodded. “I can actually see that being a valid

concern, Vince.”

“I can too. Just not liking it,” he growled.
“Not that he‟d have any repercussions from me on your

behalf.”  Vince  hadn‟t  expected  any  from  Frank.  Neither
worked  on  that  level,  or  treated  those  around  them  so
churlishly.

“But you have to convince him to even give you a

chance for that to be a risk,” Bea said. “Do you think you‟re
worth the risk, Vince? The way it stands, he has more to
lose than you do.”

Vince waited, hoping she‟d expound on that. He stared

blankly waiting for her to continue.

She finally did. “I mean, do you think this could be

something special, something more than a fling? Then you

A Fated Love

have to prove it to him to take the risk too.”

“At first I hadn‟t really considered it that way, but after

tonight…” Vince concentrated, loosening the grip he had on
his glass. “It just hit out of nowhere, and being told no…”
He stopped when Bea held up a hand.

“Was it just the denial?”
He frowned, though not angry with her for asking. “I

had to ask myself the same thing, and honestly, it took me
by surprise, but I wanted to know more about him before
that. Being told no just made me angry enough to come spill
my guts to you two.”

Frank snickered, though laughter glinted in his dark

eyes.

“I don‟t believe it,” Bea murmured in awe, but of

course, she didn‟t explain that at all. She leaned into Frank,
the  soft  fade  of  daylight  beginning  to  fill  the  house  with
dusky shadows. “Be patient with him, convince him. Make
yourself  worth  the  risk  for  him.  If  this  is  that  kind  of
relationship,  you‟re  going  to  have  to  win  him.  He‟s  not  a
conquest.”

“I never said he was,” he immediately rebuked her.
“I know you didn‟t, but how does he see himself? How

does he think you see him? Feelings don‟t happen
overnight, Vince.” She shared a knowing look with her
husband and Frank smiled in answer, none of which Vince
understood. When she caught his questioning gaze, all she
said was, “I know you can do it.” She arched an eyebrow.
“And if I hear one more word about you being too old for
love, so help me, I‟ll give you Alex and Nikita for a whole
week without their video games.”

Vince caught it when even Frank shuddered under that

threat. “Don‟t do it, bro. You‟re better off convincing a
crocodile to let you brush its teeth.”

Chapter Five

Lee was back at work Monday, but in a rental. He‟d

had  a  chance  to  ask  around  over  the  weekend  and  had
dropped his baby off that morning. He was anxious and was
doing everything he could to take his mind off of what was
happening,  or  being  done,  to  his  car.  What  he  hadn‟t
anticipated  was  someone  also  pulling  his  attention  in
another direction.

It wasn‟t much, but as soon as the vase arrived he

knew exactly who had sent the floral arrangement of
pristine white and sunflower yellow daisies.

“To cheer you up.” He stared in confusion, reading the

card again. It wasn‟t signed. It didn‟t have to be, but the
reason behind it had him stumped.

“That‟s sweet,” Dixie said, waiting long enough to be

politely nosey.

Wednesday, he received an email from his boss

inviting him to dinner. Nothing fancy, just a couple of the
office heads getting together Friday night. He knew better
than to decline, even if the invite was really on short notice.

Replying that he could attend got him directions. He

rarely saw Mr. Shedwicke during the day so hoped that this
wasn‟t a bad sign.

Thursday, he received another small gift. It arrived in a

box with his name on it, though he knew he hadn‟t ordered
anything and certainly wouldn‟t have it sent to his office.

A Fated Love

With the door shut, he opened the flat parcel with his

scissors, lifting the flaps.

“Wow,” he breathed. A candy apple red 1969 Stingray,

framed. In the corner was the shocker, a signature. A little
internet searching proved the frame to be signed by one of
the  original  year  model  Stingray  designers.  Lee  wiped  his
hands  on  his  slacks,  feeling  how  clammy  they  were
becoming. He was almost scared to hold the frame, terrified
of dropping it.

Wrapping it carefully, he placed it in his briefcase to

take home. He wasn‟t sure if Vince would have sent it to
him or not. There wasn‟t a note.

As five o‟clock Friday drew near, he began to feel

overheated  again,  this  time  for  being  invited  to  a  casual
dinner  at  his  boss‟s  house.  He  left  with  plenty  of  time  to
make  the  drive,  thankful  traffic  worked  in  his  favor.  It
helped  to  keep  his  imagination  and  blood  pressure  from
going berserk.

Stopping at the curb, he studied the front of the two-

story home. A broad front was graced with sculpted pillars
at  the  door,  surrounded  by  red  brick  and  white-washed
shutters  and  accents.  The  manicured  lawn  gleamed  an
emerald green and large shrubs lined the fence and the far
side  of  the  driveway,  where  another  expanse  of  yard
separated them from their closest neighbor. A mini-mansion
reminiscent  of  others  he‟d  seen  as  he‟d  driven  down  the
street.

A tap on the top of the car brought him around to his

window. Vince was leaning down, held by crossed arms as
he peered in the window. He opened the door and Lee took
the hint and shut off the motor.

“Thought that was you. Where‟s Baby?”
“She went into the shop on Monday.” Lee grabbed the

bottle of wine before he set his feet to pavement. His mother
always told him you take a gift when invited to dinner. He

Diana DeRicci

hoped he‟d made a decent choice. “What are you doing
here? I thought this was a Shedwicke dinner.”

“It is. I‟m a silent partner.”
Of course. “Thank you for the daisies.” Vince

shrugged  silently  as  they  strolled  up  the  driveway  to  the
front  door.  The  man  could  pull  off  just  about  anything  he
dressed  himself in,  it  seemed.  Lee could  barely  keep  from
staring.  “Should  I  hazard  a  guess  that  the  frame  was  also
from you?”

Vince looked pleased, a smile taunting over his lips.

“Did you like it?”

“Is saying I loved it too strong?”
“Not at all.” Vince finally looked at him. “I‟m glad you

did.”

Lee put a hand lightly on Vince‟s arm. “Now tell me

why.”

“Can I tell you after dinner? We‟ve been spotted by

Nikita and in about three seconds—”

The door flew open. “Uncle Vince!”
A young girl with long blonde hair came tearing

through the front door. Lee watched as a laughing Vince
was attacked by a human octopus.

“Hey, gorgeous,” he greeted. He hugged her close,

then  set  her  on  her  feet  with  warm  humor.  When  she  was
steady,  he  said,  “Nikita,  this  is  Lee Volde.  He  works  with
your dad.”

“Good evening, Mr. Volde,” she said with a cheery

smile and more demure tone.

“Nice to meet you, Nikita.”
With the joie de vivre of youth, she galloped back

inside the house, her voice carrying easily from within to
the front yard announcing their arrival.

“Wow. That‟s a powerhouse there.”

A Fated Love

“That is her mother, through and through. You‟ll like

Beatrice.”

