Promises 2 (10 page)

Cayson had eaten most of his tender pork chop by the time he finally got around to coming up with an answer that didn’t make him look desperate. “Well. I always knew he was deep in the closet and wasn’t coming out. So he never led me on in that respect.”

“But the not touching you.”

“He’d touch me,” Cayson said sternly, before softening his voice. It wasn’t right to project his frustrations on Quick, especially after he’d cooked him such a nice meal and made a gallant effort to make him feel better. “He just wasn’t keen on touching—”

“Where you needed to be touched.” Quick’s voice was smooth and calm when he said it.

Cayson knew his face was as red as the wine in his glass and hotter than the food on his plate. No matter how many ways he tried to word it or justify it; it was embarrassing to have a fuck buddy who wouldn’t technically fuck you. Who was too disgusted by you to even touch you. Cayson felt so much shame wash over him. He didn’t want to consider these feelings right now. He knew he wasn’t grotesque. Joe had serious emotional issues regarding his sexuality and Cayson didn’t have the correct initials behind his last name to try to understand them. Nonetheless. This was the third male acquaintance – couldn’t technically call any of them boyfriends – who wasn’t interested in Cayson intimately, and especially going out in public with him. “I’m not most men’s type, I guess. Maybe I should leave well enough alone. There are plenty of single doctors who never marry or have a family. It happens. They’re married to their craft. I’ll maintain on my work. That should keep me busy until I die.”

Cayson had barely heard the growled “Goddamnit” leave Quick’s mouth before his table was pushed to the side and a seething, angry date was advancing on him. Cayson was frozen to his seat. Not scared… but startled. Cayson felt like if he bolted and ran, Quick would walk him down and catch him like in those scary movies. He hadn’t understood what he’d said or what expression he wore that had Quick reacting like this, but he kept his mouth closed when he was swept up out of his chair and pulled tight into a solid chest. Hot, moist lips were on his and Cayson moaned, letting his arms drop down to his sides while Quick held him up by his biceps.

“It’s difficult to listen to you put yourself down, Cays.” Quick only pulled back slightly to annunciate his words, his wine-tinted lips still brushing lightly against his. “You keep saying you’re not most men’s type, but I’m standing right here, and you’re doing your damnedest to convince me that I’m not going to like what I find in you.”

“N-no I’m—”

“You are,” Quick snapped, refusing to let him get a word in. Cayson ducked his head. He
was
doing that. He’d had too many losers and now he couldn’t recognize a winner. “Look at me, Cayson.”

Quick’s grip loosened on his biceps as his firm hold became a soft massage. “I don’t know what else to tell you to convince you. I’m not sure what the perfect thing to say is.”

Cayson liked the flustered, not-so-sure-of-himself Roman, too. Confident Roman was sexy as fuck, but so was this one. “I’m not interested in perfection… there’s no such thing as perfection in existence. Anything that we do as humans, we can call it perfect, but it isn’t, really. I just want to….”

“Want to what? Ask me. Whatever it is… I’ll say yes,” Quick assured him.

Cayson was still being held tight against Quick’s chest, and it was hard for him to think clearly. His sentences were choppy and his thoughts weren’t complete. Damn, he could even smell the fragrance of Quick’s deodorant. He needed to retreat to solitude and get his bearings before he offered his ass up on a platter like that mostly eaten pork chop. “Rome.” Cayson’s voice was coarse and strained as that one line floated back to his head before making a beeline to his ass.
You won’t have to worry about being made love to anymore, Cays.
Cayson locked his knees to keep them from buckling. Just the thought of Roman fucking him. Oh, god, Roman.

“Say it, Cays.” Quick’s reply was like a hushed groan, since his voice was way too deep to fully accomplish a whisper.

Fuck. Quick’s vocal sounds were like a soothing balm to his tortured soul. So calming, yet demanding. And damn if he didn’t talk with so much conviction. Cayson wanted to believe him, wanted to eat up every word and let them satisfy him just like his dinner had. He cast a brief look at his four top table, which had been shoved almost all the way to the wall.
Fuck. He’s strong.
Quick’s sheer bulk was enough to assure him of that, but Cayson wondered if he would be as rough with his heart as he was with his furniture. “I think I’m gonna turn in.”

