Page 11 of Duped

Tarek’s smile never dimmed. “That’s okay.” He checked his watch. “I’m off in five. If I head for the office to sign out, I’ll get there just in time.” He grabbed the clear bag he carried for work from beneath the table. “Here.” He tossed the bag to Portland. “My phone is inside. The code is five five one nine nine eight to unlock it. Just delete the messages. Then don’t think about it again.”

“You’re amazing.” The words fell from his lips, sounding as relieved as he felt. Portland had definitely shown his crazy self in those messages.

Tarek winked. “I’ll be right back.”

Portland enjoyed the show of watching him walk away for a moment before turning his attention to Tarek’s phone. He switched on the device and watched his wild spiral unfold on the face of his phone. Portland quickly deleted them before snooping through Tarek’s phone. There weren’t any nudes. Not of Tarek or anyone else. There were no texts with other men besides his roommates. A cursory glance showed those as mundane. After a quick glance to ensure Tarek wasn’t heading back, he put the phone away and checked the rest of the bag. He didn’t know what he thought he might find, since it was clear per the casino’s rules, but a day of being ignored had fucked with his head. A thought hit and Portland grabbed the phone again. With a few clicks, he shared Tarek’s location with himself and ensured the settings gave him permanent full-time access. Portland put the device away and dug his phone from his pocket. He sent Tarek a sweet message to make up for being psycho.

Portland:Thank you for being perfect for me. I notice everything you do.

There. Now he didn’t feel so guilty. With nothing left to do, Portland eyed the room. He saw a few faces he recognized. The casino’s manager, Saul, had guards milling the floor. To most, they likely looked like customers searching for the best machine. Portland had come here too long and knew too many people.

A few more minutes passed before he spotted Tarek heading his way. Portland swore his heart beat a little faster with each step Tarek took in his direction. He skipped the last steps to Portland’s side.

Portland realized he smiled like an idiot. “Hey.”

Tarek beamed at him. “Hey. I really want to kiss you right now, but I’m still in uniform and on the floor. Even off the clock, I’m not sure how Saul would react.”

Portland sat Tarek’s bag on the table. “Come here. Let’s do this.” He urged Tarek closer and removed the vest portion of Tarek’s uniform, along with his tie. Portland set it on top of Tarek’s bag before working on rolling up the long black sleeves of his dress shirt to his elbows and undoing the top few buttons. Next, he ran his fingers through Tarek’s hair, messing up the perfect professional-looking style he wore. He eyed his work. “There. You’re only missing your makeup, but no one can say shit.” Portland hauled Tarek forward and covered Tarek’s mouth with his. He poured the entire day’s worth of anxiety into the kiss, punishing Tarek for making him worry. Tarek’s hands swept up his chest. His loving touch had Portland matching his energy. Their kiss turned sweet.

Portland pulled away just far enough to press his forehead against Tarek’s. He didn’t open his eyes. Portland simply savored the peace and whatever this feeling was in his chest. An embarrassed chuckle escaped him. “I guess I missed you a little today.”

Tarek kissed the tip of his nose. “Good. I missed you too.”

That was all Portland needed to hear. He slipped from the stool and grabbed Tarek’s things. With Tarek’s belongings in one arm, he held his hand out for Tarek. “Let’s go.”

Tarek didn’t hesitate to link fingers with him. In fact, he also clung to the arm of the hand he held, sticking close to Portland’s side. Pride swelled his chest as they walked through the casino to the valet stand. Tarek was his. He had no reason to worry.

“What did you do today after dropping me off?”

If he was a paranoid guy, he might have seen the question as a jab at not trusting Tarek. He had brought Tarek to work. It was dumb as fuck to think Tarek had ghosted him. Some of his things were literally still at Portland’s place. But Tarek wasn’t the type to kick a man while he was down. Allowing him to delete those texts proved that.

“I went to the office and sat through several boring meetings and conference calls. How was your day?”

He felt Tarek shrug. “Kind of boring, actually. The days where I stand there with zero players and no tips—like today—are the worst. Not only do I see and feel every second of the day ticking by, I don’t make much money. It’s kind of depressing.” An odd look crossed Tarek’s features. “Forget I said any of that. I just realized how I sounded.”

That confused the fuck out of Portland. “What do you mean? You sounded frustrated by the day to me. That happens to everyone.”

Tarek still looked aggravated with himself. “That’s how guys talk when they’re hoping they’ll get an offer to supplement their income.”

Portland towed Tarek close and kissed his forehead. “Baby, even if you were doing that, I’m unbothered. It never crossed my mind you were gearing up to ask for money, but you’ll also never have to ask. You’ll never go without.” He turned away to deal with the valet before Tarek could argue. Portland didn’t want to hear it. Tarek was his, and Portland wouldn’t be accused of neglecting him in any fashion. His sexy baby didn’t need this job. Portland was just biding his time before he forced him to quit.

Tarek couldn’t understand why getting what he sought from the very beginning felt so wrong. Hearing Portland openly talk about supporting him made Tarek question himself. His pride pricked. He hadn’t expected that. Tarek realized he should have, since he had always been deeply independent. But it wasn’t that. He watched Portland interact with the valet. The way his smile went from polite to steamy as it turned from the guy fetching his car to Tarek. Tarek’s heart skipped a beat. His breath caught. He felt something. Fuck. Tarek wanted this for real. This had never truly been about money. He had watched Portland and plotted, but somewhere along the line, he had become obsessed.

Tarek pressed his hand against his stomach as it fluttered. He couldn’t breathe.

Portland’s smile disappeared. A line appeared between his eyebrows. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling okay?”

Tarek didn’t think. He simply snagged a handful of Portland’s shirt and hauled him forward. He kissed Portland like he planned to fuck him because he did. Tarek didn’t care who saw. This was real. It was really real. Overwhelmed didn’t begin to cover the way he felt. He pulled away but melted into Portland’s arms, snuggling against his chest.

A sexy rumble of soft laughter brushed his ear. “What was that all about?”

Tarek kissed Portland’s neck. “It just hit me how grateful I am to have found you. I didn’t expect you, but I’m…” Tarek blew out a breath. “I don’t know what I’m trying to say. You’re making me feel things.”

Portland’s arms tightened around him. His lips brushed the shell of Tarek’s ear. “Same.”

Tarek pulled away. The longer they stood there, the longer it would take them to get home. His brow furrowed as he spotted the valet still standing where Portland left him. “Is there a reason that guy isn’t getting your car?”

Portland glanced over his shoulder.

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