“So, who else is coming?” Lee fought to not fidget, to

hide his nervousness. He‟d only been in Houston for three
months. Technically, still the new guy.

“I‟m not sure.” By the time they reached the front

door, a lovely woman with Nikita‟s long blonde hair waited
for them.

“Hi. Glad you could make it.”
Lee introduced himself and offered the wine.
“Wonderful. We can have it with dinner. The kids have

been quarantined to the media room for the next two hours.”
She shut the door behind them. “Frank and Rob are in the
front room. Why don‟t you show Lee where it is, Vince?”

“This house is gorgeous,” Lee said under his breath.

Beat the snot out of his apartment. “And they have kids?
How?”

“The disaster zone is upstairs and the media room. This

is Frank‟s domain. No one makes a mess in here.”

The low, teasing rumble of Vince‟s voice was getting

to him again. He had to stuff his hands in his pocket to tug
at the material of his slacks. He really didn‟t need to get a
boner at a dinner, even if the man at his side was nine types
of scrumptious.

When he slid a peek to his side, he collided with

Vince‟s gray gaze. A gaze that was hungry, devouring Lee
inch by inch until he stopped on Lee‟s lips. Vince‟s throat
worked. He physically took a step away. “Why don‟t you go
in? I‟ll be right back.” And before Lee could ask where
Vince was going, why he was deserting him at the doorway
where he could hear murmured voices just out of sight,
Vince vanished around a corner.

*****

“I can‟t do it, Bea. I‟m going crazy,” he uttered, ready

Diana DeRicci

to just leave.

“Vince, honey.” She patted his panting chest. “Give

him a chance to catch up, okay? You don‟t even realize
what‟s happened, do you?”

Vince was staring all over wide-eyed, looking for the

best way to escape. Standing so close to him, the scent of
the woodsy cologne he wore was driving Vince out of his
mind.

“What? What happened?”
He reacted automatically when she handed over the

corkscrew and the bottle of wine Lee had offered, opening it
with firm twists. He couldn‟t recall once, ever, when he was
this tied up over someone.

“Not my place to tell you, but relax. Okay? It‟s going

to be just fine.”

Just then Rob popped his head into the kitchen. “Bea,

I‟m sorry. I have to run. Lyssa just called.”

She stopped what she was doing with the salad.

Concern tightened her brow. “Is everything okay?”

“I think so. Todd got beaned with a baseball. Nothing‟s

broken, but she wants to take him to the hospital just in
case.”

“Okay. Kiss Todd for me.”
“Thanks. Sorry, Vince. I barely got to say hi to the new

guy. Didn‟t mean to run out on you.”

Vince nodded. “It‟s okay, Rob. Go take care of Todd.”
Rob didn‟t wait for a third invitation to vacate. The

door shut a few seconds later. At least Vince‟s heart had
slowed down again. It had been next to impossible walking
beside Lee up to the house, when all he‟d wanted to do was
find Lee‟s mouth and drive him out of his mind.

By the time they sat at the table, Vince had calmed

down. That was until he discovered Bea had placed him
side by side with Lee. He knew he shouldn‟t have actually

A Fated Love

admitted  who  it  was  who‟d  set  his  world  on  its  ear.  Now
Bea  would  go  out  of  her  way  to  make  sure  they  were  put
together.

His heart couldn‟t take much more of this. The

conversation  was  small  talk  between  Lee  and  Frank,  and
while  Vince  listened,  he  had  to  concentrate  to  physically
eat, to not just stop and stare at green eyes or fluid hands as
Lee  moved  and  spoke.  He  had  to  fight  to  not  reach  out
under  the  table  to  just  touch  him,  to  caress  a  hard  thigh.
Vince knew it wouldn‟t be welcome, but it didn‟t keep him
from wanting, either.

It was the most torturous dinner Vince could ever

recall suffering through, and by the time he could leave the
table, he was giving one syllable answers.

“Vince. Vince?”
He blinked, discovering Bea had been trying to get his

attention while he glowered at his plate.

“Why don‟t you and Lee go have a seat? Frank can

help me clean up and we‟ll be there in a few minutes.”

“Actually, I could help.” God, please, don’t leave me

alone with him. He was ready to beg.

“Don‟t worry about it. You help any other night. Go

relax.”

He gritted his teeth and pushed away from the table.

He barely waited for Lee to do the same before he was
marching from the dining table for the front room, running
if anyone were to actually notice.

“Maybe I should leave.”
Vince stopped on a dime, whirling to face Lee.
“Obviously, I‟ve done something to make you

uncomfortable, and I‟m not going to have my boss and his
brother after my hide.”

Vince hissed. He grabbed a hand in a tight grip. “Come

with me.”

Diana DeRicci

Lee tripped, following though Vince doubted he was

prepared for the direction change.  Instead of going toward
the front room, he took a left into a hallway and swung open
a  large  wooden  door.  Spinning  Lee into the  room,  he  shut
the door, then braced Lee‟s spine to the wood, boxing him
in with stiff arms on either side of his panting body.

Vince gazed hard into those surprised green eyes, then

kissed him. He‟d been craving this kiss, this moment for
days, desiring the man and everything about him.

So what did he do?
He practically assaulted him.
Lee  gasped  and Vince  took  blatant  opportunity  of the

moment,  thrusting  between  those  dream-inducing  lips.  He
tasted  the  sweet  tang  of  the  wine  he‟d  drank,  the  subtle
spices from dinner and a taste that was all Lee Volde. There
was nothing to compare it to.

He‟d expected Lee to shove him off, to argue, to deny

him.  He  hadn‟t  expected  him  to  melt.  Vince  pressed  his
weight  into  Lee‟s  giving  frame  while  tremors  sliced down
his pinned length, rubbing them together with each shivery
breath.  Firm  muscles,  lean  legs,  and  a  cock  that  dug
deliciously into him, a bulge that proved Lee wanted him as
much as Vince craved the blond.

Vince strafed fingers into short hair, enraptured with

the soft texture, as good as it had looked that first day. The
weight of Lee‟s arm‟s circling him, curling from underneath
to grip at his shoulders, had Vince moaning.

They were both panting with ragged heaves when he

released Lee‟s lips. “Come home with me tonight, Lee.” He
caged him, suckling on his neck in short bursts. “Need you.
God, I want you so bad.”

The scrape of nails over his shoulders arched his spine

as pleasure and pain erupted beneath his skin.

Trying for a moment of sanity, he failed when Lee

brought him down with a tug for the next kiss.

Chapter Six

Lee didn‟t know which way was up, and at the

moment,  wasn‟t  too  sure  he  even  cared.  Being  kissed  by
Vince  wasn‟t  anything  like  he‟d  expected.  The  suave
exterior hid an interior that had Lee melting at the core from
the scorching heat.

