A Change of Pace (2 page)

Just ahead he saw the sign for the Asheville exits approaching. He watched for the one Tony had mentioned. When it came up, he exited the highway and headed toward the inn where he had a reservation.

Once again, he checked the instructions Tony had emailed to him. Following the directions, twenty minutes later he turned his Navigator onto a leafy lane that led him back to a rambling, old, two-story farmhouse. The small sign in the center of the curving drive said “Huntington Place.”

Drew pulled his truck off to the side and got out, looking around as he shut the door. He did have to acknowledge that, so far, North Carolina in July was beautiful. He wasn’t used to being surrounded by so many green things, and the flowers. He was kind of tempted to sneeze at all the fresh air.

Although, that fresh air was certainly cooler than what he’d left at home. As he’d gotten onto Lake Shore Drive yesterday, it had been ninety-eight and humid as all get-out.

His condo back home was on the lakefront, with an incredible view of Lake Michigan, one that had cost him a pretty penny. Chicago’s lakefront was world-class, and he’d loved having his own little piece of that view. But even he had to admit, looking around now at the lush vegetation and the classic architecture of the inn, that the rural beauty around him was almost beyond description.

He moved to the back of the truck, opening the liftgate. “Come on, girl. Let’s go see where we’re staying.” An extremely large German shepherd stuck her head out, sniffing daintily before stepping to the edge and dropping lightly to the gravel drive.

Drew shut the door, snapping on a leash just in case there were other dogs around. He headed for the front entrance, eyeing the long, deep veranda that surrounded what he could see of the inn. Dark wicker furniture was set around in groupings, inviting visitors to relax and unwind.

As soon as he checked in, he planned to see about getting a beer and sitting out there.

Isn’t that what folks do out here in Deliverance Country?

He
was
tired from driving. He’d gotten a late start yesterday, so he’d covered most of the seven hundred miles today. Even though he’d been sitting most of the day, he wanted to put his feet up, sip on something cold, and simmer some more over his changed circumstances.

Music came softly through the open windows of the inn. Drew frowned as he listened. Was that Forties music? Huh? Was this place run by the blue-hairs?

Snorting to himself, he shrugged. It should be quiet here, then, and he was going to stay just until he found a place to live anyway. He could put up with retro music until then.

Grabbing his leather laptop bag, he headed for the stairs. The inn was a sprawling wood and masonry structure, and his engineer’s eye noted the rough-edged limestone cladding at the first floor and the cedar shake siding on the upper level. The building looked to be about fifty to sixty years old, and the long-ago architect had certainly done a great job matching both the style of the building and the rustic stone and cedar with the feel of the forested land around it.

Drew walked inside the elegant lobby, his eyes on the extensive woodwork. He’d renovated his vintage condo back in Chicago and had spent a great deal of time on the woodwork in the unit, bringing it painstakingly back to life. Despite the profound irritation he was feeling at his current life circumstances, Drew could still appreciate the amount of work that had gone into the rooms around him.

Looking past the lobby into a dining room, then in the other direction, he spotted a sunroom that opened off the reception area, the polished woodwork gleaming. Everywhere he looked, he found more evidence of an expert’s tender touch.

Suddenly, Elsa’s head came up with a snap, and she looked toward the rear of the house. Drew’s eyes followed hers, widening when he spotted a shepherd every bit as large as Elsa coming toward them. The dog’s ears were up and the long tail was wagging, Drew was glad to see. The male walked up to Elsa, and the two dogs sniffed and whined and barked at each other, moving around and generally tangling Elsa’s leash.

He had his hand down to introduce himself to the new dog when he heard steps coming toward them. He raised his head to see a young woman hurrying forward, an apologetic look on her pretty face. She was flushed, her blonde hair in a ponytail and her cotton, short-sleeved shirt and jeans dusted with flour.

“Oh, I’m so sorry about Henry. He has the run of the house.” She grabbed Henry’s collar, trying to pull him away from Elsa.

Drew smiled slightly, still watching the two dogs to make sure they weren’t going to have a rodeo. “So far, so good.” Squatting down next to Henry, he rubbed the large head. “He’s gorgeous. How old is he?” Drew looked up as he spoke.

With a huffed breath, the young woman gave up trying to pull the huge dog when he obviously had no intention of moving. “I think he’s about two?” She lifted a shoulder uncertainly. “He belongs to my brother. I’m glad to see that he and your dog are getting along,” she said with relief, holding out her hand. “I’m Rae Huntington. Are you Mr. Cunningham?”

