Chapter 6

Six

A s he stirred, Alex wondered why it was so damn hot in his bedroom. The air conditioning was always set for seventy degrees in his apartment, so he shouldn’t be sweating like he was right then. Maybe the power went out during the night.

He tried to kick off the covers, but his heel hit something hard. Before he could figure out what it was, an arm came around his torso, and a soft voice murmured, “Stop kicking me and go back to sleep.”

Huh? What the . . .?

Keeping his body stiff, he slowly opened his eyes and let them adjust to the faint morning light filtering in from behind the blinds covering a row of windows. He recognized the room instantly, having been in Scout’s bedroom several times before to retrieve things for him.

Oh, shit. What have I done ?

His mind scrambled to piece together how he’d ended up in his boss’s bed ... with his boss spooning him!

A rush of memories of the night before swirled in his mind like a mini tornado. Cock & Bull. Drinks. Fun. Not allowed to drive home. You can crash at my place. No worries. Walking back to the Paradox with Scout. Taking the elevator to the penthouse. A question. Scout had asked him a question.

Oh.

My.

God!

They’d kissed. Hell, they’d made out! In the foyer. Shit! Who initiated it? What else did they do?

Alex took a personal inventory. He was bare-chested, and his pants were gone, but he was still in his boxer briefs. Okay, that was a good sign, right? If they’d had sex, he probably wouldn’t have put them back on. Right?

As hard as he wracked his brain, he couldn’t remember what happened after they stopped kissing by the front door.

Shit! How much did I have to drink last night?

He didn’t feel that hungover—just a mild headache and a dry mouth—so it shouldn’t have been too much.

Panic assailed Alex, and his heart rate sped up. The arm around his body squeezed him. “You’re thinking too much.” Scout’s lips brushed against Alex’s bare neck, sending goose bumps skittering across his flesh and blood rushing to his morning wood. “We didn’t do anything but kiss. I asked if we could, and you said yes. We didn’t have sex, and we’re not going to this morning either, as much as I would love to fuck the hell out of you.”

He paused, and Alex couldn’t think of a thing to say to fill the silence. Being in bed with this man was his fantasy come true. Well, sort of. In his fantasies, they’d done a lot more than just kiss.

Did Scout do this often? With his other PAs or employees? Alex didn’t think so. In fact, Scout’s words from last night popped into his mind. “I’ve never done this before, Alex—not with someone who worked for me. But there’s something about you ... I just can’t ... I can’t resist. I want you and for more than just one night. And that kind of scares me a little.”

Behind him, Scout let out a heavy sigh. “You’re still overthinking this, so let’s see what we can do about it. Do you have plans for today?”

It was Saturday, and nothing on Scout’s schedule required him to work today. “Um ...” His voice cracked, and he cleared his throat before trying to speak again. “Uh, no. No plans.”

“Good. I want to take you on a bike ride. We’ll have lunch and talk. If you want, you can stay here, sleep a while longer, and then shower and borrow some of my clothes. We should be about the same size. Or, you can go home and do whatever you need to do there, and I’ll swing by to get you around ten. It’s seven now if you were wondering.”

“A bike ride? I don’t have a bike yet. Been meaning to get a new one.” His ten-speed was stolen a few weeks before he left New York City, and he hadn’t had a chance to replace it yet.

“Not a bicycle—on my motorcycle. Is it safe to assume you don’t own one?”

“Um, yeah. I mean, no, I don’t own one.”

Scout kissed Alex’s back again, sending a shiver down his spine. “Good. I’d rather you ride behind me today. I’m going to go back to sleep for a bit. Are you staying, or should I pick you up at your place?”

Definitely choice number two. Alex had to get out of there so he could have time to think about what already happened and what might happen between them before they talked again. “I ... uh ... I’m going to run home if that’s okay.”

“Whatever you want to do is fine with me, babe. Just promise you’ll take a ride with me later.”

He shouldn’t. He really shouldn’t. Not if he wanted to keep his job, which is what he’d lose if this ... whatever this was went south. Unfortunately, “no” was not what came out of his mouth. “I promise.”