The growl of desire that rumbled through Vince‟s chest

sent his heart into a tailspin, racing to keep up as nerves
ignited.

“Please, Lee,” he breathed, leaving Lee feeling every

shiver where his body pressed shoulder to shin into Vince‟s.

The proof that Lee was just as tired of fighting was

when  he  admitted  he  didn‟t  even  care  if  Vince  would
respect  him  in  the  morning.  The  wanting  was  eclipsing
hollow concerns. He knew he‟d have his doubts, but after,
not now. Lee whimpered, a low hungry sound.

Vince had sent him the gifts. Vince had been patient

and respectful, but there was a time when only passion
could be obeyed.

This was one of those times.
Shakily, he nodded, nervous no matter how hard he

tried to put the hovering doubts far out of his mind.

“Look at me.”
Hesitant and unsure, Lee obeyed. Vince was so

overpowering, he wasn‟t sure he was the man to tame this

Diana DeRicci

tiger, but if he was given the chance, he was going to try.

“Frank doesn‟t care. Okay? Do not worry about that.

His only concern is that I treat you right, and believe me, it
is my biggest wish.” Sincere and wide, he felt as captured
by  his  solid  weight  as  he  did  by  Vince‟s  gaze.  Heavy
breaths  rocked  them  chest  against  chest  while  shudders
moved like liquid heat over his body. “I quit looking, Lee. I
had  given  up  and  then  there  you  were.”  Vince  shook
himself.  He  trembled,  raw  energy  sparking  as  he  laughed.
“Look at me. You‟ve got me rambling like a damn kid.”

It struck Lee from out of the blue. Vince was just as

nervous, maybe even as scared, as he was.

“Yes, I sent the flowers and the picture. I wanted you

to know I was still thinking of you, and hopefully, leaving
you thinking of me too.”

Lee raised a hand between them and touched Vince‟s

face, the hard shape lightly shadowed with the late day need
to shave. “I was.”

“Come home with me tonight, this weekend. I want

you, want to spend every minute with you. And yes, I‟ll
respect you in the morning.”

“Was tonight just a reason to corner me?”
Vince jerked, just a small twitch, a flash of hurt

making him blink. “No. Rob is a regular and Andy couldn‟t
make it. You heard Frank apologize earlier for it just being
us. We do this a couple times a year, just to touch base and
keep connected.”

Lee stroked his jaw, relief letting him meet searing

gray eyes. “I‟m sorry, Vince. I didn‟t mean to doubt you.”

He closed Lee in again, pressing hungry lips to Lee‟s

cheek, his forehead. “I‟m sorry you‟ve been hurt. I tried to
be patient,” he whispered. “Lee, I‟m asking. Give me a
chance.”

Tension rolled over Vince‟s frame, telegraphing clearly

as close as they stood. He wasn‟t asking, he was begging.

A Fated Love

Lee was pretty sure his libido just self-combusted into
flame.

“Why me?”
“Because I want to know you, and more than just in

bed,” he replied. “But I won‟t lie. I want you. Tonight has
been torture. You didn‟t do anything but turn me on.”

Guiding Vince to him with the control of his palm, he

let his lips mold to Vince‟s. Their supple heat drew a moan
deep out of Lee‟s lungs. Recovered from the first kisses, he
took  his  time,  learning  Vince‟s  taste,  his  shape,  and  just
what  he  liked.  When  Lee  nipped  at  the  tip  of  his  tongue
with gentle teeth, Vince shuddered until there wasn‟t a wish
of space between their bodies.

Fingers dug into Lee‟s hair, holding him though Vince

let  him  control  the  kiss.  When  Vince  rolled  his  hips,
pressing  him  groin  to  groin  into  Lee,  the  last  of  his
hesitation  was  annihilated.  He  wanted  the  rock  of  flesh
digging  into  him,  wanted  to  savor  the  taste  on  his  tongue
and wanted to scream himself hoarse with pleasure.

They were both breathing heavily when Lee let him go.

“God, you‟re incredible,” Lee murmured.

Vince touched his lips gently with a light kiss. “Just

wait. But we better get out of here.”

“It‟s not polite to eat and run,” Lee said.
“At this point,” Vince contradicted, “I‟m sure they

know what‟s happened.”

Lee focused and peered over Vince‟s shoulder.

Heirloom roses decorated the wallpaper, and the ceiling was
adorned with trim. The dim room itself was half-lit by an
offset wall light, but the large mirror over the sink made it
clear where Vince had snuck them off to. “The bathroom?
Seriously, Vince?” He chuckled, grinning.

“I wanted a do-not-disturb zone. You have a better

suggestion?” Vince smirked, standing straight, though his
touch lingered as his hand drifted over Lee‟s jaw to finally

Diana DeRicci

release him completely. “Let‟s go say our goodbyes. If all I
can do until you‟re comfortable is hold you, then I‟m not
wasting a minute of this weekend doing anything else.”

Lee‟s hand on a heated chest stopped Vince. “What if I

am ready for more?”

Vince‟s chest expanded under his palm. “Then we‟re

definitely wasting time,” he said with a raw undertone.

“I‟ll follow you.”
Vince thought for a heartbeat or two, then nodded.

Glad he didn‟t argue, Lee let him lead the way out of their
hidey-hole and let him do the talking, really not wanting to
insult his boss by ditching the dinner with Vince, regardless
of the familial ties.

Within minutes, they were able to leave with nothing

more  than  a  handshake  and  a  thanks  for  being  there.  Lee
trailed Vince‟s SUV. Committed to the coming night at the
least,  he  couldn‟t  help  the  butterflies  that  decided  to
infiltrate and multiply along the drive.

What made it all worse was the spacious three-car

garage nestled into the side of the large home where Vince
instructed him to park after following him up the driveway.
The security gate they‟d come through was already closed
and lights illuminated the garage and beyond. Maybe not as
large as Frank and Bea‟s two-story almost-mansion, but
decidedly more than Lee had ever imagined. And it was all
for Vince. The H3 wasn‟t even the only car in the garage,
though he didn‟t get a chance to examine the extra vehicle.

Yet the minute he stopped his car and stood on his own

feet, the only thing he could concentrate on at all was the
man who embraced him.

Panting after the kiss, he said, “Vince, we‟re not even

inside.”

He grinned, not at all concerned. With an arm around

him, Vince led him from the garage through a number
accessed door—not unlocked by a key, while the tap of a

A Fated Love

button shut the garage tight and killed the lights.

“Vince,” he whispered, feeling out of his element

again, knowing he was staring as they walked through the
home.

“Come on,” Vince said with a gentle tug at his waist.

“It‟s just stuff. And not even the stuff I want your attention
on tonight.”