At Drew’s nod, she moved behind the carved wood counter and clicked the computer mouse to activate her monitor. “Welcome to Huntington Place.” She smiled at him as she clicked away. “We normally don’t allow other dogs, but since you’re a guest of Mr. Lopez, we’re happy to accommodate you. You won’t have to worry about any other dogs here.” She paused to look up. “Do you mind giving me your driver’s license and your cell phone number for our records?”

Drew noticed Rae discreetly eying him as she entered his data into the computer. He’d had many a woman give him that kind of glance, especially while he’d worked as chief of staff to his father. Drew met Rae’s eyes, lips tilting, then leaned an elbow on the wood counter as he gazed out the window at the North Carolina afternoon.

Not my cup of tea, honey.

He heard a slight sigh from the innkeeper. “Okay, let’s get you settled.” Moving out from behind the counter, Rae grabbed a key from the rack and headed for the stairs. “Will you follow me, please?”

Chapter 2

An erection is like the theory of relativity. The more you think about it, the harder it gets.

Drew Cunningham

Early the following morning, Drew headed downstairs with Elsa close behind him. He’d showered and dressed in jeans, a black T-shirt, and scuffed leather Roper boots.

Yesterday when he’d arrived, he’d spotted a walking trail. It had been too dark to explore it when he walked Elsa before turning in. The trail led from the gardens in the rear of the inn toward the creek he’d passed driving in yesterday. As he walked toward it, he noticed a separate building about three hundred feet from the main building. It was of the same era, he decided -- maybe a workshop or equipment shed. He spotted a door near the corner with a shade pulled down over the half-glass.

Just as Elsa walked up to it, the door opened and a man stepped out, wearing jeans and a pair of moccasins. The young man frowned as he looked down at Elsa, then looked behind himself and spoke in a soft southern drawl. “So that’s why you’re whining, big guy.” A large nose poked out the door behind him, followed by the rest of Henry’s body.

Drew stared at the stranger, riveted by the sight of a mostly smooth, muscled chest with one nipple pierced by a silver ring, about a half-inch in diameter. The tanned skin rippled in the sunlight as the man reached down to pet Elsa, pushing Henry’s head out of the way as he did so. He tilted his shaggy blond head at an angle, jerking upright in surprise when he noticed Drew.

The newcomer’s whiskey-colored eyes widened as he stared at Drew. “Uh, sorry. I didn’t see you.” He ran a hand through his hair, smoothing it back self-consciously.

Drew licked his suddenly dry lips, swallowing before answering.
What the hell?
He shook his head to clear it.

“Not a problem.” He coughed to clear his throat. “I’m sorry if we startled you. I was, uh, heading for that trail, over there...” He gestured vaguely past the other man, trying not to stare at the long legs encased in the well-worn jeans. “I think it leads down to the creek, doesn’t it?”

Fingers rubbing a whiskered jaw, the other man nodded slowly. The stranger looked to be around thirty. Tousled, wavy blond hair hung to collar length and caught the light, gleaming golden in the morning sun. “Are you... are you staying with Rae? She didn’t tell me we had new guests.” His pattern of speech was slow and easy.

Drew nodded. “I got here yesterday evening, just before dark.” He stepped forward to introduce himself, holding out his hand. “Drew Cunningham.”

His hand was taken in a warm grip, the shake firm. “Ridge Huntington.” Appearing uncertain, Ridge looked down at the dogs again. “It looks like our dogs have met before. They’re not trying to tear each other apart.” In fact, the exact opposite was going on. Elsa and Henry were clearly in love, rubbing against each other, nipping and playing and whining.

Ridge straightened suddenly, a look of apprehension on his face as he stared up at Drew. “Is she spayed? I’m not really ready to be a daddy.”

Drew grinned slightly, amused at the thought. He stared at Ridge, who looked to be maybe an inch shorter. “Yeah, I’m with you there. I had her fixed as soon as she hit six months. She’s a year and a half now.” He nodded at the other dog, who had his jaw opened and was holding Elsa by the neck. “Is he about two?”

Ridge watched the affection between the two animals. “Yeah, good guess. He’ll be two next month.” He shoved his hands in his front pockets, hunching his shoulders a little. “So what brings you to Asheville?”

Drew could feel his facial muscles tighten as his lips went flat. “It was a... family problem.”

“Oh, okay.” Ridge looked as though he could tell he’d hit a sore spot.

Seeing that he’d stumped the other man, Drew frowned before relenting a bit. “Uh... I just... transferred here from... Chicago.” He looked over at the trees near the inn before shifting his gaze back to Ridge, his eyes going unerringly to the nipple ring again.

Ridge digested that comment in silence.

