Chapter Eighteen

Hayden stared at his friend.

He’d felt comfortable with Harrison from the moment they’d met years ago.

When Ryder, Harrison’s then bodyguard had been protecting Harrison, the two men had stopped by Jaxon’s home. He’d been living in Jaxon’s spare room and it was there that he and Harrison had bonded. It had been over video games, good food, lots of laughter, and wine. They’d only grown closer through the years.

Carrying two full cups of coffee, Hayden closed the door with his foot and Harrison glanced up from his phone. The man’s blond hair gleamed beneath the overhead light.

“Playing?” Hayden joked, and his eyes sparkled as he looked at him. With his windblown, dirty-blond hair, cornflower blue eyes, slim swimmer’s build, and the graceful way he moved, nobody wouldn’t think by looking at the man that the tech mogul was one of the wealthiest men in the world.

Although, Harrison was more into video games and flying around the world sightseeing and taking his husband, Ryder, with him than he was about running the company his father had left him. It made sense because the two men were married and Ryder had remained Harrison’s bodyguard to this very day. At times, the duties of Cobalt Security conflicted with Harrison’s schedule, and as a consequence, Ryder had reduced the number of hours he worked for Logan’s company to part-time.

Harrison gave a quick laugh and nod as he reached for his full cup of coffee that was sitting on the nightstand table next to the bed and held it out to him.

“It’s really good coffee,” Harrison said, sipping at his own cup.

Hayden tasted a bit and nodded.

“So, where were we?” he said before easing down to the edge of the bed.

“We had been talking about Jaxon before he knocked on the door to tell you goodbye.”

“We finished talking about Jaxon,” he muttered.

“No, we didn’t because you didn’t tell me anything new.” Harrison smirked before adding, “Oh, and by the way, nice hug between you two just now.”

Hayden snorted and became busy studying the way the light reflected off the frosted window.

“Did you want to gaze after him as he drove away?” Harrison teased.

“Yes,” he admitted sheepishly.

“Good. You two make a great couple.”

“In who’s fairytale?”

“It’s a story you get to write.”

“I don’t think Jaxon wants any part of those chapters.”

“Are you kidding me?” Harrison’s pretty mouth dropped open and Hayden felt his own brow furrow.

“What am I missing?” he said.

“Didn’t you sleep with him?” Harrison asked.

Hayden jolted, staring at his friend. Was he that transparent?

“Are you only friends with benefits then?”

He swallowed hard, not liking that idea, and took another hasty sip of coffee. “How…”

“Oh boy.” Harrison rolled his eyes. “Your face, the way he held you at the door as if he couldn’t bear to be parted.”

“What?” He blinked blankly.

“Oh, buddy. You’re missing the part where that big oaf is head over heels.”

“Um… I don’t think so. And if it’s so, Jaxon might not feel the same.” Hayden chewed at the tip of his fingernail and placed his coffee on the small table near the bed.

“That’s not what I saw. But if that’s the case, then you have got to make him fall for you. You’ve got to bat your eyes like dis, and pucker up your lips like dis.” Harrison mimicked the voice of Sebastian in The Little Mermaid. “And kiss de man.”

Hayden laughed and groaned before falling back on the bed. Harrison plopped down next to him and combed his fingers through his hair. The strands pulled until they smoothed out and the rhythmic stroke was nice.

“If you braid it again, I’m going to stab you,” he murmured, lulled for a moment.

Harrison laughed. “You won’t, but nice try.”

Smiling up at the ceiling, he thought about Jaxon and all the things he could do to and with that man…plus all the ways he could get Jaxon to notice him as more than a what? What were they? Did Jaxon want to write the book of love with him? Or had their lovemaking made them friends with benefits like Harrison had suggested?

With a heavy sigh, he rolled over onto his stomach, not liking the idea at all. He wanted something more from Jaxon and now he needed to figure out what that was and how to go about getting it.

They chatted the rest of the morning without thought and Hayden noticed it was after noon. He yawned and stretched.

His eyes flicked to Harrison, who’d had to respond to an email. After all, the guy was a wealthy business tycoon. “I keep wondering why Logan told Jaxon to not bring me.”

“Maybe the threat is more toward you than Jaxon,” Harrison offered, glancing up from his phone. He rolled easily with the subject change.

“Maybe.” He placed his cheek on his arms. “But he got a phone call last night and he wouldn’t tell me who it was from.”

