Read Online Worlds Apart by Barbara Elsborg - Free Book Online Page A

Was Niall right? Was there someone out there for him to love? Could someone love him? More to the point, did he deserve to be loved? Since that day, sixteen years ago, when his ten-year-old sister had disappeared into thin air and Taylor’s life and that of his parents’ had changed forever, he’d grown up feeling as though there was something missing inside him.
    His parents were still together, in spite of everything. Many marriages wouldn’t have withstood the strain, and despite his moaning to Niall, Taylor knew some people found love. His parents weren’t happy for a long time, but they were now. Well, as happy as they could be. They smiled when they Skyped him. Which reminded Taylor, he’d still not responded to their latest email. He’d photographed the furniture and paintings and bits and pieces as they’d asked. They’d not yet said they wanted to keep anything, but reading between the lines, Taylor had sensed the implication that he hadn’t found something they wanted him to.
    There was only one place he hadn’t checked.
    Maybe two.
    Taylor rolled off the bed and moved over to the window to draw the curtain. His hand froze on the material. Niall stood with his back toward him in the middle of the lawn, staring down toward the walled garden. Had he heard something? Seen something? Niall shrugged his shirt from his shoulders and kicked off his shoes. When he stepped out of his chinos and boxers, Taylor watched mesmerized.
    What the fuck is he doing?
    Taking his clothes off, you idiot.
    Taylor’s pulse rocketed, blood rushing through his veins to fill his cock. Oh Christ. What the—? He’d never seen Niall without a shirt. Now he stared at broad shoulders tapering to a narrow waist and a perfect tight butt. Oh fuck, I’m staring at his butt? Then Taylor’s attention was drawn to a tattoo that ran down Niall’s back, crossing from his left shoulder to curve over his right hip and run down his leg. He’d caught a glimpse of it at Niall’s neck and been intrigued, but he was surprised how big it was. It turns me on. Taylor swallowed hard and rubbed the heel of his palm over the stiff outline of his shaft. What the hell’s the matter with me? He let out a strangled laugh. Who I am trying to fool?
    “Turn around, Niall,” he whispered.
    The moon slid from behind a cloud and Niall stood bathed in light as if he were some perfect statue newly unveiled but already entwined by ivy. Niall couldn’t have heard him, but he turned. The tattoo continued down to his ankle and spread over his foot. But Taylor’s gaze was inexorably drawn higher to the flat plane of the guy’s stomach and a cock that rose long and thick and— Oh fuck. What am I doing?
    Taylor wrapped his fingers around the bulge in his chinos and squeezed. Did Niall suspect, guess, want him to watch? Taylor couldn’t bring himself to look Niall in the face. Niall had to hope Taylor would see him or he wouldn’t be standing naked in the middle of the lawn. Unless this was some bizarre religious celebration and Niall assumed Taylor was fast asleep in bed.
    That wasn’t impossible. Taylor knew very little about Niall. Because he hadn’t wanted his own skeletons uncovered, it had been easy to leave Niall’s where they lay, so when Taylor pushed and got nowhere, he’d let it drop. If Niall wanted to confide in him, he’d do so. That was how Taylor felt. He didn’t know if his parents had told Niall about his sister, but regardless of whether they had or not, Taylor didn’t want to talk about Stephanie.
    Now Taylor wished he knew what Niall was thinking, but then he didn’t know how he felt himself. He looked down at his hand, squeezing and stroking around his zipper. Ah damn it, yes I do. The idea of rubbing himself over Niall’s hot, silky skin, the thought of pushing his cock into the guy’s warm, wet mouth, shoving his whole length into his tight asshole made Taylor’s butt cheeks clench and he shuddered. Where the hell did that come