Promises 2 (8 page)

“You know where I live?” Cayson asked when Quick turned onto his street without direction.

“I find and catch people, Cays, it’s what I do.”

Cayson looked at him with a weird expression.

“That sounded a little creepy, huh?”

“Yeah, little bit.”

“Sorry. But you
are
listed. You do know that, right?”

“Oh. Yeah, I do.”

“Cayson Chauncey, MD, your phone number is listed too. You don’t see that too much these days.”

“Might as well.” Cayson shrugged. “It’s a piece of cake to get anything on line anyway.”

“Very true.” Quick parked a couple houses up. Cayson lived on the East side of Atlanta, in the historic Inman Park, in a Victorian style home that had been renovated into a duplex. It was naturally beautiful. The light was fading quickly, and the temperature steadily dropping. Quick glanced a look around him, a lifelong habit, before turning to face Cayson. “Something you want to tell me, Doc?” Quick asked, gently pushing down the thick collar of Cayson’s parka to touch the skin on his throat.

Cayson’s gulp was loud in the silence of the truck. Quick didn’t know why he was so fascinated with Cayson’s neck, but he’d figure it out soon. In the meantime, he had what he hoped was a minor situation. “Are you expecting company already?”

Cayson frowned in confusion. “What?”

Quick nodded towards Cayson’s front porch.

When Cayson turned and focused his eyes, Quick saw the recognition in those baby blues first. So, Cayson knew this man. Then he saw aggravation spread like wildfire across Cayson’s warm features. Quick now knew the stranger wasn’t welcome company and Quick was, so – situation solved.

“Um, Rome. Can you wait in the truck for a moment, please?”

“Um, Cays. No, I can’t,” Quick answered easily, but with a charming smile attached.

Cayson smiled and shook his head. “Fine. Come on. He’s a friend who didn’t get the message. I’ll send him away.”

Quick grabbed the grocery bags then closed and locked his vehicle. The man on Cayson’s stoop was not near as tall as him, but not short either. He looked like a professional, maybe a colleague, but what type of co-worker was coming over at this time of evening. The scowl on his face as they approached said he was feeling the same way about Quick’s presence as Quick was feeling about his. There was no need for Quick to flex his muscles… yet. As long as the guy left peacefully.

Cayson turned to face Quick when they got to his security gate. He took out his key and unlocked the door in the four-foot brick wall surrounding the property. He turned and scooped the bags into his arms. “Rome, wait right here, please. I’ll be right back.”

