Desires' Guardian

Published by

Dreamspinner Press

5032 Capital Circle SW
Suite 2, PMB# 279
Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886

USA

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of author imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Desires’ Guardian

© 2014 Tempeste O’Riley.

Cover Art

© 2014 Reese Dante.

http://www.reesedante.com

Cover content is for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted on the cover is a model.

All rights reserved. This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of international copyright law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines, and/or imprisonment. Any eBook format cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press, 5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886, USA, or http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/.

ISBN: 978-1-62798-999-2

Digital ISBN: 978-1-62798-927-5

Printed in the United States of America

First Edition

June 2014

This is for those who have come back from the edge, for those who still search for their heart, and for all who struggle with who they are.

Never give up!

My eternal thanks to Nikki, Wolf, and Rowan Jade, for without each of you, Chase and Rhys would never have been.

P
LEASE
, G
OD
,
make it stop.

The loud ringing next to his head had Chase debating between smashing the phone and burying his head until the demonic thing went quiet on its own. When the ringing stopped but immediately started up again, he gave up on Option B.

Why?

Even mentally whining made his head hurt worse.
Chase lay sprawled across his bed on top of the covers. The only part of him not exposed was his head; he’d burrowed under a pillow when the sunshine pushed its way into his bedroom. Sitting up without moving the pillow from over his head, Chase slowly scooped up his cell. “’Lo,” he croaked.

“Chase?”

“Um, yeah. Who is—wait, James?” Chase’s thoughts refused to clear as he fought his way past the alcohol struggling to drag him back into unconsciousness. The taste of stale beer and liquor was almost enough to make him puke. He vaguely wondered where his trash can was and whether he could get there if needed.

“You forgot, didn’t you?” The loud chuckle that followed the question did not help with his headache. However, with everything that had happened recently—the stalking and threats against his best friend—he would have gladly suffered in silence to make James happy.

A soft moan escaped his dry lips. He tried to wet them with his tongue, but it felt dry and thick. “Sorry, Jamie. What did I forget?”

“You went out to the club again, didn’t you?”

“Yes,” he whimpered. “Dale and Simon wanted to go out for some fun. But I know you’re not calling to see if I went home with anyone. So again I ask,
why
am I awake?”

“My art show tonight.”

He was certain he could hear a smirk in James’s voice. “It’s”—Chase paused to check his clock—“not even noon yet, Jamie.” He loved his best friend dearly, but why did he have to be so damned perky first thing in the morning?

“Lunch. Remember?”

Lunch? Eating?
He
so
didn’t want to think about food right then.

“Right. Let me get up and get dressed. I’ll swing by your place soon.”

“Go ahead and meet me at the restaurant, please. We have reservations at Zarletti’s downtown. I’m out and about right now. Okay?”

“Uh, sure, hun.” After a few more pleasantries, he hung up and slowly dragged his groggy self out of bed, stopping to down a couple of Tylenol and a full bottle of water before taking his shower.

Chase took his time getting dressed, and not simply because his head still hurt, the dull ache grating but livable. He never went out without dressing for the occasion, though it was nothing compared to how he would look later that night when he accompanied his best friend to his first gallery show. It would be James’s debut as the featured artist.

God,
means
I’ll have to deal with Rhys too
. He knew Rhys wouldn’t miss the show. He rolled his eyes for thinking about the damn man. Rhys was sex on legs, but his attitude was crap! Still, dressing to kill might not be a bad idea….

Chase finished buttoning the deep green silk shirt over his slight frame as he walked to the fridge in his small but well-appointed kitchen. Grabbing a bottle of Mountain Dew, he took a gulp before he put the cap back on, grabbed his backpack, and headed out the front door. He was usually a cappuccino kind of guy, but sometimes one needed an extra kick of sugar and caffeine, fast.

Yawning, Chase got into his car and started over to James’s before he remembered they were meeting at the restaurant instead. At some point, he knew he would have to change his thinking and acknowledge that the little cottage was James and Seth’s now, especially since they were not only living together but would be married in just over a month.

Chase turned the corner to pull up in front of Zarletti’s. A moment later, a motorcycle passed him. He paused a moment to take in the eye candy: the black and chrome Harley Softail
and
the tall, wide-shouldered man atop it. When he parked, he realized to whom the bike belonged and groaned, cursing his luck and his reaction.

There Rhys stood, peering at him from beside the motorcycle.
Too bad the bike and those looks belong to such an ass hat.
Since the man was staring at him so blatantly, Chase decided to return the favor. He took a moment to let his gaze wander from the man’s deep auburn hair and perpetual five o’clock shadow to his delicious athletic build, wide shoulders, and the defined pecs his black T-shirt served to accentuate, not hide, even with the leather coat half covering him. Rhys was huge at close to six and a half feet. He continued his perusal down Rhys to his thick, muscled legs and his chunky black leather boots. Chase allowed himself a soft sigh. He took just as long on the return trip, making a true production of it. When his gaze finally landed on Rhys’s deep green eyes again, he smirked, turned, and made sure to put a little extra swish into his hips as he sauntered up the sidewalk to the front doors.

He reached to open one but paused when he heard the crunching of boots on the path behind him. He groaned to himself quietly and then stepped inside, hoping Rhys was there to meet someone else, not James.
Please let it not be us!
Chase had managed to avoid Rhys for the last few months, ever since James’s first gallery show. It was a lot harder to stay away from him than he had expected. He hated how Rhys had befriended James, making avoiding him all the more complicated.

“Good afternoon, welcome to Zarletti’s. Table for two?” the bright-eyed hostess asked as Chase approached her stand.

“No. I’m meeting someone. James Bryant? He should be here already.”

“Very good, sir. And you?” the hostess asked, gazing past Chase to Rhys.

“The same, thank you.” Rhys’s deep, rumbling voice sent a jolt through his system, as always.

Chase tensed when he heard Rhys’s reply. His smile fell, but he refused to look at Rhys again.

She promptly led them to a small corner table where James sat, his forearm crutches leaning against the wall behind him.

“Glad you could make it, Rhys,” James called over Chase’s shoulder. “Nice timing, Chase. You look better than you sounded on the phone.”

“I’m okay, Jamie.” Chase pushed away James’s concern with a wave of his hand before he leaned in and kissed James’s cheek. “How did you get reservations so fast?”

“I’ve had the reservations, Chase. Why do you think I called to make sure you were awake?”

Chase noticed the way James’s eyes lit up when he saw him and how huge his smile was, which made him happy he had gotten up. However, what little enthusiasm he’d had for lunch died as soon as he realized Rhys was going to join them. He couldn’t help it. Every time he looked at the man, he reacted, but after the way Rhys had treated him the night they met, and a few times since, he wanted nothing to do with the ego or the jerk. Straight people not understanding him was one thing, but a gay man making snarky comments about him being less, or that being twink-like made him undesirable? Beyond not cool!
Sadly,
Chase thought as he peeked at Rhys again,
I’d still take him home if he’d let me. See who is pinned against the floor screaming then!

“I guess I didn’t remember you telling me where we were eating,” Chase explained as he sat beside James. “Don’t mind me, hun. Now, why has our BFF date been hijacked and why is
he
here?”

“Come on, Chase, I’m hungry. No pouting.”

He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths to clear his irritation and worry. “My apologies. How about… what’s on the agenda, my dear?” He folded his hands to make a small stand and rested his chin there, batting his eyelashes at James for full effect.

“Better,” James said with a low chuckle. “I suppose we can tend to business first, though that won’t get you out of here any faster.” The stare accompanying James’s words had him pinned to his seat. He sat up straight, suddenly wondering exactly why James had invited Rhys along.