Page 31 of The King of Halloween
Unfortunately, it was loud enough to catch everyone’s attention. “Mr. Chowdery?”
“I’ll buy them,” Raj said. “The broken apples. A donation to the town.”What am I saying?Literally anything so he didn’t have to explain what he’d really been thinking.
“Really?” the mayor exclaimed.
Raj smiled and nodded, reaching for his business checkbook. The mayor spun around, offering to let him write it on his back. Logan pressed in close to ask, “What are you doing?”
“Helping this town out of a jam,” Raj said and handed over three thousand dollars like it was nothing.
The mayor damn near bit the check before he folded and hid it in his jacket. “You are a saint, good sir. And you…” He spun on Adam, who tightened his crossed arms. “Young man, you are on thin ice. One more disaster like this, and we might have to rethink your honorary position in this town.”
Adam’s mouth dropped, his eyes on fire. “Are you serious? No.” He threw his hands up to wash them of the whole thing. “I’m returning to my store, that brings in tourists and taxes year-round. But please, keep kissing up to the man with a haunted hotel. I’m sure he can save you all.”
With that, Adam stomped away. As he went, he undid the buttons on his caramel-drenched vest, then threw the whole thing in the garbage. While it sank into the mess of ketchup-soaked napkins, he glared at Raj. “This isn’t over,” he mouthed and vanished into the crowd.
Raj slapped a hand to his chest, his heart pounding fast. He couldn’t afford to go another round with Adam Stein. But could he live with himself if he didn’t try?
The mayor corralled over a photographer, then stuck out his hand for a picture. Raj smiled and tried to reach out, but his palm was stuck in the caramel.
?CHAPTER TEN
?
THE DOOR TO the bar that wore the cloak of being a hardware store blew open. Chatter started immediately from people dressed in the tourist garb of a Patagonia vest, hiking boots, and cargo pants. Adam tried to give a quick once-over out of curiosity when their agreement that the place was, in fact, a bar shifted.
“Holy shit, when that skinny guy screamed and ripped out the crock pot…”
Adam did his best to sink into his watered-down beer without catching any eyes.
“And that brown one slugged him in the chest. Then they both went down.”
“Bro, those apples slammed into that truck like brain-dead pigeons. I swear, I thought I was gonna shit myself. Hey, two Buds.”
Despite Adam’s best attempt to blend in with the furnishings, the younger and brash men stepped up to the bar and surrounded him.
“And I thought this thing was gonna be boring as shit. Only reason I came was to get something from Sherry.”
“Dude!” The second man turned to slug his mate in the arm for managing to turn love into a hostage negotiation. In doing so, his bag slammed Adam’s shoulder. He gulped at the contact. “Sorry, man.” First, he turned, then the other guy. “Wait. Aren’t you…?”
“Thanks for the drink,” Adam called to the bartender. He left half a glass behind and scurried off before the men tried to get him to relive his great humiliation. Slipping into the chilled air, he took in a breath, his head dizzy. In the distance, lights danced from the town square, and the local Hole in a Tombstone band played the Monster Mash.
Abandoning his drink to escape the attention of large men who use dude was old hat. He should be able to shake it off with a laugh, but the pain of a dull knife wedged itself between his ribs. Clutching his side, he hobbled down the street, doing his best to act like he didn’t keep glancing over his shoulder to make certain no one was following him.
Things were supposed to be different in New York. Sure, there were more opportunities for work and play, but somehow, the same dangers were there just in greater number and when he least expected it. There, he was always on edge, waiting for the wrong look or word to put him in the gutter. Here, he just had to be careful come tourist season.
The rest of the townsfolk humored the monster in their midst.
Walking the same streets he did as a kid didn’t make him feel young. If anything, it aged him a hundred years—his back aching, his head splitting, and his tongue dry. This was supposed to get easier, right? You were supposed to fall into adulthood like slipping into a warm bath. But every time he tried, the faucet broke, the stopper leaked, and the lights went out.
Of course, then he had to go and act like a teenager boiling in hormone soup whose only answer to finding a boy attractive was by hitting him. Or get stuck together in caramel until neither of them could move. He wasn’t imagining that cock that’d dug into his ass.
At first, Adam had panicked—flashing back to too many men who thought he’d like it if they just pushed harder. But the way he’d lingered, his cock pulsing and jerking as it came to life, filled his brain with the most dangerous thoughts.Running his fingers through the forest of curly hair shielding that shaft. Cupping his palm over the cock and sucking on the head while staring into his deep eyes.He hadn’t been able to reach for it, so his body did the next best thing and caressed Raj with his ass.
Dumb. Stupid. Probably harassment. And besides, he hated the man, so pointless. But…
Did he like it?
“Adam.”
