Decker (Torey Hope: The Later Years #1) (9 page)

“Decker Morgan, as I live and breathe, do you love her?” Sawyer tried to make light of this realization, but he was truly shocked; it was like entering an alternate universe to see Decker so seemingly out of his element.

“I…I don’t know if I love her, man. I’ve never loved a girl. I know what I feel with her is the exact opposite of anything I’ve ever felt with any other girl I’ve been with.” Decker wasn’t ready to label what he felt for Kate, but he knew that she was a game-changer.

He shuddered as he thought of his time with her, their lips and tongues and bodies entangled. Deciding it would be best to keep his thoughts from wandering there, he changed the subject.

“So, do I get to meet the guy who was texting you?” Decker was trying to picture the type of guy Sawyer would be attracted to.

“Maybe. Not now, it’s too new. But someday. If things go further with him, you’ll be the first person I want him to meet.” Sawyer’s entire face lit up when he spoke of this mystery man.

“Okay, so on another topic, when are you going to tell Zach and Kendrick? You should tell them soon, get more people on your support team.” Decker thought his cousins would be okay with Sawyer’s sexual preferences, but he thought the sooner they found out the better.

“Should I call and have them come up tonight?” Sawyer knew Decker was right, he needed to tell his cousins. “Camping trip with the four of us, just like old times?”

“Give ‘em a call, tell them to get their asses up here. But make sure they pack their own sleeping bags and bring more food. I’m not sharing my sleeping bag with either of them.” Decker laughed as Sawyer set off down the road to get reception on his cell.

“What’s up, BDSM?” Kendrick ambled through the underbrush and announced his arrival. “What the hell? Did you bring us up here to sing Kumbaya or what?” Tossing his bag through the cabin door, he grabbed a beer from the cooler he and Zach had brought with them.

“Ahhh, beer, friends, the great outdoors…the only thing missing is a nice piece of ass.” Laughing, he turned towards his cousins. “No, really, what’s the occasion?”

Rolling his eyes at his boisterous cousin, Zach grabbed a beer and pulled a chair up to the fire. “Who needs an occasion, man? Just pull up a chair, drink your beer, and enjoy.”

The four men sat around and shot the shit for about thirty minutes. Decker sensed that Sawyer was trying to work up the nerve to tell the others, so he spoke first.

“So, listen, I wanted you both to know that I’m going to pursue something with Kate. I know she works with me which is against my usual rules, but I have feelings for her and she does for me too. I’m not sure where it’s going to go, but I can’t let her go without giving it a shot. So, yeah, there it is.” Decker smiled as he finished, feeling awkward at sharing that with his cousins at that moment.

“You know what we always say”, Kendrick started and Zach joined in, “
There’s always some wiggle-room!
” They jumped up and wiggled their backsides against each other and fell back down into their chairs laughing. Decker rolled his eyes; would his cousins ever grow up?

The four men grew silent and enjoyed their beers as they waited. Decker knew the ball was in Sawyer’s court. Zach and Kendrick knew something was up, they just weren’t sure what. Sawyer was anxious and excited, but part of him feared losing his cousins if they couldn’t accept him.

“So, I called you guys up here to spend some time like we used to do, but I also wanted to talk to you both about something.” Sawyer began nervously, but he sat up straight, prepared to deliver the words he knew could change everything. His cousins waited.

“I’m gay.” Two words that held such power. Would they laugh? Would they walk away in disgust? Would they be angry?

“I think I’ve known that for a long time, man, but thanks for telling me.” Speaking quietly, Zach smiled and nodded.

“Wait, you knew? Why didn’t you ever say something? Why did you joke with me about girls?” Sawyer’s confusion was clear.

“I don’t know, I guess I figured you’d tell me when you were ready. I didn’t want to bring it up if I was wrong and it offended you. I think I joked about girls thinking it would give you the opportunity to bring it up if you wanted to.” Zach stood and walked to his cousin, reaching a hand down, he pulled the other man into a hug. “Nothing changes, I’ve got your back, man.”

