Page 84 of His Boys to Protect

How the hell was he going to survive three more months of this?

Skylar slowly shook his head. He didn't have a choice. Three more months would get him to his goal. If he could just make it through the next three months, he'd have enough money for his surgery, and it would all be over. Hell, he could go the rest of his life without ever having to have sex again.

Except even that didn't sound appealing. Not after that night with Ward and Charlie. He wanted more of that. Of just them. He wanted that forever.

But he knew he couldn't have it. Charlie deserved better than him. So did Ward. Besides, they both knew how dirty he was. Why would either of them possibly want to keep him?

At least the two men were growing closer. And now they'd broken through the hurdle of physical intimacy. Skylar hadn't been certain of that until it happened. Charlie had never wanted anyone but him, and Ward was still newly embracing his attraction to men. But Ward had taken to touching Charlie like he'd been doing it all his life, and Charlie had silently begged for everything Ward gave him. It had been clear as day on his face.

Skylar slowly nodded to himself. They'd have one another after he was gone. Knowing that would be enough.

But he still had to get to the point at which he could leave. Skylar took a deep breath, still waiting to see if he might be sick. When his stomach finally settled, he straightened up and checked his reflection again. He retrieved his hairbrush and finished getting ready.

There was a client to keep happy, after all.

And then, in a few days, he'd get to see Ward again.Thank goodness. Even as much as he was supposed to be pushing Ward and Charlie together, Skylar knew he couldn't resist another chance to be near the man. He was storing up these memories like a dragon hoarded treasure. As many as he could get, he would take.

Holding onto that anticipation, Skylar walked out the door and headed off to his appointment.

He barely made it through the night. When the client reached out to touch him, Skylar actually jerked back, then had to lie and laugh it off, claiming he'd gotten an electric shock. But it was all he could do to push through the rest of it. The touches on his bare skin. The penetration. The pain.

The sickening, dirty feeling that pervaded, even after an extra-long shower.

Skylar moved through the rest of the week like a robot, forcing himself through it all. Each day—each client—brought him closer to Ward.

But it all seemed to drag on. The seconds passed like hours. The days felt like years.

Three more months, he told himself over and over as he endured another client.Three more months. You're so fucking close. You can do this. Youhaveto do this.

On the day of Ward's appointment, Skylar woke with a jolt. He jumped right up and got ready, not wanting to waste asecond. The clock on his phone showed that he was almost an hour early when he arrived at Ward's hotel.

The moment Ward answered the door, Skylar nearly burst into tears.

“I'm sorry I'm early,” Skylar blurted out, “but I couldn't wait to see you and I can wait out here if you're not ready yet but I–”

Ward hauled him into his arms and silenced him with a kiss.

Skylar whimpered, melting against Ward's big, strong body. He let go of everything. The sickening sensation of filth. The anxiety. The anticipation. The premature grief. He let it all go and gave himself over to Ward, letting the man steady him, hold him up, take control.

Ward broke the kiss and looked down at him with concern. “You okay?”

“Yeah. I'm fine. Why?”

“It feels like you're holding back.”

Skylar blinked.Oh. Shit. Ward was right. He was holding back. Not begging or clawing or desperate, though he felt all those things. But there was something missing, and Skylar knew it.

A soft smile pulled at Ward's mouth. “It's not the same without Charlie anymore, is it?”

Skylar let out the breath he was holding, feeling his entire body sag with relief, realizing Ward felt the same way he did. It hadn't fully clarified in Skylar's mind until Ward said the words. “Yeah. It's–”

“Like something's missing.”

“Exactly.”

Ward's smile grew, and he gave Skylar another kiss. Just a sweet, lingering press of the lips. Nothing heated or demanding. “We can go get him, if you want.”

Skylar considered it. He wanted the three of them together more than he'd ever wanted anything else in his life. But he alsoknew he wouldn't want it to end. If they got Charlie there, Skylar didn't think he'd be strong enough to walk away and push on for the next three months once this night was over. It was already hard enough. Getting another taste of that perfection might destroy him.

---