Chapter Twenty-Six

K endall set his grilled cheese sandwich down and looked across the table in the employee breakroom. "What do you think of the Envy sauce?"

Emmett wiped his mouth and took a long drink of water. Kendall had passed the first hurdle, which was impressing Chef Mike and the line cooks. The next phase was testing it out on a few volunteers. Some of the staff had been suspicious of the green sauce, but not Emmett. Chef Mike had given the fearless bartender two different options to test: wings tossed in the sauce and naked wings with the sauce on the side.

"Or do you want me to address you by the name given to you on your planet?" They'd had some good laughs over the alien suggestion, but Emmett hadn't flirted with him since the night Ridge had shown up at the club.

"Your human ears wouldn't comprehend the sounds, and you certainly wouldn't be able to pronounce it."

Laughing, Kendall rolled his eyes. "Try me."

Emmett looked left and right as if making sure no one was too close to overhear his secret. Then he opened his mouth and released a sequence of the most ridiculous noises Kendall had ever heard in his life. Before Emmett finished, Kendall leaned against his chair and hoped he wouldn't fall off from laughing so hard.

Straightening, Kendall wiped at the tears sliding down his face and stuck out his hand. "Nice to meet you, Steve."

Emmett widened his eyes dramatically as he shook Kendall's proffered hand. "You are one of us."

Kendall held a finger to his lips. "Don't tell."

The bartender crossed his heart theatrically, then resumed eating the wings. After two more of each—coated and naked but dipped—Emmett sat back in his chair. He cleaned his hands carefully and mopped the sweat dotting his forehead.

"Fucking fantastic," he finally said. "That's what you should call them."

"Mike insists on keeping it classy," Kendall said. He asked Emmett a series of questions and made notes. By the time he finished, he was confident the flavor profile was what he was looking for but worried the sauce was too hot and the color made it unpalatable. Those were things he could work out with Mike. The color was probably easier to work around than the heat level. "Thanks for being brave enough to eat them and provide feedback."

Emmett winked. "Anytime." Okay . So he flirted a little .

Seth burst into the breakroom. "Kendall! There you are. I've been looking all over for you."

"I told Colt I was taking my break a little early."

"Yeah, but a break for you consists of five minutes alone in your office, which is where I dropped your handsome visitor," Seth told him.

Kendall stood up, his heart racing as he picked up his notebook and pen. He forced himself to finish the partially eaten triangle of grilled cheese and offered the uneaten one to Emmett, who'd devoured it before he cleared the breakroom.

"Handsome visitor?" he asked.

Seth fell into step with him. "You're having a banner week, my friend."

"Who is it?"

Shrugging, Seth said, "Never seen him before. Very handsome, though."

Kendall racked his brain for the possible identity of his visitor but remained clueless. "But you thought it was okay to leave him alone in my office?"

Seth grimaced. "Okay. Maybe that wasn't the smartest idea. He's very, very handsome. Oh! He claimed to be a personal friend."

"Well, in the future, keep any personal friends at the host station until I come out or seat them in the dining room," Kendall said.

"Even your favorite marshal?"

"I don't think he'll be a frequent visitor."

Seth smirked. "But if he is?"

"The rule doesn't apply to him."

"I knew it."

Kendall looped his arm around Seth's neck when they reached his office and rubbed his knuckles over the host's hair. "You know nothing of the sort."

Seth landed a few light punches to Kendall's middle before he managed to pull free. "Keep telling yourself that. And until the marshal shows up, enjoy this hottie for me."

Kendall waited until Seth disappeared around the corner before he opened his door. His visitor rose from a chair, and Kendall came to a sudden halt as if he'd smashed into an invisible wall.

Travis rushed toward him. "Are you okay?"

Kendall pulled himself out of his stupor when Travis reached for him. He automatically took a step back to avoid the contact. Travis stilled his hand midair, and a deep V formed between his brows. He took a deep breath, lowered his hand, and gave Kendall the space his body language demanded.

Steeling himself for something unpleasant, Kendall stepped inside the office and closed the door. "I'm sorry about Stanton," he said, breaking the awkward silence.

