Reign or Shine

by H J Welch

  “Oh, yes, thank you,” Cas said meaningfully, plucking the map from his valet’s fingers. “So kind of you, ma’am. Come on, Matty. Let’s see where we are in the light over there.” He immediately began walking them away from von Tarr.

  As they made their way to a bright shaft of light streaming down from the skylight, he caught Valentina’s faint words. “Good afternoon, Ms. von Tarr,” she said pleasantly. “I wasn’t aware you had an access pass for today.”

  Cas glanced up from the map to see von Tarr flick her ponytail imperiously. “It’s a free country, isn’t it?”

  Cas hurried him and Matty out of sight, breathing easy again. Damn von Tarr. That had been too close.

  He wasn’t comfortable with the lies he was having to tell Matty, and he’d rather not be reminded of them so forcefully.

  Sure enough, when Cas stopped looking frantically around, probably acting like a madman, he realized that Matty was staring at him with wide eyes. “Cas,” he said seriously. “Is everything all right?”

  Cas exhaled. “Yeah,” he said, meaning it. “I’m great.”

  It had been a close call, but nothing had happened. They were fine. He could continue playing make believe with his gorgeous American tourist. And although Valentina was obviously keeping close tabs on him, he trusted her not to get too close. She’d respect Cas’s privacy if – or when – he needed it.

  Matty gave him a tentative smile. “You’re not getting bored playing tour guide?” he asked shyly. There was an anxious note to his words that Cas didn’t miss, and immediately wanted to soothe away.

  Cas scoffed, von Tarr completely forgotten. “No way,” he said, folding up the map he didn’t need to look at anyway. “You wait until you see what I’ve got planned for tonight.”

  “Oh?” said Matty, sweet excitement alive in his eyes. Cas’s heart flipped at the sight, wanting to keep Matty happy, not worried. “What have you got up your sleeve?”

  And just like that, all of Cas’s fancy plans went out of the window.

  What was he thinking? This was supposed to be a vacation from all that high brow stuff. All the glitzy fakeness of his usual life. Matty had fretted over Cas spending twenty euros in total on garden tickets. Would he really enjoy an exclusive restaurant, and box seats, and a bar when the cocktails cost an arm and a leg?

  Cas was supposed to be stepping into Matty’s world. Living like a real person, for once.

  So, no. The fancy date had to go. Besides, almost walking into von Tarr had given him a wake-up call. Being around so many people just increased his chances of being recognized a hundred times over. He’d promised himself that he’d give Matty an unforgettable first day in Rosavia, and that didn’t mean throwing money around.

  It meant personal. Intimate.

  He smiled and bit his lip, touching Matty’s arm, loving how warm his pale skin was. “It’s a surprise,” he said, excitement bubbling through him as a new plan quickly began to take shape in his mind. “Do you trust me?”

  Matty’s eyes got a little wider. “Yeah,” he said faintly. “I do. I trust you.”

  Cas loved those words a little too much – more than was probably sensible. But that was a Sander kind of problem. Cas loved that Matty trusted him already.

  Now he just had to make sure he earned that trust.

  Chapter Five

  Matty

  Matty couldn’t even blame the jet lag anymore.

  He’d slept for close to fifteen hours the night before, then had a nap when Cas had dropped him back at his hotel after their day out in the city, promising to pick him up again at seven o’clock. And when Matty came back outside and saw Cas waiting for him again in his BMW, he had to face the fact that he was completely smitten with this guy.

  His heart flipped and his tummy fluttered and his skin tingled with goosebumps. Just from looking at the damn man. He wasn’t broken with exhaustion anymore. There was no external factor to blame this lust haze on now.

  He was falling head over heels for a guy he’d only just met.

  And, honestly, Matty couldn’t ever remember feeling this strongly about stupid Jeremy or any of the other guys before him. It had always just been really nice with his previous boyfriends, until suddenly it wasn’t. But this?

  This was like a raging river flowing through him, a desperate need to fight his way through anything just to be near Cas.

  A man who lived in another country, and whom Matty would never see again once his two-week vacation was over.

  What the hell was he thinking?