Kendrick sat with his hand rubbing his chin. Would he be the one who couldn’t accept it?

Eyes twinkling and a shit-eatin’ grin on his face, he finally spoke. “What’s it like to suck cock?” The other three burst out laughing.

“Come on, I’m serious. Maybe I’m ‘bi-curious,’ who knows. I know I like burying myself deep in a girl, the tighter the better; I’m assuming being deep in a guy’s ass has to feel pretty much like Heaven on Earth, right?” Sawyer attempted to shake off his utter shock and awe at the words his cousin was speaking.

“Um, yeah, it’s pretty close to Heaven.” He felt like he was having an out-of-body experience.

“See, I’ve always thought guys would probably suck cock better than girls; just like a girl could probably eat pussy better than most guys. Why? Well, as a guy, I know exactly what feels good, just like a girl knows exactly what feels good. I don’t know if I’d ever actually do it, but I’d likely consider doing a guy; I don’t know if I could let a guy fuck me though.”

Kendrick paused in his musings and glanced at his cousins’ open-mouthed expressions. “What? It’s just stuff I’ve thought about before. Don’t get me wrong, I love women, but being with a guy intrigues me a bit.” And with that, all the worries Sawyer had about telling his cousins he was gay floated off into the night air.

**********

“So, really, what’s it like?” They had spread their sleeping bags out on the cabin floor. Many beers had been consumed and words were perhaps slightly slurred.

“What? Sex with a guy?” Sawyer smiled as he spoke, finding it amusing that his brother and cousins were so interested.

“Yeah, man. I don’t see myself or Zach ever sleeping with a guy; Kendrick, maybe. But, what’s it like? How’s it work?” At the snorts of laughter, Decker huffed, “I know
how
it works, I just wonder if it’s that different from being with a girl.”

“For me, it’s different because it feels right. Being with girls felt wrong, awkward, strange. Being with a guy makes my heart flutter, my skin tingle, and my body grow warm.” Sawyer began to get lost in thought, but he pulled himself back to the group.

“Kissing. Kissing is awesome. Soft lips, slick tongue, roaming hands, a little hair pulling, kissing is perfect.” He closed his eyes and pictured the soft lips of a man who made his heart flutter.

“What about sex?” Kendrick had rolled to his back and propped his head on his bent elbows behind his head.

“Depends on the person you’re with and what you’re both comfortable with. Oral, anal, jacking each other off, like I said, it just depends.” Sawyer didn’t expect this level of questions from his brother and cousins, but he appreciated them; it meant the other men were open to him being himself and were trying to learn and educate themselves. He didn’t expect these types of questions from other family members; he’d answer them the best he could, but he thought it would probably be pretty awkward if he had to explain gay sex to his grandmas. Uncle Nicky was the only one who would probably ask direct questions.

“Are you the one on top or the one on bottom?” Kendrick’s question brought him out of his thoughts.

“Again, it depends. Some guys will only do top, some will only do bottom, some like to take turns. Some couples don’t do anal, only oral and mutual masturbation. It’s very much like sex with a woman, you have preferences; guys just have different options.”

“Does it feel good? Top or bottom, does it feel good either way?” Zach cocked his head to the side and waited.

“If the guy is big, it can hurt at first; if he’s rougher, it can be painful. As far as being the top, it’s like sex with a virgin only better because it’s so tight.” At Decker’s choking sound, they all looked at him.

“Sorry, got something stuck in my throat.” He closed his eyes tight to force himself to stop thinking about Kate being a virgin.

“Alright, enough gay sex talk tonight, boys. I’m beat.” Kendrick laughed at his own words. “Can you imagine the earful someone would have gotten if they’d been outside the windows tonight?”

They all chuckled. “Guys, thanks so much for being okay with this. Your reactions wouldn’t have changed who I am, but it’s good to know that I have your support and acceptance.”

“Dude, you told us you like dick; it’s not like you told us you wanted to fuck a female cousin!” Kendrick’s words were crude and crass, like him. The other men laughed. No one caught the look of pure panic on Zach’s face.

