Desires' Guardian (5 page)

“What is it? You’ve always been my big protector, now let me be your shoulder.”

Rhys nodded slowly. “Um, did he really look at me like you and the others said?”

She looked him over and smirked. “You mean, did he look like he either wanted to eat you up or throttle you? Oh, yeah!”

He joined in her laughter. “Fine, little miss bossy, I’ll think about it. That’s the best I can offer right now. I mean, even if I wanted to, I’m not sure he’d be willing to try. James, the friend he mentioned, is the one that conned him into working for Mark and me in the first place,” he explained reluctantly.

E
VER
SINCE
the dinner at Mark’s, Rhys had been noticing Chase more and more. All the little things he did for Nichelle, like bringing her treats when he came back from his consulting runs, or for Mark… or even for him occasionally. He’d taken the time over the last two weeks to watch how Chase interacted with others and how dedicated he seemed while working, whether for his consulting business or for their agency, and was beyond impressed. Rhys had been skeptical when James and Seth insisted Chase was the right techie, but he was a believer now.

Rhys was startled out of his thoughts by a knock on the door. “Come in.”

Chase poked his head around the door. “Nichelle said you needed to see me after your last appointment left?” Chase nibbled his bottom lip, causing the ring to flick and pull against the tantalizing bit of flesh. Damn, but he wanted to taste those lips!

Rhys voice came out rougher than he’d intended. “Yes, come in, please.” He motioned to one of the overstuffed chairs in front of his desk. “I need to talk to you about a case, but… it’s sensitive.”

Chase stared at him for a moment before nodding. “That is what you pay me for, so what do you need?”

Rhys looked him over a moment, unsure how the man would take what he was asking, and again wishing Chase would be his flirty, normal self around him. “I need some surveillance footage gone through. In a few cases, we’ll probably need stills captured too. Maybe even sections pieced together for a presentation.”

“That shouldn’t be hard.”

He swore Chase’s eyes bored holes through him as he continued to explain. “The material is delicate, and what you see, you can’t speak of outside these walls. Not even to James.”

“I signed your confidentiality agreement, Mr. Sayer,” Chase snapped.

“Hey, no getting pissy. I said the same to Kailee early on too.”

Chase gave a sort of half smile and nodded. “What exactly am I’m looking at and for?”

“Hold on,” Rhys countered. The next part was what he dreaded. “I also need you to dig through a laptop and see what you can pull from it. Passwords for online journals, hidden files, et cetera. Dig as deep as you can to find out if it’s possible his apparent suicide might have, in reality, been murder.”

Chase gaped at him. “Su-suicide?”

Rhys nodded, hating that he needed to involve Chase in this. He’d never felt guilty for asking such things from Kailee, but from Chase? Yeah, that bothered him for reasons he refused to examine.

Chase swallowed and nodded. “And the footage?”

“It’s from the building our possible victim lived in, as well as from a short documentary he was working on. I don’t know if anything’s on there or not. The police wrote it off as ‘gay suicide’,” he growled. Rhys had many opinions on suicide, but for it to be dismissed like that made him so angry he wanted to throw something, or maybe pummel anyone able to discount the value of others’ lives like that.

He was startled out of his internal fuming by the gentle touch of a cool hand settling over his. “Hey, it’s all right, Rhys. If there
is
anything to find, I
will
find it. You do your thing, and I will do mine.”

He looked up to find those beautiful blue-and-green eyes gazing softly at him. Between the touch and the look offered, Rhys felt his anger calming and his heart rate slowing. He wasn’t sure anyone had ever had that effect on him, but was grateful right then.

“Thanks, Chase. Sorry. Suicide is horrible enough without people making jokes or blowing it off like the person’s existence didn’t matter.”

Chase pulled his hand back slowly, and Rhys wished he would’ve left it a little longer.

“I know.” Chase fidgeted with his wrist cuff and swallowed hard. “I lost a cousin when we were in high school.”