Quick nodded once and stepped back, letting the gate shut and lock behind Cayson. There was no reason for him to act like a Neanderthal. Besides, it was
his
date. This guy was getting ready to get the brush off. He pretended not to listen, but he was nosy, so what the hell. After a couple minutes Quick’s hackles rose when he heard the visitor’s voice growing louder.

~~~~~~~~

“Dr. Joe, what are you doing here?” Cayson said through clenched teeth. He needed to keep his voice down because he really didn’t want to have this conversation with Quick a few feet away, looking on. He said a silent prayer that Joe didn’t get too upset with him and blurt out anything personal that should remain between them. Cayson dropped the bags at his feet and turned to face the man who he’d thought he wanted a relationship with. But how could he, when he wasn’t even allowed to call the man by his first name? Since Dr. Joe is what everyone else called him, Cayson had to also use it. Otherwise, someone could get suspicious of their relationship.

“I texted you an hour ago and said I’d be over. Why’d you make me wait in the gosh-darn cold for thirty minutes?” Joe frowned when he looked over in Quick’s direction. Cayson wasn’t surprised when he saw Quick’s gaze aimed dead-on at them. “Who is that?”

“He’s a friend. Dr. Joe, please go. I responded to your text.”

“What?” Joe yelled. “Fuck off! That’s your response to me? What has gotten into you Cayson? When’d you starting using explicit language? Are you… are you seeing that thug?”

“Okay, stop right there. First of all, you have no clue who that man is, so don’t call him names. Secondly, I don’t know why you’re here and upset. We don’t have a relationship.” Even as Cayson finished the sentence, Joe was looking around, terrified that someone may be lurking in the bushes with a voice recorder. “That right there. I’m done with that, Joe. You’ll never be out. I’m done with being confined to your closet. For some reason, I’ve compromised my morals and values and settled for less than I deserve.”

“Excuse me?” Joe said sternly, inching in closer. “‘Less than?’”

Cayson took a small step back. “Joe. You were always honest. I can’t fault you for that. You said you’d never be out and—”

“Is there a problem?” Quick’s voice was full of confidence and it made Cayson startle when the hard bass of that brusque tone carried to them.

Cayson put his hand up to signal he was fine, but Dr. Joe wasn’t smart enough to shut the fuck up. Could he not fully see what Quick looked like? Maybe all the large trees blocked his view. Quick just didn’t look like the kind of guy you picked a fight with.

“It’s none of your business. You can go now,” Joe said condescendingly. Like Quick was the grocery delivery guy.

“Joe. Keep your mouth closed.” Cayson looked at Quick. The expression he wore was equal parts scary, dangerous, and sexy.

“Did you lock the gate?” Joe asked Cayson, his eyes still on the hulking figure throwing death glares at him.

Before Cayson could nod, Quick took a half step back, braced one arm on the top of the gate and shot his large body over the fence in a single leap. He made it look effortless. Surprisingly, his huge boots made little sound when he landed on the other side, his leather coat flying up in the air behind him like a goddamn cape.

“My gosh. He’s not a thug, huh?” Joe crossed his thin arms over his equally thin chest, looking overly arrogant. The entire Wellington family had patented the look-down-your-nose-at-people face. Why had Cayson been so blind to it? Better said, why had he ignored it?

Cayson gritted his teeth. This was going bad fast. He dug his key into the lock and threw his front door open. He made a mental note to get his gate key back, too. Dr. Joe made to step inside, but Cayson put his hand on his chest, holding him in place. As soon as Quick was on the porch, it was almost comical the way both of their heads tilted up to look at him. It looked like a unanimous salute. He knew that Joe was assaulted by the same delightful smell of leather and wild that seem to embrace Quick’s body. Hiding his amusement at Dr. Joe’s surprise, Cayson ushered Quick through the front door with the grocery bags.

“Roman, the kitchen is straight back. I’m sure you’ll find everything easily. I’ll be right in.” Cayson didn’t let Quick respond; instead, he let his storm door close and waited for Quick to walk away.

“Are you crazy?” Cayson asked Joe, who was still standing and glaring inside Cayson’s door.

“Is this all because I won’t have your kind of sex with you?” Joe inquired, louder than Cayson would’ve have preferred. Joe was making him sound like a sexual deviant, like he’d asked his bed partner for something disgusting.
What does he mean, “My kind of sex?”
Cayson didn’t need elaboration right now. He didn’t want his seventy-year-old retired neighbors to know that he was a sexually repressed man.

“You’d take this drug dealer over me, just to have sex? Come on, Dr. Chauncey, you can’t be that stupid. Do you know what I could do for your career?”

Cayson was mad now, but he still kept his voice to a stern whisper. “You fuckin’ snob. Don’t talk about Roman anymore, and don’t talk about me. There is no us. And for the record, my career is fine without the help of you or your daddy.”

“Cayson, don’t be a love-sick fool. We could help each other, benefit from each other. Have an arrangement or—”

Cayson had to unclench his teeth to form his words. “I deserve better than a goddamn arrangement. Rest assured, Joe. I would never tell anyone your secret. Ever. I swear that to you. Go on, Dr. Joe. Go home.”

“You can’t be serious.” Joe scrubbed his thin fingers over his forehead like he was warring with something in his mind. Not in a million years did Cayson expect him to say what he did next. “Okay. Fine, Cayson. I’ll penetrate you in the ass. Will that end all this mess you’ve caused?”