Monday morning, after a relaxing weekend camping with his cousins, Decker walked into work whistling. A smile played on his lips as he thought about grabbing lunch with Kate today. He’d missed her this weekend and that caught him off guard; Decker Morgan had never missed a woman before.

He knew that most of the new programs were starting up soon, even as they waited on the new wings to be finished. Sawyer was excited and proud of the additions to the art program, especially the sculpting, pottery, and music classes. His brother had coordinated with the Zach and Zoey and got several dance classes and martial arts classes set up. Decker had yet to meet the new martial arts teacher, Luke Hamilton, but Sawyer spoke very highly of him.

After a full-force workout with the guys, Decker showered and headed to his office. Within an hour, his calm, happy morning was blown to smithereens.

A knock sounded at his door; he looked up to see the construction foreman, Mike. “Morning, Mike, what can I do for you?” Decker liked the man, he was precise and friendly, always keeping things running smoothly on the job.

“Well, this is downright embarrassing, Mr. Morgan, but we’ve got a big problem.” Mike’s face showed true worry.

Popping his neck from side-to-side, breathing deep, Decker spoke calmly while inside he was thinking,
What the fuck now?
“Go ahead, Mike. What’s the problem?”

“Every updated copy of the blueprints for both wings are missing.” Decker knew the sacred importance of the blueprints; his face showed he understood just how huge this problem was.

“The embarrassing part, the part that makes me look like a total ass, is that we used the old blueprints all day Friday. So, we’ve got about a day of fixing that screw up, plus we need to get the correct blueprints back.” Mike was pissed off at the whole situation.

“No offense, Mike, but how the hell did you lose every copy of the blueprints?” Decker was trying to remain calm, but with the incident last week and now this fiasco, his patience was worn through.

“None taken, Mr. Morgan. It looks like someone switched out the updated blueprints with the old ones on every single crew. I’m not going to go as far as to say it’s someone on my crew just yet, but it’s definitely someone who had unfettered access and wouldn’t have been noticed or could have come in after hours.” Mike was chomping at the bit to fix the mistakes, but he also had a hankering to figure out who was screwing with this teams.

“How much needs fixed from this mess?” Decker pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Some wiring needs redone, and two walls need knocked out and replaced at a different angle. Definitely an all-day job, but we’ll stay late until it’s done. We’ll only lose today, Boss. I’ve already got someone going to get more copies of the updated prints, he’ll be back in just over an hour; we can get started on some of it before he’s even back.” Mike looked at Decker, seeking permission to get the job underway.

“Go ahead, Mike. Get it started.” He watched Mike’s back as he retreated. “Mike?”

“Yeah, Boss?”

“Keep an eye on the workers, let me know if anyone seems off.”

“You got it, Boss. And, please accept my apologies; this type of stuff just doesn’t happen on my teams. I’ll make it right, you’ve got my word on that.” He nodded at Decker and walked away placing his yellow hardhat back on his head.

Sitting down hard in his chair, Decker leaned forward, elbows on knees. “Fuck!”

“Morning, Decker. I see you’re already having a shitty one, but I think I’ve got something that’s going to make it worse. Might as well go all in, huh?” Kate offered a sympathetic smile.

“The blueprints have been replaced with old plans so we’re losing a whole day to fixing mistakes because the crews were following the wrong plans all day Friday. Do I want to know what you’ve got to add to the fray?” Decker was angry, but his heart softened marginally when he took in the beauty before him.

“You know what, don’t tell me.” He closed his eyes, sighed, and held up a halting hand. “Not yet. Come here, Bug.” He stamped down his frustration and irritation at the blueprint catastrophe and felt his body heat as she walked toward him. He met her in front of his desk; he leaned back, opening his stance so she could fit herself perfectly where he wanted her. He shook off the uneasiness of being so open with her at work; he wasn’t usually a rule breaker, but Kate had him breaking his own rules left and right with very little thought as to the outcome. In any other situation, with any other woman? Not a chance he’d risk everything he’d worked so hard for, but with Kate it was different.

