The Wrong Man (21 page)

Jake stood up suddenly and walked to the sink. He poured the water down the drain and refilled the glass. Mack watched him carefully. He didn’t go after him, but he looked prepared to if he felt he was needed.

“Long story short, those two idiots saved me. They cared enough to see if there was anything they could do for a drug-addicted faggot with no money, no family, and no fucking clue.”

“Jesus,” I muttered.

“I was no overnight success story, but slowly, very slowly, I began to hope again. For me. Not for my parent’s sake but for my own. I went to rehab, got clean, and yeah, Ry got me a job. I swept floors and did basic repairs around the fire station. And a couple years after nearly dying in a blaze of no fucking glory, I passed my test and became a firefighter.”

“That’s good. It’s great actually. How—”

“Yes, it is. My job has taught me more than I bargained for about respect and gratitude. And acceptance.” He sat down again and leaned forward with his forearms resting on his knees. “It’s given me a fraternity of brothers and a family of incredible friends. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a superhero. Superman, Batman, Spider-Man. Take your pick. I wanted to save the world. I had those idyllic years of thinking I was invincible. When I was the star pitcher in high school, the popular kid the teachers loved and other kids wanted to be friends with… hey, I had it all. I learned the hard way the real world doesn’t play fair. And people aren’t always who or what they claim to be. I also learned superheroes don’t come with capes. Some come in suits, uniforms, or even covered in fur, like Mack. I aspire to be someone more than who I am, Bran. Some days I think I’m doing great, but others, I’m reminded I’m just a man. And I can’t save everything or everyone.”

Mack sniffed at Jake’s hand and then bumped his arm with his snout. Jake chuckled and parted his jean-clad legs so Mack could sit sheltered between his knees. He looked up at me with a serene smile.

“I’m lucky to have this guy waiting for me. He’s an old friend who wants to sit with me at the end of a rough couple of days and just be together.”

I could see he was at peace again. Perhaps sharing his story had been cathartic. A release and a connection of sorts. I felt honored to be part of the moment. Honored to know another side of Jake.

“I’m here. And I’m an old friend. You can be with me too.”

I stood and held my hand out. He stared at it for a moment before taking it.

“Come to bed with me, Jake. Let me hold you. Let me be there too.”

Jake crushed me to his chest and showered my head and face with kisses. Kisses of gratitude, affection, and friendship. When he sealed his mouth over mine, the kiss turned passionate. I hummed in pleasure as I wrapped my arms around him, molding my body as close to his as possible. I yearned to physically show him what I couldn’t say aloud. It wasn’t that I didn’t have words, but they seemed wrought with poignant emotion.

The simplicity of listening to another person isn’t so simple really. The very act requires you give a piece of yourself. I felt a deep sorrow for Jake’s pain and a sense of pride for all he’d overcome and accomplished. He was more beautiful to me at that moment than ever. He was a good man and a good friend. I wanted to be the same for him and more.

I
WATCHED
Mack snooze with his paws tucked under his chin as I leaned heavily against the counter. God, I was jealous. It was a Saturday afternoon in early July, and I was exhausted from being on my feet all day. I sighed heavily and pasted a smile on my face as I turned to greet the newest patron to push open the front door. It wasn’t a customer, however; it was a flower deliveryman. A cute one too, I mused. I flashed him a flirty smile as he made his way to the counter.

“Hi there. Those are gorgeous! Who’s the lucky girl?”

“Brandon Good.”

“That’s me!” I stuck my hand in the air like a school kid.

The poor guy looked awfully uncomfortable, and I couldn’t help teasing him a bit. It always cracked me up when straight men assumed every gay man was after them. I wanted to assure him his dick was of no interest to me, but it was much more fun to torment him. I made a show of examining each individual petal and did my best to stifle a bad case of the giggles while the nervous young man shifted from one foot to the other.

“Um… sign here please.” He kept his eyes averted as he fumbled for a pen.

