by Jaxx Steele
I needed to get away from you for a while, that’s why.
The words rang in is head but Cameron knew better than to say the comment aloud. It surely would have gotten him pushed against the pane with Joe’s hand around his throat or, at the very least, shaken so hard he would be dizzy afterward. He would rather not experience either again, but they were both Joe’s go-to moves when he was angry. Cameron had been at the window for just over an hour before Joe had come into the room. When he’d left the table, Joe had just poured his first after-dinner drink. Cameron hoped he hadn’t been drinking the whole time, but history dictated otherwise.
“I…I just wanted to look out the window for a while. I like watching the rain,” he answered finally.
“Mmm, well, you’ve been doing that long enough. It’s time for bed. Let’s go,” Joe said, leaving Cameron’s ass with a sharp slap.
The creaking springs of the mattress made Cameron recoil. The thought of getting into bed with Joe made his stomach hurt. Discreetly, Cameron wiped his eyes and turned.
“Joe, I’m not really ready for bed. I was going to do a little work on the computer, maybe look up a few recipes to try.”
“Uh-huh, but I said it’s time for bed,” he countered, tossing the covers back in invitation.
Cameron heard the finality in Joe’s tone and walked toward the bed. He didn’t want a fight. Removing his pajama bottoms with a sigh, he took his place beside Joe and turned to his side.
“Uh-uh, what are you doing? Turn back this way. I want some ass tonight,” Joe jerked Cameron over onto his back.
“I’m tired, Joe.”
“Tired? Five seconds ago you were trying to sit up on the computer checking out some damn recipes.”
“Yes, well—”
Joe climbed over him and pushed his legs apart. “I don’t want to hear that shit, Cam. Open your damn legs and let me in.”
Joe pushed Cameron’s knees to his chest without waiting for his help. He leaned forward and took Cameron’s sleeping cock into his mouth. The sudden rush of the wet sensation made Cameron cry out. Joe sucked roughly on his shaft until it was stiff.
“Yeah, that’s what I’m talking about. I want to see a hard dick when I’m fucking you,” Joe grunted.
Joe brought himself up onto his knees, spat loudly in his hand and rubbed his saliva on his own swollen head. Cameron turned his face away in an effort to hide the disgusted look he knew showed there. Joe groaned lustfully as he tried to plunge into Cameron’s sphincter. He gasped loudly and his head jerked back toward Joe. His prowess lacked as much as his sensitivity, but luckily for Cameron the unpleasantness didn’t last long. Joe continued to shove his member roughly against Cameron’s body, but was unable to maintain his erection. With a frustrated grunt, Joe rolled off.
“Fuck it. I’ll get some in the morning.”
Relieved, Cameron lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. A short time later, Joe’s snores filled the room. Flipping the sheet away, he attempted to give in to the overwhelming urge to get away from Joe. Silently, Cameron threw his legs over the side of the bed, but before he could stand, Joe reached out and gripped his wrist.
“Where are you going?”
“To the bathroom,” Cameron answered readily.
“It don’t take more than five minutes to piss, Cam,” Joe warned.
Cameron nodded and walked from the room. He closed the door to the bathroom and stood against the solid surface. Looking around frantically, he spotted the small grandfather clock on the shelf and snatched it down. He took a few calming breaths then walked back to the bedroom. Cameron stood over the bed looking down at Joe. The man who had once charmed him with his handsome face, intellect and wit now gave new meaning to the word horrific. The good looks that used to make Cameron smile now twisted his lips in disgust.
After a few moments, Joe turned with a quizzical look on his face. “What the—?”
Cameron lifted the clock over his head and slammed it down onto Joe’s face, abruptly ending his sentence.
Cameron’s eyes popped open. Soaked with sweat and breathing erratically, he looked around the room. He realized he’d had another bad dream and let out a breath of relief. Beside him, Mel lay quietly gazing upward.
With a soft smile, Cameron petted the animal. “You should be glad dogs don’t dream, boy. The nightmares I have about Joe would drive anyone insane. The only good thing about them is sometimes the endings turn out better than it did in real life.”
