Love For Hire (14 page)

She herded Jayden into her office. It wasn’t much more than a converted storage room, but it would give them some privacy from prying eyes.

“What’s going on?” she demanded, hands on her hips, glaring at him to let him know he’d better tell her right this minute.

Jayden hesitated for a moment, unsure what to say. He hadn’t really told anyone about what he had done before getting there, and while he had told them he was nursing a broken heart, he hadn’t told them why.

“Is he the guy who broke your heart?” she asked out of the blue, and Jayden nodded, an idea taking root.

There was no point in lying; he wasn’t very good at it, and he would only end up caught anyway. But it wasn’t really lying if he simply omitted some bits here and there, right?

“Yes,” he admitted, lowering his eyes for a moment before he continued, “I was the other man for a while….”

When Carrie’s expression turned furious, he quickly added, “I didn’t know at the time.” Her expression softened a bit. “Turns out he broke up with his boyfriend and he wants to take me on a holiday so we can get to know each other better.”

Carrie’s eyes narrowed and her spine straightened. “Can’t he just take you on a date?” she asked in an incredulous voice, and Jayden had to admit that if he hadn’t known Matt never did anything halfway, then yes, he would have probably been wondering the very same thing.

“I would like to give it a try,” he said softly. “Money isn’t an issue for him, and he offered to help you out while I’m gone.”

Carrie pursed her lips; her eyes narrowed even further, to the point that Jayden wondered if she was still able to see him. “I don’t need his money,” she spat out, and it was then that Jayden realized it was a matter of pride for Carrie. Maybe rejecting the money was not a smart thing to do, but he could totally relate to it.

Still, he wasn’t going to be able to go away if he didn’t know Carrie was covered.

“What if he paid someone to fill in for me while I’m gone?”

Carrie opened her mouth to object, but Jayden didn’t let her get a word in; he continued in a hurry, “Please.” He wasn’t above pleading with her if it meant she was going to be taken care of, leaving him with a clear conscience at the same time. “I would feel better if I didn’t have to worry about you alone here while I am gone.”

Carrie deflated a bit, and while it was clear she still didn’t like it, in the end she nodded in defeat. “All right. I don’t like it, but I’ll do it for you.”

“Thank you,” Jayden said, quickly planting a soft kiss on her cheek. When he pulled away, he caught her looking at him fondly, which made him smile some more.

“I’ll go pack a few things, then,” he said, smiling at her while he ran out of the room.

On the way back downstairs, he ran into Mike, who had to wrap him up in a hug to keep them both from toppling down the stairs. Or maybe Mike would’ve hugged him anyway, because the guy seemed to like being all over everyone. There wasn’t anything sexual about it; he simply seemed to thrive on body contact like some sort of hug vampire.

 Such a stupid thought had him almost laughing out loud, but by the time he had untangled himself from Mike, the urge had passed.

Mike wasn’t smiling; his usual cheery nature was notably absent. His dark eyes held unspoken questions. The uncharacteristically serious expression on his friend’s face threw Jayden for a loop.

“Is the guy you’re running away with the same guy who hurt you before?” Mike asked.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jayden deflected, but Mike shook his head, serious brown eyes holding him in place.

“You’ve got a scar right there,” Mike said, pointing toward where Jayden had gotten stabbed, “and I’ve seen you jump at loud noises. And then there are you nightmares….”

“How do you know?”

Mike smiled ruefully at him. “I might come off as flighty, but I’ve got eyes in my head. You don’t want to talk about it,” he continued. “I can respect that, but I want you to know I’m here for you should you
ever
need my help.”

Jayden blinked, unsure what to do with such a heartfelt speech, even though it warmed him to know Mike really cared about him. “Thanks,” he settled on saying, smiling sweetly at the man.

“And if he hurts you again…,” Mike threatened, letting his voice trail off at the end, leaving Jayden to fill in the blanks.

He had heard the speech often enough in movies where the good friend threatened the new boyfriend, but he never thought he would ever have someone in his life who would look out for him that way.

It meant a lot, even though he couldn’t really put his feelings into words. So he reached out and patted Mike on the shoulder to convey the sentiment.

