Where There's a Will (10 page)
He applied a couple of temporary tattoos, glad they didn’t look crappy once they were on. One highlighted his hip, sitting right above the sharp jut of bone. The other was a crescent moon trailed by stars. That one went around his left nipple and he thought both tats looked pretty sexy. Maybe he’d get brave enough to have a real tattoo someday.
Seeing no good reason to cover up the tattoos, Will didn’t bother with a shirt. He pulled on a short purple plaid skirt and slid a silky purple jock on beneath it. He’d free-ball but wasn’t quite willing to risk flashing his bits if he ended up being confronted by Xavier or Chase.
Like they haven’t already seen them in ‘Will Fucks Up Troy’s Life and Fucks a Cowboy Too’.
A pair of thigh highs and heels, and he was good to go.
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Almost good to go.
Will rubbed a dab of the gloss on each of his nipples, careful of the temporary tattoo on the left side of his chest. One last glance in the mirror, then, satisfied he was unrecognizable and sexy as hell on top of it, Will grabbed a jacket and left. He had plans that’d either land him in a heap of trouble or make him and two other men very, very happy tonight.
Troy’s tongue all but hit the bar when he saw Carlos, leather chaps over his jeans and trim chest encased only in a white tank. Even the ass-chewing he had got from Xavier couldn’t dim Troy’s desire to grab Carlos and drag him back to the same room they’d used the night before. Carlos sauntered right up to the bar, his eyes never leaving Troy’s. He didn’t know what he’d been expecting, but what came out of Carlos’ mouth sure wasn’t it.
“Where’s Xavier Talbot and Chase Murphy?”
There was a cold, hard look in Carlos’ eyes as he said the names, but it softened a little as Carlos’ mouth tipped up slightly on one end. “M’glad you still got a job. I was afraid you got fired.”
Troy frowned as the band struck up the music again. Conversation was going to have to wait for now. He shook his head and pointed at his ear and blamed his thudding heart on the bass. Carlos glared in the direction of the band then looked at Troy and leaned halfway over the bar, gesturing for Troy to come closer.
Troy had no desire to play hard to get. He’d had a rotten day, what with running Will off by being stupid then getting chewed up one side and down the other. He really wanted some comfort, but that wasn’t something he could ask anyone for. Yet Carlos seemed to know, because as soon as Troy was close enough, Carlos wrapped his hand around the back of Troy’s neck and pulled him in for a kiss that made Troy’s toes curl.
“You okay?” Carlos said in his ear, sending shivers down Troy’s spine right to his hole.
“I heard we made a porno.”
Troy jolted, popping Carlos’ cheek with his own as he jerked back. “How…” he started before thinking of the many ways Carlos could have found out. Xavier and Chase were friends with Nick and Josh and Adam and Les and—
Jesus, did they all see the tape before Xavier
and Chase erased it?
Troy didn’t think so, but his face felt flaming hot anyway when he nodded at Carlos. Then he remembered Carlos’ question about where Xavier and Chase were, and the anger in Carlos’ eyes.
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Troy waved Fred over, one of the barmen he trusted. With Fred watching the bar, he jerked his head towards the storage room door and walked away, trusting Carlos would follow him. It wasn’t like they’d be fucking back there now that they knew the camera was there. Still, he supposed Carlos might hesitate to—
“Uumph!” Troy’s breath shot out of his lungs before he even had the door open all the way. Carlos drove him into the room and spun them, slamming Troy’s back against the wall.
Before Troy could mention the camera, Carlos’ mouth crushed his in another kiss, this one fierce and brutal. It fired every need Troy had tried to keep buried and he whimpered as he clung to Carlos for support, his knees going weak and his body trembling.
“When are you getting off?”
It took a minute for the words to filter through Troy’s brain, but when they did he chuckled breathlessly and ground against Carlos’ hip. “Soon, if you don’t get off of me.” His dick was so hard he was surprised it hadn’t poked right through his jeans.
“Why aren’t you wearing a costume?”
