Wade whirled around and stared at the man glowering at him from the entrance hall of his apartment.
“Rhys. Where is he?” Wade said between gritted teeth, barely holding on to his anger.
He couldn’t see any sign of Rhys, nor could he smell Rhys’s cologne and his unique scent.
Wade had spent most of the day waiting outside Saron for Joe and Ethan to come open up the club. When he’d told them about Rhys going missing and the bewildering text he’d received that morning, Ethan had stared blindly at Wade before glancing at Joe, concern clouding his green eyes.
“I think I saw him leave with Michael last night,” Ethan said quietly. “It looked like they bumped into each other in the foyer.”
Joe’s eyes widened while Wade’s stomach sank at this news.
Wade knew Rhys wasn’t the type to cheat on him. There had to be another explanation for the insane message Rhys had sent him that morning. And it seemed Rhys’s former lover was the only lead Wade had to go on.
Joe and Ethan had spent the next hour phoning their contacts to obtain Lynch’s address. Although Wade’s own nerves were frazzled after the hellish night and day he had just lived through, he was grateful for the two men’s help.
Rhys had great friends and Wade intended to tell him that the next time he saw him.
“Let us know if you find out anything,” Joe called out to Wade as the latter hurriedly left the club, Lynch’s address in hand. “And whatever that message is about, fix it.”
Wade had nodded at Joe’s grim expression before heading out into the night and hailing a cab.
“I know you were with Rhys last night,” Wade said presently to the man whose apartment he was trespassing upon. “Ethan said he saw you two leave the club together.”
Michael slammed his front door shut and crossed the floor to the edge of the lounge. They scowled at each other across the space for several seconds.
“I really don’t see what Rhys saw in you,” Michael said finally with a derisive bark.
Wade narrowed his eyes at the past tense. “That’s none of your business now, is it?”
“It is after the way you fucked up last night!” Michael roared.
Wade’s heart stuttered. “What do you mean by that?” he said in a deadly tone.
Michael’s hands curled into fists. “We saw you. With that woman.”
Wade blinked. “Lana Keele?” he said with a faint frown. “We were having a business dinner. Rhys knew about it.”
Michael sneered. “Do you kiss all the women you do business with?”
Wade rocked back on his heels, stunned. “I didn’t kiss her! Why the hell would you think that?”
Michael folded his arms across his chest, his expression accusing. “The way you were holding her and touching her made it pretty clear that you weren’t far off from doing so.”
Dread filled Wade as he recalled the incident on the steps of the restaurant. To anyone else watching that scene unfold, it would have been natural to conclude that Lana and him were an item.
Shit. Is that what Rhys thought too?
Wade tasted ash in his mouth as he finally grasped the context of Rhys’s message that morning.
“Where is he?” he said quietly.
Michael shook his head, disbelief washing across his face. “You are unreal. What the hell makes you think I would tell you his whereabouts?”
Wade’s pulse jumped.
So he knows where Rhys is!
Wade closed the distance to Michael and grabbed the front of the lawyer’s T-shirt. “Because I didn’t cheat on him,” he grated out, a muscle jumping in his cheek. “I was helping Lana put her contact lens back in. And if you guys had waited another half minute, you would have seen her secretary come out and take her back to their hotel.”
Michael’s eyes widened. “Are you serious?”
“As a heart attack,” Wade grunted. He released his hold on Michael’s T-shirt. “So, where is he?”
Michael studied him for a moment.
“This thing between you and Rhys,” he said, “are you in it half-heartedly? Because if you are—”
“I’m never been more serious about anything or anyone in my entire life,” Wade stated curtly.
Michael watched him with a skeptical expression. “But you’re straight.”
Anger surged through Wade at the lawyer’s audacity. He suppressed his fury in the next instant.
The guy’s only looking out for Rhys’s best interests.
“This isn’t about being gay or straight,” Wade said steadily.
Michael’s expression thawed at whatever he saw on Wade’s face. He hesitated before walking across to the coffee table and grabbing a pen and a notepad. He scribbled something on it, tore the top sheet free, and handed it to Wade.