Quick looked taken aback and disappointed, but he slowly stopped caressing Cayson’s neck and let those wonderfully calloused hands fall to his sides. As soon as they were gone, Cayson busied himself pulling the table back over. Quick helped him and even pushed in all the chairs, but Cayson didn’t like how quiet he was now. His eyebrows were drawn down, causing a few wrinkles to form in between his eyes. He looked fed up. Damn, had he given up already?
Why am I not worth the fuckin’ effort?

When the table was righted and the dishes were stacked in the sink, Quick finally spoke again. “I’ll just take care of these few dishes.”

Why that annoyed Cayson a little, he wasn’t sure but it was lame. Dishes. Whatever.

“I’ll walk you out.”

Quick

He didn’t want to go. Cayson was clearly upset and Quick didn’t want to go. Every fiber in his body was telling him to stay, because he had a bad feeling about Cayson’s so-called friend with benefits. The guy was a spoiled, over-achieving, self-righteous bastard, but he was a desperate bastard. Desperate, and with one helluva secret that Quick now knew. How was this Dr. Joe going to react? Actually, Quick already knew. He was in the desperate-acting-people business.

Just when Quick was begrudgingly heading towards the front door with a dawdling Dr. Chauncey behind him, his best friend’s voice slapped him in the back of the head.
Then do whatever you have to do to stay with him. Make up anything. Improvise.
Damn, he didn’t want to leave, but he didn’t want to come off as a pig like probably most of the men Cayson had been with. Insisting to stay the night was basically the same as begging to get a little taste. At least that’s what it used to mean. And this was their first date. Shit. Quick rolled his eyes. How was he supposed to make this sound honorable? He really wasn’t trying to sleep with the doc. He had some YouTubing to do first. He wanted to make it good for Cayson, of course.

As soon as he reached the door, Quick turned, snapping his fingers. “You know what. I think it’s probably best if I just stay the night.” Quick placed a couple fingers over Cayson’s lips as soon as he opened them to object. “Not stay the night, like that, but stay and make sure you’re alright.”

Cayson moved around Quick and unlocked the door. “Really, Rome. I’m good.”

Now what? “Um. Um.” Quick was at a loss. He really wasn’t a good liar. “I think I’m real low on gas and it’s dangerous to pump gas so late at night, ya know? I think they mentioned that on the news a while back.” Quick could’ve kicked himself. How in the hell would a brilliant man like Cayson believe that he was cautious about being out late? Didn’t he hunt down society’s dangerous people for a living?

“It’s only a little after eight, Rome. I think you’ll be just fine at the gas station.” Cayson smiled, handing Quick his heavy leather coat. When he cracked open the door, the cool night air burst in completely uninvited. Quick refused to go out into it.  

“It’s still dark, though. Bad things happen at night. Especially at shady gas stations. You can’t trust those people who loiter around there all the time.”
Argh! What the fuck am I saying?

Cayson was wearing a full-on smile now and it was hard for Quick not to smile, too. “I don’t think anyone will try to start trouble with a big man like you, Rome. Day or night. Now, good night.”

Cayson was inching Quick further and further out the door and he wasn’t putting up a fight. He liked Cayson’s expert hands pushing on his pecs. But when he was almost on the porch, he dug his heels in. “Seriously, Cays.”

Cayson sighed wearily. One palm was still lightly pushing on Quick’s chest, the other propped against the doorjamb. He looked so sweet and tired, and Quick just wanted to hold him close. Protect him from all the bad in the world, the shit that Quick saw on a regular basis. Protect him from the bad that had been on Cayson’s porch when they arrived. He needed to stay.

Cayson said good night for the second time and was gearing up to close the door, but Quick stopped him again. Only the truth would work. He held Cayson’s wrist, careful not to apply any real pressure. “Okay. Truth, Cays. I want to stay because I don’t like the situation that happened earlier.”

