Page 22 of His Boys to Protect

WARD

WARD HEAVED a sigh of relief once San Jose was behind him. The traffic through there hadn't been quite as bad as coming out of San Francisco, but it was close. At least he was on the 101 now. No more interchanges. It would be a straight shot south, taking him home. Back to a simpler world. His simple, comfortable life.

He turned off the guided navigation on his phone and put on some music instead. Settling back in his seat with one hand on the wheel, Ward's mind began to wander. Now that he wasn't focused on heavy traffic and chaotic directions, Skylar came forefront to his thoughts.

Ward couldn't help smiling, though he also felt some heat on his cheeks.Geez. The boy had been an absolute wonder. After Skylar had left, going back to sleep had been hard. Ward missed the warmth and softness of the little body sleeping beside him. He'd gathered up the comforter, chasing Skylar's scent, wishing he could have the boy in his arms instead.

He knew it hadn't been real, but—damn it—it sure had felt that way.

At least now, Ward wasn't plagued with the uncertainty of his sexuality. Not as much as he had been, anyway. Earlier thatyear, when he'd found himself thinking about men instead of women for the first time in his life, it had left him a chaotic mess, unable to concentrate on anything while his mind tried to untangle that revelation. But then Charlie had dropped into his lap, and the uncertainty had begun to settle. And now? After that incredible night with Skylar?Fuck. He was pretty damned sure he wasn't just straight anymore.

Of course, he had yet to get up close and personal with another man's dick. That would be the real test. The one, fleeting moment with Skylar—wishing the boy had a dick that he could touch—had been just that. Fleeting. Reality could prove very different from his imagination.

But as Ward sat there, the miles rolling away behind him, he found himself smiling at the image his mind conjured up. Wrapping his hand around a boy's dick. Stroking it. Teasing under the head, like he did with his own. Watching the boy's face as he brought him pleasure.

He was pretty damned sure he wanted to experience that.

Ward pulled off the freeway to stop at a gas station, then had to sit in his truck for a moment while he waited for his own dick to go down. He filled the tank, got back onto the road, and let his mind wander again.

Just as he was approaching King City, his phone rang.

Ward eyed the screen with a frown. He didn't recognize the number, but it did have a San Francisco area code. Maybe the escort service? He hadn't paid Skylar for that extra time, after all. Or maybe he'd left something at the hotel? More likely a solicitor. Ward grumbled and nearly ignored the call, then answered it at the last moment, before it rolled over to voicemail.

“Hello?”

“Ward?” the caller asked.

Ward thought the voice was familiar, but it was hard to tell over a scratchy connection. “Yeah?”

“Hey. It's Dakota. Dakota Pratt.”

“Oh, hey,” Ward replied as he thought,That's right. Dakota was originally from San Francisco, before he'd moved down to Paso Robles and married Beau. The boy must have kept his cell number from before he moved.

“I hope you don't mind. Daddy gave me your number,” Dakota went on, referring to his husband, the proprietor of Living in Zin, a bed-and-breakfast and tasting room in Paso Robles. Ward had known Beau professionally for years, but they had only recently started becoming friends.

“What's up?”

“Are you in town, by chance? I wasn't sure if you were out visiting relatives for the holidays.”

“No, all my family are in Paso,” Ward said. The Freemans were old Roblans. They'd been around since the city's founding and not one of them had ever left the area. “But I am about an hour out at the moment. Why?”

“If it's not terribly inconvenient, is there any chance you can come by the house?” Dakota asked.

Ward sighed. All he wanted to do was get off this freeway, get to his apartment, and sit down to relax before he had to get ready for work tomorrow. It would be a short week with the holiday coming up, but still. His weekend had been entirely eaten up by travel.

Not that it hadn't been worth it, Ward thought, blushing as he pictured Skylar again. He shifted in his seat, tugging on his pants, but before he could reply, Dakota continued on.

“The only reason I ask is…You remember Charlie, right? My little brother.”

Ward almost gasped. He had to pause for a beat to make sure his voice didn't betray him before he answered, “Yeah, I remember.”

“He's here,” Dakota said. “My family decided at the last minute to come down for Christmas. And Charlie…He gets hung-up on patterns and context, sometimes. So he's been pacing the sitting room, looking for you.”

“Me?”

“Yeah. He keeps expecting you to be here because this was the last place he saw you.”

Ward's chest tightened. Charlie was looking for him?

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