Read Online Desires' Guardian by Tempeste O'Riley - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Tempeste O'Riley
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bites and fingertip bruises.
Rhys took one long, last look at his mussed bed, unable to bring himself to change the sheets and make the bed quite yet. He finished getting dressed and headed down to the office. What met him there was both amusing and annoying. Mark stood in the tech area Chase had set up, staring wide-eyed at both the stacked items and the mess made when Chase had pelted him with all the loose items.
“What the hell, Rhys?” Mark asked, his voice so incredulous Rhys fought to not laugh.
“That would be the effect of Garrett stopping by and pissing Chase off.” He absentmindedly touched the bites on his shoulder, remembering the fire in Chase’s eyes as he’d shown his displeasure.
“Garrett was here? I thought you swore not to take the slut back!”
“I didn’t take him back. Ass. He stopped by to talk to me, trying to convince me he wanted us together again. I threw him out, but not before he called Chase my boy toy, among other things. Chase, um, took exception to that and to how Garrett looked,” Rhys added with a shrug. He knew he deserved Chase’s anger for the lies and mistreatment, even if he sorely regretted his actions now.
“How he looked? Do I want to know, Rhys?” Mark stooped and started to pick up the scattered items, as did Rhys. “I never understood why you liked him to begin with, but they’re both twinks, so what’s the problem?”
“You remember I met Chase before we got the contract with Seth to guard James and Danni?” He waited for Mark to nod. “I blew Chase off at a club and insulted him for being a twink. In my defense, it was right after I threw Garrett out, but….”
“You never told Chase the truth, so when the slut stopped by, you looked like a liar on top of being a total ass. Way to go, Rhys.”
“I know. Believe me, I know. But he stopped packing up his things and let me apologize.”
“You better hope you didn’t just cost us the best tech we’ve ever had. Kailee was good, but Chase really is as good as James said.”
“He didn’t stay mad, Mark,” Rhys said defensively as flashes from the night before again flickered through his mind.
“What’d ya do to your shoulder? You keep messing with it.” Mark quirked an eyebrow at him. “And what’s with the weird—”
Rhys slapped his hand over the marks he knew were partly visible with only his T-shirt on. Dammit, knew I shoulda put my jacket on before I came down. “It’s nothing. Don’t you have something to do?”
“Uh-uh, let me see,” Mark demanded as he grabbed Rhys’s shoulder. The wide grin told Rhys Mark already knew what he would find, much to his irritation.
After wrestling for a few minutes, Rhys pinned Mark. “Forget it. I’m not explaining what’s there, Mark.”
“Spoilsport. Fine, I need to go prep for tonight anyway.” He stood when Rhys released him and scowled. “I hate cheating spouse cases,” Mark muttered as he stomped off to his office.
Rhys did too, but money was money, and bills didn’t care what kind of job was used to pay them.
R HYS LAY sprawled across the top step of his back porch later that evening. He looked across the backyard of his house-slash-business, taking in all the little details he and Mark had put into the place. Most people never saw more than the front office, but the back was a lush area with paths, and plants and flowers when it was warm. Not right then, of course, thanks to the dry, cold weather, but he could still envision what it would look like again come spring.
The cold beer in his hand was probably warmer than the outside temperature, but Rhys didn’t care. He had to think, and to do that he needed space that didn’t spark memories from the night before. He had been both wrong and right about Chase, though he wasn’t sure which bothered him more. The man was beyond his dreams and fantasies in bed, but was either hostile to him or ignored him completely outside it. He knew the latter was his own fault for
Rhys took one long, last look at his mussed bed, unable to bring himself to change the sheets and make the bed quite yet. He finished getting dressed and headed down to the office. What met him there was both amusing and annoying. Mark stood in the tech area Chase had set up, staring wide-eyed at both the stacked items and the mess made when Chase had pelted him with all the loose items.
“What the hell, Rhys?” Mark asked, his voice so incredulous Rhys fought to not laugh.
“That would be the effect of Garrett stopping by and pissing Chase off.” He absentmindedly touched the bites on his shoulder, remembering the fire in Chase’s eyes as he’d shown his displeasure.
“Garrett was here? I thought you swore not to take the slut back!”
“I didn’t take him back. Ass. He stopped by to talk to me, trying to convince me he wanted us together again. I threw him out, but not before he called Chase my boy toy, among other things. Chase, um, took exception to that and to how Garrett looked,” Rhys added with a shrug. He knew he deserved Chase’s anger for the lies and mistreatment, even if he sorely regretted his actions now.
“How he looked? Do I want to know, Rhys?” Mark stooped and started to pick up the scattered items, as did Rhys. “I never understood why you liked him to begin with, but they’re both twinks, so what’s the problem?”
“You remember I met Chase before we got the contract with Seth to guard James and Danni?” He waited for Mark to nod. “I blew Chase off at a club and insulted him for being a twink. In my defense, it was right after I threw Garrett out, but….”
“You never told Chase the truth, so when the slut stopped by, you looked like a liar on top of being a total ass. Way to go, Rhys.”
“I know. Believe me, I know. But he stopped packing up his things and let me apologize.”
“You better hope you didn’t just cost us the best tech we’ve ever had. Kailee was good, but Chase really is as good as James said.”
“He didn’t stay mad, Mark,” Rhys said defensively as flashes from the night before again flickered through his mind.
“What’d ya do to your shoulder? You keep messing with it.” Mark quirked an eyebrow at him. “And what’s with the weird—”
Rhys slapped his hand over the marks he knew were partly visible with only his T-shirt on. Dammit, knew I shoulda put my jacket on before I came down. “It’s nothing. Don’t you have something to do?”
“Uh-uh, let me see,” Mark demanded as he grabbed Rhys’s shoulder. The wide grin told Rhys Mark already knew what he would find, much to his irritation.
After wrestling for a few minutes, Rhys pinned Mark. “Forget it. I’m not explaining what’s there, Mark.”
“Spoilsport. Fine, I need to go prep for tonight anyway.” He stood when Rhys released him and scowled. “I hate cheating spouse cases,” Mark muttered as he stomped off to his office.
Rhys did too, but money was money, and bills didn’t care what kind of job was used to pay them.
R HYS LAY sprawled across the top step of his back porch later that evening. He looked across the backyard of his house-slash-business, taking in all the little details he and Mark had put into the place. Most people never saw more than the front office, but the back was a lush area with paths, and plants and flowers when it was warm. Not right then, of course, thanks to the dry, cold weather, but he could still envision what it would look like again come spring.
The cold beer in his hand was probably warmer than the outside temperature, but Rhys didn’t care. He had to think, and to do that he needed space that didn’t spark memories from the night before. He had been both wrong and right about Chase, though he wasn’t sure which bothered him more. The man was beyond his dreams and fantasies in bed, but was either hostile to him or ignored him completely outside it. He knew the latter was his own fault for
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