17. Briar

Briar woke with a start,flailing hard.His pillow went flying. A sheet was tangled around his legs and his cheek felt suspiciously damp, like he'd been drooling.He swiped at his face and squinted blearily at his unfamiliar surroundings, fighting back a squiggle of panic.

Judging by the grayscale light filtering in from the window, it was barely past dawn.The last thing he remembered was the peaceful sound of lapping water and how shockingly gentle Derek's fingers felt as they brushed up and down the back of his neck.

He bolted upright and glanced down at his body.Still naked.

"How in the hell…" He looked around helplessly, imagining how ridiculous he must have looked drooling in Derek's truck without a stitch of clothing.

He'd never seen the bedroom, but he recognized the exposed wood beams of the ceiling in Derek's cabin.The whole room smelled like him.Hesitantly, Briar lifted the sheet to his nose and breathed deep, taking in the familiar pine scent of his soap.This was Derek's room, his intimate space, and Briar knew instinctively that hardly anyone had ever seen it.

His eyes roamed, taking in every detail, from the dog-eared copy of an old psychology textbook on the bedside to the cheap picture frame on top of his dresser.He cocked his head and listened, picking up a faint clatter from the kitchen, and then he slipped out of bed and padded over on bare feet to examine the photograph.

At first, he thought it was a family photo, but it was only Derek's younger siblings back when they were scrappy, hand-me-down teenagers.West was easily recognizable, thin and pale, sitting on the front steps of a dilapidated old farmhouse with his siblings ranged around him.His grin was self-conscious and lopsided.The middle brother, James, had his arm thrown casually around West's shoulders while their oldest sister hugged them both from behind.The youngest girl had a smudge of dirt on her nose.She rested her head on West's knee, staring into the camera with sweet green eyes that reminded him of Derek.Everything in their body language spoke of fierce love and loyalty.

It must be a memory Derek kept close to his heart.He obviously loved his family dearly, but whenever the topic came up, he shut it down hard.

The click of a latch startled him.He whirled around, and the photo accidentally slipped from his fingers.

Derek watched him from the doorway.

"Caught in the act," Derek said, sounding amused.

He looked gorgeous, dressed in a simple undershirt and soft gray sweatpants.His dark hair fell messily over his forehead, in need of a trim, but Briar would rather bite off his tongue than suggest one.The ragged, half-feral look suited him.

The beast to Briar's beauty.

Briar snorted at the thought.This morning, Derek was the beauty and Briar was a scrawny, naked gay boy caught nosing around his personal belongings.

He stared, landed like one of Derek"s catfish, searching for air, until Derek shoved away from the door frame and approached.

Briar took an instinctive step back, bumping into the dresser and knocking over a stick of deodorant.He had the crazy urge to cover his dick with his hands, but Derek wasn't looking at him at all.

Derek bent down and scooped the picture frame off the floor.

"It's a nice picture," Briar volunteered, feeling awkward and embarrassed.

Derek nodded, wiping Briar's fingerprint smudges from the glass with the hem of his t-shirt, but he didn't reply.

"Were you the one who took it?"

"Nah. Mom wanted to send a picture of all the kids to Dad back when he spent Christmas on the rigs."

Briar frowned and pointed out, "You're one of the kids."

"I was at work." Derek set the photo back on his dresser, angling it just so.Then he turned his attention to Briar, flicking his gaze over his naked form.His eyes sharpened and heated."I like this look."

Briar wasn't body shy by nature, but something about the perfection of Derek's own physique made him nervous.He glanced around the room, aimlessly searching for his clothes, just to avoid looking at him.

Derek caught him by the chin and forced him to meet his gaze.His eyes were warm with amusement. Briar flushed, suddenly sweating despite the cool wooden floor beneath his feet.

"I c-couldn't find my clothes," he stammered.

"Now, that's a damn shame," Derek drawled. His gaze trailed down Briar's scrawny chest, pausing to appreciate his bare dick for longer than Briar thought it warranted. He was nothing special. But Derek didn't stop there; his attention slid lazily down Briar's legs, all the way to the tips of his toes, which he regarded with as much attention as the rest of his body.He was smiling when he glanced back up to Briar's eyes."What'll you give me to tell you where they are?"

