Page 38 of His Stepdad Wears Leather

A smile spread on Noah’s face. A roof over his headanda job? That was perfect. “Really?”

“It’s nothing glamorous, but itcouldput a little money in your pocket—which I sense you could use right now.”

“Yeah… I need something until I can figure things out. Ireallyappreciate it.”

“Just don’t expect any special treatment because you’re sleeping with the boss,” Brody scolded.

Noah chuckled. “Of course not.”

“One question. Do you have a bathing suit in that bag of yours?”

“Uhhh… no? Do I need one?”

“It’s Luau Night tonight… so the answer is yes.” Brody drew him in closer. “We can go grab one after breakfast—then we come back here and set up the party. Sound good?”

“Okay,” Noah whispered as he snuggled closer.

For the first time in a week, he was relieved. A place to stay, even temporarily, was better than nothing.

Maybe I’ll stay here instead of going to see her. At least for a little while…

That damned inner voice whispered inside his mind.You chicken shit.

* * *

What the fuck did I just do?

I offered a complete stranger a place to live for an indefinite period of time.

What the hell was I thinking?

Chris snuggled closer into his arms, clearly happy. Brody closed his eyes, reveling in the sensation of the young man beside him. What was it about this guy that had him acting like an idiot? The sex had been good. No, it had been great. Yet he’d had great sex before and not rolled out the fucking red carpet to his life.

Lex’s words came back to haunt him, murmuring inside his mind.

He’d offered up his nest to the little bird with the broken wing. As much as he was berating himself over his offer, something inside him told him it was the right thing to do. In all his years at the bar, Brody had become a pretty good judge of character—at least he thought he was—and he didn’t sense Chris was a threat.

But then, he’d walked blindly into danger before…

It was the very reason he didn’t do long-term. Not anymore.

He lay there, holding onto Chris, both loving and hating how good it was to have the guy in his arms. Reliving the sighs of pleasure, the cries of passion, and the whispered words of need over the course of the night, need pulsed deep within. Turning his head, he studied the pale outline of Chris’ face as his newfound boy lay content and drowsy.

Pulling his arm from under Chris’ head, he needed a little distance. “I should probably take a shower. We can go grab some food afterwards.”

“Okay,” Chris answered from the bed.

Brody padded into the master bathroom and took care of his needs before striding into the shower. There was no door, simply a glass partition, that separated it from the rest of the bathroom. He turned the rain showerhead above on and let the water warm a moment before stepping under the flow. The warmth kneaded his sore muscles and helped him grow looser—but only by small measure. Tension tightened him—worry mounted. Was he making a huge mistake opening up his life, even if it was only for a few days?

After quickly washing his body, he shampooed his hair, digging his fingertips into his short strands and massaging the scalp. He tried not to overthink his situation and worked the doubt and worry out.

“Oh, cool!” he heard from behind him.

As he turned, one eye open, he saw Chris ogling the rain showerhead. Chris kept moving forward, not looking at Brody.

“What’ya doing?”

Chris lowered his gaze from the water trickling from above to meet Brody’s stare. A smile blossomed on his face, and tweak pinched Brody in the chest. “I showered last night… but… I got a littlesweatyafter that.” A frisky smile curled his lips. He moved closer, spreading his palms over Brody’s chest. “Thought it might be best to sneak in here… conserve water by sharing… you know.”

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