Troy shook his head. “No time. Spent most of this afternoon getting my ass chewed out, but the tape was deleted, and Xavier promised there were no copies. And…” Troy sighed and slumped against the wall. “I think I fucked up. I found out Will’s a private investigator who’s been keeping tabs on my friend’s partner. I didn’t react well, I guess, and Xavier went all batshit on Will before I got here and—”
“Wait!” Carlos snapped, stopping Troy’s verbal spewing. “What the hell are you talking about? And what do you mean Xavier went batshit on Will?”
If Troy had thought Carlos looked angry before, it was nothing compared to how he looked now. Troy repressed a shudder. He needed to get Carlos out of here before Carlos found Xavier, or vice versa, and all hell broke loose. Troy knew he would probably lose his job, but he was going to have to do something, and he didn’t think Carlos would just leave if Troy asked him to. Or maybe he would, but not without confronting Xavier first.
Before Troy could come up with a plan, the door swung open. Troy and Carlos both jumped, whipping their heads around to look at the person entering. Troy was expecting Xavier or Chase, because that’s the kind of shit day he’d had, but what he saw instead revived his arousal so fast he gasped. Judging by the sputtering, stuttering sound Carlos made, he was getting slammed with desire as well.
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The purple haired imp smirked at them both and twirled a finger around his left nipple, tracing a tattoo that hadn’t been there before. “So, did you two miss me?”
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Will almost panicked when Troy didn’t say anything. He’d hoped he’d misunderstood Troy’s silence earlier today, but with the way the bartender had turned away, maybe he’d been a fool to come here. He was really going to be pissed if he’d shaved his damn sideburns off for nothing.
“He’s looking to see if the camera can pick you up right there.”
Will dragged his attention to Carlos. “I thought he was pissed at me still.”
Carlos shook his head just as Troy turned back to look at Will.
“No, I was a fuckwad earlier, but I really didn’t mean to be.”
Well, Will kind of understood. “I know you’ve probably heard all kinds of shit about me, but I haven’t ever done anything to hurt James. His parents would have found him here without me, and they’d have done whatever it took to get him back to them, if I’d been willing.”
Troy sighed and planted a fist on his hip. “Look, can we discuss this somewhere else? I don’t think the camera can get you from here, but I really don’t want to chance Xavier or Chase finding you in the club, Will. Xavier will have you arrested, and Chase—” Troy shook his head. “There’s no telling. Chase might beat your ass or physically toss you out of here himself. None of those options are good ones.”
Carlos glared at the camera then moved close enough to hug Will to him. “I still want to talk to this Xavier guy and his partner, but for now, maybe it’d be best if I get Will out of here.”
“No one’s gonna recognise me,” Will grumbled, miffed at the idea of not being able to hang at the party. But he would get to be with his guys, which was even better.
“If anyone is viewing the camera footage, they’ll know. They’re gonna figure out who me and Troy are chatting with in no time, especially if they’ve seen the tape from last night.”
Carlos chuckled, a deep rumbling sound that vibrated in Will’s chest. “I still wanna see it myself.”
“Me too,” Will chimed in with Troy.
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Troy cleared his throat and darted another glance at the camera. “Look, can you two go on out the back? I’ll meet y’all in the parking lot in about fifteen minutes.”
“The camera—” Will began only to be cut off by Troy.
“Like Carlos said, they’re going to know you were here. Or are here. The back door is the quickest way out, just be careful, look for anyone lurking out there.”
“I need to tell the guys I came with that I’m leaving,” Carlos pointed out.
Troy shook his head. “I’ll tell them. I don’t think taking Will with you to do it would be a good idea. You don’t know it, I guess ‘cause you haven’t had time to get to know anyone, but the guys you came with are all friends of Xavier and Chase, or close friends of
their
friends. Just, just trust me to do this, okay?” Troy waited, not sure why it was so important to him that Carlos and Will agree, but when both men nodded, the coiled ball of tension in Troy’s chest began to ease.
He showed them to the back door, not trying to hide what he was doing from the camera. There was no point, since he intended to go find his bosses and tell them what he’d done and that he was taking the rest of the night off.
