Page 9 of Devoted Sinner

Bryson tsked. “Too late. You made your bed. Now you have to lie in it on an over-water bungalow.” Bryson took another bite of his toast, looking triumphant. King wanted to die.

Holding true to his word, Bryson made King sit on the bed and tell him what to pack. He was more than a little excited at the idea of having King alone for a while. It felt like they were crawling closer to something unnamed. Bryson didn’t know if he was ready for it or if everything was in his head. Maybe he shouldn’t be excited at all. Things were a tad problematic for a thousand reasons. Bryson couldn’t help what he felt, though, and he felt a lot.

When Bryson opened a dresser drawer, all thoughts of future issues disappeared. A rainbow of lace stared up at him. He felt King’s eyes upon him. Bryson refused to let him be ashamed. He grabbed as much lace as possible and carried it to the open suitcase on the bed.

Bryson met King’s stare as he dumped the pile in the suitcase. “When you’re alone with me, I expect you to be comfortable and to be yourself.”

King’s expression gave nothing away.

Bryson went back to grabbing clothes. He looked for summer clothes and swim trunks. When he came across something sexy, he added it to the pile. He made sure to pick men’s clothes too. Bryson wanted King to be comfortable, no matter the circumstances. What Bryson wanted more than anything was for King to feel free with him.

King cleared his throat. “My makeup case is on the bathroom counter.”

Damn. He couldn’t wait to get to St. Lucia. Bryson dipped his chin and headed to the bathroom. It wasn’t hard to find the case. Unfortunately, it didn’t look like King had a huge variety. Bryson would fix that. He moved back to the bedroom and added the case to the suitcase.

“Kylian is lucky to have you. I bet growing up with you as a father was very freeing.”

The compliment moved Bryson, but it also hurt his chest. King sounded sad and resigned. He hadn’t known love. Bryson would change that. His insides froze at the thought. Had he fallen in love with King when he wasn’t looking? King was fucking amazing. He was a silent strength at Bryson’s side. Bryson felt safe, even at the height of the worst attempts on his life, because he knew King wouldn’t let anything happen to him. He had never had that. His marriage had been a nightmare. It occurred to Bryson that King deserved to know how special he was too.

A sad smile tugged at Bryson’s lips. “That wasn’t always true. I used to work all the time and barely saw him. Nothing mattered to me as much as making money.” Bryson sat on the edge of the bed and held King’s stare. “Obviously, I fell in love with my son the moment I knew he was on his way. Unfortunately, I thought the best way to show that love was to build something for his future, and I lost years with him I’ll never get back. Then, I came back from a month-long business trip, and he was a shell of the child I’d left behind. He wouldn’t speak to anyone. There was no happiness in him. My ex, Erica, she claimed he was just spoiled and angry because she wouldn’t let him do whatever he wanted. Something about it didn’t feel right, so I started asking questions on the sly. It was obvious none of the staff felt safe to talk to me. That had all my alarm bells clanging.” Bryson took a breath. He hated reliving those days. “Finally, one of the newer chefs found me. It was obvious she was nervous, but determined. It turned out Erica was savagely abusive. She basically tortured Kylian anytime I wasn’t looking. It turns out everyone was terrified of speaking up since Erica had threatened they would never work again if they said anything to me.” He fought the urge to rub his chest. Bryson still wanted to find her and kill her. “I still don’t know everything that happened to Kylian, but I divorced Erica. She lost all custody, and I put Kylian first. I still worked hard, but my work came second. Kylian went to therapy and slowly the smiles returned. I swore to myself he would always have what he needed most from me, and I know now that it wasn’t money. He just needed me.”

His gaze moved over King’s face. He needed King to understand he was safe in this house. “He really cares about you. When he heard what you’d done for me, he gushed about how much he’s always thought of you. You’re not just some bodyguard who lives under my roof. If you don’t know that, I’m sorry. I’ve proven many times over the years that I have no clue how to show people I care about them. But I do care about you,” he added in case he hadn’t made that clear.

King looked away. It was obvious Bryson had made him uncomfortable. “I care about you two too.”

Bryson would take it. They were one step closer to each other. Before long, King would blink and wonder how he had become family. Bryson would settle for nothing less.

Chapter Five

ForallofKing’sarguments, irritation, and humiliation, he felt more relaxed than he had in ages while kicked back in the bungalow. A private chef arrived with their dinner and Bryson still refused to let King leave the bed. The only bed in the bungalow. That detail hadn’t escaped King. He didn’t bring up the topic, though. Being with Bryson was too nice. Plus, truth be told, he had swallowed quite a few pills when they landed.

Bryson joined him on the bed. They sat side by side with their plates on a tray and stared out at the gorgeous blue and turquoise water.

“This place is amazing.”

Bryson glanced his way. “Have you never been here? I would’ve thought Archer would’ve dragged you along at some point.”

King’s old boss, Archer, was a crime lord. They had traveled quite a bit, but it had never been leisure for him. “Archer used to be all over the place, but I didn’t move in with him until after he married. His husband keeps him home these days. Now, before I went to work for Archer, I was freelance. I traveled a lot, but it was never for pleasure.” He had to get in and out of every place he went quickly and quietly. That was one reason he had contracted with Archer. He had always been hunted. With Archer, he had gotten protection from law enforcement.

“Freelance?”

King ate a piece of shrimp before looking Bryson’s way. “You don’t want to know.”

“Of course, I do.”

He really didn’t. But if he ever wanted more with Bryson, King had to be honest. “I was raised for only one purpose.”

Bryson nodded. “So, you killed people?”

King looked away. He wasn’t proud of anything he had ever done. There was no way someone like Bryson could understand. It was incredibly possible to torture the humanity from someone, especially a child. King likely wasn’t sane. King definitely couldn’t handle being clean and sober. Some people’s minds were just painful memories digging like worms twenty-four-seven until a person went mad. He felt Bryson’s stare. King couldn’t take it. Bryson was a good man. He would never understand.

King motioned toward the sofa. “Does that pull out into a bed?” He would take discomfort about their sleeping arrangement over discussing his past any day.

Silence met his question.

King looked Bryson’s way. Bryson held his stare. He had no idea how long they sat like that in silence. King swore they kept getting closer, but he couldn’t say which one of them moved. Then Bryson touched his lips to King’s shoulder. He stayed there. King held his breath and waited.

When he didn’t react, Bryson pulled away and went back to staring at the water. He looked embarrassed. “How’s your side feeling?”

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