Lee breathed easier, humor helping him relax.
“I‟ll give you the tour eventually.” Vince slowed then

stopped, thick carpet transitioning from the gleaming white
tile that had met them as they entered from the garage. He
cupped Lee‟s face. “I want you comfortable, Lee. With me,
not with this.” He flicked a look around him. “This isn‟t me.
It‟s what I‟ve worked hard to surround myself with. That‟s
all.”

“Your house is what Baby is to me.” Lee made the

connection.

A warmth curled Vince‟s lips, reaching his eyes. “Yes.

The bottom line is it‟s comforting, but it doesn‟t give
comfort.” He lightly pressed a kiss to Lee and his heart
flipped. “That‟s what I need you for,” he whispered.

Before Lee could answer, he was enveloped in another

kiss,  harder,  more  intense,  more  consuming.  The  throb  of
his  cock  that  had  lessened  on  the  drive  returned  with  a
vengeance and made him waiver on his feet. Blood rushed,
making  his  skin  tingle.  He  leaned  into  Vince‟s  body,
holding on when strong arms caught him.

“You‟re so sexy,” Vince murmured, running hot kisses

up  and  down  his  neck,  his  fingers  touching  and  caressing
everywhere  he  could  reach  on  Lee‟s  body.  Lee  trembled
under the assault of sensation.

Then Lee was moving on autopilot, his shaking fingers

tugging at shirt edges and buttons, wanting to touch the
chest it covered.

The crisp tickle of hair flowed beneath his palms when

Diana DeRicci

he reached his goal. He shivered as more shocks erupted
with each caress. Vince ripped the impeding shirt over his
head and off. Lee leaned forward, zeroing in on the
pounding pulse in his neck with a hungry mouth.

Vince‟s groan was delicious, deep and exhilarating.

Fingers dug into his waist and scalp in answer.

“You‟re driving me crazy,” Vince moaned.
“Then I‟m doing this right,” Lee murmured against the

tripping beat of his pulse.

Vince shivered and Lee shimmied closer. “Babe, Lee,”

Vince  gasped.  “Bedroom.  Can‟t…  Oh  God…”  Vince
staggered  and  Lee  took  pity,  releasing  him  to  admire  the
love bite on his neck.

Lee‟s attention was solely on the man who led the way

to a bedroom, not caring one bit what that bedroom looked
like.

Vince swiftly pulled Lee‟s shirt away, tossing it

somewhere. His hands fanned out over Lee‟s chest, the hard
tick  of  his  heart  beating  beneath  flat  palms.  “These  are
perfect.” Vince rubbed his thumbs over the hardening nubs
of his nipples. Lee sucked a hissed breath as hunger poured
freely  into  his  bloodstream.  “Need  to  touch  you.”  Vince‟s
fingers glided south, following the faint happy trail from his
belly button to his pants waist.

Lee‟s slacks were undone and dropped with a swiftness

that  stole  his  breath,  his  hands  shooting  out  to  latch  onto
strong  shoulders.  Shivers  and  goose  bumps  attacked  him
two-fold.

Vince walked him backward, out of his pants, and they

stopped when Lee felt the edge of the bed. With tender
fingers, Vince lifted Lee‟s glasses away and set them to the
side on the nightstand. “Don‟t want these breaking,” he
said. “You have amazing eyes.”

Lee felt the flush on his face and Vince smiled for him.

Then he was doing many things at once. He was kissing

A Fated Love

Lee, releasing the snap on the jeans he wore then lightly
discovering Lee‟s cock in his palm. All Lee could do was
wrap his hands around Vince and hold on.

A low groan fell from Vince and Lee couldn‟t resist,

urged  by  the  passionate  sound.  Dropping  his  hands,  he
helped  finish  the  task  of  freeing  Vince‟s  length,  then  took
delight  in  the  sounds  Vince  made  when  he  got  to  touch
pulsing flesh in return.

Low rumbled hums and throaty gasped growls sent

shivers down Lee‟s spine. Breaking away from the heat of
Vince‟s kiss, he lowered in front of him.

Gazing upward, Lee flicked the end of Vince‟s cock

with his tongue and watched when Vince sucked in a ragged
breath. Lee did it again, catching the seeping bead of
moisture, moaning as the taste hit his tongue.

“God, Lee.” Vince dug his fingers through Lee‟s hair,

strong fingertips massaging in circles.

Lee didn‟t waste another second, wrapping his lips

around  the  wide,  flat  head  and  sucking  Vince  hard.  Vince
wobbled. When Lee looked up again, he found Vince‟s eyes
closed  and  a  look  of  sheer  sexual  bliss  on  his  face.  His
kissed-plump lips were parted, with harsh pants staggering
the pace of his rising and falling chest.

Mmm. Lee let his own lids drift shut and hummed,

sliding over Vince‟s dark red cock. Vince‟s moans grew
louder and breathy, filling the room and Lee‟s ears.

Each inhale filled Lee‟s lungs with the earthy, raw

scent of Vince‟s arousal. The short hair around the base of
his cock tickling him as he sucked slow and deep. He
swirled his tongue, sweeping up the trickle of fluid at the tip
to swallow it, moaning as he did.

A tug on his head drew him off. The desire in Vince‟s

eyes  made  them  as  dark  as  a  rain-cloud  filled  sky.  “I‟ve
been  dreaming  of  that,  and  babe,  you  just  shattered  my
dreams,” Vince said  huskily.  He  eased  Lee  to  his feet  and

Diana DeRicci

nuzzled  against  his  neck.  Hot  breath  flowed  over  heated
skin.  It  took  a  second,  but  when  Lee  realized  Vince  was
holding back, forcing just a thin thread of control, he melted
inside.  No  one  had  ever  wanted  Lee  so  much  that  they
trembled with desire.

He couldn‟t refuse or stop the warmth and knew better

than to fight it. Pressing gently smiling lips to Vince‟s
shoulder, he gave himself over, heart, body and soul.

Chapter Seven

Vince shook. All over. That had felt… He couldn‟t

even  put  a  description  to  it.  It  was  perfect.  He  knew  Lee
would  be  exceptional,  but  now  more  than  his  body  was
beginning to realize that too, and for just a heartbeat, for a
moment  of  sanity  in  the  wildness  of  the  moment,  he
accepted the truth. He was falling for Lee. Hard.

Wouldn’t Bea just love that? he thought with a silent

laugh. And the witch even knew it. Well before Vince had,
that was for sure.

“That was incredible, Lee,” he whispered.
Lee answered with a stroke of his tongue over Vince‟s

neck. “I love the way you taste,” he said in answer.

Tenderly, Vince eased him to the bed. He remembered

what  he‟d  said  that  Friday  a  week  ago  at  Fergie‟s,  and
Vince wanted to do that now and again, and as many times
as  he  could  until  Sunday.  Except,  staring  down  at  Lee‟s
sleek  body,  light  golden  hair  sprinkled  over  his  chest  to
wind south to the swollen length of his dick, Vince‟s brain
just shut down.