“One of my clients has a holiday rental just outside Nagano,” the lawyer said stiffly. “It’s a cabin in the mountains. I arranged for Rhys to spend a few days there.”
“How—,” Wade faltered for a beat, “—how bad was he?”
“He cried,” Michael said bluntly.
Wade sucked in air, his heart twisting at the thought of the hell Rhys must have gone through last night.
Michael’s eyes softened slightly. “I’m the last person who should be saying this, considering how I feel about Rhys, but—you need to put this right.”
Wade swallowed. “I know. And thank you.”
Michael blinked. “For what?”
Wade flashed him a tired smile. “For being a good friend to him.”
Chapter 23
Rhys rubbed his gritty eyes before gazing blindly into the flames crackling in the open fire pit opposite the couch he slouched in.
It had gone midnight and snow was falling steadily outside, adding to the pale drifts covering the haunting landscape. Although he was exhausted after the night and day that had just passed, Rhys knew it would be futile to climb into the king-size bed under the eaves of the modern, glass and log wood cabin nestled on the slopes of the mountain.
He’d barely managed a few hours sleep in the last twenty-seven hours.
Rhys didn’t remember the exact details of how he had gotten here last night. Michael had packed him an overnight bag at his place before putting him on the bullet train to Nagano. The lawyer had arranged for a cab to pick him up at the other end and bring him to the isolated lodge three miles outside a popular skiing resort.
The cabin’s pantry and fridge were fully stocked, courtesy of a local catering company, and Rhys had found fresh toiletries in the en suite bathroom when he’d woken up that morning.
He’d made some toast and eaten half of it, more for the sake of putting something in his empty stomach. It had tasted like ash in his mouth. He’d thrown away the rest and borrowed a pair of boots and a ski jacket he’d discovered in a closet in the foyer before going for a long walk. The cold air had numbed his face and body as he trudged through the snow, his restless mind reliving the events of yesterday and the message he’d finally sent Wade after dozens of texts and missed calls from the latter.
Rhys knew Wade had been going out of his mind with worry from the increasingly desperate tone of his messages and voicemails. For one dizzying moment, Rhys had considered not answering them at all. Then, reality had come crashing down upon him, erasing his selfish impulse. He and Wade were still business partners and Rhys knew he would have to face him at some point in the next week.
Something suddenly flashed in the darkness outside the cabin, distracting Rhys from his glum thoughts. Headlights speared the shadows between the trees visible through the triple aspect, panoramic glass walls wrapping around the building. Rhys frowned as the beams headed steadily up the dirt track before disappearing around the back of the property. He rose from the couch, placed his empty glass of Scotch on the coffee table, and padded barefoot into the foyer, curious as to who it could be at this late hour.
The cabin was set in a hundred acres of private land and the closest neighbor was h
alf a mile away.
Rhys reached the front door just as someone started pounding on it. He twisted the latch, grabbed the handle of the thick, oak pivoting panel, and swung it open. He froze in the next instant.
Wade stood on the porch outside. He was dressed in a sweater and jeans and carried a large overnight bag Rhys recognized as one of his own. Fresh snow flakes melted in Wade’s dark hair as he gazed steadily at Rhys.
“Hi,” he said quietly, glancing at Michael’s oversized clothes where they hung loosely on Rhys’s frame.
Rage flooded Rhys. He scowled and started closing the door.
Wade slammed his hand onto it and pushed. “Let me in, Rhys.”
“Why?” Rhys snarled. He grunted as he tried to maneuver the door closed. Fucking strong bastard! “So you can lie to me?!”
Wade clenched his teeth, shoved at the oak panel with all his strength, and crossed the threshold when Rhys stumbled back a step. He closed the door, dropped the bag, and stood staring at Rhys, his posture stiff and his slate eyes dark with emotion.
Rhys’s pulse jumped when he read the anger and agony in the gunmetal depths.
“How did you find me?” Rhys said, a muscle jumping in his cheek. He twisted on his heels and stormed inside the lounge, his footsteps carrying him across the heated oak floor and past the open fire to the see-through wall at the opposite end.