The man must have understood, because he finally stepped aside. “Have fun!” he shouted, and when Jayden took a quick look back over his shoulder, he caught Mike wiggling his eyebrows suggestively at him.

That was more like the Mike he had come to know, so he grinned, flipping him off before hurrying outside to his waiting lover.

Chapter Eight

Take
care. We’ll miss you.

Carrie’s words were echoing in Jayden’s mind as he bounced outside toward the limo and his
boyfriend
.

He smiled weakly at Matt as he slid into the seat next to him, and he had barely sat down when the engine started. Obviously, Matt wasn’t going to take any chances on him maybe changing his mind, but Jayden wasn’t the type of person who didn’t honor his commitments.

This didn’t mean that he wasn’t afraid. The blood was pumping in his veins so quickly he could practically hear an ocean roaring inside his ears, but being slightly intimidated wasn’t going to make him throw in the towel. He had come this far; he was going to see it through.

Common sense was urging him to be cautious, to tread lightly here, but if he had never dared to put himself out there, then he would still be living at home with his abusive father. No, some risks, despite his fear, were worth being taken.

“A penny for your thoughts.” Matt leaned in, surprising Jayden by kissing him sweetly on the nose.

His nose twitched from the unexpected gesture, and he couldn’t resist raising a finger, gently touching the spot where Matt’s lips had been moments before. “Just wondering where we’re going, is all,” he said lazily, but something in Matt’s blue eyes told him the man wasn’t fooled.

“I’ve got a beach house not too far from here,” Matt answered. “Just sit back and relax. We should be there in under two hours.”

“The beach?” Jayden said faintly, barely contained excitement flickering over his face. He had never been to the beach and had always wanted to go there and to see the sea, and, well, to say he was happy and excited now that it was really going to happen would have been an understatement.

“You’ll like it,” Matt went on. “It’s in a quiet and secluded space, so we’re going to have all the privacy we want.”

“Sounds great,” Jayden said enthusiastically, a bright smile on his handsome face.

He sent Matt a quick glance when the man reached out for his hand, entwining their fingers, and his only response was to shift closer, pressing his body against him.

Contrary to how the day had started out—rushed sex in the car—the remaining two hours were spent in comfortable silence with Matt clicking away on his iPhone while Jayden alternated between admiring the passing landscape and shutting his eyes, allowing his emotions to settle.

Eventually, they pulled off the main road onto an unpaved one, and for a short while, their ride was slightly bumpy. Obviously a car made for rough driving would’ve been much better for navigating a road like this.

Soon a small house perched on top of a low hill came into view.

It only showed how much Jayden had become accustomed to Matt’s standards, as only by his criteria could the house be considered small. It was perfect in its own way, with a picket fence and friendly flowers and trees in the garden.

When the car stopped, Jayden jumped out almost immediately, and the first thing he noticed was the difference in the air.

Even before moving to the city and into his new life, he had grown up inland. He had never experienced the salty fresh air that existed close to the seaside.

He tasted a slight tinge on his tongue and sniffed the air like some sort of dog, a wide smile gracing his face.

Jayden could hear the waves crashing ashore nearby. Without any prompting, Matt’s hands landed gently on his shoulders, slowly turning him around until he could see past the house and out toward the ocean.

Glistening blue was the first thing he noticed, followed by a feeling of bone-deep awe. The ocean went on forever, no end in sight. Being close to something this ancient had his knees buckling and his imagination roaring to life.

“You all right?” Matt’s breath ghosted over Jayden’s neck, and he slowly nodded, tilting his head so Matt could claim his lips in a hot kiss.

The kiss didn’t last long, but it promised more sweetness to come. With a chuckle, Matt pulled away, grabbing Jayden’s hand once more before dragging him toward the house.

“Come on!” he shouted, smiling freely for the first time Jayden could remember. Jayden quickly followed, not wanting to be left behind.

The front door led into the living room, and Jayden’s eyes were immediately drawn to the huge veranda doors that led out onto a porch with a perfect view over the beach and the ocean.