With a final squeeze, Scout released him and rolled onto his back. When Alex flipped the covers to the side, he noticed a small pillow lying between where his ass and Scout’s pelvis had been. The other man was also shirtless. One leg and hip peeked out from under the sheet, revealing he only wore a pair of navy blue boxer shorts.

Alex’s gaze shot to Scout’s eyes, and he found the other man watching him from under partially-opened lids. A blush stole over Scout’s face, along with a sheepish expression. “What can I say? I would’ve been too tempted without something between us.”

Well, at least one of them had been thinking a little clearer than the other at some point last night. Thank God.

As Alex stood and sorted through his and Scout’s clothes piled in a heap on the floor, his boss closed his eyes and shifted until he was comfortable. “Before you leave, what’s your sub preference? I’ll have the bistro pack us a lunch.”

“Um ...” Pulling on his pants, Alex hesitated. For the life of him, he couldn’t think of a single thing off the bistro’s menu. “Uh ... anything’s fine. Surprise me.”

Scout hadn’t disappointed him with any of the meals he’d cooked for them over the past month and a half, and after their first lunch, the man asked what foods Alex didn’t care for so he could avoid them.

“Sounds good.” His eyes remained shut. “See you at ten. Wear jeans, boots, and a leather jacket if you have one.”

“Uh ... okay.” Alex checked to make sure he had his wallet, phone, and ... shit! His keys! “Um ... Scout? Where are my keys? ”

“On the little table in the foyer,” he murmured, sleep dragging him under again. “Drive safe.”

After one last glance back at the bed and the incredibly sexy man in it, Alex quietly left the room. He needed time to think and stop the whirlwind of questions and “what-ifs” flying through his head. He just hoped he hadn’t screwed himself out of a job.

Scout hoped he was doing the right thing. But it was too late to take back his confession and actions, so the only option was to forge ahead.

Under his thighs and ass, his Harley Davidson Fat Boy 114 purred like a contented feline. It was weeks since he last took it out for a ride, something he did whenever he wanted to clear his head. However, it was the first time he’d ever invited someone out on a date on his bike. And, yup, if things went as he planned, he would consider this his and Alex’s first date. One of many. The man was special and could very possibly be the one.

While he’d been in several relationships over the years that lasted longer than a month, Scout could never see himself in a lifetime commitment with any of those men. He usually made it clear when he first started dating someone that he wasn’t looking for anything long-term—just someone to spend time with—and whenever the other men seemed to expect more from him, he ended things. But with Alex ... God, he could see them growing old together, maybe even having kids. Scout wanted to take the man to all his favorite places worldwide. If they had children, he wanted to raise them as his parents had him—working on their third passport before they reached twenty-one and showing them all the great wonders to explore.

Earlier, after Alex left—he kind of figured the guy would need some alone time to think about everything that happened—Scout hadn’t been able to fall back into a deep sleep. His body was willing, but he couldn’t shut down his brain. Finally, he gave up and went into his home gym to run a few miles on the treadmill. Then, after showering, he called down to the bistro and asked them to pack a lunch for two that he could put in the Harley’s saddlebags. Once that was done, he realized he didn’t have Alex’s home address. That was easily remedied by accessing the man’s personnel file.

Now, as he pulled into the parking lot of a pleasant but plain-looking apartment complex, his nerves seemed to rattle along with the bike. He hoped like hell this worked out between them because he didn’t know what he’d do if Alex decided to quit over it.

When he parked in front of building number four, he saw Alex striding toward him, wearing black boots, faded blue jeans, and a San Francisco 49ers’ T-shirt. He carried a black leather jacket over one shoulder. It was the first time Scout had seen Alex in casual clothes, and he looked fantastic. The shirt and jeans molded to his trim body and long legs. The man was delicious-looking, and Scout’s cock sprung to life. It was obvious Alex had been waiting for him, which pleased Scout more than he expected it to. Damn, he was falling for this man—hard!

Scout killed the engine, then unstrapped the extra helmet from the seat behind him and held it out to Alex as he approached. “Here you go. We’re going to ride up 101 for about an hour to this spot I know. It’s the perfect place for lunch.” The beautiful late April day was ideal for his planned picnic—it wasn’t too hot or cold.

“Sounds good.” It was clear Alex was nervous, but that wasn’t surprising. At least he was there and hadn’t ghosted Scout.