  He wasn’t. That was the problem. His cock and his heart were definitely driving this train, with his brain nowhere in sight. There was no future with this man. Besides, Matty shouldn’t even be thinking about his love life when his sister was sick, should he?

  Cas hadn’t noticed him yet. He was texting on his phone, looking fucking gorgeous in a different hoodie from the one he’d been wearing when they’d first met yesterday. He’d told Matty not to dress up, which was good, because Matty couldn’t even if he wanted to. He still hadn’t heard from the airline exactly when his and Finley’s missing luggage was going to be delivered yet, so all he had was the new T-shirt that Cas had bought him yesterday. And the underwear, of course. That felt strangely intimate in a way that Matty was probably imagining, but he couldn’t help it.

  He loved wearing the simple briefs that Cas had bought for him, because they’d come from Cas.

  Matty didn’t get many presents, especially outside of his birthday or Christmas. It made him feel special. Important.

  Urgh! He needed to get a grip, now! This wasn’t anything, it couldn’t be.

  So why even bother going out tonight, if that was how he felt?

  He ducked back into the hotel’s small foyer and chewed his lip as he thought. Maybe this was exactly what he needed. Rather than obsessively calculating whether or not any guy he met was boyfriend material, he should just embrace the time limit that was imposed on him and Cas. He was just here for two weeks. He could have some fun, then go back to real life. There was no risk of falling in love or anything so stupid, because he simply wouldn’t have the time. And was he really so much of an idiot that he’d pass up the opportunity to spend the evening which the stunning man-hunk currently waiting for him outside?

  No. Matty still might not fully understand what miracle he’d performed to earn the attention of such a hot, sweet guy, but he had, and that was that.

  Time to go enjoy the universe not being a douchebag to him, for once.

  Allowing himself to smile, he jogged back out of the hotel and waved when he caught Cas’s eye as he’d stopped texting. “Hey,” Matty said as he opened the door. He smiled and did his best to relax. “Thank you for waiting,” he said instead.

  Cas grinned as Matty sat down and closed the door. But before he put his seatbelt on, Cas handed him a bundle of the softest material. It smelled like fresh rose-scented detergent that made Matty think of clear blue skies and rambling hills. “I thought you’d like to borrow this,” Cas said as Matty tried not to rub the material too obviously. “So you don’t get cold.”

  It was the hoodie Cas had been wearing yesterday. Matty suddenly realized that it had a faded Elm Willows logo on the front. In his jet lagged state, Matty hadn’t recognized it when they’d visited the school yesterday, but now he tried not to gasp in surprise. He was so touched, though. This was Cas’s personal school sweater that he was lending to Matty. Matty was pretty sure this was even better than the T-shirt Cas had bought for him. He tried not to grin too much as he shimmied his way into the enormous thing. It drowned him and the sleeves were far too long, and he loved it.

  “It’s perfect,” he said, trying not to sound too eager. He might not be planning his wedding to Cas, but he didn’t want to scare him off, either. He had that effect on men, it seemed.

  But Cas didn’t make him feel like that needy, insecure guy from New York. Matty was starting to suspect that a part of him always expected his boyfri
ends to leave, just like his parents had done.

  So then they did.

  But now, in this hoodie, he felt like he was wearing a costume. A disguise. If he bit his lip and shut off some of his noisy brain, he could imagine he was Cas’s boyfriend, borrowing his too-big sweater. And Cas thought he was awesome, so he wasn’t going to pull the rug out from underneath him in just two weeks, surely? Nope. Otherwise, why would they have hung out all day and were now going on another date tonight?

  In the couple of seconds it took him to put on the hoodie, Matty drank in that confidence, channeling it to become a better version of himself.

  He was…Vacation Matty. Yeah, that was it! And Vacation Matty didn’t worry or second-guess everything. He lived in the moment.

  So he squirmed a little in the super-soft hoodie and rubbed his arms. “Definitely not going to get cold in this comfy cutie!” he announced. “Thanks so much.”

  Cas stared at him for a second before clearing his throat and starting the car ignition. “You’re welcome,” he said with a nod, pulling them away from the curb. That was a little strange, but Matty dug his fingernails into his palms and made himself promise not forget his new resolve to be confident and carefree.