“Oh, god.” Cayson jolted so hard he may have thrown up some in his mouth.
Please tell me no one heard that.
Cayson was so offended he couldn’t move or speak.

“Leave. Now.” Quick burst through the front door and was in Dr. Joe’s face, fast and furious. He barked the orders more than spoke them. His voice was rough and full of venom. It was a sound Cayson found turned him on, but he was too mortified for his body to react. Humiliation trumped lust.

Quick’s chest bumped Joe’s hard enough to cause him to windmill off the top step, falling hard onto the cobblestone walkway. Quick crossed his bulging arms over his chest, succeeding where Joe had failed to make that gesture look threatening. “You won’t like how I remove you if you don’t go voluntarily.”

Cayson’s hands were still covering half his face, hopefully the part that was aflame with shame. “Dr. Joe, I won’t tell anyone. I promise,” Cayson muttered as Joe scurried out the gate.

“I have no reason to promise anything, so you’d better get the fuck out of here. I’m terrible at keeping secrets.” Quick sneered and Joe turned a disgusting shade of green as he scrambled to dust off his black slacks while he walked.

Cayson didn’t like the look in Joe’s eyes. It was a look he’d seen before, but he couldn’t say where. It unnerved him more than anything. It was a look that promised—

Quick gripped Cayson’s shoulder and kissed him on his forehead before he could finish contemplating that look. He turned them to go inside the house and Cayson went obediently, feeling shocked at having his dirty laundry tossed all over his yard.

“Roman,” Cayson whispered. “I wish you hadn’t said that to him. He’s really nervous about being outed. His parents are really important people in the Emory Healthcare Administration and in the state government.”

“Yeah?” Quick hung his own leather coat on some large hooks mounted on the wall behind the door before pulling off Cayson’s coat. “What the hell does any of that have to do with me?”

Hell
. Joe wasn’t going to let this go. Cayson had a horrible nagging feeling in his gut. That’s what he couldn’t deal with right now. He needed to think. He needed to go into hiding for a few days. “Would you mind leaving me alone for a bit?”

“Not at all. I’ll go fix your dinner while you go up and take a long, hot shower. By the time you come down, it’ll be ready, then you can show me the rest of your place.” Quick smiled softly.

“No. I meant would you—”

“I know what you meant.” Quick cut him off. “I’m not leaving you alone. It appears that’s what most people do to you. But I’m not letting that pompous pussy steal the date I begged to get.”

Cayson actually chuckled at the crudeness of Quick’s language and what he’d called Joe. Of all the things Joe had called Quick, none had been accurate. But Quick called Joe one name and it was spot on.

“Don’t take my chance away because of that prick. I can see he’s put you in a mood, but you don’t have to stay that way.” Quick stepped closer to Cayson. “Damn that guy.”

“Are we gonna confront the elephant in the room?” Cayson asked, maintaining eye contact with Quick, even though it made his retinas burn. But this was best. Get it out and over with. 

“Elephant?”

“Roman,” Cayson huffed.

Quick inched in closer. “I like that sound you just made.” Quick rubbed his roughened hands up and down the thin sleeves of Cayson’s dress shirt, making him drop his chin to his chest. The touch warmed him and irritated him. Was this pity? He couldn’t be sure. He hated how unsure he was lately. He was supposed to be changing things in his life. His breathing was coming faster and faster. Quick smelled like outdoors and man. A fragrance most women probably wouldn’t like, but it had Cayson’s dick perking up with interest the closer Quick got.

“If you want to talk about him, fine.” Quick held Cayson’s biceps and crowded into him until his back was against the wall where his television hung. Quick didn’t appear mad, but his movements were dominating and his tone was sharp. “I heard everything that asshole said to you. I wasn’t snooping, but I couldn’t walk away.”

“So you heard him say—?” Cayson choked on the words. He couldn’t even say it. It was too deplorable. A grown man not good enough to fuck. Joe revealing that fact only confirmed that Cayson was his dirty secret and all Joe allowed him to do was get on his knees for him, that Cayson took whatever scraps he was thrown. He grumbled deep in his throat at the humiliation. He was glad Quick was so close, that way he could keep his face buried in Quick’s armpit. Inhaling the virility. He wanted his head to stay buried there, like an ostrich… as long as he didn’t have to see anyone, then they couldn’t see him.

~~~~~~~

“Yeah. I heard him,” Quick confirmed, his tone steely. His mouth was a firm line, his grunts commanding as he nudged and chased Cayson out of his hiding spot with his chin. His eyes had taken on a darker, more alluring hunter green while he stared at Cayson and tried to get a handle on his control. He only had a second to make his decision, and he did. He bent and licked gently at Cayson’s bottom lip – asking permission – before he sealed their closed mouths together. Cayson moaned prettily, but Quick didn’t take the bait. He could easily lose his control around the guarded man. If he wasn’t careful, he could scare him away again… possibly for good. The bitch-assed doctor Cayson had been sneaking around with had done enough damage. More than was probably on the surface. Quick briefly wondered if he had what it took to make Cayson forget past exes and focus on him. More importantly, not make him pay for their shortcomings. When Cayson melted into Quick’s chest, sighing his reprieve… he had his answer.