Fascination Series Boxed Set: Books 1-3

by Sky McCoy

  “Anyone but Alice,” I said under my breath as I met the eyes of this handsome man in a dark suit.

  “You don’t know me, but my name is Tyler Nielsen.” He extended his hand to me and I shook his hand. I stared at him and it became somewhat awkward because he was handsome in a pretty sort of way. He had blond hair and was tall, the height as me, and his eyes were blue. It was like looking into a mirror or pond and seeing my eyes staring back at me, but that was where the similarity ended.

  If I liked this kind of man who reminded me of myself, I’d be as taken with him as he appeared to be taken with me, but it was Green Eyes who commanded my attention and love for men.

  “I was impressed with your speech,” Tyler began, “I was wondering if you would accompany me to a fundraiser for your brother at a friend’s house. Thomas’s wife said that I should ask you since he wouldn’t be available at the time.” It appeared that Thomas was using me to do what he didn’t have the stomach to do. He knew that he needed the gay community’s votes and that he couldn’t honestly stand in front of a group of gay men if he wanted them to believe his sincerity.

  I didn’t believe it, therefore I knew no one else would either.

  “Alice asked you to ask me,” I chuckled. “That’s just like her.” I smiled and Tyler smiled back at me with his cute face and perfect teeth, which I was sure prevented someone from telling him no. He looked as if he’d never been told no in his life. I wasn’t going to disappoint him. He’d have to find out one day that the world didn’t wait, or revolve around him just because he was handsome and tall. I’d had to discover that myself, the day I became a father, and the day the only man I’d ever wanted turned me down.

  “Yes of course, I’ll be there as a friend. Just text me the time and address, and I’ll meet you there.”

  “Don’t worry, I wasn’t looking for a fuck buddy,” Tyler snorted with a gleam in his eyes.

  “I wasn’t worried about that. I’m too busy with a child and moving into a new home to have anything on my mind. I doubt if my dick gets hard anymore.” I only said that just in case he had anything else on his mind, and he hadn’t been truthful about the fuck buddy part. The truth was that I’d been hard just thinking about Dorian, and as gorgeous as Tyler was, it wouldn’t matter. My cock only got hard for Dorian.

  Tyler had been talking and I hadn’t heard him until he mentioned the price of the dinner.

  “Don’t worry about the five-thousand-a-plate dinner, I’ve paid for that already. My partner and I broke up, and I thought that it would be great to show up with you. After all, you have a great story, and you’re the brother of Thomas. What better way to convince the other men that maybe some of their concerns will be heard and perhaps acted on, because you have the ear of the man who will be the potential governor of the state of Washington.”

  “I’m flattered that you have that much confidence in me. I’ll see you there.” I aimed him a warm smile, turned, and opened the door, and found myself in my car driving home, drowning out my thoughts with music.

  Chapter 18

  Dorian

  Working, being fucked relentlessly by Jeremy, then having a quick dinner, and watching a movie, I left Christian’s home in the middle of the night, because I had to go to work the next morning, and because I needed a change of clothing.

  Christian and I were both exhausted and our date consisted of eating, drinking one glass of red wine, watching Debra Kerr and Cary Grant in an Affair to Remember, where we both woke up when the two-hour tearjerker was over. We glanced at each other and laughed. We knew in an instant that this dating thing had gotten off to a bad start.

  We agreed we would have to try this again another time, because we couldn’t stay awake long enough to get to know each other.

  “Maybe next time,” I’d said as Christian yawned, ready for me to leave so he could get to bed after he’d offered for me to stay the night, and not drive across town. However, I didn’t know Christian well enough to accept wearing his clothes to work, or sleeping in a strange place. He’d appeared to be nice enough, but I didn’t want to risk a disgruntled boyfriend who’d wake in the middle of the night, decided he didn’t want to live without Christian, and I’d be caught in the middle.

  I REACHED HOME, GOT a few hours’ sleep, showered, and had changed into my working clothes, a pair of jeans, button-down shirt and suit jacket, then drove to work.