Travis laughed, and Kendall was pleased it sounded genuine. And sober.

"No, you're not," Travis said as he dropped into a chair.

Kendall shrugged. "Maybe I'm not sorry on his behalf, but I am worried about the impact this will have on my mom. And you," he added.

Travis smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Thanks. How is Rebecca doing?"

"As good as can be expected, I guess. She submitted her résumé for a couple jobs, and we went shopping for a few interview outfits. Thanks for checking on her and making sure she had some cash."

"Of course." Travis blew out a harsh breath, then sprang to his feet. Kendall silently watched him pace around the office. Travis ran a hand through his hair and mumbled something incoherent, but his words weren't meant for Kendall's ears. He'd seen Travis in a similar state before and knew he'd eventually get his thoughts off his chest. He stopped suddenly and faced Kendall. "How do you do it?"

"I'm afraid you'll need to be more specific," Kendall replied, even though he had a pretty good idea what Travis meant.

"Live authentically or whatever the head shrinkers are calling it these days."

"Well, absolutely no one refers to therapy as head shrinking anymore," Kendall said. Travis arched a brow. They knew plenty of people who would refer to it as such; Stanton Burkhart being the primary offender. "Okay, so no one who would actually benefit from the sessions calls it that." A person had to believe in the process and want to change before it could happen. "Therapy, Travis. Say it with me." Kendall repeated the word slowly, and though Travis didn't join in, a genuine smile briefly tugged at his lips. Kendall cocked a brow, and he threw his hands in the air.

"Therapy," Travis said, drawing the word out so it was obnoxiously long. "Are you happy now?"

Kendall snorted. "I'll be happier if you give it an honest try. Stan has really done a number on you, Trav. You can't undo his kind of influence through drinking, drugs, or wishful thinking. Do you really want to live an authentic life?"

Travis slowly crossed the room and lowered himself into the chair. "Yeah."

"It starts with honesty, and I'm talking the brutal kind. You have to be willing to take responsibility for your actions and deeds."

"You mean I can't just bitch about how my mother dared to die in a freak accident and left me alone with a heartless bastard of a father?"

"Therapy isn't about passing all the blame onto others, but it will help you see why you made some of your decisions. You can't heal if you don't acknowledge your mistakes."

Travis shot to his feet and resumed his pacing. Unlike the first time, Travis wasn't searching for a way to get things off his chest. He was fighting the urge to unleash his feelings.

Kendall had seen this before too. "Don't hold back."

Travis stopped suddenly and pinned Kendall with a sharp stare. "I'm so angry, Kendall. I don't even know how to process it all. I've spent my entire life trying to live up to my father's impossible standards, and he…" Travis's voice broke, and his lips formed silent words as if they were too incomprehensible to speak.

"Your father has been accused of many things right now, but he hasn't been convicted of any of them," Kendall reminded him. He didn't dare mention that his mother had been the whistleblower. It would probably come out eventually, and he'd deal with the fallout then. "Things look very damning, but maybe…I can't believe I'm about to say this." He took a deep breath. "Maybe you give him the benefit of the doubt until you can talk to him or see the evidence they have against him. You're an accountant, and you'll be able to make sense of the numbers."

Travis huffed a heavy sigh. "I'm an accountant my father refused to bring on board at his company. That alone makes me extremely suspicious of his actions."

"Nepotism," Kendall pointed out. "Maybe there were company rules in place to avoid it."

"His business partner's kids worked for the company. He was stealing even back then, Kendall. It's the only explanation. All this time, I've been kicking myself in the ass for not being good enough."

"You're more than good enough," Kendall said. "You landed a job as CFO for a global corporation before your thirtieth birthday. They don't just hand a title like that to any ole bean counter."

Travis chuckled. "God, I want to believe you. I don't want my worth to be tied to Stanton Burkhart anymore. What do I do?"

"You go on and live your best life. What better revenge will there be when your dad spends the rest of his days in prison? Maybe he'll see pictures of your big gay wedding in the society pages."

"Oh, that's devious. I like it," Travis said.

