Page 36 of Barrett

“You didn’t have to come back here,” Barrett said. His head was down as he ran his hand through his hair. I loved seeing the vulnerable side of him, only with me though. Him being this way with another man wouldn’t go over well. Jealousy would eat at me.

I took the hand he had in his hair in mine and gently pulled it from the strands. “I want to be here. Stop trying to push me away.”

“Even if I did, you’d just show up anyway. I’m sure Mars gave you the address long before you got here.” I wasn’t about to correct him and say I already knew. “I wouldn’t have been surprised if he made you stop to have a key cut for you.”

“Has he done that before?”

“No, never. My brother knows better. You’re different, and Mars saw it firsthand.”

“How so?”

A car drove down the street, catching Barrett’s attention. “Let’s go inside. There are too many eyes out here.”

“Are you being followed?”

“No, but I wouldn’t put it past them to have someone on my ass. If an officer I work with saw us together holding hands, I’d have to concoct a hell of a story. I could easily, but I don’t want to.” He tugged his hand from mine, and I let him. I’d capture it again once we were in his apartment.

The door was unlocked but closed when we got to his place. No one would attack Marshall with Barrett and me outside, unless they were already inside. The thought sent ice through my veins.

“Stop,” Barrett said. “Believe me when I say if your mind went there, mine has already done so repeatedly. Mars knows what to look for when he gets home.”

“There’s no security system,” I stated when the door was closed behind me. Barrett locked it.

“Nope. We’re in East Dremest in a rented apartment, not a high-end place. Besides, if someone really wanted to get in here, that wouldn’t stop them.” He was right, but still, I was going to worry.

Marshall came down the hall in a pair of light gray sweatpants and a navy long-sleeved shirt. “Not you too,” he said, looking at me. “I’m fine. I can handle myself.” In the kitchen, he took a glass from the cabinet and filled it with water. “You two enjoy yourselves. I’ll be in my room with the door closed and headphones on.” Then he was gone up the hall.

“Good god,” Barrett muttered.

“Haven’t you ever brought men home before?”

“Absolutely not. This is my safe space. You have to understand that. I don’t meet random men and bring them back here to fuck. That’s done in a bar bathroom or a dark corner. This is my home.”

My hand balled into a fist. I realized the other one was still holding Marshall’s belongings, so I set them down before I ground them to a pulp. “One, don’t mention other men you’ve fucked to me. Two, thank you for trusting me.”

He ducked his head. “You didn’t give me much of a choice.”

Stepping close, I placed my finger beneath his chin to draw his eyes to mine. “You always have a choice when you’re with me. I won’t make you do anything you don’t want to. Say the word, and I’m gone, but only if you mean it. Don’t give me any of that flippant shit, where you act like nothing affects you. I need you to be real with me when we’re here.” If I had it my way, there would be more times I would be right where I am now. Barrett would be more than comfortable in my presence. Jordan didn’t say I couldn’t come here, just that I couldn’t go to Barrett’s work to visit him.

He trembled against my touch. “Reghan,” he whispered. “I’m going to fuck this up.”

“No, you’re not.”

“I am, and you’ll hate me. This… whatever it is we have will be over. Jordan won’t want me to work for him anymore. I’ll lose that bit of financial security. If work finds out, it’s my ass. I can’t…” He sucked in a shaky breath.

“I’ve got you. Don’t you realize that? If something happens, you won’t be alone.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

“Don’t doubt me when you should believe this is possible. Jordan knows. He’s aware of how I feel about you. Your job isn’t going anywhere unless you want it to.”

“I have Marshall to think about.” The way tears swam in Barrett’s eyes at the mention of his brother had my heart shattering. Everything Barrett did was for Marshall. When was the last time Barrett did anything for himself that wasn’t out of necessity?

“Marshall’s smart. He’s your brother, after all.”

“He’s all I have. My aunt and uncle are getting older, and they’ve moved away from here to a warmer state. The rest of our family… my parents are gone, not that they were worth a damn. It’s just us.”

“You have me too.”

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