The dog continued to look at him blankly. Cameron chuckled and sat up.
“Never mind, boy. You don’t have to worry about ever meeting Joe. He’s long gone out of my life.” He looked at his watch and smiled. “Come on, Mel. It’s time to go meet the last delivery guys.”
Chapter Two
Cameron ended the staff meeting right before they opened for lunch. To his surprise, a line waited to get in again. It had been the same each day since the grand opening two weeks ago. Opening day jitters had worn off quickly. He and his staff had fallen into an easy routine. Even Mel had learned not to go into the kitchen or the dining room during open hours. Cameron usually found him at the back door leading to the yard munching a pile of scraps someone had tossed into his bowl.
Pleased with his staff, Cameron considered himself lucky to have found experienced hardworking people. Not having to micro-manage them, he spent his days walking through the dining room, greeting patrons, introducing himself and passing out discount cards to first time visitors. At the end of his day, Cameron sat at a table in the corner tallying totals and preparing the funds for a bank drop.
“Mel, where are you, boy?”
The dog trotted into view almost immediately.
Cameron closed the laptop and slid it onto the chair he had vacated. “There you are. Ready for our walk, boy?”
The dog barked loudly in response.
Cameron chuckled. “I know you are. Come on.”
Mel followed him when he went to the kitchen safe and removed some money. After stuffing the funds into the deposit pouches, Cameron put them into his shoulder bag. He slung the bag over his head so it would hang on his opposite hip as he walked. Cameron locked the doors behind him and stepped into the night air. It felt steamy and muggy against his recently air-conditioned skin. His T-shirt clung to his torso. The added pressure from the strap made the area beneath it damp.
The moon had risen high and bright in the sky, lighting their way along with the streetlights. He and Mel walked leisurely, taking the same path they had taken each night for the last two weeks. They crossed the street and turned the corner to the block where the bank was located. Cameron usually didn’t see anyone else out when he made his bank run. It surprised him when two men appeared from around the corner in front of them. They passed by, acknowledging him with a nod. Cameron smiled and nodded back.
“Excuse me.”
Cameron turned. “Yes.”
“Are you coming from the restaurant down the street? The new one that just opened?” one of the men asked.
“Yes, I am. I’m the owner, Cameron Gamble.” He stuck his hand out.
The two men smiled and moved closer to shake Cameron’s hand.
“Nice to meet you,” the first man said pleasantly.
The second man chimed in, pointing at him. “So, you’re the Cameron in Cameron’s Bistro!”
“Yeah, that’s me.”
“That’s great. So, can we, like, go get something to eat there now?” the first man enquired.
“No, we’re closed now. We close at nine Monday through Thursday, but Friday, Saturday and Sunday we’re open until eleven.”
The men looked at each other then back to Cameron.
“So, you’re just leaving for the night then, eh?” the first man asked.
“Yes, and it’s been good talking to you, but I have to get somewhere. Look, why don’t you guys come by tomorrow and grab something to eat?” Cameron dug into his shirt pocket. “Here’s a discount card,” he added,
handing each one.
“Thanks, but this isn’t what we really want,” the first guy said, handing the card to his friend.
Cameron’s head tilted in confusion. “What do you—?”
The second guy swung, punching him hard on the left side of his jaw. Cameron landed on the ground with a thud. Mel’s loud yelp broke the silence of the hot night.
“We figure since you’re the boss you must be going to that bank at the corner if you’re coming this way,” his assailant said close to his ear.
“Stop talking to him, Virgil, and get the damn bag.”
Virgil yanked on the strap around Cameron’s arm, but Cameron pulled back.
“Hey, let go of the bag, dude. Let go,” Virgil said through gritted teeth.
“Hurry up, Virgil. The guard could come down the street at any time,” his friend warned.
Mel growled and the other man let out a sudden scream. Cameron heard the distinctive sound of a body hitting the ground. The man continued yelling. Mel snapped and snarled loudly. The man’s painful cries followed, but Cameron couldn’t see what was going on.
Virgil turned away curiously. “What the hell are—?”