“Well, do you want--”

“Does your family--”

They both spoke at the same time, then laughed awkwardly.

Ridge nodded. “You go ahead.”

Tearing his eyes away from that pierced nipple, Drew focused. “Uh, does your family own this place?”

Ridge cleared his throat. “My sister and I own the business. She runs the place, though.” He gestured toward the door he’d left open. “I run a custom cabinet and trim carpentry shop out of here.” He turned back to face Drew. “Did you want me to show you where the creek is?”

Ridge’s voice sounded a little tight, and Drew’s gaze honed in, spotting a faint blush appearing on the golden skin across the younger man’s cheeks.

Whoa. Was he just scoping out my junk?

Caught, Ridge sucked in a breath, and Drew’s eyes followed the movement of his bare chest.

Now it was Drew’s turn to flush when he saw that Ridge was watching him. “Yeah, that would be great.” He looked down at the dogs, hoping to appear intelligent. “Looks like Henry’s going to join us no matter what.” The two shepherds were glued together, jumping and playing.

Taking another deep breath, Ridge moved away. “Just let me get my shoes on.” He stepped inside for a moment, leaving the door ajar. Drew watched as he slid into a pair of deck shoes. Coming back out, he pulled the door shut and waved a hand to Drew to follow as he started down the path.

Drew’s eyes were fixed on the sleekly muscled ass of the man in front of him. He shook his head briefly to clear it. Better knock it off.

That mental admonishment couldn’t budge his attention away from the fine, fine ass, though. He watched it move as his eyes traveled up the muscles of that smooth, bare back. He wanted to reach out and touch. That was a bad thought to have running through his head. He was supposed to be here to get out of trouble, not get into it.

His body didn’t seem to care, though. It saw what it wanted directly in front of him. He followed Ridge, instincts humming.
Gimme some of that.

After about a quarter mile, the trail wound down through the woods to the creek. Drew headed around a huge old tree, and suddenly the water was in front of him.

The dogs had run ahead and were contentedly splashing in the shallows when the two men caught up with them. Drew breathed in deeply, taking in the scents of summer all around him. The July morning was bright and beautiful, with the sun’s rays sifting through the forest canopy. The creek was fairly narrow, but just below them it widened into a pool that looked good for swimming. And once again, he’d never seen so many trees.

He shrugged a little moodily to himself, forced to admit it perhaps wasn’t so bad after all.
Hey, maybe I can learn to fish.

He thought about that for a moment, then snorted softly to himself.

Nuh-uh. Not in this lifetime.

***

Ridge was watching Drew. He noted the slight easing of tension in the broad shoulders as the big Yankee breathed slowly in and out.

He was fascinated with the newcomer. Ridge didn’t normally interact that much with the guests, since he was usually working at either the cabinetry business or his occasional jobs as a trim carpenter. His time at the inn was normally spent on the occasional room repair or upkeep on the mechanical systems. This guest, however, was demanding his full attention. His eyes went up and down the brawny body as Drew walked to the water’s edge and crouched low to pick up a flat rock. The muscles in those fine legs and ass bulged and contracted as Drew bent, then stood again to spin the rock down the creek.

Ridge stepped up slightly behind Drew, discreetly sniffing the man’s scent, breathing it into his lungs. It was a little heady, being this close to such a stud. He hadn’t met anybody this exciting in quite a while. Certainly none of the guys he worked with turned his crank. When he and his friends went out, he sometimes kept his eyes open for opportunities, but, truthfully, he hadn’t been that interested. His best friend, Shelby, kept telling him he was too picky. Huh. If being picky meant waiting for somebody like this to show up...
uh-huh
.

Disconcerted, he shook his head, whistling under his breath. It was a little overwhelming.

Drew picked up another rock, tossing it back and forth in his palms. He angled his head down and to the side to look over his shoulder. “Did that hurt?”

“Huh?” Ridge caught the angle of Drew’s gaze. It was focused on the silver ring in his nipple. “Oh. Um, it was years ago. I, uh, not really. I... was just a stupid kid.”

“Why do you still wear it, then? You must like it.”

Ridge stared at Drew, a little flustered at the directness of that statement. “Um.” He crossed his arms over his chest to hide his nipples from Drew’s view. He didn’t want to admit that he liked it.

Drew turned around. “Don’t hide it from me.” His voice was low. “Let me see.” The command was clear.

Ridge found himself obeying. He dropped his arms and pulled his shoulders back, bringing his chest forward. He watched as Drew moved closer, until their bodies were within touching distance.

