Full House (5 page)

Kent
disappeared and Marco was left standing in the formal entry. Everywhere he looked, he saw opulence. From the wide, sweeping staircase, to the overhead chandelier, Kent’s house screamed money. This was the man who whined if he lost fifty bucks in a poker game?

Moments later, Kent reappeared with a set of crutches. “Try these.”

Marco took the first crutch from Kent and chuckled. The darn thing was almost taller than he was. “Uhh, I’m not sure they’ll work.”

Rolling his eyes, Kent adjusted the one he still had in his hands and handed it over before doing the same with the crutch he’d given Marco.

“Why do you have these? I don’t remember you getting hurt?”

“I broke my foot about ten years ago. I ran across them a couple of weeks ago while cleaning out the storage room.” Kent started to walk to the back of the house. “Come on, kitchen’s this way.”

Marco had never used crutches and it took him a few seconds to get the hang of it. Kent had been right, it did help. Although he knew he couldn’t work while using them, they would go a long way in getting around. He’d really slacked off on taking care of the house since his fall over Rufus.

“Have a seat.”

Marco slid onto a stool at the large island and leaned the crutches against the wooden counter top. He ran his hand over the beautifully grained and glossy wood.

“Gorgeous, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. I guess I never thought of using wood like this.” The warm colour of the countertops complimented the white cabinetry and brick alcove that housed a huge industrial-style stove. “You like brick, I see.”

Kent
chuckled. “Does it show?”

“Just a little.”

Kent
opened the large stainless steel refrigerator and removed a carton of eggs, small jug of milk and block of cheese. “I don’t have much, but I made a run to the store Sunday. The beer bottles were starting to get lonely.”

As Marco watched Kent whip up the eggs and milk, he tried to figure out what rabbit hole he’d fallen into. “So’d you build this place?”

Kent
lit the stove and set a skillet over the gas flame. “Yep. It was the first official project for Baker Construction. We built most of the homes in the neighbourhood but mine was first.”

“Who did the brickwork?” He knew he sounded jealous, but as much of it as was in the house, Kent had to have worked closely with the guy.

Kent
poured the bowl of frothy eggs into the skillet. “Who didn’t? I tried at least six different guys before I gave up and finished it myself. That’s why, if you look close, the work doesn’t match.”

Once again, Marco was shocked. “I didn’t know you knew how to do that?”

With his back to Marco, Kent shrugged. “I’m nowhere near as good as you are, but I learned the trade from my old man.”

Was that a compliment?

Kent
flipped the omelette and turned back to the island to grab the block of sharp cheddar and a cheese grater he’d dug out of one of the cabinets. He met Marco’s gaze before returning his attention to the stove. “You truly are the most gifted bricklayer I’ve ever come across. I’m damn lucky to have you.”

Marco smiled. At the age of sixteen he’d worked hauling bricks for the craftsmen. Over time, he’d convinced the men to teach him. How many hours had he worked to get his technique to the point where he was satisfied? How many times had Kent ordered him to tear something apart and redo it? At the time, Marco thought Kent was being a hard ass. He doubted he’d ever be able to please the picky son-of-a-bitch.

“I never thought I’d be good enough at it to please you,” Marco mumbled.

Kent
shook his head as he cut the super-sized omelette in half and divided it onto two plates. “It wasn’t that. I saw the potential in you to be the best. I just wanted you to see it in yourself.”

Kent
sat on the stool beside Marco and they dug into their breakfast. As he ate, Marco let his boss’ words sink in.

“What’s wrong?” Kent asked.

Marco set down his fork. “I don’t know. I guess I never realised how much you cared. I’m just trying to wrap my mind around it.”

Kent
finished off his breakfast and pushed his plate away. He leaned his arm on the island and rested his head in his palm, facing Marco. “My problem is that I’ve always cared too much.”

“Huh?”

Kent
sighed. “Remember how I found out your true age?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, I was coming to ask you out on a date. I thought you were nineteen. When I found out you were only seventeen, I freaked.”

“So why didn’t you ask me out once I was old enough?”

Kent
’s fingers began scratching at the short brown hair on top of his head. “Because my first mistake made me realise how young you really were. I couldn’t get past it. I continued to watch you come in tired all the time. I’ve never been much of a partier. I told myself we had nothing in common, that we wanted two different things out of a relationship.” Kent laughed. “Well, I told myself I wanted a relationship, but you’d only be interested in a fuck buddy.”

Any appetite Marco had, left him. He pushed his plate away and looked down at his hands. “Usually half-asleep means I’ve been up all night with one of the kids. As far as fuck buddies, well, I admit, I’ve had a few, but it wasn’t what I truly wanted. I’d have loved to have a steady partner, but my life doesn’t lend itself to that. When the kids were younger, I was lucky if I got out for a few hours every couple of weeks. It’s better now, but most guys won’t hang around long enough for me to really get to know them.”

With no warning, Kent reached out, grabbed the back of Marco’s neck and pulled him into a deep kiss. Marco opened immediately, as Kent’s tongue swept through the interior of his mouth and towards the back of his throat.

“Mmmm,” he groaned. His cock filled as he closed his lips around Kent’s tongue. He’d waited so long for this moment, he wasn’t about to release Kent until he was forced.

Kent
turned Marco to fully face him and scooted his stool closer. “I’ve wanted you…”

“Yes,” Marco answered the unspoken plea. He reached out and ran his hands over the bulging muscles of Kent’s chest, stopping to pinch the man’s nipples through his tight, logoed T-shirt.

Kent
groaned as Marco squeezed the tight nubs.

Tasting copper, Marco suddenly realised his lip had re-split. He backed off the kiss, worried what Kent might think. “I’m sorry.” He reached for a napkin, but Kent retrieved one first and dabbed at Marco’s bleeding lip. “I’m clean. I promise.”