  I pulled into my parking space at Walker and Hart’s Architectural firm. To my surprise there was Phillip. I tried to pass his door without him seeing me, but he had it open and called to me. Turning around, I headed for his office.

  “Sit down.” Phillip’s voice sounded gloomy, and depressed wouldn’t have been a strong word to describe it.

  “Well, who died? Don’t tell me Eric accidently stuck himself with one of those needles he used on those poor dogs.”

  “Can’t you be serious for once?”

  I sat across from Phillip and crossed my arms waiting.

  “I don’t know how to tell you—”

  I cut him off. I’d known something was coming when I saw him mulling over papers, and looking upset, but I didn’t know it would be this soon.

  “What did you do to the firm?” I leaned forward waiting for Phillip to tell me that he’d sold the firm without me knowing. In which case I thought I should strangle him now, and throw myself on the mercy of the courts. I’m sure I’d get an appeal, or maybe get off after thirty years, I’d be over fifty then, and from what I’d have to tell the jury about Phillip, and have the evidence to prove it, I could probably get sympathy and a hung jury.

  I stared speechless at Phillip fantasizing about what I’d like to do to him. Phillip had no right to throw my life away the way he’d thrown his away by being with Eric.

  “I didn’t do anything with the firm. I’m not stupid.”

  Well thank God for small favors.

  “You left me for that dog killer.” I raised an eyebrow and aimed it at him. I knew I had to move on, bring an end to being envious of Phillip and his relationship with Eric, but I’d lost Jeremy over a stupid dating site that Phillip had just suggested. I knew it was my fault, but what else did I have to do, but to be young and bitter? I guessed it was better to release my anger than to hold it in, and let it eat at me.

  “I’m in trouble, Dorian, and I didn’t have anyone to tell but you.”

  Now I was concerned by the sound of Phillip’s voice. He’d always been a proud and arrogant man. That was what I’d liked about him, but the Phillip sitting before me, hunched over, his eyes lowered, I didn’t recognize.

  “What about Eric?” I questioned, not gloating but posing a serious question. Shouldn’t he tell his partner this? I had too much on my mind to deal with Phillip’s problems.

  “He doesn’t like to be bothered with finances.”

  “This is a man you put your confidence in and your money on, and into his clinics by upgrading them, not to mention thousands of dollars into advertisements, when you should have been doing that with your own firm—”

  “Stop, Dorian. I know where you’re going with this.”

  “Then it shouldn’t surprise you when I say I don’t want to fucking hear anymore.”

  “Please, Dorian. Listen if that’s all you can do. You owe it to me.”

  “I don’t owe you a fucking thing. I’ve paid you back.”

  Phillip took a deep breath and before I could stand and walk out of his office, he got out a few words that I didn’t want to hear. I thought if I just ignored him that I didn’t have to face my friend and his troubles, but that wasn’t enough for Phillip. Misery loved company.

  “Dorian, I lost my apartment.”

  “That outrageously expensive apartment. The one I’d cosigned. I hope you know what that fucking means.”

  “I do, but I don’t want to talk about that now. We’re being dispossessed as we speak.”

  “Well, welcome to Seattle, you are now a member of the homeless population. It c
ouldn’t have happened to a better person.”

  “If I don’t find a place to stay quickly, then Eric is going to leave me and stay with his ex and then I’ll lose him. I love him, Dorian.” I exhaled.

  I understood love. It made you a fool, it made you an idiot, you couldn’t think straight, and the only thing you saw was that man you didn’t want to lose, and you would do anything not to lose him, and then you were back in a vicious cycle.

  “What do you need, me to lend you money? I don’t have that much, but I can let you have some for a rental. With two incomes you should be able to pay to rent a place in Seattle if you don’t try to impress him again.”

  “That’s not our problem. Our problem is finding an apartment in a decent neighborhood that we can afford. You know all of my money and Eric’s money is tied up in his clinics.”