"Well, you can't exist solely on revenge unless you want to become a vigilante. The first step is healing. It will make your revenge even sweeter because your happiness will be genuine and fulfilling. Anger and hatred will just leave you cold and brittle."

Travis shivered. "Like Stanton."

"Yes," Kendall agreed.

Travis cocked his head. "How'd you get so smart?"

His situation with Ridge was the opposite of clever, but Kendall was having difficulty finding remorse over it. "I'm not always, but you asked how I live an authentic life. This is me keeping it real."

Nodding, Travis said. "You think therapy will help me?"

"If you meet your therapist halfway. They can't do the work for you."

Kendall opened his desk drawer and pulled out a pad of sticky notes. He scribbled a name and number on the top sheet, pulled it off, and handed it to Travis. "Karen is a wonderful therapist, and I think she'd be a good fit for you. She instinctively knows when to push and when to pull back." Kendall grinned as Travis scowled at the note. "She also knows when you're trying to bullshit her, so don't bother trying."

Travis's chin notched upward, and their eyes locked. "Sounds like you've tried to pull one over on her a time or two."

Kendall laughed as he recalled her gentle but firm rebukes. "Yep."

"Well," Travis said softly, "therapy seems to have worked wonders for you."

Kendall chuckled. "For the most part, but the temptation to fall back on bad habits is hard to overcome." Like falling for another guy whose heart he could never win.

Travis nodded. "I imagine apologizing to people you've hurt is a good start."

"Yeah, and it's as difficult as you're imagining right now. You put yourself out there and hope the person forgives you. The harsh reality is they may still want to cling to their anger, and that's their choice. You just try to forgive yourself. Can I be brutally honest with you?"

"Of course," Travis said.

"It's easier to receive grace from other people than it is to offer it to yourself."

Travis tilted his head. "Yeah, I can see that. Do you mind if I give it a practice run?"

"Here? Like role-playing?"

"Not exactly," Travis said. He stepped forward but didn't round the desk or reach for Kendall. "Of all the people I've hurt, I regret none of them more than you." Travis took a shaky breath. "You quickly became a beacon of light and goodness in my life, and I betrayed that. First by pursuing you romantically, and later by making you feel unworthy." Travis closed his eyes. "If I could go back and do things over…"

"You wouldn't have been my first love?"

Travis snapped his eyes open, and Kendall saw a bevy of emotion he hadn't expected. "I'll never apologize for or regret our connection. Just the awful way I behaved afterward. All I ever wanted was to be with you, but I would've had to forgo everything else. I didn't think the sacrifice was worth it."

He'd always known Travis would never belong to him, but hearing him admit the reasons why cut Kendall to the quick. "Because you didn't really love me. It was just infatuation."

Travis shook his head. "I was wrong then, and you're wrong now. Can you forgive me?"

Kendall's heart stuttered to a stop. "I already have."

Travis sighed, and tension melted from his tall frame. "I understand it's too late for us to be more than friends, and I respect that. I hope to have your friendship someday." Travis shook his head. "No. I'm going to work hard to earn it. You can't be doling it out willy-nilly like with your lemonade stand."

"Willy-nilly? My booth made a killing. Remind me how many cookies you sold when you set up a competing stand? Five dollars for a single cookie was too steep, even in our overpriced neighborhood."

"Cheap bastards drove right by me in their Bentleys and Mercedes," Travis groused. "And I'll have you know, I still made more money, even though you moved more product, because my sales covered the cost of production, whereas your cheap-ass lemonade barely broke even."

Kendall was laughing so hard by the time Travis finished that he had to lean on his desk. "We're going to be okay, Trav. We really are."

"What about you and your mom?"

"Time will tell, but I have a good feeling," Kendall said.

"Good." Travis rubbed the back of his neck. "Think we could have lunch soon?"

"Yeah. That sounds nice."

Travis smiled ruefully. "And maybe you could properly introduce me to Seth."

"Prove you deserve an introduction, and I will."

Travis nodded. "Take care, Kendall."

"You too."

After an awkward lull, Travis took a few steps back. He lifted the sticky note with Karen's name and number. "I'll call her in the morning."

"You won't regret it."