Kent
nodded, placing kisses to Marco’s bruised jaw. “Does this freak you out?”

“What? You kissing me?” Marco asked.

“No. Me wanting you as much as I do. I’m thirteen years older than you.”

Marco gazed into Kent’s eyes. He’d never noticed what a kaleidoscope of colour the man’s eyes were, browns, mixed with greens and a hint of blue. As he stared, he tried to tell himself he was good enough for a successful man like Kent.

“Why would you want me? You could have anyone. I come with more baggage than a 747.”

Kent
reached across to the small prep-sink and wet another napkin before returning to dab at Marco’s cut. It was obvious Kent was in deep thought as he attempted to concentrate on the split lip.

“We have a lot of talking to do,” Kent finally said. His voice had gone soft, almost a whisper.

Marco nodded.

“It’s not an easy thing for me to admit, but I wanted you the day you walked onto the construction site looking for a job. Later, when I found out you’d only been sixteen at the time, I was ashamed. It made me feel perverted, and I guess I took it out on you. I’m sorry.”

“No. I knew you were attracted to the way I looked. My life was so fucked up at the time. I intentionally sought you out back then. I loved teasing you with my body. I know it was wrong, but it made me feel like someone wanted me and only me.”

Kent
started to say something, but jumped when his cell phone began ringing. He handed the wet napkin to Marco and unclipped the phone from his belt. “Kent Baker.”

Marco pressed the paper against his lip and pulled it back to see he was no longer bleeding. He set the napkin on the counter and continued to stare at Kent as he talked business.

Still on the phone, Kent stood and walked across the kitchen, gazing out the back set of French doors. Marco had a strange feeling the call wasn’t going well. He caught snippets of Kent’s voice as it rose in volume several times.

“I’m sorry. It can’t be helped. We’ll get it done as soon as possible.”

Kent
’s spine stiffened. Marco carefully slid off his stool and made his way over to the much bigger man. Kent seemed to sense Marco’s presence and reached out his arm, drawing Marco against his chest.

“I’ll call you back in a bit. Dammit!
 
Just give me a few minutes.” Kent ended the call and replaced the phone in its holster.

“Something wrong?” Marco asked, pressing his cheek against Kent’s chest.

“That was Kevin Banes. He’s upset you haven’t finished his wall. He’s having a big party on Saturday.” Kent kissed the top of Marco’s head. “I tried to tell him you were hurt, but the jackass won’t listen.”

Marco tilted his head up to stare into Kent’s eyes. “I can finish.”

“The hell you can. You can barely walk. I’ll go down and finish it.”

In all the years he’d worked for Kent, Marco had never known his boss to finish a job for one of his employees. He wasn’t sure if it was the need to get the job done or his apparent feelings for the man responsible for not getting it done in the first place. “Let me help you. It’s not bad as long as I’m in one place. It’s the lifting and walking that hurt the most.”

“Have you been to the doctor?”

“I’ve been to two, Eric and Jules. They both said what I already knew. I just hyper-extended the knee. It was healing nicely until…” Marco gestured at his face.

“I’d like to talk to Moody about that, by the way. I’d feel a lot better if I knew something was being done.”

Marco thought of the money he was supposed to hand over to his father later that evening. He’d already made plans to take the kids to Angelo’s house. “You’ll find Moody at my house this evening. Eddy’s coming by to get some money. Moody’s planning on greeting him at the door.”

Kent
nodded. “He won’t be alone. I want to look the man in the eyes when I threaten him.”

Marco shook his head. “You don’t know my dad. He’s not easily intimidated. He’ll probably take your threat as a personal challenge.”

“Bring it on.”

“Moody’s assured me that Eddy won’t be able to take the kids back, but I don’t know if I’m even willing to take the chance.”

Kent
bent down and kissed the uninjured corner of Marco’s mouth. “Let me call Banes back and you can tell me about your brothers and sister on the way to the jobsite.”

Marco started to move away as Kent dialled the phone, but the bigger man pulled him in even closer. He was so caught up in the smell and feel of the bigger man, he hadn’t even realised Kent had ended the call.

“You okay?” Kent asked, running a hand down Marco’s spine.

“I don’t know. Guess I feel like I’m in the middle of a dream I don’t want to wake up from.”

“You and me both, babe.”

Chapter Four

Kent
set down another skid of bricks next to Marco. He watched as the expert buttered another brick with mortar and set it carefully in place. Like most of Marco’s requested work, the low wall surrounding Kevin Banes’ patio was an intricate mosaic.

From his sitting position on the overturned five gallon bucket, Marco glanced up. “Something wrong?”

Kent
shook his head. “Just enjoying a master at work.”

Marco snorted and picked up another brick in a darker shade. “Tell that to Bruno and Nicky. They think of me as a labourer and nothing more.”

Although he said it in a flip manner, Kent could tell it was a source of pain and embarrassment. He studied his surroundings and once he was certain they were alone, he leant in and brushed a kiss over Marco’s lips. “Kids today don’t know shit.”

Marco chuckled. “Tell that to Bruno. He thinks he knows everything.”

That reminded him. “Will you let me meet them?”

Marco’s big brown eyes opened wide. “You want to?”

“Sure.” Kent sat on the ground, facing Marco. He picked up a small piece of dried cement and rolled it between two fingers. “We haven’t exactly had time to talk about everything, but I’d like to get to know your family.” He shrugged, tossing the mortar several feet away. “We can take things slow. I don’t want to push myself on anyone.”

“They know I’m gay, but I’ve never introduced them to a date.” Marco’s face flushed. “My brothers might tease us.”

“Let ’em. As long as they don’t have a real problem with us dating, I don’t mind a bit of teasing.” He glanced at his watch. “You about ready to pack it up for the day?”