There was motion in the reflection in the glass as Wade slowly followed him inside the airy room.
“Michael told me,” Wade said.
Shock reverberated through Rhys at Wade’s admission. He turned and stared at the man who had broken his heart, blood pounding in his veins.
He couldn’t believe Michael had betrayed him.
“He also told me what happened that night,” Wade continued, taking a further step inside the room. “About what you saw.” He paused. “Or what you think you saw.”
Rhys fisted his hands, his nails biting into his palms. “I know what I saw. And trust me, I get the message loud and clear!”
Wade stilled then. “So you meant it?” he said in a low voice devoid of emotion. “What you texted this morning? About being tired of it all? About ending this?”
Wade’s eyes glittered despite his aloof tone.
A shiver raced across Rhys’s skin at the light burning in the smoky blue depths.
Don’t. Don’t fall for his lies and excuses.
Rhys straightened to his full height and met Wade’s gaze unflinchingly, finally ready to do what he should have done weeks ago. No, what he should have done years ago.
“Yes,” Rhys said while his heart shattered all over again. “Why prolong this farce any further? It’s clear you were only interested in fucking me for the novelty and you decided to move on when a more interesting prospect came along.”
Wade closed the distance between them, took Rhys’s face in his hands, and kissed him forcefully.
Rhys gasped, momentarily paralyzed in Wade’s grip. Heat flooded his chest and he swallowed the fresh tears threatening to overspill his eyes at the taste of Wade’s lips. It took everything Rhys had to push Wade away.
“No!” He gritted his teeth at the way his voice trembled. “You don’t get to kiss me or touch me, ever again. Not after what you did!”
Wade grabbed Rhys’s hands and tugged him into his arms in a tight embrace. Rhys shuddered and closed his stinging eyes, angry at himself for the way his body immediately reacted to Wade’s touch.
“Last night, I had dinner with Lana Keele and her secretary Tom Sutherland,” Wade said softly. “Lana lost her contact lens when we were coming out of the restaurant, and I helped her put it back in. If you and Michael had stayed another thirty seconds, you would have seen Sutherland come out and take Lana back to their hotel.”
Rhys blinked and stiffened. He curled his hands in Wade’s sweater.
“You seriously expect me to believe that?” he said, his incredulity reflected in his voice as he looked up at Wade.
“Yes,” Wade replied. “And I think you’ll be thrilled by the project they want us to take on.” He let go of Rhys then and gazed at him steadily.
For the first time that night, Rhys registered the tiredness in Wade’s eyes and the fresh worry lines carved in his brow. His heart raced as the words Wade had spoken echoed in his ears.
“I—,” Rhys swallowed convulsively, “—are you telling the truth?”
“Yes,” Wade said quietly.
Rhys turned to face the glass wall once more, his mind a jumble of twisted thoughts.
“I’ve been thinking about everything that’s happened between us in the last month long and hard during the drive here,” Wade said pensively behind him. He paused. “What are you afraid of, Rhys?”
Rhys trembled when he heard Wade take a step toward him and felt the heat of Wade’s body at his back.
“Why were you so ready to give up on us?” Wade added.
Rhys’s eyes widened at the bitterness underscoring Wade’s voice. He shuddered when Wade slowly trailed his left hand down his left arm.
“Why didn’t you want to fight for this?”
Rhys’s breath stilled as he stared at the reflection of the man behind him. A tormented expression was etched across Wade’s face. Rhys closed his eyes then, unable to bear looking at Wade any longer.
“Because if you reject me—when you reject me, it will break me,” Rhys whispered tremulously. He gulped air in, on the verge of tears once more.
A charged silence filled the space between them.
“What makes you think I’ll reject you?” Wade said quietly.
Rhys opened his eyes, turned, and gazed steadily at Wade, a heavy-hearted smile trembling on his lips.