“Good morning, beautiful girl.” Leaning in he kissed her nose and let his lips trail across her jawline, down her neck and then back up the other side until he stopped at her mouth.

Whisper soft, Katie smiled and replied, “Good morning, Mr. Morgan.” His mouth feathered kisses on hers, teasing, tasting. The slight sound from the back of her throat was what did him in. Reaching behind her, he tilted her head until he could devour her. She tasted of sweet caramel and coffee and her hips pressed against his.

“As much as I’d like to continue this, you need to read this text,” she backed away, feathering her fingers over her lips and smiling at him as she produced her phone.

“It’s a blocked number; it came in about thirty minutes ago. It didn’t make sense until I heard you and Mike talking.” She winced slightly as he read the message.

“Mother fucker…” He breathed the epithet out between gritted teeth.
“Doesn’t it suck when plans don’t go your way? Maybe you should just give up.”

“Why was it sent to you? Does this person have something against you, me, both of us? Or The Center+ specifically?” Drawing hands down his face, Decker struggled to contain his anger and concern.

“Okay, keep that message. At this point, we have to assume it’s from the same person who called and texted me. I’m going to go down to the police station and see if there’s anything I can do; I doubt there’s much to be done since nothing illegal has been done, but maybe they can give me some suggestions.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek. “While I’m gone, can you pull the profiles on each crew member? Maybe there’s something in that information that can help. This would be easier and make more sense if it was a disgruntled crew member, but I feel like it’s more personal against one or both of us.”

**********

After a trip to the police station, Decker had no more answers than when he left. As expected, blocked calls and texts weren’t illegal. There was no hard evidence that the prints had been switched out, at that point they could have just been misplaced; Decker knew that wasn’t the case, but the police needed evidence of something illegal. He’d graduated with the police chief’s son; the chief promised to have one of his patrol cars swing by The Center+ more often, especially at night.

Sitting down with Kate, they combed through each and every crew member’s profile. There were some who had criminal backgrounds, that wasn’t unusual on crews like the one working on The Center+; he couldn’t just go accusing a man with a past of a crime without proof. He’d already spoken to Mike; the foreman would be watching everyone like a hawk.

By 5:00 p.m. he was ready to call it a day; he checked in with Mike and the man assured him that they’d be done working by nightfall and back on schedule the next day.

He stuck his head in Kate’s office. “Hey, I’m going to go run a couple miles. Do you want to go out for drinks with the guys? I’m in need of a drink and some distraction after today. You game?” His heart faltered at the mega-watt smile she turned on him.

“Sounds good! I’ll finish this report and come run with you if you don’t mind.” He nodded his head in agreement and took a seat in her office to wait on her.

He watched as her fingers flew over the keyboard, manipulating the cells of a spreadsheet like a master. She was very efficient and detail-oriented; he was amazed every day at how perfect she fit into his business. She would have been perfect and greatly appreciated even if he hadn’t found himself drawn to her like a moth to a flame, that part was just a bonus. He chuckled to himself, lost in thought. He glanced up to see her standing above him, waiting.

“Just what are you thinking about, Mr. Morgan?” She spoke in a sweet and sexy voice and he was positive a two-mile run wasn’t the way he wanted to burn off stress.

**********

After changing into his workout clothes, he sauntered to the treadmills as he waited for her to emerge from the dressing rooms. When she did, he had trouble catching his breath. Kate was the type of woman who could throw on a simple tank and running shorts and look like a model; she wasn’t trying to be sexy, it was just a pink tank and black shorts, but he found himself growing hard just looking at the way her body curved in all the right places.

“Two miles, right? Let’s get this done, I want a drink.” They climbed on the machines and started them up. “Beware, I don’t really like to run and I’m not all that graceful with it; I need to listen to music and focus or I won’t get through it, so no talking.” She winked at him as she donned her earbuds.

Twenty minutes later, they were headed for the showers. He grabbed her hand and twirled her around, pressing her into the alcove of the dressing room. In mere moments, he’d go left and she’d go right, but at that time, he wanted to hold her close. “Decker, I’m gross and sweaty.” He leaned in and licked her neck in the most erotic gesture she’d ever experienced.

