Mating Thomas Brac Pack

Siren Publishing, Inc. A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Everlasting Classic ManLove

MATING THOMAS
Copyright © 2012 by Lynn Hagen E-book ISBN: 978-1-62241-490-1

Cover design by Les Byerley
All art and logo copyright © 2012 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED:
This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

“Something on your mind?”
“Huh?” Thomas looked up from his glass of wine. Reginald was sitting across from him, looking worried.
His thoughts had been far away. Thomas glanced around the restaurant, guilt swamping him as his eyes finally settled on Reginald. The man had been nothing but sweet and kind to him, and Thomas repaid him with thoughts of wishing Reginald was someone else. Reginald was nice and all, but there wasn’t any magic zing between them. Thomas wanted someone that made his heart flutter. Someone who made his damn toes curl. Reginald was about as exciting as peeling paint.
Just forget about it.
“You seem a little preoccupied. Is everything okay?”
No.
Yes.
Hell if he knew anymore.
Thomas pushed the wayward thoughts out of his mind as he smiled at his dinner date. “Everything is great. The basketball competition went off without a hitch, and the kids had a great time.”
“I’m glad to hear everything went so well. I’m sorry I couldn’t make it. Work seems to get in the way of a lot of things. Would you like to go away for the weekend? I want to make things up to you.” Reginald pulled his napkin from the table, setting it in his lap as the maître d’ brought their food to the table.
Once again Thomas looked around the restaurant. He was used to eating at a diner, grabbing a burger here and there, or just cooking at home. This place was swank, somewhere Thomas would have never voluntarily picked. He wasn’t sure how he had ended up going out to dinner with a top executive of a prestigious law firm, but here he sat across the table from him.
Reginald wasn’t what one would describe as handsome, but Thomas wasn’t vain enough to go by looks alone. It was the person inside that mattered. The guy wasn’t butt-ugly, though. He sighed inwardly as he looked around the restaurant once again. He felt so out of place here.
He tried to tell himself that money didn’t matter, but he was starting to feel like Reginald’s arm candy. The man had flaunted him around to his colleagues before they had left for their date, acting as if Thomas were the pretty little wife. Reginald had even made a few comments in that direction.
That bothered Thomas.
He smiled at Reginald as a dish he couldn’t even pronounce was set in front of him. He wasn’t sure if he should eat it or place the work of art on his wall. There was barely any food on the plate, but everything seemed to be placed with care, as if the plating and preparation was more important than the food itself.
“Is there something wrong with your food?” Reginald asked. His dinner date picked his fork up and began to eat as he looked at Thomas for an answer.
“No, nothing.”
Thomas stared at the forks in front of him, unsure which one he should eat with. Why were there three forks sitting in front of him? Never had he been to a place where more than one fork was required.
Half the time Thomas ate food that required no silverware at all.
He heard a low chuckle as Reginald’s hand came into view and pointed at the utensil he should use. His face heated as he picked the fork up and began to eat.
His mouth stilled.
Oh hell.
Where was a trash can when he needed one? It tasted like crap. Thomas forced himself to chew, feeling his gag reflex kick in. It was like chewing his damn loafers. He wasn’t sure what it was, but he prayed he never had to eat this shit again in his life.
It should be outlawed.
“You never gave me an answer.”
Thomas swallowed his food, trying his best not to grimace.
Gah, that was awful
. “About what?”
“Our weekend getaway,” Reginald replied
Thomas shrugged as he stabbed at another piece of food on his plate and quickly shoved it into his mouth. This time he did gag as the slimy, squishy… whatever slid down his throat. There was no way he was going to eat anything else on his plate.
A HazMat team should have served the food.
He quickly gulped down his wine, trying his best to remove the nasty taste from his taste buds. Who the hell called this food? “I have to help at the resource center tomorrow. Taylor is trying to implement a program for pregnant teens.” And Thomas wasn’t too sure he wanted a second date with the man.
He was looking for someone who was down-to-earth and wasn’t afraid to eat barbeque with his hands. Thomas was looking for someone who had just an ounce of interest in what he did.
His work was very important to him, and Reginald had blown him off twice already when Thomas invited him to a game down at the rec center.
“But it’s Saturday!” Reginald’s voice rose a little higher as he looked at Thomas in disapproval. Thomas glanced around, seeing a few heads turn in their direction, but Reginald didn’t seem to notice as his eyes narrowed and his expression darkened. “Tell me you can’t have a damn weekend to yourself?”
It didn’t sound like a question to Thomas but more like a challenge. He sat there momentarily stunned before he found his voice.
“I’ve already told you that my work is very important to me. I wouldn’t say a word if you had to be called away. As I remember, our first two planned dates were tossed aside when you said you had to work and couldn’t make it,” Thomas reminded him. That seemed to piss Reginald off as his features pinched, making him look ten years older. It wasn’t a look Thomas liked seeing on Reginald.
He didn’t like it.
“I don’t need a secretary to remind me of how hard I work. Reschedule.”
Thomas threw his napkin on his plate, thankful that he didn’t have to ingest any more of that crap. “I’m sorry, but I can’t. Taylor is counting on me.” He stood to leave, but Reginald grabbed his wrist, tugging him back.
“I’m sorry, Thomas. I just want to spend more time with you,” he said as he pulled Thomas into his arms right in the middle of the restaurant. Thomas had no qualms about public displays of affection, but this wasn’t the place for that. “Forgive me?”
Thomas sighed as he nodded. What else could he do?
He didn’t plan on having a second date with the man, so why argue about things? He had promised Taylor that he would help out at the resource center, and his work was just as important as Reginald’s. The number of teens getting pregnant was on the rise, and Thomas wanted to do his part in educating as many young adults as possible in safe sex.
“Let’s put this conversation behind us. You let me know when you can get away, and I’ll make it happen,” Reginald said with gentleness as he ran his thumb over Thomas’s cheek.
Thomas wanted to roll his eyes, but gave a tight smile instead. No, there wasn’t going to be a second date. And just as soon as he talked with his sister, he was going to give her an earful for setting him up with this pompous shithead. “I will. Can we get out of here?” Because Thomas was ready to ditch this jerk.
“But we haven’t finished our meal.” Thomas was pulled back to the table, the work of art looking more like a lethal toxic dump as he sat back down.
He wondered if there was a burger place around here that he could sneak off to.