  The evening was bright and the city alive with tourists going out to dinner and other amusements. Matty watched them walking through the streets as Cas drove by, the low music on the radio keeping them company again. It was easy to be quiet with Cas. Matty didn’t feel the need to babble about nothing just to fill the awkward silence between them. He could just be, and that felt okay.

  But when he realized they were heading out of the city, he felt confident enough to ask Cas again what he was planning.

  “Are we going back to the school?” Matty asked, looking down at the hoodie he was wearing.

  Cas chuckled. Matty loved the way that sound made him feel. “No, that’s back that way somewhere,” Cas said, jerking his thumb over his left shoulder. “We’re going to a remote little spot where I used to hang out as a kid. My family has a log cabin out there.” He frowned and flicked his gaze over at Matty. “Wow. Could I sound any more like a serial killer?”

  Matty laughed, remembering his jet lagged thoughts from the day before. “It’s okay. I trust you not to chop me up into little bits.”

  Cas snorted. “It’s the full moon you should be worried about.” He waggled his eyebrows. “I’m a bit of a beast once the sun goes down.”

  Matty’s cock very much liked the idea of Cas turning into some kind of wild animal at night. He giggled shyly and glanced out to see what kind of moon actually was shining faintly in the lavender-blue sky.

  “Made you look,” Cas teased him, fondness abundant in his words.

  Matty want to ask what Cas intended for them to do once they got to his family’s log cabin, but he was almost too afraid of the answer. He didn’t want to break this magic spell between them. So he just tried to relax and promised himself that he’d go with the flow. This was Vacation Matty, who didn’t have to declare his undying love just because a guy breathed in his direction. That was Regular Matty.

  Vacation Matty could have a fling if he wanted to.

  If that was what Cas was even intending. He might just want to genuinely watch Netflix or make a campfire or something.

  As Matty’s stomach grumbled, though, he wished he’d thought to ask if food was happening. Apparently, jet lag made you ravenous. Even though he’d been eating all day and had grabbed a burger from a cheap place near his hotel before his nap, he could still go for a decent meal right about now. But Cas was already being so generous and buying pretty much everything, and Matty didn’t want to sound ungrateful or demanding, so he kept his mouth shut.

  As much as he wanted to be all strong and independent, he couldn’t deny that having Cas swoop in and solve all his problems, not to mention spoiling him rotten, was like some sort of dream. Did that make Matty a bad person? Or worse, weak? Relying on a man to take care of you wasn’t particularly twenty-first century.

  He bit his lip, the jolt of pain snapping him out of his spiral. That train of thought was too close to worrying. Vacation Matty didn’t worry. Vacation Matty was allowed to bask in the attention of a hot rich guy and not feel like he had to get on his soapbox about it.

  Speaking of which, when they rounded a bend and came across a lone log cabin, Matty had to say he was surprised. Considering how wealthy Cas’s family appeared to be, he thought it would be one of those ultra-modern, glass-fronted cabins with two stories and a hot tub out back. But it was just a basic little cabin, with a pitched roof and wooden shutters. There was a small chimney and a short porch with a swing hanging next to the door, big enough for two people. From the size of the structure, Matty had to guess that it was just one room inside.

  It was utterly adorable.

  But honestly, it was nothing in comparison to the breathtaking scene that lay just to the left of the cabin as Cas pulled the car up. Matty gasped, craning his neck to try and see it all, but when Cas killed the engine, he just jumped out of the car instead.

  He’d been aware that they’d been driving steadily upward, but it didn’t feel that dramatic. Now, though, the evening vista showed Alpina far below in all its glittering glory, as well as the spectacular mountains beyond the forest behind them. The scent of pine was rich in the air and birds were chirping their dusk chorus.

  But the pièce de résistance? The cabin was right by a small pond, complete with a little rushing waterfall and babbling brook that wound its way around the cabin. The pond was probably only sixty feet by ninety, with rocks to the left and a drop to the right, like a natural infinity pool. The water was a crystal-clear aquamarine, and bobbing on its surface at the end of a short dock was a rowboat.