  “So how is that my problem?”

  “I thought that we could come stay with you. You have that extra bedroom and bath. Remember it was my place first.”

  “You sold it to me remember, and it’s mine, so no fucking way will I allow you and fucking—”

  “Please, Dorian.” I’d never heard Phillip’s voice crack and sound like a little boy. His brown eyes had a sadness to them and his mouth dipped on both sides.

  “Oh for fuck’s sake, Phillip. Yes, you and... Eric can stay for a short while.”

  AFTER PHILLIP AND I had an agreement on the length of his stay with his fiancé Eric, and after I set rules that they had to live by, I headed to Christian’s for another chance at trying to connect, but all he talked about was his ex and all I’d talked about was my ex, Jeremy Westbrook.

  Tonight we had Chinese food, and that alone guaranteed we’d stay up long enough to have a conversation. After we headed to the couch and sat down with our glasses of wine in hand, Christian turned to me, his eyes lowered.

  I’d noticed that he had this habit of not looking me in the eyes. It wasn’t because he was being dishonest about anything, but because I thought he’d had a Daddy/boy relationship with his ex, the way he’d sit on the floor at my feet the few times we’d met at his home, then I realized that he was a bottom. I knew although I’d been more forceful than him that we could only be friends, and I had to let him know early. Friends wasn’t so bad. We could keep each other company, and if we had the same interests, it would work out somehow.

  Friendship would endure as long as we didn’t fuck. If one got too needy and we made that mistake, then the friendship would be over. The minute we became intimate that indeed would be a killer. We would transfer a happy existence into a tortuous life of wondering how the other felt, and fuck, be as miserable as I was now. I shuddered.

  “Is it too cold inside for you? I can light the fireplace,” Christian asked.

  “No I’m good,” I lied. The thought of Jeremy and me together, loving each other the way that we did gave me chills. I wished we’d been friends first, but then I never would have gotten close to him because of that friends to lovers thing I had with Phillip. Look how that had turned out. And now I had the opposite with Jeremy, the enemies to lovers working, and that wasn’t panning out either.

  Christian turned to me, hoping to please. “Do you want to watch a movie or listen to music?”

  “What do you have as far as music is concerned?” I’d been all in on that.

  “Classics.”

  “Oh, Elton John? The Beatles, Jazz?”

  “No,” he smiled sheepishly, pushing against my chest. “Mozart, Debussy.” But curiously he kept his hand on my chest. Then he passed his palm over my nipple, slanted his head, and met my eyes with a questioning stare. We had just agreed that we would only be friends and nothing else. I wrapped my palm around his wrist to stop his hand from moving.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m a doctor. I thought I felt something on your chest.”

  “Oh that,” I said. “I’ve had that a long time. I think it’s just fatty tissue around muscle.”

  “When was the last time you saw a doctor? You can’t diagnose your own self.” As his hand moved over my chest to the other pectoral muscle, his brow furrowed into three rows. “I think you should come in this week and have a biopsy done on it. There’s a doctor on my staff that specializes in men’s health.”

  “Why can’t I go to you?”

  “Because I’m a friend and I’m too close to you?”

  “What do you think it is?”

  “I don’t know. It could be nothing.” Well after that I just wanted to go home. There was nothing like having someone mention the word biopsy that sent chills down your spine, and you never wanted to fuck again, not because you couldn’t, but because that was the last thing you thought about when someone told you that you were ill.

  “I need to leave, Christian.” I rose and reached for my jacket.

  “I’ll have my nurse call you and give you the time of the appointment. I think it’s best to get this over with as soon as possible. You shouldn’t have to wonder and worry.”

  I didn’t want to wonder or worry. I wanted to forget this and go on with my life. I didn’t want to think about this when I was consumed with the thought of Jeremy, and that if something was terribly wrong with me, there was no way I could have any kind of relationship with Jeremy. How could he want me if I was sick? He had a child to worry about and then there was me.