Travis crossed his fingers and exited Kendall's office, leaving him alone with his swirling thoughts. Sitting around and mulling things over was the absolute last thing Kendall needed at the moment, so he got up and headed out to the club. He greeted patrons and stepped in to assist the staff wherever he was needed.

He stayed so busy that it was closing time before he knew it. After the patrons left, the lights went up, and the music went down, even though the DJ still entertained them as they closed. His new favorite song, "Dancing with a Stranger," came on, and it reminded Kendall of the time Ridge had caught him dancing to it. Kendall stopped wiping down a table, closed his eyes, and swayed to the music. When he reopened them, he found his favorite marshal leaning against the table next to his. It was like he'd conjured him out of nowhere.

I want to see him naked . Kendall closed his eyes and spun around, but Ridge was still dressed when he tested his newfound powers. "Damn. You still have clothes on."

Ridge walked to him, placed his hands on his, and pulled Kendall flush against his body. "For now." Ridge dropped a kiss on his lips, then said, "Teach me to dance."

"Here? Now?"

"It's clear you love this song."

Kendall didn't question it; he just started moving. Ridge was stiff at first, but he loosened up a little more with each beat. "Move your body with mine. Mirror what I'm doing."

Ridge tightened his grip on Kendall's hips and swayed with him. It felt as intimate as having sex, and Kendall was equally as turned on. He saw the answering lust sparking in Ridge's eyes. He released Kendall's hips to cup his head. Ridge captured his lips in a deep, devouring kiss while continuing to sway to the music.

The music stopped abruptly, and a booming voice said, "I'm thinking you two should take that on home."

Ridge and Kendall jerked apart. Kendall looked over at the DJ booth, and Curtis blew him kisses. Catcalls erupted all around them, so Kendall took Ridge by the hand and led him out of the club. They started kissing again as soon as they exited through the door. Kendall took advantage of the shadows out back to drop his hand and squeeze Ridge's cock through his pants.

Ridge sucked in a sharp breath. "Fuck, I need you."

His lust only encouraged Kendall. He pushed Ridge against the hood of his car, then dropped to his knees. Ridge groaned and tightened his hands in Kendall's hair as he made quick work of his belt and pants.

"We shouldn't." Ridge whispered. Kendall smiled at the sheer lack of conviction in Ridge's voice, then wrapped his lips around his cockhead. "Baby, someone—" Ridge's protest became a guttural groan when Kendall swallowed him down to the base. Ridge tightened his hand in Kendall's hair, working his dick in and out of Kendall's eager mouth.

He continued sucking Ridge off until his big thighs trembled. Kendall pulled back suddenly, letting Ridge's erection slide from his mouth.

"What?" Ridge asked when Kendall stood up. "You're just going to leave me like this?"

"I figured I'd drive you around to your SUV so we could finish this at home. I seem to recall a blue silk tie hanging around my bedpost and an unfulfilled promise."

"You little minx," Ridge growled as he tucked his cock away. "You're going to pay for this."

Kendall blew him a kiss as he unlocked his car. "Here's hoping."

Ridge was all hands and lips during the short drive to the front lot, and Kendall barely managed to avoid crashing into a parked car. The dome light felt especially bright when Ridge shoved the passenger door open.

"Drive carefully," Ridge said, pinning him with a dark look before shutting the door.

Kendall rolled the window down and called out Ridge's name. He turned around, and Kendall said, "I hope you don't mind, but I stained your tie this morning."

"With what?"

Kendall laughed and hit the accelerator, nearly jumping the curb when he turned to exit the parking lot. Ridge caught up to him quickly, his headlights looking big and menacing in Kendall's rearview mirror. His phone rang, and he knew who was calling without looking.

"Hello."

"What kind of stain did you get on my tie?"

"Oh, I think you know exactly what I leaked onto it."

Ridge growled, and Kendall laughed as he approached the next intersection. The traffic light turned yellow, and instead of stopping, Kendall pushed down harder on the gas. He glanced up, expecting Ridge to stop, and was shocked to see his front grill looming even closer.

Kendall gasped in mock outrage. "You just disobeyed a traffic law, deputy."

"I need you," Ridge growled.