Cayson scoffed. “Are you talking about Joe? Please. Joe is harmless.”

“Cays look at me.” He tilted Cayson’s face up to his, hoping he could see that he wasn’t joking around, but was dead serious. “What I saw in that man’s eyes was not harmless.”

“I think that look was directed at you, not me.”

“I think it was, too, but I don’t question men with motives. Any man with a secret that big, one that could possibly devastate him if it got out, is going to do all he can to protect his future by any means necessary.”

“You really have seen some terrible stuff, I’m sure. But, what is it you think Joe’s going to do? Come back in the middle of the night and staple my mouth shut while I sleep?”

“Possibly. But if he does… I’ll be right here waiting for his ass.”

“Oh, goodness,” Cayson moaned like Quick was being unreasonable. “What’re the chances of you going and getting in your truck right now and going home?”

“Slim to none.”

“I figured.” Cayson turned around, leaving the door slightly ajar. Quick took the silent invitation and bounded back through the door and past the dimly lit foyer.

Quick hung his leather coat back on the rack. “So. Got any good music?”

“Not happening.” Cayson dug inside his closet just off the foyer and pulled down a thick fleece blanket. “It may be early for you, stud, but I’m exhausted. No music, no television, no more wine. I need sleep. I have a partial nephrectomy at seven and if I still have these black rings under my eyes, the family might be a little hesitant to let me operate.”

“No problem. I have a bond hearing I need to sit in on at eight, so works fine. You go on up and get in bed. I’ll be up soon.”

“Um, wait.”

Quick reared back and laughed, the hearty sound permeating the large living room. “I’m just joking. I’m more than fine with the couch. Although, I hear it’s bad for the back. I have been having a few issues with it.”

“I’m sure you’ll survive one night.” Cayson smiled on a yawn. As soon as he turned to take the stairs up to his open bedroom, Quick pulled him back to him.

“How’d you like our first date?” Quick said softly. He really needed to know. He didn’t think he aced it, but he couldn’t have flunked.

“It’s the nicest time I’ve had in a while, and definitely the best dinner,” Cayson admitted.

“Good. Very good. Did I redeem myself?”

“Yes,” Cayson murmured.

“Can I have a good night kiss, since my date is over?”

Quick stood still and let Cayson close the small distance between their mouths this time. He didn’t always want to be the aggressor. It was a soft, chaste kiss. Nothing to make your toes curl, but enough to make Quick heat up. He wasn’t sure how long it’d been for the doctor, but it’d been at least a couple years since he’d gone all the way. His few dates had ended before he was even able to get to third base. But now that he thought more about it, maybe he didn’t want to get too far with those women, knowing all along that it was a man he desired. His job was a pretty big turnoff, as well, with regards to having something long-term. No one liked the danger inherent in his work.

“That felt good.” Quick closed his eyes and licked the last lingering taste of Cayson from his lips. He kept his hands by his sides, otherwise he would be tempted to take both his hands and grab himself a couple handfuls of Cayson’s sexy ass. What the hell was wrong with Dr. Joe? He never hit that? Didn’t want to? Was he blind? The ass on Cayson was mouthwatering. Curved, not flat, and probably a bit of soft hair dusting those plump cheeks. Blond hair over a pale ass. Fuck. Heaven. Be patient.

“Yeah, it did. Good night, Roman. And thank you again for dinner.”

Quick hated for Cayson to leave and end their evening so soon, but the man clearly needed a full eight hours of uninterrupted sleep. So Quick took Cayson’s hand and linked their fingers together before he turned their joined palms and gently kissed the back of Cayson’s hand. The shy smile he received was worth an uncomfortable night’s sleep on a couch. “Sleep well, handsome.”

“You too.” Cayson turned and slowly made his way up the stairs, almost as if he didn’t want the night to end either, but had ruled against his own desires.

“Yes. I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me and my bad back on this couch,” Quick yelled, knowing Cayson could hear him. Quick was pulling off his boots when he looked up and saw Cayson’s head peeking over the thick guardrails with one bemused brow raised.