“Because life isn’t a fairy tale, Wade. No gay man can expect the straight man he’s lusted after for most of his adult life to turn around and tell him he feels the same way. This—,” Rhys waved a hand between Wade and him, “—this attraction. What you’re feeling for me right now. It will die a natural death once the novelty of it wears off. There is no happy ever after for us. There was never meant to be. So, let’s end this. Right here. Right now.” Rhys rubbed a hand across his face. “I’m tired, Wade. And I’d rather we try and get back to a functional working relationship before things get ugly between us.”
Chapter 24
Wade stared at Rhys, a thousand thoughts swirling through his mind while his heart thudded against his ribs.
The expression on Rhys’s face. His voice. The words he had just spoken.
They tore through Wade, evoking a hurricane of emotions that threatened to drown him. Chief among them was anger. Anger at himself and anger at Rhys.
“You’re such a coward,” Wade finally said, his voice quivering.
Rhys’s eyes widened.
“You never wanted this to work out. From the very start, you were determined to see us fail,” Wade continued, unable to mask his resentment as his voice grew in strength.
“Wade, you’re not—” Rhys started in a worn out tone.
“What?” Wade interrupted challengingly. “I’m not thinking straight? Is that what you were going to say?” He clenched his jaw. “Is that your excuse now?”
Rhys frowned. “I don’t understand you. I’m giving you a way out. Why are you fighting this so—”
“Because I never wanted a way out!” Wade barked.
Rhys startled.
“I wanted a way in,” Wade continued in a tortured voice. “I’ve always wanted a way into you.” He raised his hands and cradled Rhys’s face, his fingers biting into Rhys’s skin. “In all the years we’ve known each other, I never truly knew you. The real you. The man whose smile can take me higher than I’ve ever flown.” Wade inhaled shakily when tears suddenly pooled in Rhys’s shocked eyes and overspilled onto his cheeks. He wiped at the wetness on Rhys’s heated skin with his thumbs. “And whose tears can bring me lower than I’ve ever fallen. The man who I’ve chased after for most of my professional life, competing for t
he same contracts, always seeking his attention, always searching for his approval.” A low chuckle left Wade’s lips. “Shit, even going as far as to coerce him into going into business with me.”
“What are you saying?” Rhys whispered brokenly, the fresh tears welling in his eyes causing Wade’s heart to twist in agony.
“I’m saying that it kills me that we’ve been so close yet so far this past sixteen years,” Wade said tremulously, lowering his head to kiss the damp trails on Rhys’s cheeks. “It kills me that you slept with all those men when you could have been sleeping with me. It kills me that I broke your heart every single time I went off with a woman.” He took a deep breath and gazed hotly into Rhys’s stunned eyes. “Because I love you, Rhys. It doesn’t matter that you’re a man. My soul chose you a long time ago. It’s taken sixteen years for my body and my heart to catch up.”
A sob tore out of Rhys’s lips. He clutched Wade’s sweater and dropped his forehead on Wade’s chest, his body trembling violently against Wade’s.
“So don’t give up on us, Rhys,” Wade said, his lips on Rhys’s hair while he wrapped his arms around Rhys’s body. “Fight for this. Fight with me. Fight for us. God help me, I will spend the rest of my life making up for our lost time if you would only say yes to me. Tell me, Rhys. Tell me yes. Tell me that you love me too.”
Rhys’s knuckles whitened in the material of Wade’s sweater. He took a shuddering breath before slowly raising his chin and staring up at Wade.
Wade’s heart constricted at the light blazing in Rhys’s eyes.
“Yes,” Rhys breathed, emotion painting red flags on his cheekbones.
Wade pressed his lips to Rhys’s in a featherlight touch. “I want to hear it, Rhys.”
Rhys shuddered and lifted his hands to the back of Wade’s head. “I love you,” he said fervently. “I’ve always loved you. And I always will. Until the day I die.”
Wade closed his eyes for a moment, emotion clogging his throat while wetness stung the back of his eyelids, his heart overflowing with his feelings for Rhys.
Then he took Rhys’s lips with his mouth, pouring everything he was and everything he wanted them to be into the torrid kiss.
The Proposition (Nights Series Book 6) Page 11
