Page 33 of Hog Tied

“Me either,” I admitted, and I saw his eyes light on me, blinking as he searched my face.

“Really? You don’t seem the type to…be concerned about such things.”

“Why? Because I’m big? I’m a vet? I didn’t like killing. I have thought a lot about becoming vegan, in fact.”

“Oh. Well, I’m sorry I misjudged you.”

It was as good a time as ever to start laying the groundwork. “You misjudge me a lot.”

“I do? Do tell.”

I invited him to sit on the couch while I took the leather chair. “Theo, I was paid to come here, to be your security.”

His shoulders slumped as he whispered, “I know. Don’t throw it in my face.”

“I’ve asked Burke to find another bodyguard for you. I don’t want you to think I’m sticking around because I must.”

Theo’s head came up slowly, and he stared into my eyes, his narrowing. “What are you talking about?”

“I like you. I like it here. I know you think no one could want you for anything except your money.”

“It’s true, though.”

“You have friends now that don’t want your money, including me, if you’ll count me a friend.”

Head lowering again, he said, “Friend. Sure.”

“I’d like to be more, but we must start as friends. Another thing I don’t want you to think is I want you for sex. I mean, of course, I do. But not only for that.”

“Bullshit!” He got up from the couch and seethed, his breathing coming like a bull, fast and loud, and his eyes, there was the lightning I’d been expecting. “No one wants me! Eli and Joel, sure, they like me, okay, for now! If I left tomorrow, they’d forget me five minutes after I left!”

Running, he made it to the stairs before I could so much as come out of my shock and stand, but before I could make it to the stairs, his door was slammed. Emotions were churning in me, anger, sure, but more than that. I was happy.

That seemed like a crazy emotion for me right then, I’ll admit, but his outburst and insecurity told me what I needed to know. That he wanted it, wanted me, wanted his friends too. He wanted the life he’d started to build.

The business he’d started, I’d peeked at the website. He was proud of it, making it well, professional.

With each step I took to the second floor, I thought about all he’d done to make the house a home for himself and others. Theo liked the business, liked the place, enjoyed the people in the area, and most of all, he wanted me to know that.

So, I would finally let Theo know how much I wanted him.

The door was closed for once, but I tried the knob, pushing a little to find out he’d locked it. That meant he was serious. Well, so was I.

Knocking politely, I called out, “Theo, let me in. We need to talk.”

“Go fuck yourself!”

Grinning maliciously, I stepped back from the door, raised my foot, and kicked hard next to the knob.

It came open quickly, and Theo was on his bed, mouth open as his eyes and hands clutched his bedding. I went to him, grabbed his silk shirt, yanked him to his feet, and held my head over his. “I asked nicely.”

His bottom lip quivered pitifully, and I knew the best way to stop that. I moved my head down to his, placing my lips hard, halting the quivering, controlling his breath as I kissed him roughly.

At first, he didn’t kiss me back, the shock of all of it making him limp as I wrapped him up in my arms, but then I felt Theo’s arms moving as he laid both hands on my chest, rushing the kiss, pushing his tongue against mine.

Like fire and ice, that’s what it felt, the two clashing, churning, making the storm that I’d seen in his eyes swallow us both. The kiss became increasingly heated, and my teeth found his bottom lip, and I bit it before pulling back enough to say, “Enough.”

He moved to kiss me again, but then my words registered. “E…enough?”

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