“One day, you’ll be all sweaty because of hours of sex with me. You’re not gross, you’re beautiful and I want to taste every square inch of your body, sweat or no sweat. If we weren’t in a building that still has people in it, I’d whisk you into the shower with me. But, for now, I’ll let you go clean yourself.” With a kiss to her lips, he leaned in to whisper in her ear, “Someday…you, me, soap, shower. Count on it.” He laughed at her heated look and headed into the men’s locker room.

**********

Sitting with the Morgan/Jordan boys made Katie realize two things. One, she was lucky to have them as friends. Two, she was the envy of several Torey Hope females and some of the males, too.

Sawyer seemed brighter and lighter since he’d shared his secret with his brother and cousins. She knew he still faced telling the rest of his family, but she sensed he was more at peace with all of it since his best friends were supporting him. She wasn’t sure if, or when, he’d ever be ready to invite a date or significant other out with them. She hadn’t spoken to him, but she had a feeling there was someone he was very interested in if the looks and smiles and body language she’d seen at The Center+ were any indication.

Zach Morgan was such an all-around great guy. Sporty, genuine, boy-next door, and charming, he was just fun to be around. He was never too serious and always knew how to have fun. She hadn’t seen him showing much interest in dating since they’d all come back to Torey Hope. She knew he was busy with advertising and marketing The Center+ along with teaching several fitness classes with Zoey. In fact, the only time she saw Zach lately was on these nights when the five of them went out or in his office or with Zoey; she was pretty sure he hadn’t been on a date since they all started working together.

Kendrick Jordan was quite possibly the crudest and most crass man she’d ever met, but he said things in such a way that it was funny, not offensive. He seemed to be a perfect combination of his parents, he spoke his mind and didn’t care too much what others thought. The thing about Kendrick that broke her heart was that he’d been hurt in the past, so now he hid his feelings behind is wise-cracks and smartass comments. She knew he was loyal to his family and friends. Katie had a feeling that once he found the right one to give his heart to, it would be a love until death; she would be one lucky girl, whoever she was.

Decker had told her all about Kendrick’s curiosity over Sawyer’s sexuality. Watching him across the table, she found herself picturing him with that lucky girl and another guy; it was quite the image in her mind and she felt both the future girl
and
the possible guy were both very lucky if Kendrick chose them to be a part of his life.

All of this had traipsed through her mind while the three men talked and Decker went to the bar to refill their drinks. He returned with her fourth amaretto sour and she knew this would have to be the last one; her lips were beginning to feel a little numb which was always her sign that she needed to call it quits. Feeling the liquor and enjoying her time with friends, she was in a silly mood.

“Watch what I can do.” She grabbed one of the cherries from her drink and popped the stem off. Waving it around, she showed the stem to the men in a Vanna White fashion. They laughed at her antics. Placing the stem on her tongue, she winked at Decker as his gaze heated up. Working the stem around with her tongue, she produced a perfectly tied knot in the cherry stem. She smiled as the other men clapped, and laughed when she saw the primal look of lust on Decker’s face.

Feeling confident and safe as his hooded eyes bore holes in her soul, she plucked the other piece of fruit from her drink. “Hey, Decker, do you want my cherry?” She purposely made herself bat her eyelashes and look as innocent as possible.

The other men howled with laughter as Decker peered at her from molten-hot eyes with an intensity so fierce she thought her underwear would possibly catch on fire.

“Man, your girl just tied a cherry stem in a knot with her tongue and offered you her cherry; she’s a keeper if I’ve ever seen one!” Kendrick guffawed and patted Katie on the back from his position beside her. “I know the S isn’t interested, but if the D of BDSM doesn’t know the perfect gift he’s got right in front of him, come find me, pretty girl; I know plenty of ways to put that tongue to use.” Rolling her eyes at him, Katie elbowed him in the stomach, but her eyes were 100% focused on Decker.