The haunted look in Chase’s eyes worried him. Rhys thought for a moment. “Are you going to be able to handle this, then?”

Chase quirked a small smile. “Yes. I will. You take a break and then go do your thing.” He got up and wandered out of Rhys’s office, mumbling, “Hmm, let me see what I can find.”

C
HASE
COULDN
’
T
take watching Rhys move around like he was. The pain and stiffness in his shoulders and neck seemed almost as pronounced as the pain lines around his eyes and lips. He didn’t know why Rhys was hurting, but he longed to help, to make him feel a little better, even if only for a few minutes.

Seeing Rhys settle down into one of the large plush chairs in the reception area of the office, Chase decided to swallow his pride and pushed away from his desk and computers. Standing up, he carefully stretched his arms above his head until he felt the release of tension in his back and neck. He then moved slowly over to where Rhys was before lightly clearing his throat.

“Rhys?”

He grunted.

“Look, I know you don’t really like me, but would you let me try to help with the pain some?” Chase had no idea if Rhys would agree, but he had to try. As much as he hated to admit it, Rhys was actually a pretty decent guy, even if he was, sadly, biased against guys like him.

“I don’t—”

Chase decided to take the decision from Rhys—well, unless he rejected his help. With slow, deliberate motions, Chase stretched his hands to each side of Rhys’s head at the same time as he took a step closer. Setting his middle and ring fingers on Rhys’s temples, he began to rub in gentle circles.

Rhys tensed but then sighed and relaxed somewhat.

“Here, lean forward a little, and I’ll move behind you so I can get to your neck and shoulders.” Without waiting, Chase moved behind the chair and gently glided the fingers of his right hand down Rhys’s neck to see what, if anything, he could sense about the tension there. He brought his left hand into the caress-like assessment before he began the gentle massage. He didn’t put any real force behind the motions at first.

“Relax, Rhys. Get used to my touch, and then I’ll add the pressure needed to help you.” Chase continued his light massage, increasing the strength used incrementally until he was exerting himself a little. “Seriously, I don’t know what’s got you so tense, but it hurts to even look at you right now.”

Rhys let out a deep, rumbling sound—a cross between a moan and a growl—after a few minutes of the stronger, more demanding massage. “God, you’re good at that.”

Glad he was behind the chair so Rhys couldn’t see the large bulge in his tight jeans, Chase continued to work his neck and shoulder muscles.

“Is this from an injury or something?”

Rhys shook his head slightly and sighed. “No. Just,
ohhh
, stress. Damn, Chase, where did you learn to do
tha-a-at
?”

Chase giggled at the way Rhys was reacting to a little muscle pampering. “When James was hurt years ago in that wreck his ex caused, his physiotherapist wanted him to have a massage after his sessions, but Jamie couldn’t stand to let people touch him. His physio taught me how he wanted it done for James.”

Rhys’s head snapped up. He turned to look at Chase over his shoulder. “You learned massage just to help James?”

“I was about the only person he could stand to have touch him for a long time,” Chase explained with a shrug. “He lived with me for a while after he was released from the hospital, since he couldn’t walk and had to rebuild his strength and all.” He tensed at the strange look Rhys was giving him. “What?”

“He always glosses over any questions about that time in his life, other than to insist you are his best friend and were his only family before he met Seth. It never occurred to me you would go to such lengths to help and support him.”

“Jamie’s my BFF, Rhys. My touch was all he could manage without cringing, crying, or completely freaking out. I did what he needed me to. That’s what you do for the people you love, right?” he asked, right eyebrow raised.

“Well, yeah. I mean….” Rhys trailed off when the door chimed and opened.

Startled, Chase took a step backward at the venomous look coming from the blond guy sauntering toward him and Rhys.

G
ODDAMMIT
ALL
!
I do not need this today!

“Garrett,” Rhys snapped, his voice cold and hard. “What do you want?”

Ignoring him, Garrett’s eyes focused on Chase. “This your new little boy toy, Rhys? Bet we could have some fun playing with him. What do ya think?”