Mack stirred to life a moment later, barking excitedly as his tail moved a mile a minute. I knew who it was before I turned around. My pulse raced as I studied Jake greeting his extraordinarily happy dog. He knelt on one jean-clad knee, allowing Mack to cuddle close and shower his jaw with licks. He was wearing a red baseball cap, which made it difficult to see his expression when he bent his head. But when he glanced up at me with a sweet lopsided grin, my heart flipped in my chest. Damn, I was in trouble.

“Hey there.”

I gulped and returned his smile shyly. He looked so handsome. I wanted to rub my cheek against his scruffy jaw and lean into that firm muscled bod—Jesus, what was my problem? I shook my head and took a step toward the counter. I needed to hide the evidence of my excitement at seeing Jake for the first time in days.

The deliveryman coughed, alerting me he was still awaiting my signature. Oops. I scrawled my name quickly before turning to Jake.

“How are you? You look done in.” And sexy as hell, I thought silently.

“I am. I’m… looks like you two did pretty well,” he
commented as he adjusted his cap.

“We did beautifully. Didn’t we, Mack? I had him unpacking shipment, organizing textile books, and reconfiguring floor space. If he could only learn not to shed, I swear I’d give him a full-time job.”

Jake chuckled kindly at my lame attempt at humor. We stared at each other across the counter for a moment, letting the overhead tunes and soft voices nearby serve as background music. I licked my bottom lip and then bit it, watching his eyes follow the movement. It was almost closing time, but there were still a few customers in the store.

This connection between us was electric and only seemed to be getting stronger. Having three or four days together, followed by a couple days apart, made for sizzling reunions. We had a hard time keeping our hands off each other. As strung out and horny as I was at that moment, I took perverse satisfaction knowing he felt the same way.

“Mack and—”

“These are—”

My darker skin tone saved me from turning an obvious shade of red, but I felt heat rush to my face. Embarrassed for no real reason. Fuck. It was literally like being in high school again.

“Sorry,” I fumbled, stepping aside so Lorenzo could ring up a customer, “what were you saying?”

“The flowers. They’re pretty.” He shrugged absently.

“Oh my God. These are fab! Are they from you, Jake?” Lorenzo swiveled dramatically toward the impressively tall arrangement of summer flowers.

Roses, lilies, tulips, sunflowers, and others I couldn’t name graced the galvanized tin container. It was a tasteful, elegant arrangement that looked perfect right where it was on the modern counter, as though it had been chosen with care by someone who knew my tastes. I looked from the flowers to Jake and immediately guessed they weren’t from him. He didn’t strike me as the type to send a seasonal bouquet.

“Uh… no. They’re nice, though,” he replied awkwardly.

“Well, open the card then, Bran. What are you waiting for?” Lorenzo was practically jumping up and down.

I rolled my eyes at him as I searched for the tiny envelope. The message was handwritten and simple.

Thinking of you, B Love, Trevor

What the fuck? I thought it, but Lo read the card and said it aloud.

“What’s the matter? Who sent—”

“Ugh. His creepy ex. Too bad they’re so pretty, or I’d suggest leaving them outside for some random passerby to take home.” Lorenzo sneered at the arrangement before turning to wave to a customer.

I felt Jake’s pointed stare. He didn’t look as mellow as he had when he’d first walked in. The last thing I wanted to discuss was Trevor, though.

“Let me get Mack’s bag of trick—”

“Why is he sending you flowers?”

“I really don’t know.” I shrugged dismissively, glancing at the arrangement. They were gorgeous.

“I’ll move them to the back of the store near the bedding,” Lo offered, reaching for the offending flowers.

Jake and I stared after him awkwardly. I could tell he wanted to delve into the flower delivery, so I was grateful when his gaze was drawn back to Mack, who was sitting patiently at his feet.

“Uh…. Bran?”

“Hmm?” I looked at Jake, feeling a sudden urge to run my fingers through his thick hair.

“What’s on Mack’s paws? Are these… booties?”

Lo let out a bubble of laughter as he sashayed to the other end of the store with the flowers. He made sure I heard his playful, “I told you so,” under his breath when he passed by. I grinned at Jake’s incredulous expression. It was a cross between sheer disbelief and amused exasperation.