Thank fuck the rest of the traffic lights were in their favor, and no innocent bystanders were harmed in their horny pursuit of each other. Kendall didn't bother waiting for Ridge; he headed straight for the front door, knowing two-hundred-plus pounds of muscle would be right behind him.

They fell into the house, all roaming hands and hungry lips.

Ridge gripped Kendall's cock through his dress pants, setting off fireworks behind his closed eyelids. Ridge dropped to his knees and released Kendall's cock, licking and sucking until Kendall was an incoherent mess of thrusting hips and snarly growls.

Ridge released him as quickly as Kendall had done to him back in the dark parking lot. Glaring, Kendall said, "Finish me off."

"Make me," Ridge said as he backed toward the hallway. He peeled his polo shirt over his head and tossed it to the ground.

Sammy released a low growl and ran for cover behind the couch.

Kendall pushed off the door and caught up to Ridge halfway down the hall. He pressed his bare chest against the wall of muscle and practically purred at the heat and energy radiating off Ridge. They were entirely naked by the time they reached Kendall's bedroom, both their cocks erect and shiny with precum.

Ridge grabbed the tie off his bed and inspected it closely. When he saw the dried cum, he snapped his head up to meet Kendall's gaze. Ridge's nostrils flared, and he lifted the fabric to his nose, inhaling deeply.

"Next time, I want to watch," Ridge said.

"Now?"

Ridge shook his head. "Now, I want you to come on my cock."

He slid onto the bed and positioned himself so Kendall could secure his hands over his head. Kendall climbed onto the bed and straddled Ridge's chest, letting his dick drool on the handsome face beneath it while he secured one end of the tie around Ridge's hands and the other around a curlicue scroll cut into the headboard.

He gave the tie a sharp tug to make sure it was secure before checking on his prisoner. Wicked brown eyes met his as Ridge jutted his tongue out to lick Kendall's precum off his lips.

"Like that, do you?"

Ridge lifted his head and licked the underside of Kendall's dick. He rocked his hips forward so he could feel the wet friction from base to tip. Then Kendall pushed the weeping head inside Ridge's mouth, feeding him his shaft until he met resistance. Ridge breathed deeply through his nose and swallowed around Kendall's cock. Fuck, he wouldn't last long if Ridge kept this up.

Kendall pulled back, rocking his erection against Ridge's tongue again and repeating the deep penetration until his balls pulled tight. He knew it was time to move on and leaned over to retrieve a condom and lube from his nightstand. He dropped them on the bed beside Ridge before kissing a path down Ridge's delicious body, stopping to savor, explore, and entice.

"Bring your cock back up here," Ridge said. "I didn't get enough."

"Huh-uh." Kendall dipped his tongue inside Ridge's navel before sucking the sensitive skin above it. "I'm calling the shots." Kendall looked up the length of Ridge's body and locked in on his dark, hot gaze. "I decide who shoots, where, and when."

"I think you're liking this a little too much."

"I think so too." Having Ridge under his control had gone to his head, but Kendall wouldn't leave the other man wanting for anything, especially not pleasure.

Kendall continued his exploration, dragging his nose through the trimmed curls at the base of Ridge's cock. Fuck. He smelled so good.

"Your mouth," Ridge whined. "Give me your mouth."

Kendall chuckled, then kissed and licked everything but Ridge's cock, taking plenty of time to suck and lick his balls and taint. Every moan and groan only amped Kendall's pleasure to a higher peak. He kept his gaze locked on Ridge's when he finally licked a path up his cock, circled the head, and sucked it deep inside his mouth. Ridge arched his hips, going deeper than Kendall had expected. He gagged a little but didn't panic. Kendall worked him until Ridge was on the edge but pulled back before he could climax.

"Evil. Pure evil. We'll both end up on the ID Channel. They'll call our episode ‘Fucked to Death.' Suck me or fuck me, but please put me out of my misery."

Kendall let loose a wicked laugh. "So soon?" he asked even as he reached for the condom.

"Some of us didn't rub one out this morning."

"Bet you won't make that mistake again," Kendall said. Ridge stiffened and bowed off the bed when Kendall rolled the condom down the length of his cock. Of course, it might've been because he used his mouth and tongue.

