Page 34 of The Baritone's Rival

Oscar slipped the key into the lock. Behind him, the aged wooden planks of the porch creaked with footsteps. It was Trent. An image flashed in Oscar’s mind: a domestic one. He and Trent returning to their shared home together. Oscar unlocking the door for his mate. The two of them settling in for the night. It was a surprisingly comforting thought.

Oscar shoved away the impossible fantasy and pushed the door open. He turned back to Trent, gesturing inside. “It looks pretty good, right?”

“I have no idea,” Trent replied. “I don’t have vampire sight. I can’t see a damn thing.”

“Oh, right.” Oscar stepped into the immaculate if spare main room of the cabin, reaching for a nearby lantern and matches.He struck one on a large wooden table and inserted it into the lamp, opening the propane valve. The glass came to life with a vibrant orange glow, casting deep shadows all around him.

Trent strode over the threshold. His eyes went to the large leather couch, then to the small wood stove with a blackened coffee pot sitting atop it, then finally to the open door of a tiny bathroom. It was only big enough to house a toilet and a postage stamp of a standing shower.

“It’ll work,” he grunted. “Where are the bedrooms?”

Oscar gestured to two doors in the far back corner, but before he could say anything, Justin swept past him.

“This one’s mine!” he called out with a grin, running into the smaller of the two. In the lamplight, a small twin bed was just visible, covered by a homey-looking quilt with blue and white flowers. Or itwasvisible, until Justin slammed the rustic wooden door shut with a thud.

“Great,” Oscar said, annoyance creeping into his tone. “Trent, you can have the other one. I’ll set up my accommodations on the couch. Unlikethatone,” he said, pointing to Justin, “I don’t need much sleep.”

Trent cocked his head at Oscar, his face indecipherable. “Are you sure? I can stay out here.”

Oscar bent over and picked up the old red cooler that Justin had dragged in, taking it over to the nearby propane refrigerator, a nostalgic-looking turquoise model. “I’m certain of it.”

Trent opened his mouth as if he was going to say something, but ultimately just nodded. He carried his small bag over his shoulder into the remaining bedroom, shutting the door behind him. Oscar stood in silence, loading eggs and butter into the fridge.

This was already awkward and strange. He was certain it would only get worse.

Chapter 11

Trent

Asweet, smoky odor eased Trent out of his deep sleep. And itwasdeep. The exhaustion of the last couple of days had caught up to him. The sizzle of the cured meat was too tempting to resist, however. His eyes fluttered open, and he took in the sight of his temporary bedroom.

The darkness and lack of electricity had obscured much of it the night before. In the soft morning light, its welcoming coziness was more apparent. The nightstand was handmade, constructed from beautiful, knotted pine, as was the small dresser in the corner. The room was tight, but he didn’t need a ton of space. He only needed somewhere to sleep, and the bed had been comfy enough to knock him out completely.

Trent slipped on a pair of running shorts and a t-shirt, the soft fabric grazing his nipples as he pulled it on. A little shiver of involuntary pleasure sparked across his chest, making him think of Oscar.

Which…why? Why would that make remind him of the vampire?

Trent was done with this ridiculous angst. It was time to come to terms with what he was feeling and move on. Regardless of what he thought of Oscar as a person, hewasattracted to him.

The physical desire was the most intense he’d ever experienced.

It didn’t make sense. Oscar was a man, avampire, and a pain-in-the-ass. Or was he? Maybe Trent had been unfair to him. He’d certainly made a bunch of unfounded assumptions about him. He still found Oscar’s attitude infuriating much of the time, but he had to admit that Oscar had been kind to him. He’d tried to do the right thing. Did that make up for his flaws?

Regardless, Trent’s body wanted what it wanted. That didn’t mean he had to do anything about it.

A faint humming drifted in from the other side of the door. He pulled on the knob to reveal Oscar bent over a pan, his tall frame a mismatch for the squat black wood stove. His brown hair was loose, laying gently across his neck and collarbones.

Oscar wore a white tank top and a pair of terry cloth shorts that hugged his ass in an absolutely obscene way. For someone of his height, Oscar had a lot going on in the rear. As he hummed a jaunty tune, he swayed, wiggling his hips back and forth.

Trent’s cock filled. Damn. Trent always knew a vampire would kill him eventually, but he hadn’t thought it would be death by blue balls.

“Like what you see?”

Trent’s whole body froze. Of course, Oscar had heard him come in. He was a damned vampire.

“Don’t worry about it, Trent,” Oscar said, his voice low. “It’s a compliment.”

Trent forced himself to move. He was going to be in trouble if he was struck speechless every time he caught a glimpse of Oscar’s fully covered ass. It would be a hell of a long week.

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