He wanted to taste Lee, the same way he‟d just enjoyed

Vince,  and  that  was  supremely  unusual.  He‟d  rarely  been
interested in sucking cock. Right at that moment, he wanted
Lee,  wanted  to  play  with  him  like  a  decadent  lollipop.
Moisture  slicked  the  head  into  a  glistening  prize.  Dipping
his  head,  he  swept  his  tongue  over  Lee‟s  tip.  A  keening

Diana DeRicci

moan was his reward.

Vince swore Lee‟s length swelled under his gaze,

blood pulsing to thicken him more.

Enveloping him between his lips, he felt the weight

against  his  tongue  and  the  answering  shivers  as  they
traveled  down  Lee‟s  torso.  Loosening  his jaw,  he took  his
length deep and trembled as Lee writhed beneath him.

“Fuck! Vince, sssshit!” He arched and Vince put his

weight over him, holding him still, though Lee still
managed to thrash with his hands gripping the bedding and
his head rocking wildly.

Vince watched him in awe for a few seconds, aware

that he was the one making him feel like that. He was the
one driving Lee into a passionate oblivion. Then he heard a
sweet whimper and licked and teased until Lee was nearly
screaming.

Nipping the inside of a trembling thigh with tender

teeth, Vince moved up his body, panting rapidly. He licked
his  lips,  savoring  the  way  they  tingled  from  riding  up  and
down  the  smooth  shaft.  His  own  heart  raced.  “How  did  I
do?” he asked, feeling self-conscious.

Lee tossed an arm over his eyes, his lips puffy and

swollen from biting them. “Fucking amazing,” he gasped.

Vince found his mouth, licking at pink lips before

claiming them only to hear himself moan when he felt Lee
suckle on the end of his tongue. Lee purred in appreciation
and Vince couldn‟t wait any longer. “Need you, baby,” he
said, nearly breathless with need.

“Please, Vince.” Fingers reached and kneaded when

Vince stretched for the stand, and gathered in a single try
what he needed.

Coated in slick, he began massaging Lee, preparing

him  as  he  kissed  him.  Lee  drove  paths  into  his  hair,
clutching  and  gripping  in  tandem  as  Vince  scissored  then
retreated, invaded and repeated.

A Fated Love

“Vince.” Lee arched, pushing down into the pressure.

“Please!”

Vince tore open the condom with hands that shook like

he‟d caught a chill. He froze, having to adjust to rolling on
the condom, he was so sensitive, so ready to be inside Lee.
He slicked the condom and dropped a fresh dollop on Lee‟s
rosy pucker. “Damn, baby,” he croaked as skin pulsed and
reddened. He swallowed, suddenly dry.

Moving to settle between Lee‟s muscled thighs, he met

green eyes that sizzled beneath heavy blond lashes. Lee
splayed his legs, holding them up and Vince couldn‟t wait
another second. “Easy, baby,” he breathed, breaching the
ring of muscle, hissing as he did.

Lashes fluttered over those green eyes, his lips parting

on a cry of pleasure. Vince breathed through his nose,
slowly moving forward to retreat, gaining with each stroke
until skin met slick, damp skin. “So tight, Lee.”

A garbled sound came from the blond and that was it.

He didn‟t even open his eyes. Fingers clawed into the
bedding.

“Are you ready?” Lee nodded with a jerked motion,

whining.  Vince  had  reduced  him  to  a  pool  of  pleasure-
overloaded  nerves.  He  loved  the  sight  of  it,  too.  He
withdrew  and rode  back  in,  gaining  a rhythm.  The  heat  of
his  inner  walls  caressed  and  gripped  with  each  motion
Vince made.

Leaning forward, he captured Lee‟s leaking cock

between  them,  Lee‟s legs wrapping  high  around  his waist.
Braced above him, he devoured his mouth, powerful thrusts
filling and stroking repeatedly. Lee whimpered and whined,
incoherent  and  jumbled  and  each  sound  drove  through
Vince  like  a  sledgehammer,  one  blow  after  another.  The
slap of skin and harsh breathing was the background to the
sweet sounds Lee made.

“Close, baby?” he asked, hoarse. Lee nodded briskly.

Diana DeRicci

“Come with me. Can‟t…much longer.”

Lee brought a hand between their sweat slicked bodies,

grasping  at  the  cock  rubbing  under  his  belly  with  each
thrust.  Then  he  did  the  sexiest  thing  Vince  had  ever  seen.
He  began  sucking  on  his  finger,  moaning  sucks  and  pops
that drove Vince out of his mind.

Held tight against Lee‟s ass, his long legs locking him

into  the V  of  his  groin,  Vince  pounded  into  his taut body,
feeling as Lee gripped and stroked himself while sucking on
his finger. Then Lee tossed his arm wide, twisted the sheet
in a bloodless fist and screamed, jetting over his chest with
pulses  of  spunk.  Vince‟s  body  was  sucked  deep,  caged  in
the furnace heat of his ass.

Then Vince was coming so hard, he saw stars, shooting

comets that striped his vision and exploded in his ears. His
hips jerked as he filled the condom, his balls practically
tightening in twists to force the eruption.

Seconds or minutes later, he couldn‟t be sure, sensation

and sound began to infiltrate. Damp skin slid against his as
Lee gradually uncoiled from around Vince‟s body.

Ragged gasps rocked them both. Tenderly, Vince

separated from Lee, watching for any discomfort, hoping he
hadn‟t been too rough. He couldn‟t remember any time he‟d
been so…vigorous. Lee drove him beyond wild, out of
control. “Lee?” He held the condom close, waiting, but he
had yet to look at Vince. “Don‟t move,” he ordered gently.

Not quite dashing for the bathroom, he disposed of the

condom, cleaned himself and used the toilet, then with a
damp, warm cloth in hand, he returned to the bed, almost
fearing Lee‟s reaction. He wasn‟t used to no reaction. Any
would be better than none.

This mattered. A lot. Whether it had been in the last

week, or the last four hours, Vince had fallen for the blond.
Hook, line and sinker.

“Baby? Talk to me.” Vince sat on a bent leg on the

A Fated Love

bedside, next to Lee‟s hip. With light swipes, he cleaned
Lee‟s chest.

When a deep breath was followed by a breathy snore,

Vince realized why he was getting the silent treatment. And
grinned. Another first. Sex so good, he put a lover right to
sleep. Lee barely twitched as Vince finished with his chest.
A shower when they woke up would be divine, but for now,
he was going to join Lee on the bed and rest. He had a
feeling rest would be in high demand for the weekend.

*****

“No, I‟m not playing hard to get,” Lee said into the

phone. He rubbed his eyes with stiff fingers. “I can‟t be
hard to get if you‟ve already had the goods, Vince.”

“Then what‟s the problem, Lee? The real problem.”

Surly and unhappy. Lee didn‟t have to see his face to hear
it.