Thomas gathered the pages of statistics from his desk and shoved them in a folder. Next he grabbed the pamphlets he had on safe sex and abstinence. He tossed them in the folder as well before heading out of the rec center and locking the place up.

His back was killing him and Thomas wanted to get home to a nice, hot bath.
As he inserted his key, he noticed the lock was broken. There was some sort of metal shoved inside the tumbler, preventing him from inserting his key. Thomas ran his fingers over the lock, wondering how on earth this happened.
It looked to have been done on purpose. But who would do something like this? In all the years he had worked here, no one had ever broken into the rec center or defaced any part of the property.
Everyone in town knew Maverick funded the place, and no one wanted to piss the man off. He had done so much for the community that they feared he would stop the funds and the small town that everyone loved would dry up. No, no one around here would have done this.
Thomas glanced around but didn’t see anything out of place. The parking lot was empty, save for his car, and most kids around here lived on farms. That meant they wouldn’t be around until early tomorrow morning. The weather was balmy, but he didn’t think any of the kids were still hanging around. Besides, Thomas highly doubted one of the kids from the rec center had done this. They were a great bunch and he knew each and every one of them.
He stood on the step for a minute trying to figure out how he was going to lock the rec center. When his back reminded him that he needed to get moving, Thomas conceded. He made sure the place was closed tight and then hurried to his car.
He’d have someone come and look at the lock first thing Monday morning, but until then, he needed to get home for a nice long soak.
Thomas was glad the day was over and ready to go home and soak his aching back. He wasn’t as young as he used to be, and the kids around Brac Village were wearing him out.
He rubbed the small of his back as he headed for his compact Honda. He knew a hot soak in the tub and a few aspirin should help. His back felt like an elephant was sitting on it as he slid into his car, wincing from the pain.
He was in his late thirties. He shouldn’t be in this much pain. He had worked at the rec center for so long that there was no way Thomas didn’t stay in shape. The kids kept him active, and Thomas made sure he ate a healthy diet.
But the pain in his lower back was arguing otherwise.
Hell, it was shouting at the tops of its lungs.
Inserting the key, Thomas groaned and hung his head forward when the engine wouldn’t turn over.
This.
Cannot.
Be.
Happening.
He did not need this trouble right now. His Honda wasn’t so old that it should be giving him problems. Thomas wasn’t sure if the car was still under warranty, but prayed that it was. Even though Mark gave the best prices around, and had a payment plan set up for those who couldn’t afford the services, Thomas wasn’t looking forward to a costly repair bill.
He tried once again to start his car, but the dang thing wasn’t having it. The car just sat there, making no sound at all. Not even a whine. He had stayed later than expected and Mark’s Garage would be closed by now.
It was the only mechanic shop in Brac Village.
Sighing heavily, Thomas gave up trying to start the damn thing and slid from his car, heading back toward the rec center. He was going to have to call Maverick and see if the man could send someone to give him a lift. He would have to call Mark in the morning about his car.
It was a big hassle to catch a ride, but Thomas had no choice.
“Car trouble?”
Thomas spun around to see a very nicelooking man sitting in his truck. His window was rolled down, and his arm was resting on the window frame. And what a nice arm it was. The skin was tanned with sprinkles of black hair dusted over the arm.
“Yes.” Thomas nodded. “Do you know anything about cars?”