“Probably business?” Harrison guessed, but Hayden shook his head. “What, you’re thinking it was personal?”

“Yeah, maybe.” Hayden bit his bottom lip and sat back up to finish the rest of the coffee in one long swallow.

“Nah. That’s just a guess.”

Placing the cup aside again, Hayden sighed. “So, what should I do?”

And just like that, he’d turned their conversation back to the only person on earth he wanted to talk about. The only one he was really interested in.

“Just be patient.” Harrison went back to pick up his phone where he’d laid it on the bedspread and then suddenly squeaked. “Oh! I forgot, I have your bags from the hotel and your stuff from some spooky guy Ryder met in an alley.”

“Yes, my phone!” He grinned trying not to laugh when Harrison called Solomon spooky. It was true, though, when he thought of it. The boss of Erebus was Dave, but Solomon ran and organized them. He was a fucking force of violence and strength; it came off the man in waves. Hayden never wanted to get on Solomon’s bad side, that was for sure.

“They’re by the front door,” Harrison beamed, dragging him out of his head, and jumped from the bed, but Hayden didn’t follow. His mind flashed quickly back to Jaxon and the last hug from him and how good the man’s arms had felt.

“Hey, guys,” Felix called from down the hall. I made a charcuterie board!”

“Perfect timing!” Hayden said. “Let’s eat and quit being so gloomy.”

He forced a smile, took the hand Harrison held out, and let himself be pulled from the bed. They both carried their empty coffee cups as they headed out of the room and down the hall.

The kitchen smelled fantastic, rich with spices and flavors from the grilled hors d’oeuvres. Hayden placed several pieces of sausage, peppers, and cheese onto a paper plate. Entering the living room, he set his plate on the coffee table in front of one of the couches.

Just about to sit, he spotted his bags near the door and retrieved his phone and charger. He tucked his ID away and plugged the dead cell into a nearby outlet and then dropped to the couch to wolf down the cheese, peppers, and sausage snacks.

Everyone was quiet as they ate with a regular television channel on at a low volume. The local news was playing at the moment, but during the break, the network promised the new FBI: Wanted TV series was coming up next.

It was in that moment, Hayden decided he’d be patient. There was no sense getting antsy or anxious about Jaxon. The man would be back by morning and maybe tomorrow he could coax him to take a walk and they could talk. The thought of doing something romantic with Jaxon had him smiling as he took a bite of food.

He caught Harrison batting his lashes at him and almost choked on a piece of sausage.

“I don’t know what’s going on with you two, but Ryder will kick your ass if you keep hitting on Hayden.” Felix eyed Harrison, who sputtered.

Hayden laughed his ass off.

“As if.” Harrison looked down his nose at Felix and it was a haughty nose indeed as Harrison could pull off a snobbish attitude like it was precious art.

Of course, the team was used to being around wealthy men because Logan Cobalt was also one of the richest men in the world. Although, Logan didn’t have near the snobbery that Harrison had.

Hayden didn’t mind at all working with uber-rich people, in fact, he was grateful. Their team had been created by Logan Cobalt because he had the money and also because it had been a dream of Logan’s. As a result of Logan’s wealth, the company wanted for nothing and had endless funds at their disposal, which provided them with practically everything. Hayden felt fortunate that he was once again one of them.

“He’s just giving me shit,” Hayden told Felix.

“About?” Felix frowned.

“I’m teaching him how to flirt,” Harrison said, pointing a toothpick at Felix.

“Oooooh. With Jaxon?” Felix suddenly looked very interested.

“Knock it off,” Brick ordered gruffly. “Leave Jaxon alone.”

“He needs somebody to love,” Harrison told Brick and stabbed his toothpick into another sausage.

“How would you know that?” Brick scowled and shoved several pieces of cheese and meat into his mouth in one bite.

“We all need somebody to loooove,” Hayden sang, and even though the words to that song were different, it kind of fit.

Felix snorted and turned on Brick.

“What about you, big guy? You need someone to loooove?”

Brick reached over and shoved Felix off the couch. The bodyguard landed on the carpet and lay on his back laughing. Brick snorted and Hayden could have sworn the normally quiet, stoic guy was trying very hard not to chuckle.

Hayden’s cell phone beeped and he jumped, leaning over to pluck it up.

Now he could text Jaxon!

A giddy feeling swam through his stomach.