Page 28 of Boy Issues

“There’s an air mattress?”

Silver passed in front of him to the other side of the door then yanked a black curtain open, revealing a small closet area. He dragged out a large clump of vinyl and an air pump, then dropped them on the wood floor.

“Sometimes friends stay over, so I keep this around—just in case.”

Donovan regarded the smushed up pile of plastic. The only time he’d ever seen anyone use one, was when he and his brother had gone camping with the kids of one of the firm’s clients. Donovan had been twelve, and Lawrence nine. Lawrence had whined so much about having to sleep on the ground, that their father had purchased them each air mattresses to bring along.

The looks the family and their kids had given him and his brother when they’d shown up with the mattresses in their shiny new cases, had embarrassed Donovan to no end. He hadn’t wanted to use his, had wanted to sleep on the ground like the other kids, but his father had made him swear he’d play along, so that Lawrence wouldn’t be the one who was embarrassed.

“Hey, Donovan.”

Donovan jerked up his head. “Huh? Oh! Sorry.” He plucked at his beard. “I sort of drifted there.”

Silver left the mattress and pump where he’d dropped them, then came over and sat next to Donovan.

“Tell me what you need, and I’ll do my best to make it happen.” Silver patted his knee a couple times. “And I don’t mean sex.”

Donovan let out a light laugh, the situation so odd, yet he wouldn’t change anything about it. He and Silver were connecting on some level Donovan didn’t understand, but a sense of calm had washed over him. He never wanted the comfort of that feeling to end.

“I…” He angled his head to meet Silver’s gaze. “Would you believe me if I told you I don’t know what I need?”

“I believe you haven’t figured it out yet. I’d say that’s a given.” Silver gave Donovan’s chest a gentle poke. “But somewhere in here, if you ever let yourself go, you’ll discover what you need.”

Donovan folded his hands then lowered his head. Fuck me. Silver radiated more strength and wisdom than any of the old guard idiots who ran in his father’s circles. Hell, his father too, for that matter. Heads of major corporations, high stakes investors, politicians—not one of them had ever impressed Donovan—no matter what sort of grandstanding they’d done. Yet, Silver had done so without even trying.

“Maybe…” He cleared his throat. “Part of us getting to know each other could involve you talking me through that?” When Silver didn’t tease him, he continued. “It seems as if you already have that figured out for yourself.” He tucked one side of his hair behind his ear. “And here I am, over forty…”

“Knock that off, Donovan. Your age has nothing to do with it.” Silver patted his knee again and Donovan wished he’d just fucking leave it there already. “I’m willing to bet your circumstances are what drives your inner struggles.”

“Sort of ridiculous though, don’t you think?” Donovan needed to get everything out in the open before he allowed himself to freefall into Silver’s universe. “I’ve had every advantage. I’ve never had to worry where my next meal was coming from or whether the roof over my head wasn’t going to be some outlandish mansion in a neighborhood of other outlandish mansions. Resort vacations all over the world, top designer clothing, the finest restaurants—and once I got older—the priciest cars.”

He scoured Silver’s expression for any hint of disgust or jealousy. Any hint of judgment, yet none was there. “What about any of that suggests that I have the right to feel sorry for myself?”

“Do you feel sorry for yourself?”

Silver was so close to him, that all Donovan would have to do is lean a bit more in his direction and their shoulders would touch. Or maybe he could let his thighs fall open and rest his leg against Silver’s, their bodies warming from the contact.

God, those eyes.

“No. I don’t, not really.” He gave a slight shrug. “We all have our moments, I suppose, but I know I’ve got it good.”

“Because of the money, right?”

Donovan snorted. “Well, yeah. You can’t deny that money makes everything easier.”

“Or more complicated.”

Silver still held Donovan’s gaze, his intensity startling in how nothing seemed to shake him from whatever inner resolve he held.

Donovan looked away then rubbed the back of his neck. “Anyway, I’ll confess to feeling I have no right to complain to you about my life, not when you’re living like—” Donovan bit his lip then let out a groan. “God, how can you tolerate me?”

“It isn’t easy.” This time when Silver patted Donovan’s knee, he let it rest there.

The fuck is happening?

All Donovan could think about was Silver’s touch. Everything else was meaningless.

Silver gave his knee a gentle squeeze. “Are you ready to talk to me about what happened today?”

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