  The best thing I could do would be to forget Jeremy and hope I would find someone in the future who would love me because I didn’t see how anyone could now.

  My mind was filled with doom and gloom. I was never a positive person with what had happened to me with men, and now I’d say I wasn’t far from shouting out that the world was coming to an end, and why me?

  Why not me? Who was I? Nobody special. I was like all the human beings on this Earth who lived and died, however, I hoped I found my true love before I did die. I’d been staring at Christian for far too long when I finally saw his fingers snapping in front of my eyes.

  “Dorian, Dorian. Don’t die a thousand deaths before you find out what it is. The biopsy won’t take long and you’ll be out. You just have to wait a few days for the results. To keep your mind off of it, there’s a fundraiser at my house, would you come as a favor to me?”

  I blinked and realized what he’d asked. Anything to stop thinking about my health and Jeremy. At my age I didn’t expect to face anything like what my mind was conjuring up for me.

  “Yes, of course, Christian.” I leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.

  “The fundraiser at my home is for Thomas Westbrook, and would you come and help me out.”

  Oh fuck me, not another one of those where I had to be reminded of Jeremy and how his brother gaped at me when I broke the unpleasant news that Jeremy was gay too. With Thomas’s Superman stare, I thought he could have burned me to the ground if it were possible. Now I didn’t have to worry about being around a family like that.

  “Dorian, I’ll have plenty of people serving and cleaning up, but I need moral support. My ex may bring his boyfriend, and I don’t want to feel like a loser. With you here, and you’re handsome and tall, and you have that look that says ‘don’t fuck with me’.”

  I wished that was true. Yet perception was reality, someone said.

  “I understand. I’ll help you out, Christian. Don’t worry.” I placed my hand on his shoulder and he palmed my hand.

  “With you here, and you’re handsome and tall,” Christian’s shy smile reached my eyes when he focused them on me. “I just want to make him a little jealous. Can you fathom that? You’d think I’d would have outgrown that behavior, but some men never do. I’m feeling alone. You don’t know what it’s like to be alone.”

  Why wouldn’t I? I thought. “I will help you out, Christian. Don’t worry, I’ll do my best to make your ex rue the day he broke up with you.”

  “I’d hoped, meeting you, I wouldn’t have the need to search those sites. I’m glad though that I have you as a friend. I think I may ha
ve needed a friend more than I need a lover.”

  “So did I,” I’d lied. I needed someone to love me more than I needed friends. I needed Jeremy, and now I couldn’t go to him because after I told him that I could be sick, and I had Phillip living with me, who needed those headaches. He had enough to contend with.

  The last thing Jeremy needed was to worry about me.

  Chapter 19

  Jeremy

  Tyler sent a text with the location of the fundraiser. It was at a friend’s house which could be either good or bad. I didn’t like meeting new people, especially since I’d probably had some secret meeting in a bathhouse, with any number of men when I’d been younger, too horny to care who’d sucked my cock, or whose hole I’d fucked. I’d always been afraid that someone would recognize me as a closeted gay moonlighting as straight.

  I dressed all in black and headed to the address Tyler had sent me. My clothes suited my disposition. Driving past building after building, I looked to see a large hospital complex, and a subdivision of large impressive homes catering to doctors nearby.

  Thomas and Alice knew what they were doing when they hooked up with the gay community which had raised large sums of money for Thomas. Between five to ten thousand dollars a plate in his war chest, and the commercials that were paid for with the gay community’s money, there was no doubt that Thomas could win. Now his two gay brothers had become an asset instead of a liability.

  As I neared the doctor’s home, a call came in. “Jeremy where the fuck are you? I lost my key and I’m having a hell of a time trying to convince this guy that I’m your brother. It appears he’s new and has never seen you. Can’t you please tell him to let me into your apartment?”

  “Tell the security guy to let you up to my floor, and the face recognition camera will open the door. Parker is probably sleeping. His schedule has to match Jacqueline’s.”

  “As easy as that?”