“They’re Paw Peds for the senior dogs. The hybrid version, mind you, for indoor and outdoor use. It’s taken Mack a few days to get used to the idea, but I finally got all four on him this morning, and guess what? No slipping! I have hardwood floors here and at home, and let’s face it, the poor guy has issues. But I’ve solved the problem!”

Jake stood slowly. His brow was furrowed, and he ran his tongue over his teeth in a manner suggesting he was having a hard time coming up with a response.

“Bran-don….”

I chuckled at his serious tone and how he drew out my name. He sounded like Ricky from
I Love Lucy
when Lucy had done something puzzling.

“You’re welcome. You probably would have thought of it yourself but—”

“No, actually I wouldn’t. Bran, those are—”

“Fabulous! I know.”

I winked and turned on my heel toward the register when Jake caught me by the arm and pulled me against him. His expression was intense, but I doubted it was the dog shoes he was thinking of at that particular moment. I felt his right hand on the small of my back holding me close as his left came up to trace my jaw. I held his stare and shivered slightly when he finally bent to kiss my mouth. The sweet press of his soft lips felt amazing. The perfect blend of getting exactly what you want and exactly what you need. Jake deepened the kiss, sweeping his tongue alongside mine as he groaned into my mouth.

The sound of the door lock clicking into place behind us brought the real world back into focus. Jake gave me one last, longing look before he turned to offer Lorenzo a sheepish smile.

“Oh, don’t mind me! I was enjoying the show. I’ll head to the back room and straighten inventory while you two reacquaint yourselves. Just remember to keep it PG for our neighbors on Melrose, boys,” Lorenzo advised cheekily as he sauntered into the next room.

I rolled my eyes and stepped back behind the register to put a little space between me and the object of my desire. He beckoned me forward with the slightest nod. I complied, trying not to flinch when he reached out and caressed my bottom lip with his thumb. I waited for a teasing remark about my fussy habit of over-glossing, but he didn’t say a word. Instead he licked his tongue across the seam of my mouth. A pained whimper escaped my lips, but I was too far gone to be mortified.

“Let’s get out of here.” Jake voice was raspy with desire. “Can Lorenzo close? I really want to get naked and horizontal with you.”

I sucked in a breath and nodded vigorously, not trusting my voice.

“Good. We still have plenty of time before the game starts.” He leaned over the counter and kissed me softly. “Meet you at your place.”

Game? I stared after him for a second and decided to
concentrate on words I understood. Like naked and horizontal.

J
AKE
AND
Mack were waiting on the porch for me when I pulled up in front of my house ten minutes later. My first thought was I should give Jake a key so he wouldn’t have to wait outside. My next was to remind myself I was supposed to be taking this—whatever Jake and I were doing—slowly. I had to curb my impulse to shower him with… me.

I smiled broadly as I made my way up the path, juggling my bag and a book of new fabric samples while I fished out my house key. Jake returned my smile and grabbed the heavy book from my arms as it was about to fall. I started to thank him, but he covered my mouth with a swift, hard kiss.

“Hurry, baby.” He growled in my ear and bit at my earlobe as I struggled to fit the damn key in the lock.

The moment the door slammed shut behind us, he was all over me. His hands roved over my back, down my spine, and cupped my ass. He fused his mouth over mine, knocking the baseball cap off his head as he plunged his tongue inside, demanding my response. I gasped in surprise when he spun me around and shoved me against the wall in the entry. The picture frames next to my head rattled ominously as my bag slipped from my shoulder, and the sample book landed with a thud on the hardwood floor. Jake ground his pelvis into mine and nudged my chin back with his nose before licking a sexy trail up my neck and biting my jaw. I arched my hips upward and reached around to clutch at his ass. In my greedy quest for friction, I wound my right leg low around his waist and thrust into him. Jake murmured something naughty as he hiked my leg higher, making it so I had no choice but to wrap both legs around him like a monkey to support my weight. I ran my fingers through his hair as our tongues danced and our bodies struggled to get closer still. There were simply too many layers in between.