I love you, and it’s happening so God damned fast. Lee

didn‟t say that though. One weekend. One unbelievable
weekend. He needed some time, but slowing down out of
the gate wasn‟t Vince‟s nature.

“Your job isn‟t in jeopardy. Frank is more likely to

kick my ass than fire you if I do something wrong,” Vince
pointed out. “What did I do, Lee?”

Lee winced at the hurt tone, so unsure. It wasn‟t like

Vince at all. He didn‟t want to reduce his tiger of a man to
an insecure teddy bear. Last weekend had been incredible,
intense,  almost  drugging,  and  Lee  discovered  he  could
become an addict to it all. He had a weakness for gray eyes
and a want to please as much as he was pleased in return.
And  it  scared  the  shit  out of  him.  Vince  wasn‟t  shy  about
anything,  never  hesitant.  In  fact,  Lee  had  never  felt  so
wanted, ever, by any boyfriend. No, not boyfriend, at least
not yet, he didn‟t think. Honestly, Lee just didn‟t know.

“You didn‟t do anything wrong, Vince. That‟s the

problem.”

Diana DeRicci

“Huh? Want to run that by me again? That makes no

sense.”

Lee slouched to stretch out on his couch, tossing a limp

arm over his eyes. After the weekend, Lee had managed to,
unobtrusively, evade Vince‟s phone calls Monday. That had
lasted all of one day. He just hadn‟t had time to sort it all
out, and Lee guessed Vince had grown frustrated and
cornered him at home. At least here, they could talk and no
one would hear.

“You‟re perfect, Vince. Utterly, completely perfect.”
“Babe, you know I‟m not. No one is.”
Lee shook his head. No, he knew for a fact Vince was

perfect.  A  gentleman,  kind  to  a  stranger  in  trouble,  a
fantastic  lover.  And  so  out  of  Lee‟s  league…  The  man
didn‟t have billionaire or even millionaire status, but he was
definitely  mountains  over a  simple  accounting  degree,  and
that‟s all Lee had to offer. He had his apartment and a ‟69
Stingray that was his only precious possession. Hell, Vince
had  more  precious  possessions  in  his  bathroom  than  Lee
had in his entire life.

“I think I just need time, Vince,” Lee finally admitted.

“Realistically, we‟ve known each other a week and a half.”
It  wasn‟t  like  he  was  telling  Vince  flat-out  no.  He  just
wasn‟t  ready  to  make  the  leap,  even  though  his  heart  and
body were all on for that ride. His mind was his only safety
stop at the moment, and it was the  only thing keeping him
from  putting  all  his  eggs  in  one  basket—again—and
jumping right into a relationship with Vince.

Silence followed his request.
“You‟re right, Lee.” Vince‟s voice filled the phone

lines. “I can give this, us, time. Just don‟t shut me out like
you did today. I didn‟t know what was wrong. I‟m still not
sure I do.” A despondent sigh punctuated his exasperation.
“When do you get Baby back?”

Lee relaxed, thankful for the subject change. “I should

A Fated Love

know in another week at the most when she‟ll be ready.”

“You miss her.” It wasn‟t a question.
Lee tilted a half smile across his lips. Men and their

cars. Even the big muscle babes are girls. “I do.” It actually
tickled him that Vince called Lee‟s car Baby.

“We‟ll celebrate when you do get her back, if you

want,” he was quick to add.

“That sounds like a great idea.” Lee could give a little.
A few minutes later, he ended the call, not quite as at

odds,  but  still  cautious.  Hopefully,  Vince  understood,  or
would  at  least  try  to,  otherwise  they  weren‟t  going
anywhere between them.

Chapter Eight

Vince knew after that first kiss, Lee was it. Whatever

fate or crazy alignment of stars had dropped him in Vince‟s
path, he didn‟t know. After an explosive weekend together,
falling for the man like a load of bricks only to be stopped
in his tracks the minute they were apart just about killed
him. He didn‟t know what was wrong, or how to handle the
sudden shift in gears. What was worse, he had no idea what
had caused it.

Until he remembered something Lee had said that first

night.  We  all  get  hurt.  Was  being  hurt  in  the  past  causing
Lee to be extra cautious now? Vince could certainly see it.
He  doubted  he‟d  ever  find  out  who  or  how,  but  maybe
Vince  could  prove  he  was  different,  the  way  he‟d  said  he
hoped he would be. The last thing Vince wanted was to hurt
Lee.  But  he  also  had  a  feeling  Lee  had  to  trust  him,  and
right  now,  he  really  didn‟t,  not  when  his  job  was  such  a
concern.  Vince  couldn‟t  blame  him  for  that  worry,  either,
even  if  it  was  a  non-issue.  He‟d  moved  half  a  continent
south for the job. That kind of decision wasn‟t done lightly.

Giving Lee the time he‟d asked for, he didn‟t call,

didn‟t email or anything. Not one thing so Lee had
breathing room. It wasn‟t easy, but Vince hoped the plan he
was creating to win him would prove once and for all where
Vince stood when it came to the blond man. Lee may not
recognize it, but Vince did. He‟d met his match. And he had

A Fated Love

every intention of keeping him.

*****

“Thanks for having dinner with me.” Vince held the

door open for Lee as a courtesy. The upscale restaurant was
quiet,  the  tables  spread  out  enough  to  allow  for  some
privacy  and  easy  maneuverability.  Rich,  midnight  black
carpet  was  accented  with  cream  tablecloth  laden  tables,
candle centerpieces and broad windows that showcased the
Houston nightline.  Winter curtains  had  been  replaced  with
summer  blinds  but  the  effect  was  still  stunning  enough  to
catch  Lee‟s  attention.  The  view  was  one  of  the  reasons
Vince loved the restaurant.

Lee bit at his bottom lip as they waited for the maître

de, giving away his discomfort.

“Relax,” Vince whispered, leaning close. It also gave

him a chance to linger in the scent of Lee‟s cologne. “You
look fantastic, and sincerely, they only put out two forks.”

Lee let out a breath and chuckling, shook his head. “I

am that obvious, aren‟t I?”

Vince didn‟t answer, not wanting Lee to take anything

he might say wrong, smiling gently instead. When he‟d
picked up Lee at his apartment, he‟d forgotten how to speak
for a span of seconds with Lee in his suit, pressed shirt and
tie, holding his jacket. He looked good enough to eat; skip
dinner take him right to the dessert tray, please. Vince was
just glad after a week, Lee had agreed to meet him for
dinner. He couldn‟t believe how much he missed the other
man, and hoped Lee had missed him as much.

Seated, they patiently listened to the wine options then

ordered.

Lee spoke up while they were perusing the menus. “I

heard from the body shop today. Baby will be ready next
Tuesday, polished and ready to run.”

“That‟s great.”