Xavier and Chase weren’t in the office, but Troy found them in the break room, both of them looking suspiciously unsurprised to see him. Aware of the minutes already passed, and Will and Carlos waiting outside, Troy got right to the point.
“Y’all told me Will isn’t allowed in here.”
“That’s right,” Xavier said as Chase just watched Troy. “I know you didn’t know who he was last night, but now you do, and you understand why being involved with him—”
“Has nothing to do with you,” Troy interrupted calmly. “Or Chase, or anyone else. Will never hurt James, did he?”
Xavier sighed and Chase’s eyes narrowed. “He’s spying on one of my best friends.”
“He’s doing his job,” Troy said, trying to make Chase see the distinction there. “It’s not illegal, and if it wasn’t him doing it, it’d be someone else.”
“I don’t care.” Chase’s cold tone made it plain that he meant it, too. “I don’t like it, and your little fuck buddy tried his best to get into Glenn
and
Les’ pants, even knowing Les was involved with someone else.”
Troy imagined there was more Chase wanted to say but was holding back, which was good because Troy was flushed with anger and not feeling too terribly in control. Earlier he www.total-e-bound.com
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had sat and listened when Xavier went off about Will. Now he wished he’d spoken up then.
Everything Troy wanted to say seemed to be knotted in his throat. He hadn’t realised he’d fisted his hands until pain spread out from his knuckles from clenching his fingers so tight.
“And did he keep on, once he found out Les had a partner?” Troy finally got out. He didn’t know Will, he didn’t know Carlos, but he did know he wouldn’t be with either again if they were the kind of men who poached.
“Not once Adam knocked the shit out of him,” Xavier said. “And, to be fair—” he shot an apologetic look towards Chase, “he quit hitting on Les and Glenn once he knew they were serious about other people.”
Troy couldn’t really blame Adam, but it still angered him, thinking of anyone hitting Will. But hearing that Will hadn’t pursued either man once he knew they cared about someone else eased a lot of his doubts about Will.
Troy had seen enough couples play around, take in a third or fourth for a night or two, so he could understand Will testing the waters. But Will had backed off, which meant he wasn’t interested in breaking up a couple, just seeing if they wanted to play. At least, he thought that was what it meant.
“He was here,” Troy admitted, looking from Xavier to Chase. Both men tensed but Troy waved a hand at them. “He’s gone. Will only came here looking for me and Carlos. I had Carlos get him out of here, because y’all said Will would be thrown out or arrested if he came here. And if you did either of those things,” Troy shook his head. He didn’t want to give any ultimatums. “I think it’s best if I go home and take a few days off.” He had a lot to think about.
Xavier looked stunned and Chase just gave him an expressionless look. It made Troy want to shiver. Xavier pushed his chair back and stood, planting a hand on Chase’s shoulder when the blond would have risen. “You’d quit, is that what you’re saying? Over a guy you don’t even know? A guy you hooked up with for a quick fuck?”
Would he quit? Troy didn’t know. Everything was so confusing, and he needed time to think, and he needed Will and Carlos to help him
not
think for a little while. “I don’t know,”
Troy admitted, glancing down at the floor. “I just—I just need some time to think. I feel like I’ve been backed into a corner, and I don’t like it.”
Surprisingly, it was Chase who answered, and he didn’t sound angry, like Troy expected, but resigned. “Go ahead then. Maybe we need to do some thinking, too.”
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Whether Chase meant it as a threat or not, Troy didn’t know, but he didn’t think it was.
Neither Xavier nor Chase was the kind of men who made threats or bullied others around.
He reckoned they could be stupid like anyone else, though. Troy mumbled his thanks then clocked out and left, wondering how everything had turned so complicated so quickly. Then he saw Carlos and Will waiting for him by his Jeep, and he realised there was something in his life uncomplicated after all.
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Carlos had seen the tension roll off Troy as soon as the bartender looked at them. The worry that had been growing, his fear of having Troy come out and tell him and Will he wasn’t interested in them, vanished. Carlos smiled and held out a hand to Troy while keeping his other arm around Will’s shoulders. The three of them embraced, then they were kissing, a wet, sloppy, three tongued kiss. When they finished, it left them all panting.