Page 23 of His Stepdad Wears Leather

“No trouble.”

“Well…” He put a hand to his gurgling stomach.

Brody grinned. “Come on.”

4

The bar had thinned out considerably by the time Brody laid the plate on the bar in front of Chris—but then, it was well past one on a Tuesday night. When the guy glanced up at him sheepishly before grabbing the roast beef and Swiss sammy with both hands, a twist of desire had him immediately second-guessing that offer to stay.What the hellhad he been thinking? He didn’t make a habit of offering sleepovers to anyone, especially some stranger he knew practically nothing about.

No matter how adorable that stranger was.

Not only had he offered a bed for the night, he’d actually asked the guy to dish on an ex. As soon as the words had been out of his mouth, he’d been terrified Chris would take him up on the offer. Sure, he didn’t mind offering a shoulder to lean on—but he’d been on dates where a guy had goneon and onabout a shitty ex and they hadn’t been fun. He’d literally asked to be tortured.

Yet, there along the misgivings was a thread of anticipation for what came later running through his veins. Of course, he didn’t expect more, and he’d said as much. Sex wasn’t the cost of admission, but there was little doubt he’d get it all the same.

The prospect excited him.

One taste definitely hadn’t been enough.

“Thanks,” Chris said.

Brody read the guy’s lips more so than heard anything. The music was blaring, playing the final few songs of the night to a near empty club. He gave a short bow as a welcome before heading for the door. Once there, his head of security, Lex, gave him a quick 4-1-1 for the night. Luckily the music was lower in the entryway, so he could hear most of what the guy said, though he wasn’t as focused as he should be. Brody pretended to be paying attention, but he couldn’t. There was only one question he’d truly cared about. After hooking a thumb over his shoulder, he asked, “He come in with anyone?”

Lex turned his attention to Chris. For a moment, Brody let his gaze travel to the same destination. The guy was scarfing down the sandwich like he hadn’t eaten in days. That wasn’t the only hunger Brody wanted to feed. There was a ravenousness in Chris’ eyes that Brody was compelled to nourish.

A need to be protected that had Brody’s hackles rising for some reason.

What the hell am I getting myself into?

“Is he your flavor for the night?” Lex asked with a slight arch to his brow. “I wouldn’t consider him your type.”

“Who said I have a type?”

Lex rolled his eyes. “Honestly, who knows with you anymore. For years you went for the silver foxes but then recently I’ve noticed the long line of skinny twinks heading to the back with you. I have no idea what’s going on in that head of yours.”

“A long line of twinks? Not hardly.”

“Cut the crap. I’m not the only one who’s noticed. These skinny white boys waltz back there with you only to come back out a half hour or so later and leave alone by the end of the night. Before they go, they’ll usually sit close to the bar, watching for you. Hopeful you’ll offer another crumb. It’s pathetic.”

Brody rolled his eyes. “Bullshit.”

Lex eyed Chris again, ignoring Brody’s argument. “I mean, he’s sort of twinkish, I guess—but he definitely seems older than the ones you’ve been fucking. He’s not skin and bones.” Lex’s stare narrowed as he examined Chris. “I bet he was the star quarterback in high school. I can see him now in his letterman jacket, parading around campus.” Lex paused. “With those looks and the syrupy accent, I’d say he had all the girls on his arm— but the fact he’s here wearing red lace panties, I’d say that either didn’t happen or he only did it to cover who he really was deep down.”

Brody stiffened before turning to see if Chris had suddenly stripped. The guy was wolfing down the last of his sandwich with no sign of red lace anything.

Turning back to Lex, he lifted a brow. “Whendid you see those red lace panties?”

Lex paused, grinning. “Calm down. He hitched the side of them up when I questioned his lack of leather onleather night. Not like I asked him to drop-trou. All I saw was a little piece hooked in his finger.” Lex laughed. “But I see who else has seen them. Did you slip him to the back and I missed it?Damn.”

Brody relaxed a little… yet the fact heneededto relax unsettled him. Why was he so tense in the first place? One fuck didn’t give him any right to lay claim to anyone. It’s not like he didn’t have notches on his bedposts. Chris was free to show his red lace panties to anyone he wanted—

A little voice whispered in the back of his mind.What?The fuckhe can.

Possessiveness wasn’t in Brody’s nature. More than a fling wasn’t either. His stare flitted to the bar once more. What was it about the guy that had him shifting gears?

Lex’s appraisal wasn’t that far off. The kid did have an ex-school jock vibe about him. Leaned a little too close to clean-cut—though the scruff from a days-long bus-trip had helped. Chris wasn’t overly muscled but enough to make the lingerie unanticipated. The southern-fried accent, too.

Maybe that’s what was intriguing him. That lingerie had been surprising, and Brody was rarely surprised anymore. He turned back to Lex. “What’s so wrong with being the quarterback? That was me back in high school and college. You were my left tackle, so you don’t have much room to talk.”

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