Diana DeRicci

“I also heard from the insurance. They found the

driver. They‟re levying her with the bill. She admitted she
was texting and as soon as she saw what she‟d done, she
panicked.”

“Fantastic! I am sorry for the other driver, not that she

got in trouble or has to pay, but that she panicked. It would
have saved you a good deal of hassle if she‟d just waited.”

Lee‟s lips twitched. He looked up from his menu, then

dropped his gaze, the soft lights glinting with yellow flames
on Lee‟s glasses. “Yeah, but then I wouldn‟t have met you,”
he offered privately. “Baby is still nuts and bolts and unless
she is ultimately destroyed, fixable.”

Vince‟s heart tripped at the simple statements. Did that

mean  Lee  was  putting  more  value  to  knowing  Vince  than
his  pride  and  joy?  Was  his  interest  still  there,  and  maybe
deepening?  He‟d  asked  Lee  out  tonight  to  begin  his  “win
him”  tactical  plan.  So  far,  things  were  definitely  looking
good and in his favor.

When the wine arrived, he waited for it to be poured

then  took  a  generous  sip,  fighting  from  leaning  over  the
table and kissing the man across from him breathless. He‟d
missed  Lee  and  having  him  barely  two  feet  away  was
killing him.

“So who do you usually bring here?” Lee set his menu

down, studying Vince with laser-bright eyes.

“Business meetings, for lunch or an early dinner.

You‟re the first date,” Vince replied.

“Really? The first?” Vince nodded. “I‟m flattered,” Lee

breathed. “The best restaurant I‟ve been in the last few
years is one that can be found in probably all fifty states, but
at least higher than the golden arches.”

Vince chuckled, glad to see Lee relaxing. He lifted his

wine in silent toast and Lee did the same, a shared moment
that filled the hole in his heart from missing Lee all week.

Lee was studying the scenery outside, though Vince

A Fated Love

was sure he wasn‟t actually seeing it after saying, “I‟ve
been thinking.”

Vince nearly froze solid at the tone. That detached,

emotionless type of tone, which never boded well for
anyone.

“About?” Vince encouraged, though his heart had

begun to race for a new reason.

Lee started playing with the rolled napkin at his elbow

between his fingers. Another bad sign. “That I missed you
like crazy this week,” Lee whispered. A single, flicked
glance, then he stole those green eyes away. “You did what
I asked, but I was also terrified, until this morning‟s call,
that you‟d dusted your hands of me.”

“Not at all.” Never.
Lee swallowed. A drawn breath raised his shoulders in

his suit jacket. How could he think he didn‟t want to have
anything  to  do  with  him  when  all  Vince  had  been  doing
since  Lee  had  sat  down  was  envisioning  sliding  his  hands
under  the  lapels  of  his  suit  and  gliding  up  and  over  his
shoulders until the heavy material just fell away?

“When I lived in Detroit, I had a partner. I won‟t bore

you with the details, but suffice it to say he ripped my heart
out, tore it to shreds and then fed it to the cat, marinated of
course,” he quipped with a cross growl. “The job, the move,
had a reason, aside from being what I needed when I was
looking, I needed to leave.” He paused, as if steadying
himself, gathering his thoughts. “Suffice it to say, gun shy is
mild to how I feel right now.”

“I understand,” Vince said. Unfortunately, he did, the

job and Frank notwithstanding, he got it. He leaned back in
his seat, determined to treat Lee better than the ass you‟d
left him bleeding emotionally.

“Except…and this is where I just can‟t help myself.”

Lee looked up. Crystal clear and so bright, Vince wanted to
fall into them. “I know what I feel for you. This week was

Diana DeRicci

shitty without you somewhere, doing something letting me
know you were thinking of me.”

Vince was left speechless for several heartbeats. That

sounded like… “Are you saying you‟re in love with me?”

Biting a trembling lip, Lee nodded. “I don‟t know how

it happened either. Christ! A week? Really?” He growled
under his breath. “I know it‟s insane and that you weren‟t
expecting it—”

Vince couldn‟t take it. He reached for and palmed the

hand  playing  with  that  damn  napkin.  Lee  fell  silent  at  the
first  touch.  Vince  held  him  close,  stroking  his  thumb  over
the top of Lee‟s hand.

“Babe, I completely understand. That‟s why Monday

was such a shock. Honestly, I think it was love at first sight
with you.” Expressive and certainly bewildered, Lee‟s eyes
burst wide behind his glasses. “I know. And I didn‟t even
know enough to recognize it. Not until I kissed you, then it
began to make sense and fall together. I‟d already accepted
that I was too old for love, that I‟d missed it somehow.”

Lee growled, reprimanding him. “Don‟t say that!

You‟re not old.”

The waiter interrupted them then, which Vince was

sure was the only thing keeping Lee from laying into him
for the old comment. The disagreement was there, visible in
the taut features of his face.

When Lee tugged on Vince‟s grasp for freedom, he

only  held  him  tighter,  giving  his  order  and  waiting  while
Lee  did  the  same.  Stiffly,  he  gave  his  order,  his  gaze
flickering  between  the  waiter  and  their  clasped  hands,  as
though waiting for someone to point it out.

“Vince,” Lee hissed when they were alone again.
“Don‟t worry. They‟re unbiased here.”
Lee covertly looked around the room. “You‟re sure? I

don‟t want to incite a mob halfway through the entrée.”

A Fated Love

Vince grinned, even going so far as to scoot his chair

closer to Lee. “Positive. Didn‟t you have areas in Detroit?”

Lee shrugged, picking at the napkin again with his free

hand. “I know there were, but Oscar never wanted to go.”

“Was he in the closet?”
“No, just not open about us.”
Vince pinched his lips to not curse outright. “Damn.

Lee, if I could and honestly I can but I don‟t want to be
arrested for causing a disturbance, I would stand on the roof
and shout it to the world that you‟re with me.”

Those wide eyes were now accompanied by a hue of

red on his cheeks and ears.

“Babe, we‟ll take our time, all the time you need, but I

want  to  be  with  you,  want  to  go  places  with  you.  Hell,  if
you‟ll  let  me,  I‟ll  even  spoil  you.  There  is  absolutely  no
warmth  in  that  house  unless  there‟s  someone  to  share  it
with. I want that to be you.”

“You love me too?” Lee asked, more than a touch

hesitant.

The way the lights of the room and outside the

windows bounced off Lee‟s eyes, Vince could swear he was
watching fireworks.

“Completely. I was going mad this week.”
Thoughtfully, Lee began to stroke Vince‟s hand in

return, then flipped it to clasp palm to palm. “I won‟t lie.
I‟m terrified of putting all my hopes into another
relationship.”

“And I promised I would treat you better than the

person who had hurt you. I still mean that.”

“This is a hell of an effort,” Lee joked. “I hate to say it,

but I could get very used to this kind of spoiling.” He gave
Vince a heated glanced from beneath golden lashes.
“Especially if you wear that suit. Dark colors on you make
me crazy.”