He waited as Alex pulled on his jacket and the helmet. Once the man was set, Scout gestured to the seat behind him. “Climb on.”

Alex hesitated momentarily, then placed his hand on Scout’s shoulder and swung his leg over the seat before settling in. His strong legs straddled Scout’s ass and thighs while his hands loosely held onto Scout’s hips. And that wouldn’t do. Scout gently grabbed Alex’s wrists and pulled until the man’s arms embraced his waist. When he was sure they’d stay there, he let go and started the engine again.

Within minutes, they were on the highway heading north. Scout loved the feel of Alex’s chest against his back and that Alex’s arms were still around him. As the Harley ate up the miles, Alex seemed to relax more and more.

About forty-five minutes into the ride, Scout exited the highway. As he made rights and lefts he memorized years ago, the streets became smaller and less crowded until there were no houses, businesses, or other vehicles to be seen. He easily found the turnoff for the dirt path that would take them to his favorite spot. Trees and brush bracketed them as he slowed the bike to almost a crawl. While he never ran into anyone else whenever he was there, others had to know about the place and drove motorcycles or ATVs on the path because it was never impassable.

When they reached a small clearing, Scout stopped the bike next to a large boulder and turned off the engine. He almost wished they hadn’t arrived because Alex let go of him and sat back. Scout leaned forward and allowed the man to dismount first before engaging the kickstand and removing his helmet. Lifting his leg, he got off the bike and stretched his limbs. Without the noise from the Harley, the sounds of nature and wildlife could be heard.

The boulder sat atop a cliff that looked down over a river about forty or fifty feet below. An abundance of trees gave them plenty of shade from the bright sun, which had climbed higher in the sky during their ride. It was his favorite place to come and unwind by himself for a few hours. Sometimes, he brought a book with him, while other times, he just took a walk and explored for a while.

Taking off his leather jacket, he draped it over the bike’s seat and told Alex to do the same as he opened the saddlebags and retrieved their lunch. “Come on. We’ll eat up here and then take a walk for a bit. I don’t know about you, but I didn’t have breakfast—just coffee.”

“I didn’t even have that.” He followed as Scout led him around the back side of the boulder to the most accessible spot where they could climb onto it. “It’s beautiful up here. How’d you find it?”

Good, the man was engaging in conversation and not just in response to Scout’s questions or commands.

“Completely by accident. It is one of those ‘Should I go left or right?’ types of things. One day, I saw the dirt road and decided to see where it led. I’ve been back many times since.” At the top of the boulder, he gestured to their surroundings. “I love it up here. It’s so peaceful that I sometimes lose track of time.”

He pivoted to face Alex and elected to put his heart on the line. “This is the first time I’ve ever brought someone with me. I kind of hoped this could be our first date.” When Alex’s eyes bugged out, Scout quickly continued. “I know you weren’t expecting this, Alex. Neither was I. But I can’t help how I feel. I’ve never been attracted to a man to the point of obsession before, but I can’t stop thinking about you. When you walk into the office in the morning, you light up my world. And when you leave for the day, I just want the hours to speed by until I can see you again. I meant what I said—your job isn’t at risk whether or not something happens between us. I just know that if I didn’t at least try for something more with you, I’d always regret it.”

Okay, the guy still gaped at him but hadn’t shaken his head or taken off running. That was a good sign, right?

“Listen, all I’m asking for is a chance to see where this goes between us. I can’t be the only one feeling this intense attraction. Am I wrong?”

Swallowing hard, Alex shook his head. “No, you’re not wrong. But, honestly, I’m a little freaked out. I’ve never been involved with someone I worked for or with before. But this ... this thing ...” He gestured between them. “It’s definitely not one-sided. Can we take it slowly, though? I don’t want to fuck things up.”

When Scout snorted, Alex’s eyes narrowed at him. “What?”

A grin spread across Scout’s face. “Nothing. That’s just the first time you’ve ever cursed in front of me. I was starting to think it was a religious thing or something. It also tells me you’re getting more comfortable with me, and I like that. But I’m okay with taking it slowly. Just know I want to kiss you again, and I plan to do it soon. Now, c’mon, I’m hungry.”