Briar was scandalized. "Are you being…playful?" he asked incredulously. "Where's the grumpy ogre who barged into my clinic and scared me half to death?"

Derek closed the space between them, crowding him back against the dresser, and dipped his head to whisper against his ear, "Were you scared?"

"Of course." Briar shivered, clutching at Derek's waist to stop his knees from buckling."Where I come from, nothing good knocks on the door after dark."

"Mm."Derek nuzzled his hair. His peculiar brand of lighthearted seduction was doing funny things to Briar's heart."Where I come from, we eat breakfast naked."

Briar hadn't gotten more than a bite of his meal the night before, so his stomach was only interested in one part.

"Breakfast?" he asked enthusiastically."For me?"

"I'll drive you back to town after we eat.Sabbath must be missing you."

"Who?"

Derek's grin vanished. He yanked open a drawer and started riffling through a stack of t-shirts.

"I think I've still got some old gym shorts from junior high that might fit you," he said, tossing Briar a shirt.

"Oh, no. You're not getting away with that." Briar elbowed his way into the shirt, so excited he didn't even stop to appreciate how thin and soft the cotton felt, or how good it smelled."You said Sabbath. I knew you'd given her a name!"

"She was here for months," Derek said irritably."Of course, she has a name."

"I mean, I kind of expected you to just call her dog or something like that.It sounds like something you'd do, doesn't it?Don't lie."

Derek ignored him and walked away, leaving Briar hopping on one foot as he scrambled into a pair of ridiculously large gym shorts.Even with the drawstring cinched tight, they still threatened to slide to his knees when he booked it into the kitchen.

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about," he exclaimed, trailing after Derek's broad back. "Sabbath is a cute name. What does it mean?Did you find her on a Sunday?"

"No." Derek had turned his attention to cracking eggs one-handed into a frying pan.He was concentrating so fiercely that Briar knew he was using it as an excuse not to look at him. He'd been caught in the act of being soft, and he hated it. He was probably wishing he could sink Briar into the deepest spot in the ocean right about now. Tough luck. Plenty of people wished Briar would just go away, but he'd never been good at taking hints.

"So, why the name?" Briar asked, hitching himself up onto one of the tall stools at the kitchen counter.

Derek muttered something under his breath.

"What?" Briar leaned forward on his elbows and cocked his head."Didn't quite catch that."

"The band," Derek repeated irritably."Black Sabbath was playing when I found her. Someone ditched her in a box of spare parts outside the gate of the salvage yard. I couldn't just leave her there, could I?"

"No," Briar agreed, startled by how defensive he sounded."You did the right thing."

Derek snorted. "It was stupid.She got hurt because I dragged her to work with me every day. I've got no time to take care of her."

Briar cocked his head. "Seems to me all you do is take care of things."

"You know what I meant." Derek rolled his eyes and pointed at him with a spatula."Now, stop trying to psycho-analyze me.I've made up my mind. Even if you could get me to admit I lo—liked—having her around, I'm not taking her back.You should adopt her. She'll make a good guard dog."

"Who needs a guard dog?" Briar asked, offended."I can take care of myself."

"Sure." Derek leaned back against the counter and crossed his arms. "Then what were you so afraid of the night we met?"

Briar was distracted by the way his biceps and pecs bulged when he folded his arms like that. It took him a moment to tear his eyes away, and then he wished he hadn't. Derek was laser focused on him, alert to every minute change of expression.

Briar squirmed under the scrutiny. He wished he had something to fiddle with, but Derek kept his kitchen scrupulously clean and free of clutter.He laced his fingers together and stared down at them to avoid Derek's intense gaze. One thumb had a hangnail, and he picked at it aimlessly.

"I already told you," he said with false cheer. "In the city, nothing good shows up after dark."

"It's more than that," Derek insisted."You were scared of something specific.I saw it in your eyes."

Briar was stubborn, but he wasn't sure he could outmatch Derek's determination.

He sighed and admitted, "I maybe haven't had the greatest experience with men trying to break down my door."

"I was just knocking," Derek protested.

Briar bit back a smile. "Yeah, but you've got fists like hammers.It sounded like the whole door was about to go."

A host of silent calculation was happening behind Derek's eyes.

"What happened?" he asked calmly.