  Matty covered his mouth as he stared in awe, not quite convinced his jet lag hadn’t returned and he wasn’t hallucinating. This was so beautiful it seemed impossible.

  With a jolt of surprise, he felt a touch on his hip and warm breath on the back of his neck. He hadn’t even heard Cas get out of the car, and now he was standing behind him, his chest almost brushing against Matty’s back.

  “Good surprise?” he murmured, sending shivers down Matty’s spine.

  He nodded and swallowed, not trusting himself to speak for just a second.

  “Yeah, yeah,” he finally rasped. “Incredible surprise. I’m blown away. Thank you. I…this is really special.”

  Cas chuckled. “Good.” He moved away, and Matty felt the loss against him keenly. Cas went into the trunk of the BMW to retrieve an honest-to-god picnic hamper and a folded blanket that he placed on top of the hamper. Then he reached out his free hand and waggled his fingers at Matty. “Come on,” he said with a sweet smile that melted Matty’s heart.

  Not only was there food, but Cas had made them a full-blown, adorable picnic, and now he was leading Matty by the hand toward the cute little rowboat. His palm was warm and dry against Matty’s and he held it firmly, like he was telling Matty everything would be just fine if he stuck with Cas.

  Matty couldn’t argue with that.

  “Watch your step,” Cas murmured, helping Matty to stand in the boat.

  Cas then followed, sitting down and encouraging Matty to settle next to him. Then he placed the hamper on the floor in front of them, and draped the blanket over their laps. The sides of their legs were pressed together, and Matty could feel Cas’s muscular thighs even more than he had when he’d lightly tapped his leg yesterday. He bit his lip, not trusting himself to speak. Cas didn’t bother unmooring the boat, leaving them bobbing in the same spot, looking out at the incredible view with the waterfall splashing a dozen feet behind them.

  “Do you like it?” Cas asked as he nudged Matty’s shoulder. He’d been doing that more as the day went on, and Matty loved it. Much like the teasing, he’d initially felt a spike of apprehension that perhaps Cas was overbearing on him. But once he’d taken a moment to think about how he really felt, he loved it. Cas was crowding i
nto his personal space, but gently and carefully in a way that made Matty feel safe, not threatened.

  He responded by knocking their knees together under the blanket. “Hmm, it’s all right, I suppose,” he said, attempting a bit of his own teasing.

  Cas burst out laughing, dropping his head back. “Oh, I see,” he said through a big grin, bumping against Matty’s whole body. They stared at each other for a second, and it was like all the air vanished from Matty’s lungs. It was as if there was something palpable between them, and Matty was made of nothing but want.

  Cas cleared his throat and smiled, this time softer, before reaching over to open the top of the hamper. Matty couldn’t help but gasp. It was jam-packed with all kinds of yummy-looking nibbly food, as well as a bottle of fancy-looking sparkling wine and a hot drinks flask.

  “I wasn’t sure what you liked…” Cas began, raising his eyebrows.

  “So you packed everything,” Matty finished with a giggle. “Oh my goodness, this looks amazing. Thank you, I love it. Did you know that jet lag makes you ravenous?”

  Cas laughed, nodding. “I did. Please, eat as much as you like. And I’ve got some rose tea, or-”

  “Bubbly,” Matty interjected enthusiastically. “I’m on vacation. Let’s crack open the Champagne!”

  “Good answer,” Cas said approvingly. “Although this is actually Rosavian sparkling wine. It’s called Zasfer. It’s kind of like our Champagne or Prosecco. It’s, um, produced by the royal vineyard. I hope you like it.”

  Matty licked his lips. “I’m sure I’ll love it,” he said sincerely, not sure why Cas would be hesitant about sharing that fact. Surely that just made it more awesome?

  “I’ll just have a small one,” Cas said, “since I’m driving, then switch to tea to leave you the rest.”

  Matty almost protested. Did they have to drive back? Couldn’t they stay in the cabin?

  Together?

  But that was way too forward for him, even with his resolution to be spontaneous Vacation Matty. He was much more comfortable having Cas take the wheel, so he would just go along with whatever he suggested.