Page 20 of Colin

I blinked. He kissed me again. Soft and slow. “Rourke? Why are you doing all this for me?” Finally, the question I really wanted answered. “Please don’t lie.”

“I told you. I feel protective of you. And none of this puts me out at all. I’m not inconvenienced. I like doing it.”

“Do you?” I swallowed hard and stared into his dark eyes. “Do you expect anything else from me? I know I can’t pay you much for rent.”

“I don’t care if you pay me anything. And I only want what you want to give. Colin, I’m not like Vick. I’m not demanding anything from you, but I am open to however far you want to go.”

For the night, that meant a little more kissing before I was ready to get out. “Also, is there a laundry near here?” I shivered as I wrapped a towel that Rourke had brought out around my shoulders. The water was warm, but the night air had a little nip to it.

“Oh, yeah. The main house. Right there.” He pointed to a door to the side, beside the area he’d grabbed the noodles from. “That’s a laundry room, and yes, you can use it all you want. It’s closed to the main house, so it’s not locked.”

“That’s convenient.”

“It’s a carryover from the construction, honestly. I still had to do laundry and didn’t want the contractors in my clothes.”

“Makes sense. But what are you going to do?”

“I have machines in my closet.” He donned a great big cheesy smile. “I hate having to lug laundry around.”

“You think of everything.”

He shrugged. And kissed me again before heading to the main house, leaving me standing there wondering what had happened. And what would happen next.

The next work shift I had was horrible. All because Andy suddenly got protective and kept asking me about Rourke. Well, maybe not protective, maybe more like curious.

“So, you fuck him yet?” Andy asked. “You know he wants that ass.”

“You’re crude. And no.” I stacked a tower of cups, trying to ignore him. I should have known better.

He cackled like a witch. “You could so get laid. This is exactly what you wanted, so why’re you holding back the goods?”

“It isn’t like that.”

“Isn’t it?” Andy leaned around me, getting in my face between me and the cups. “And how the hell did you landthat? Whew! Rourke is one hot daddy!”

“You didn’t expect me to take up with that sleaze, Vick, did you?” I glared at him. “You’re some friend to try and hook me up with that douche and tell me Rourke was untouchable. And by the way, not that I wouldn’t, you know, but it really isn’t like that. At least, not yet.”

“Yeah. Sorry about Vick. I didn’t realize.”

“It’s okay. You only did what I asked.”

Andy danced around the storage area. “And it worked. I am the greatest. New title for me, Boys and Daddies Match Maker Extraordinaire! Oh yeah.”

That made me laugh. “You’re ridiculous.”

“Well?”

“Well? He might be a daddy. Okay, he all but said he was, but that doesn’t make me a boy.”

“Doesn’t it?”

Very good question. Did I still want that? With Rourke? “Whatever. Shut up.”

Rourke took me shopping. I wasn’t sure what the hell that was about, but he picked me up after work and drove me around town, stopping at a few places. Eventually, he bought me a pair of nice slacks, two button-up shirts to go with it, and a sports jacket. And these were nice clothes, too. I’d never owned anything like them, and I didn’t want to take them, but Rourke wasn’t taking no for an answer. “I’ll buy them anyway and hang them in your closet.”

“Fine.” I did enjoy the attention. Then we got sandwiches before he dropped me back at the shop so I could get my car. He kissed my forehead as we parted. He was so sweet. And if his only demand on me was to accept what he wanted to buy me, I could hardly say no.

On my next day off, he asked me to dress up so he could take me to some bougie restaurant. I wasn’t thrilled about going. “Seriously, Rourke. I will feel out of place.”

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