Cameron took advantage of his attacker’s distraction. Abruptly, he jerked forward on the strap. Virgil turned back, his eyes wide with surprise. Cameron kicked him hard between the legs and Virgil’s eyes managed to widen even more. He let out a high-pitched squeal then collapsed to the ground. Cameron scooted away from him. With his line of sight no longer impaired, he saw Mel on top of Virgil’s partner tearing at his arm viciously. Cameron stood unsteadily then kicked Virgil hard in the gut as he lay rocking and holding his nuts.
“Hey, what’s going on over there?” someone yelled from around the corner.
The clumping sound of hard-soled shoes striking the pavement got closer. Moments later, the bank guard arrived on the scene. He pulled his radio from his side and contacted the police. Cameron called Mel off the other man and told the guard what had transpired as they waited. A short while later, the cops arrived. Cameron gave his statement and got permission to go. The bank guard stayed with Cameron while he did the deposit then he went back to the restaurant.
Cameron went straight to his apartment and poured himself a stiff drink. His hands shook when he tilted the bottle. He swallowed the drink in one gulp, wincing instantly. Tasting blood, he used his tongue to search his mouth and found a tear in his cheek. With a sigh, he poured another drink. The second shot he took to his bed and sat. Staring into his glass, he swirled the contents. Just as he brought the glass to his mouth, something bumped his leg. Lowering his drink, he chuckled.
“Mel.”
The dog lifted his head in answer.
“Come up here, boy,” Cameron invited, patting the bed beside him.
Obediently, Mel hopped onto the bed and lay down. Cameron slid the drink onto the nightstand then he lay back, rubbing the fur behind the dog’s ear.
“What would I have done without you? You saved my life. At the very least, you saved my business. It is way too soon for us to take a loss like that.” He turned and faced the animal. “How did you become my best friend so quickly, Mel?”
The dog licked his face and Cameron smiled.
“Yeah, I know. You have no clue what I’m saying. It’s all right, Mel. Let’s just go to bed. My jaw hurts like hell and I’m ready to end this day.”
* * * *
Cameron stirred the sauce in the pan quickly. He dipped a small piece of bread into it then popped it into his mouth. With a satisfied grin, he turned the stove off and removed the pot from the burner to ensure the leftover heat didn’t burn it.
“Are you done yet? What the hell is taking so long?”
“I just turned the sauce off, Joe. I’m going to start bringing the food out now.”
“Well, hurry up, shit.”
Cameron pulled four plates from the cabinet. “All right, all right. Here, could you—?” He turned with the dishes outstretched only to see Joe’s back as he left the kitchen. “Okay. I guess not.”
Cameron put the plates, stemware and another bottle of red wine onto a tray and left the kitchen.
“Hi, guys, sorry dinner took so long.”
“It’s fine, Cameron. Sean and I were going to go out to dinner, but Joe insisted we come home with him and said you would make something. I didn’t realize he hadn’t even bothered to give you a heads up before showing up with extra mouths.”
Cam shifted a look to Joe as he set the table before them. “It’s all right. I always make too much for the two of us.”
“Brian’s right, Cameron. I mean, if you think about it, you put dinner together kind of fast,” Sean agreed. “So we should be thanking you, not complaining. It smells great.”
“It’s really no trouble. It gives me an opportunity to test the new sauce I’m perfecting on someone other than Joe. I’m using it on the roast pork loin tonight,” Cameron explained, pouring glasses of wine.
“Mmm, smells good and sounds good. My stomach is intrigued.” Sean rubbed his belly.
Cameron chuckled. “Okay, Sean. I’ll be right back with the food. Honey, can you finish pouring the wine?” he asked Joe, sliding a hand across his shoulder.
Cameron disappeared into the kitchen then returned quickly. Holding the tray against the table, he laid platters filled with sliced pork loin, steamed asparagus and cut red potatoes into the center of the table.
“Wow, everything looks great,” Sean said.
“You ain’t lying, baby. Cameron, you whipped this up in an hour and a half? That’s amazing,” Brian added.
Cameron smiled. He took his seat near Joe, and his guests lifted their glasses.
“To Cameron, for the fastest, most delicious-looking food ever prepared,” Brian toasted.