Garrett’s voice was sweet, too sweet. And judging by the way Chase moved away from him, and the way he kept looking between him and Garrett, Rhys knew what little peace he had managed with Chase was now gone.

“You’re not welcome here, Garrett, and you know it. Now leave,” Rhys ground out, stepping between Chase and Garrett.

As much as he hated to, Rhys couldn’t completely stop himself from doing a once-over, taking in Garrett’s toned body, the painted-on club clothes, how he stood, hip cocked and left thumb hooked in the top of his pants, fingers splayed to draw the eye to his package. Even with everything that had happened, there was still a part of Rhys that wanted Garrett back. Wanted to taste and feel him again, but he quickly pushed those thoughts away, reminding himself why he’d thrown the little slut out months ago. Of course, he was also the reason why Chase thought he didn’t like him.

“Oh, babe, this playing-hard-to-get thing is getting old. So, send the little plaything home or back to wherever you found him and let’s go upstairs,” Garrett cooed with his best come-hither look. “I miss you.”

“Office or out! We are not having this conversation here!” Rhys demanded, arms folded across his chest, and he fought not to show how much it hurt seeing Garrett, much less hearing the lies he spouted in front of Chase.

“Mmm… office sex? Kinky!” Garrett called out as he sauntered quickly into Rhys’s office.

Rhys looked at Chase, taking in the revulsion and pain in his eyes and hating himself a little more for having put it there. “Please, don’t leave. Let me deal with
him
, and I’ll…. Just give me a chance to explain things, ’cause I know this looks really bad.”

“It’s fine,” Chase snapped. “You don’t owe me anything.”

“No, please. I’ll be right back. Promise you will still be here.”

“Then pray you can finish with your
friend
before I finish packing up my tech. Hurry, you shouldn’t keep your
boy
waiting.” Chase spun around and stormed off.

Rhys stood frozen for a moment. He’d hurt Chase, again, thanks to Garrett showing up and saying those things to and about him. Worse, Garrett’s looks proved Rhys had lied when he’d rejected Chase at the club.
Dammit!

Rhys sprinted into his office, slamming the door before he turned to Garrett. “I told you to never come back here. To never contact me, talk to me, or even think my name. What in the hell do you want?”

“I miss you, babe,” Garrett started, but Rhys cut him off.

“Cut the crap. What. Do. You. Want? You don’t miss me. What, your little sugar daddy dumped you so you thought you’d slink back to me? Either way, get out.”

“But Rhys, I need you. I bet your new little boy can’t do everything for you I can,” he purred again, attempting to slide his hand up Rhys’s arm.

He slapped the man away. “First off, Chase is not my lover. If he was, unlike you, I would never cheat on him, and especially not with a skank like you. Secondly, you are not welcome here. And finally, I don’t love you anymore. Now, get
out!
” Rhys wrenched the door open, right arm pointed toward the front door.

“But—”

“Out!”

Garrett slunk out the door. Rhys followed right behind, flipping the lock and turning over the closed sign the moment Garrett cleared the door. He only hesitated a moment when he heard the slamming and banging coming from the IT area in back. Rhys slowly marched to the rear, hoping he could find a way to mend things with Chase.

It wasn’t like they were exactly friends, but he did respect Chase, and God, his dreams were constantly filled with his cravings for the slight man. When he entered the area, he saw Chase already had most of the equipment he had brought in packed up and stacked to the side.

Rhys cleared his throat. “Chase.”

Chase spun around; the look on his face made Rhys take a step backward. “Share me? Your new boy toy? Huh, and here I thought you didn’t like ‘twinks’,” he yelled, making air quotes on the last word. “Or is it just me you can’t stand for some reason?” Chase flailed his arms as he ranted. “You humiliated me, shunned me, and now….” He snatched up some small objects he kept to toy with when antsy and hurled them as he kept shouting. “Now your boyfriend—one I didn’t even know existed—treats me like a sex toy for your mutual amusement!”