"Nothing, in the end." Briar shrugged, but he worked even harder at the dratted hangnail.It was about to start bleeding. "The last guy I dated was a real deadbeat. He took my car, mooched off my paycheck, stuff like that. But he wasn't violent or anything. Then one night, we were arguing and he just—it—well, I ended up locking myself in the bathroom until the cops showed up."

If he concentrated, he could still feel Dax's vise-like grip around his throat and the panic of being unable to drag even a sip of air into his lungs.It was humiliating, as a man, to be so helpless. Even as small as he was, he'd never realized he was so physically outmatched.

But just the thought of admitting that to someone as strong as Derek made him want to vomit, so he forced a smile and said, "I filed an order of protection, but he ignored it.When I moved to Sweetwater, Nate and I pretended it was because he needed help with the clinic.But it was mostly because I needed to get away."

"Have you had any contact with him since?" Derek asked.

"He got my number once or twice.It stopped when I finally quit giving it out to buddies back home.I don't think he'd ever come looking for me.He's too lazy."

Derek nodded and then turned his attention to breakfast, silently digesting the information.He didn't say a word or offer any sympathetic platitudes.That was just the way he was, but Briar couldn't help but worry that he was being weighed and judged.

"I'm notorious for picking men who are bad for me," he blurted, just digging the hole deeper. "Nate says it's a self-esteem thing, but we all know that's ridiculous.I clearly know I'm fabulous."

"You're perfect." Derek's response was fierce and automatic.

Briar belted out a startled laugh."I mean, I—"

"You're perfect." He was on Briar in an instant, shockingly quick, grabbing him by the arms and hauling him off his stool.Briar instinctively braced himself, but Derek only clasped his head between his hands and forced him to meet his eyes.His touch was firm but gentle, thumbs lightly grazing Briar's cheeks.

"You"re perfect just the way you are.I"ve never met anyone like you."

"That"s not saying much," Briar protested wryly.

Derek ignored him. "Your only problem is opening up that big heart of yours even when you know you shouldn't," he said, strangely solemn."Like taking in strays, or not throwing your drink in that asshole's face last night.Like going out into a storm with a total stranger and helping jump a battery when you don't even know how.You stand out, Briar, but not because of how you dress."

Briar snorted, and Derek's mouth curved in response."Not only because of how you dress," he amended wryly."It's because when you smile, the world wants to smile back.How many people can say that?"

Briar swallowed, mouth suddenly parched.Uncertainty and anxiety fluttered in his stomach, tangled up with the warm embers fanned by Derek's words.

"No one's ever said something like that to me," he admitted weakly."I'm not sure what to say."

"Don't say anything." Cupping his face between his palms, Derek kissed him.Once, twice. Little pecks that melted his heart."Just take the compliment. Then sit down and have breakfast with me."

"Okay." But when Derek turned back toward the stove, Briar grabbed him by the hand and yanked him back.He had a split second to register Derek's surprise before he wrapped his arms around his neck and lifted onto his toes for a longer kiss.

Derek instantly took control, but Briar didn"t feel threatened.He felt wanted. Adored. He wanted to crawl inside Derek and stay safe forever.

Derek's breath was ragged when they finally broke apart.He rested his forehead against Briar's, panting.

"I've never been late to work a day in my life," Derek groaned."But you've got me sorely tempted."

There was something inviting in his tone, like he wanted Briar to take up the challenge.His enormous bed was waiting.The thought of exploring Derek's big, beautiful body in the dripping morning sunshine had his dick already aching.They could take their time. Do it right.

But Derek's self-discipline must have rubbed off on him, because somehow, Briar kept hishead.He planted a hand square on Derek's chest and forced him to stepback."You've already had a lot of firsts because ofme.But missing work? I've got to draw the linesomewhere."

Derek's brows lifted, but then hechuckled."You're right."

Briar drew a steadying breath and blurted, "About…about last night,I—"

"Shh,"Derek reached out to stroke his thumb over Briar'smouth."Don't. Okay? Don't overthinkit.Let's just enjoy what we've got while we've gotit."

His gentle plea disarmed Briar.He stared up at Derek, struck dumb by the contradiction of such a robust, dependable man begging him foranything.Because that's what it was. It was there in his eyes: a quiet, desperateplea.

"Okay," Briar agreedhuskily."Let's just…see where itgoes."

Even if his gut was telling him it was headed nowheregood.