“I second that,” Sean said.”
Three glasses met in the air. The men turned to Joe, waiting for his glass to join theirs. Moments later, it did. Cameron took a drink to hide the color he knew had risen in his cheeks from the unfamiliar feeling of their praise. Hours later, alone in the kitchen, Cameron smiled as he thought of the evening.
“They’re gone,” Joe said, coming into the room.
“I like your friends. They seem like nice guys. I think they enjoyed the food too. I’m going to add the sauce to my recipe book for when I open my restaurant. I finally have it the way I want it,” Cameron chatted excitedly as he loaded the dishwasher.
“Yeah, I guess since Brian liked it, that makes it a keeper, huh?”
Still bent over, Cameron looked over his shoulder, his brows furrowed. “What?”
“You think because they liked your food it gave you the right to disrespect me?”
His confusion deepened. “Disrespect you? What are you talking about?”
Joe stepped closer. “You don’t think I saw how you were smiling and coming on to Brian?”
Cameron closed the dishwasher then faced Joe. “I wasn’t coming on to anyone. We were just talking…about food, something I actually know a thing or two about. You guys were talking about cars, engines and basketball most of the night. I don’t know anything about that stuff. When Sean asked me about the food, I could finally join the conversation.”
“Oh. So now you’re saying I don’t know flirting when I see it?”
Joe’s query had an angry edge. Cameron had heard the tone before—too many times. It always became a prelude to a fight—one that ultimately ended with Joe manhandling him in some way.
Cameron took a deep breath and spoke calmly. “I didn’t say that, Joe. All I am saying is we were talking about something I have knowledge about. It wasn’t just me and Brian talking. Sean was engaged in the conversation too. He asked all kinds of questions about my desserts so he can make some for Brian,” Cameron reminded him.
Joe moved closer. “So now you think I care about that shit.” Anger flashed in Joe’s eyes.
Cameron knew he couldn’t do anything to turn it off now. Joe wanted this fi
ght. He’d drunk most of the wine at the dinner and even opened another bottle, drinking half of that one. Cameron knew he should just walk away. He only hoped Joe would let him.
“Joe, it’s late. Let’s just go to bed and talk about it in the morning.”
Cameron flipped the switch on the washer and tried to move past Joe, but unfortunately didn’t make it. Joe grabbed Cameron’s arm with one hand, yanking him backward against the nearby stove. With his other hand, he turned the knob swiftly and the fire came to life. Before Cameron could break free, Joe gripped his throat and forced his head down.
“Maybe I just need to show you that it’s a bad thing to flirt with my friends,” Joe said through gritted teeth.
“Joe, stop! I wasn’t flirting.”
Cameron struggled, but Joe’s strength was superior to his every time.
“Joe, stop.”
Cameron’s head moved closer and closer to the dancing flame. The heat singed his hair as it fell over the side of his head.
“Please, no. Nooo!”
“No!”
Cameron bolted to a sitting position, breathing hard. His lungs burned as he heaved air into them. His damp hair stuck to his forehead. Looking around frantically, he tried to calm himself. He fell back against his pillow and pushed loose strands from his eyes, raking his fingers through his messy locks. Tears filled his eyes.
“God, it’s been three years. Why am I still having these dreams?” he cried out, frustrated.
He wiped the sweat and tears from his face. Something moved beside him. Mel whined and crept closer, laying his head against Cameron’s chest. Cameron sniffed loudly and cupped the animal’s face.
“Why can’t I get rid of these dreams, boy? Joe is in jail. He can’t come for me, but I’m still afraid he will. If I’d had you back then, you would have protected me, wouldn’t you have, Mel?”
The dog whimpered again, brushing his nose to Cameron’s. Cameron fell back against the pillow with a groan.
“You’re the only friend I have here. I love you and you love me. We’re going to take care of each other just like Mr Dubois said, boy.” He sighed, rubbing Mel’s head. “That’s how it’s supposed to be, Mel. I just wish it was like that with people too,” he added with an edge of melancholy. “If you were human, it would be perfect. You would love me and keep me safe and I would love you.”