Diana DeRicci

“Really?” Vince smiled. He filed that away for later.
Lee nodded. “You were wearing one like that the day I

met you. You looked amazing.” He leaned forward,
whispering, “Still do.”

Inches closer, Vince couldn‟t resist and stole a quick

kiss,  leaving  Lee  gasping  and  wide-eyed.  “Told  you.  Not
going  to  hide  you,  ever.”  Giving  his  man  some  breathing
room, for more than one reason, he straightened in his seat.
And for the first time since picking him up, Vince began to
breathe normally, his heart beating rather than thudding into
his ribs.

Epilogue

Vince collapsed to the bed panting, sweat pouring

down his back between his shoulder blades, sticking his
shirt to his skin. “Told you we should have had movers do
it.”

Lee laughed outright. He crawled on the bed with two

full glasses of ice water. Vince smacked his lips. Lee took
pity on him and gave it to him when he sat up, rather than
teasing him with it.

“You picked the weekend. I had nothing to do with the

weather.”

“Houston humidity, ugh,” Vince groaned, guzzling half

the contents before stopping to breathe. “Thanks, babe.”

Lee kicked of his sneakers and stretched out to lean on

the headboard. “Just glad it‟s done. It‟s actually a good mix
of  stuff,  haute  couture  and  garage  sale  du  jour.”  There
really wasn‟t that much Lee was keeping. A few sentimental
items  he‟d  dragged  from  Detroit  with  him,  but  for  a
bachelor pad apartment, he‟d needed very little.

Vince set the glass on his nightstand and plopped

backward  again,  his  head  landing  on  Lee‟s  bare  thigh.
Houston in  the  summer  almost  demanded  shorts. The  heat
was killer. “Love it when you talk French.”

Lee laughed, which he did a lot around Vince. That

was about the extent of his language ability, but Vince
didn‟t seem to mind.

Diana DeRicci

Lee threaded his fingers through Vince‟s hair, noticing

it was starting to wave again in need of a trim, and he‟d be
the last to point them out, but a few new grays had arrived.
Honestly, he thought they made Vince sexier. He‟d
celebrated his thirty-eighth birthday with a bash at Frank‟s,
which was where they‟d made the announcement that they
were “serious” and Lee was moving in.

Almost a year since that first encounter at the garage

and Lee had fallen even deeper for the hunk of goodness
using him for a pillow. Lee didn‟t know how he‟d been so
lucky to catch Vince‟s attention, but he showed how much
he loved the man every minute he could.

Though things had been explosive in the beginning,

they‟d both used restraint and now neither regretted their
patience. If anything, the payoff had been two-fold. The
love they‟d practically stumbled into had grown deeper for
the both of them, and he could now say Vince was also his
best friend. For a man who‟d had nothing when he‟d arrived
in Houston to work for Frank, he‟d found exactly what he‟d
always needed.

“You keep doing that, babe, and I won‟t be held

responsible for my actions,” Vince growled even as he
arched for more caresses.

Lee glided down to stroke Vince‟s neck, teasing his

earlobe on the way. “Promise?” he asked.

Vince groaned. “You know what that does to me.” His

lips parted as he shivered under Lee‟s touch.

Lee did know, and wasn‟t above using it. “Get up

here,” he ordered, already feeling his skin tingle as his cock
hardened.

Vince didn‟t have to be told twice, rolling to straddle

Lee‟s hips. He rocked over the thickening length in Lee‟s
shorts. “I love the way you feel.” He pressed water-slicked
lips to Lee‟s for a kiss. Lee let Vince take him to the bed
with kisses and seeking hands. He tugged off Vince‟s damp

A Fated Love

T-shirt, tossing it to get his hands on Vince‟s chest.

He still thought of Vince as his tiger, a prowling, caged

keg of energy and power, only he knew he hadn‟t tamed
him. His tiger came to him, wanted him and Lee knew what
a gift that was.

It didn‟t take long before teasing kisses became hard

thrusting  duels,  tasting  and  savoring.  Lee‟s  shirt  vanished
and  his  shorts  were  pushed  down  then  everything  in
existence vanished. Vince‟s mouth on his cock was heaven
on  Earth.  When  Vince  had  told  Lee  he‟d  never  really
enjoyed fellatio, Lee had just stopped short of calling him a
liar.  He‟d  explained  he‟d  always  enjoyed  receiving  more
than  giving—until  Lee.  All  Lee  knew  was  the  man  had  a
talent to drive him insane, begging for it insane.

“Uh…uhn.” Lee thrust and Vince braced his hips so he

couldn‟t move. The inability to move only made Lee writhe
more.  The  wicked  flicks  of  a  teasing  tongue  added  to  the
power of his lips made Lee see stars. “Vince,” he breathed,
gasping, feeling the surge building. The fuse was lit as his
balls tightened in rhythm to Vince‟s up and down ride. The
heat  of  his  mouth  and  teasing  tongue  had  Lee‟s  number.
When  Vince  wedged  his  legs  wider  to  caress  his  sac,  he
arched,  moaning  as  the  world  shrank  to  the  force  of  his
orgasm.  Lee‟s  cock  swelled,  his  body  growing  tight  as  a
wire when it hit.

Vince continued to pump him, licking up each jet,

swallowing it down as he caught it on his tongue until he‟d
drained Lee dry, a gasping, moaning shell of a pleased out
of his mind man.

“Love the way you do that,” Vince whispered, sucking

gentle kisses to Lee‟s collarbone. “Love you.”

“You‟re amazing.” He unfisted the sheets to lift a limp

hand to run it over Vince‟s shoulder. He arched his neck as
Vince continued to grace his sweaty body with warm kisses
and lingering licks.

Diana DeRicci

“Shower?”
Lee kicked off his shorts. They‟d only made it as far as

his ankles with Vince‟s earlier aid. Raising a thigh, he found
the hard ridge of Vince‟s unrelieved cock. “Only if I can
wash you.”

Lifting to grin evilly at Lee, Vince‟s reply was, “I was

hoping you would.”

Lee groaned, his fingers tightening in Vince‟s hair to

pull him down for a hard kiss.

About the Author

Diana DeRicci is the sexy, flirty pen name of Diana

Castilleja.  A  romance  author  at  heart,  DeRicci‟s  writing
takes  you  into  a  saucier spectrum  of  sensuality  and sexual
adventure, where a happily-ever-after is still the key to any
story.  Diana  lives  in  Central  Texas  with  her  husband,  one
son  and  a  feisty  little  Chihuahua  named  Rascal.  You  can
catch the latest news on all of Diana DeRicci‟s writing and
books  on  her  website.  Feel  free  to  drop  Diana  an  email.
She‟d love to hear from you.

For more information on other books by Diana, visit

her official website:

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