The man eased out of the truck and closed the door, and Thomas nearly swallowed his tongue. The man was simply gorgeous! His steel-grey eyes flickered over Thomas, as if assessing him from head to toe. Thomas fought the shiver that racked his body.
“I know a thing or two,” the man said as he walked over to Thomas’s car. The walk was sleek, loose-limbed, and good lord almighty, Thomas was going to melt on the spot. Did men really come in that size?
Of course they do. Look at the Lakelands and the men who live with Maverick.
Thomas pushed the thought aside. He didn’t care about any other man but the one standing next to him making his heart race out of control.
“I’m Tyler,” the man said as he stuck out a scarred and tanned hand. As soon as their hands touched, Thomas felt a shiver of electricity shoot through his body.
Thomas was sweating bullets as he shook the man’s hand, pumping it a few times, and then reluctantly let it go. The shake was firm, but not overbearing. Thomas could just imagine what those hands would feel like caressing his body.
Tyler smiled at Thomas, and Thomas just knew he was going to pass out. The smile was charming, even boyish, although he could tell Tyler wasn’t that young.
“I’m Thomas,” he remembered to say as he stood there with a big goofy grin on his face. He mentally chastised himself for acting like a damn teenager. Thomas was older and more experienced than one of the young men running around Brac Village, and he needed to act like it.
“Where are your keys?” Tyler asked in a slow drawl that made Thomas want to beg the man to speak his name with that same southern inflection.
“My what?”
“Keys.”
Oh
.
Keys. Right.
Thomas pulled the set of keys from his pocket, handing them over to Tyler, shivering when his fingers touched the palm of Tyler’s hand.
“Let’s see what the problem is.” Tyler let the seat back and then climbed into Thomas’s Honda. The car suddenly looked too damn small with Tyler sitting in the driver’s seat.
Tyler turned the key, but nothing happened. He next reached down and grabbed the lever and popped the hood. Thomas took a step back as Tyler crawled out of the car.
He followed the man around to the front of the car and glanced down at the engine when Tyler lifted the hood.
Thomas had no clue what he was looking at, but damn if standing next to the man wasn’t thrilling.
“I think your alternator is shot.”
“My what?”
The chuckle Tyler gave him was deep, warm, and rich, and the sound slid down Thomas’s body and wrapped around his groin. His cock instantly hardened at the sensual sound. Tyler’s grey eyes slid Thomas’s way. A heated look glimmered in them.
“I guess I’ll be giving you a ride,” Tyler said as he let the hood fall from his hands, the sound making Thomas jump slightly.
“It can’t be fixed?” Thomas asked, wondering if it was a smart move to take a ride from a stranger—albeit a very handsome stranger.
“Not without a new alternator.” Tyler handed Thomas his keys back. “But I assure you, you are very safe with me.”
That was an odd thing to say. Thomas glanced past Tyler and looked toward town, wondering who he could call at this late hour. He once again thought of calling Maverick, but he didn’t want to disturb the mayor because his car wouldn’t start.
Okay, so he was coming up with excuses
not
to call Maverick so this handsome devil could give him a ride.
“I live about twenty minutes from town,” Thomas replied. “Is that any bother?”
“None at all,” Tyler said as he walked to the passenger side and opened the door for Thomas to get in.
Thomas hesitated for a moment and then climbed inside. He snapped his seat belt into place, watching Tyler walk around the truck.
Please don’t let him be a crazy person.
Tyler climbed into the driver’s side and then glanced over at Thomas. His broad shoulders turned as the man asked, “Where to?”
Thomas gave Tyler the directions to his home, crossing his fingers that he wasn’t going to regret this.