"Get on my cock."

Kendall bit his lip to keep from laughing at the desperation in Ridge's eyes. His body looked tight enough to snap, and they couldn't have that. There was so much pleasure to be shared. Kendall straddled Ridge's thighs, facing away from him.

"What are you doing?"

Kendall poured some lube onto his fingers and rubbed them together to smear the moisture. He looked over his shoulder and caught Ridge staring hungrily at his ass. "Reverse cowboy for my cowboy." Ridge snapped his gaze up, but it didn't stay there long because Kendall eased his hand between his spread cheeks and began teasing his own hole with slick fingers.

Ridge tugged at his restraints and growled. "I can't believe I agreed to this."

If Ridge was stressed or uncomfortable, Kendall would've untied him. He was neither of those things—just extremely horny. So Kendall made a big show of stretching himself open before smearing additional lube on Ridge's cock.

"Christ, Kendall, you're killing me."

"With kindness, baby." Kendall sank all the way down onto Ridge's erection. Kendall's groan mingled with Ridge's euphoric cries. Indeed, he didn't think Kendall would get him off that quickly. He rested his ass against Ridge's pelvis and pressed his feet flat on the bed so he could rock and swivel on the cock buried deep in his ass. Kendall relished the sensation of being stuffed by this man, and he wouldn't be rushed, despite the begging and snarling going on behind him.

"Fuck me, please," Ridge begged hoarsely. "I want to come in your ass."

Kendall stilled his hips and looked over his shoulder. "Not until you need it more than oxygen."

Ridge bucked his hips upward, trying to get Kendall to bounce on his cock, but Kendall pushed the center of gravity into his ass to make it harder for Ridge to buck him off. Ridge surrendered with a growl and relaxed on the bed. But then he switched tactics. "Please, baby. I need you." Now they were getting somewhere.

Kendall took pity on him by using his thighs to slowly lift up and lower himself onto Ridge's erection.

"Fuck," Ridge snarled. "I can see your greedy ass taking every inch."

"I came up with this idea when I was jerking off this morning," Kendall said. His breath hitched, and he saw stars when Ridge's cockhead brushed against his prostate. "It's even better than I imagined." Kendall worked out a lot and practiced a ton of yoga, but his thighs screamed for mercy along with the sexy man beneath him. He leaned forward, pushing his fists into the mattress between Ridge's spread legs and using the leverage to ride his cock harder and faster.

"Baby, I need to come," Ridge said, his voice sounding guttural and desperate.

Kendall took pity on him, reaching between his splayed thighs to cup and massage his taut balls. Ridge shouted and bucked up, flooding the condom. He kept riding him until the big man melted into the mattress. Only then did he ease off Ridge's spent cock and crawl his way toward the head of the bed.

Ridge's dark eyes glittered with delirious delight, daring Kendall to be bad. He straddled Ridge's head and painted his lips with his dripping cock.

"Finish me off," Kendall instructed as he pushed his throbbing erection between Ridge's lips.

He knew it wouldn't take much, a few short thrusts in a hot, wet mouth, and Kendall's balls drew up tight. He pulled back at the last second and painted Ridge's lips, tongue, and chin with his release. Ridge moaned and licked it up, and Kendall had to taste himself on Ridge's tongue.

They kissed for several moments before Kendall eased up enough to release Ridge, who then rolled Kendall to his back, made himself at home between his legs, and they kissed and touched until they worked themselves up again.

The second time was slower and more intimate than anything Kendall had ever experienced. Ridge didn't just worship him with his body; his warm gaze promised things Kendall was afraid to believe in. Ridge's eyes silently searched his as if asking what would make Kendall happy. This . You . But he wasn't brave enough to speak the words out loud. Not yet.

Afterward, they lay together in a heap of sweaty, tangled limbs. Kendall pressed tighter into Ridge's embrace, burrowing into his heat as sleep pressed in on him.

"Please don't break my heart," he whispered. He thought Ridge might've already fallen asleep until he tightened his embrace and pressed a kiss to Kendall's forehead.

"I won't."