Page 26 of Dark Promises

Chapter 16

Daniel

The doorman calledand informed me Sidney was coming up. I’d been awakened from a sound sleep after I’d waited for Sidney to come back at a reasonable hour. Why would he take this long unless he’d falling in love again? I could see that happening. All sorts of thoughts tumbled in my mind, some ridiculous and some not so. Maybe that guy was the one who could make me forget Cole, and I sent Sidney who was known to plant his flag on someone else’s property.

After considering what Sidney had done, I realized that this man wasn’t right for me, but maybe the least I could have gotten would have been an orgasm, but then you could get that from anyone, and I wasn’t into the one-and-done kind of thing. At my age, I wanted someone to hold on to. Someone I could love and who loved me.

I wasn’t the type to hop into bed, or in my case hop on a harness with the first man who showed me a little attention. No, I wanted one man and that had cost me relationships in the past, and it looked like I’d have my palm to comfort me for the foreseeable future unless I did something. And that was not sending Sidney on a fact-discovery mission anymore. I knew now I would have to take control of my own destiny.

When I stirred before rising from the bed, I glanced at the analogue-alarm clock on the table near my bed, it was 5 a.m. I sat up after getting a few hours’ sleep waiting for Sidney and hearing from Ryan.

Ryan and Jay hadn’t found Sam, and I had to get up early and try to look for him. After reaching for my robe, I met Sidney at the door as he was tiptoeing in the foyer and then hardwood flooring.

“Tell me all about it. Was the guy cute?” I sounded desperate,while Sidney looked nonchalant and too relaxed, a bit cool for my taste. I wondered what he’d been up to for ten hours.

“That he was, cute I mean, in a sexy kind of way. Well, what else?” Sidney began walking away, and I strolled behind him waiting for him to tell me if it was worth pursuing the guy.

“How was he dressed? What did he look like in his harness?” These were important to me. It indicated that he liked the same things I did. I knew I should have gone on my own discovery, but Sam running away had me upset, and I wouldn’t have been good company if that was all the dude was looking for. I wouldn’t have been at my best.

“He had wide shoulders, and muscles, and the hardest ass—”

“What else?” I questioned.

Then Sidney turned to me, “I don’t think he’s your type.” Oh fuck me. He came to that conclusion so soon. I’d been interested in what he thought was my type. What did Sidney know that I didn’t. The very reason I agreed to meet with him was because he was my type, at least from what I was able to see of him.

“He’s not into bondage. He’s more of the vanilla type. He likes to walk on the beach, go away for the weekend, and spend his time in a cabin with a lake—” Well, Cole liked the same things, but we compromised. If I could convince Cole to experiment with me and he discovered that he loved it, then I had a chance with this dude. After all he did ask me out to his home.

I glared as Sidney raised an eyebrow, and I said, “And you two talked about cabins and lakes. Since when were you ever excited about a lake and a cabin? Father drove us to his log cabin to fish in upstate New York, and you complained the entire trip. You don’t like animals—”

“Well, yeah. There was something staring at me in the middle of the night, and the cabin was drafty.”

“It was a fucking Barn Owl that’s all, but you screamed and ran around the room, woke me up, and dad drove us back home the next day. Now you tell me that you’re willing to live in the woods with this guy.” He must be cuter than Sidney let on.

“I didn’t say I would live in the woods, but I’m willing to try.”

“Bullshit. You wouldn’t know what to do if you couldn’t go down to the deli and buy a sandwich, or hail a cab to go from one corner to the next, so don’t give me this crap about falling for a man like that. Does he know your track record for not keeping a job?”

“I’ll have enough money soon. You’ll get your half don’t worry.” Sidney rose and headed for the kitchen fridge with me behind him. He opened it and snagged a bottle of water. Twisted the cap, swallowed then turned to face me. “I’m hungry.” I sat at the kitchen bar watching him saunter around as if he was on top of the world. I guessed if I’d found a new man willing to accept my bullshit, and Sidney was full of it, I’d be happy too.

“There’s no way I’m cooking for you. You can go down and buy something at the deli, or cook for yourself,” I said, laying down the law because Sidney always pretended to be helpless, because he was my baby brother, and he took full advantage of that with our father.

“Where’d your housekeeper and cook go?”

“After she survived Covid, Sam ran her away,” I said, glancing over at the pillows he’d lain on when I cooked breakfast for him and me. Then he’d eaten his food and stood near my bar chair and whined. I’d have my conversation about him eating too much which never went over well with him.

Sidney sauntered around and sat next to me. “I need something to tide me over until I get the offer on the apartment and the cabin.” He turned and waited.

“Does your new love know you’re selling the cabin too. Do you still have your broker’s license?”

“I just met the guy, and he doesn’t need to know my financial situation. Yes, I have my license, and don’t worry, we’re going to make money on those two properties.”

---