Drew raised one hand. The long fingers drifted over Ridge’s lips, then charted a path down his jaw, where they rasped slightly against his morning stubble. They moved farther, touching the spot where his pulse was suddenly faster. Drew continued to explore, fingers moving down, tingles following in their wake as Ridge felt them touch the rise of muscle below his collarbone. The tips of those fingers brushed softly against the ring, pushing it back and forth.

Ridge sucked in a breath, his chest heaving with it. His eyes were glued to Drew’s, those turquoise orbs burning at him.

Oh, yeah.

His heart was pounding as his eyes jerked down to see Drew insert the tip of one little finger in the ring and tug at it. He uttered a low sound, and his head fell back on his neck, his eyes closing.

***

Drew couldn’t help himself; he had to touch. He reached up with his free hand and took hold of the other nipple, twisting it sensually, watching as Ridge succumbed to the feeling of those tiny nipples being tugged and twisted. Ridge’s jeans were tight at the crotch, a bulge growing there.

Drew felt powerful all of a sudden, in command. He wanted to kiss and bite at those soft lips; he wanted to mark that beautiful neck with his teeth; most of all, he wanted to shove Ridge to the ground and command the other man to suck him off. He reached for the snap on those tight jeans.

“Ridge!” The call came from up the hill.

Drew jerked his hand back and looked beyond Ridge’s head toward the path. Rae was standing above them, about seventy-five feet away, staring at them with a frown on her face.

“Ridge, I’ve been looking for you.” Her voice was jarring, breaking the thread holding the two men together.

Ridge snapped his head upright and jumped back a step, staring aghast at Drew. He mumbled something and spun around, heading back up the trail toward his sister at an unsteady jog.

Drew stared after him, his cock hard and his thoughts swirling.

***

“What in the hell do you think you’re doing?” Rae stared in disgust at Ridge. “He’s a guest! And Tony sent him to us.” Her voice was scathing. She surged ahead of him, her anger apparent. “Right now? If you threw yourself on the ground, you’d miss.”

Ridge kept his head down as he followed her. He was an idiot. He had no excuse, so he wasn’t even going to try to offer one. He didn’t know what had come over him down there, but something darn sure had. He’d been absolutely submissive, and it had been hotter than anything he’d felt in a while. He couldn’t believe it now as he thought about it. Drew had ordered him to do something and he’d done it, as if they hadn’t just met -- as if they were, in fact, well acquainted. Scary. Thrilling. Heated.
Whoa.

“Wake up.” Rae stopped in front of him as they reached his shop, snapping her fingers in his face to get his attention. “I was pretty sure when I saw him last night that he wasn’t interested in women, but I really didn’t need you to remove any doubt.” She pushed her hair behind her ear. “Tony was a good friend of Dad’s. You know that.”

Ridge was stumped, his thoughts frozen. His sister snapped her fingers again. “Well? Do you have anything so say?”

Ridge lifted his shoulders and slowly shook his head, wishing he knew what in the heck to say. “I... don’t know what to say. He. I--” He stared at her for another moment. “I’ve got to go to work.” He pushed open his shop door and stepped inside, shutting the door quietly. Ridge stared at Rae through the glass for a moment, watching as she stood there, nonplussed.

“This is
so
not good.” His sister turned on her heel and headed up to the inn.

***

Back at the creek, Drew stared up the hill, watching the two siblings walk away. His eyes stayed on the path for a while after the two of them disappeared, his thoughts tumbling around. He headed back up slowly, barely noticing the two dogs gamboling along. All the while, his mind was occupied with heated thoughts of Ridge and what he could do to the blond hottie.

Until he stumbled over a tree root and almost did a face-plant into the dirt of the trail.

It snapped his mind back in focus.
Jesus! What are you doing? Wake the fuck up. You’re supposed to be keeping a low profile
.

Hitting on someone as soon as he got to town was probably not low profile, he decided sourly.

Drew hadn’t had sex with anyone since before his father had become mayor. Kind of a long dry spell.

Back before he’d moved onto the fifth floor of City Hall with his father, things had been different in his social life. He’d been able to have fun when he wanted without the press breathing down his neck. And he really wasn’t that much of a social butterfly anyway. His idea of a good time was a beer and a burger at one of the less trendy restaurants in River North.

He didn’t trust easily and, other than Charles and Yvonne, didn’t allow anyone close to him. Drew also didn’t advertise his lifestyle -- not in the business he was in. The construction industry wasn’t known for its openness, so he’d had good reason to keep quiet. Even more so in the last few years with his father’s job; he couldn’t afford to advertise it. The press, hypocrites that they were, would eat alive a conservative who was found to be a closet gay.