There were beige-colored carpets draped over the clay tiles, and even though the furniture was sparse, it still showed impeccable taste.

The kitchen was separated from the living room by sliding doors, and it, too, held a huge window that overlooked the beach.

“The bedroom is down the hall,” Matt said, leering at him and pointing his head toward the other door.

Jayden blushed while his lips quirked upward into an almost-smile. “You’ve got a one track mind on you,” he teased as Matt simply gave him an appreciative grin.

“When it comes to you, yes,” he confirmed, causing Jayden to redden even more.

If he didn’t watch out, his face was going to freeze in a smile. For the last few hours, his expression had been stuck in one smile or another. He wasn’t complaining; it was just something new for him to get used to.

“How about we christen this place?” The innuendo in Matt’s tone could’ve been understood by a deaf old lady, and with a chuckle, Jayden brushed past his lover, giving him a coy look over his shoulder.

He raised a finger, making a “come here” gesture before crossing the threshold.

He barely had enough time to note the expensive white décor before he found himself pushed face-first onto the huge bed.

Before he could do anything—like spread his legs or even attempt to get rid of his shirt—he was spun around. Their eyes met, and neither one of them was able to look away.

“Kiss me,” Jayden demanded, lifting his head close to Matt’s face, and for once Matt did as he was told. He bent down, claiming Jayden’s mouth for his own, conquering him.

“You’re mine,” Matt managed to squeeze in between kisses, leaving Jayden trembling with need. One day the roles would be reversed; one day Jayden would do the claiming, but for now, he was happy to be on the receiving end of Matt’s intense worship. Matt then followed up his previous statement by saying, “Need you naked, right now.”

Jayden blinked, nodding furiously because yes, he was on board with the idea. He obliged when Matt tugged at his shirt, lifting his arms up so Matt could slide it easily off his body. When the offending shirt was gone, Jayden pulled and tugged until Matt, too, was naked from the waist up.

Their jeans quickly followed until there was no further barrier between them, just like nature had intended all along.

Jayden felt laughter bubbling inside him, and only Matt’s intense look kept it at bay. Maybe Matt would take it the wrong way if he burst out into uncontrollable giggles, and he quite frankly didn’t want anything to get into the way of their lovemaking.

“Have you ever used a dildo?”

The question came out of nowhere, and Jayden’s already slightly lust-addled brain needed a moment to supply the meaning. “Uhm, no?” he offered, unsure where this was going.

“Do you want to?”

He honestly wasn’t too sold on the idea, but seeing Matt’s hopeful look had him agreeing anyway.

Matt smiled at him, leaning sideways to open the bedside drawer, and before Jayden could wonder what else he kept hidden in there, the man pulled out a rather impressive-looking device.

Jayden knew, of course, what a dildo was and what to do with it, but he had never used one before, and he wasn’t too sure it would fit.

He probably should have been more worried about being eaten alive than about the dildo, because the hungry look on Matt’s handsome face was slightly alarming. If he had been a juicy steak, he would have rated his chances of survival as slim to none.

“If I do something you don’t like, just say stop at any time… all right?” Matt offered.

Jayden just nodded. The imploring look on Matt’s face wouldn’t allow him to do anything else.

“I want to see you,” Matt mumbled, his tongue sticking out, his intense gaze focused on where Jayden had spread his legs, pulling them up so his hole was exposed to Matt’s hungry eyes.

Jayden watched the man lube up the device before smearing the cream onto his fingers, and when a blunt thumb was teasingly pressed into him, his hips pushed back almost on autopilot.

“Patience, Jay, we’re not in a hurry here.”

Jayden’s only answer was a grunt. He wasn’t used to being teased and wasn’t sure he would like it.

The thumb stroked across his entrance a few times while Matt’s other hand was firmly planted on one of Jayden’s thighs, forcing him to keep them apart.

Finally, the infuriating man pressed into him, adding another finger to roughly and quickly stretch him open. Next, Jayden began to feel the blunt pressure of the dildo trying to get inside him.

It was weird but not totally different from any of the other cocks he had taken into his body before.