A Hunted Man (The Men of Halfway House)

by Reese, Jaime

  Cameron stuffed the sandwich Bill passed over to him into a bag then immediately grabbed the latte mug, emptied the coffee into a lidded cup, and handed it to Hunter.

  "That's the second design you've erased," Hunter said with a wry grin.

  His cell phone chirped again, and Cam could swear he heard Hunter growl. His rock hard dick was going to explode he was so turned on right now. "I'll make you two tomorrow. Now go before you scare the other customers."

  Hunter looked at Cam with an odd expression then shook his head. "I'll see you tomorrow."

  Cam nodded and watched Hunter as he turned to exit the diner. He knew his attempt at flirting had completely failed with his inappropriate questions and comments. Who was he kidding, he didn't know the first damn thing about how to flirt. He should have kept it professional.

  Just before opening the door, Hunter turned and gave Cam one of his piercing glares. He then smiled and waved good-bye.

  Cam returned the smile before Hunter turned away to leave.

  Well, damn. Maybe this flirting thing wasn't so hard after all.

  Hunter sat in his living room, staring at a case file, trying to make sense of an illogical situation. Preston had agreed to a lesser sentence with a simple condition to turn in a decent lead of a 'business associate'. Not even an hour after leaving the courtroom, his office had received notification the defendant was reneging on the deal and wanted to finish the trial. Hunter raced back to court. In the end, a deal for a three year term was declined in exchange for a twelve year prison sentence. Fucking moron. It didn't make any sense at all for someone who swore the drugs found in his possession were not his.

  Hunter finished the last of the paperwork and stuffed the files back into his bag. He was too wired. He needed to let off some tension, or he was never going to get some sleep tonight. He quickly changed into his workout clothes and headed out to the gym.

  While driving, his mind absently wandered to Cameron. Cam captivated him with his weary smile and mesmerizing blue eyes. He had been tense all damn day at the trial, bothered he would miss seeing him another day.

  Why the hell hadn't Cameron answered the question about his age before the damn text messages kept interrupting? Maybe he wasn't as young as he looked. He could hope. For some reason, the thought of lusting after a guy almost twenty years younger than him seemed off.

  Fucking midlife crisis.

  He didn't feel his age. Cam calling him 'sir' just made the age difference more apparent. Maybe it was the whole, respecting elders and shit. He groaned. He hated being self-conscious, that trait wasn't part of his DNA.

  He thought the interest was double-sided but then Cam became distant again when Hunter had asked him to join him for coffee. He sighed. Maybe it was best not to push. He could do that and maintain his sanity. Problem was, staying sane was not at the top of his list of priorities, seeing Cam and getting to know him was.

  * * * *

  "Hey, Dad?" Hunter asked as he closed the door behind him to his father's home. He put his keys and wallet on the table by the door before yelling again, "Dad, you home?"

  "Where the hell else am I going to be at this time," his father responded, exiting the bedroom in his tank top and boxer shorts with his hair sticking up in all directions. "Be quiet or you'll wake the neighbors."

  "It's only nine o'clock." Hunter chuckled and gave his dad a hug. "How ya doing?" he asked, assessing his father with an arched eyebrow.

  "I'm fine," his father responded as he sat on the couch and motioned for Hunter to sit on the side chair. "Sit over there so you don't stink up my good couch."

  Hunter laughed. "Sorry, Dad. I had to work off some stress at the gym." He took a seat and watched his dad position himself more comfortably. He noticed the thinner frame his father now bore and how his hair shone silver against the light. Regardless of his appearance, Thomas Donovan was fiercely independent and strong-willed.

  "Stop looking at me like that. I'm not your courtroom prey."

  He groaned and rubbed his face. "Sorry, Dad."

  "What's wrong?" his father asked, obvious worry coloring his expression.

  Hunter sighed. "Even when I don't want to, I think I give off that vibe."

  "A case going badly?" he asked with concern. "You're married to that job. You need to go out, find yourself a nice young man, and settle down."

  Hunter stared at his father in disbelief.

  "Fine, then find yourself a guy and go fuck like bunnies."

  "I'm so not having this conversation with you." Hunter got up from the couch and headed to the kitchen.

  "You're not going to find any bacon in there," his father yelled from the other room.

  Hunter shook his head and smiled as he raided the cupboard.

  "Pantry, top shelf," his father said, leaning on the doorway. "Get enough for both of us."

  Hunter looked over his shoulder and stared at his father as he walked over to sit in one of the seats at the kitchen table.

  "And get some milk too while you're up."

  Hunter grabbed the package of sugarless treats from the pantry then poured two glasses of milk. He slid one of the glasses over to his father and sat in the seat next to him.

  "Wow, the whole package. That bad?"

  "Dad, stop." He opened the container and dunked one of the wafers in the milk. "These things taste like shit."

  "Suck it up. They're the only thing my stubborn son will let me sneak into this house."

  Hunter glared.

  His father watched him chew on the soggy treat.

  "What!"

  "What's his name?"

  Hunter closed his eyes and heavily sighed while he finished chewing. The image of Cam immediately came to mind. Cam's bright blue eyes and the way he easily smiled with some of the customers at the diner. The way Cam's muscles flexed and his ass tightened slightly in his jeans when he moved boxes around. The smooth, firm timbre of his voice when he spoke, echoed in Hunter's head.

  "What's his name?" his father asked again, jolting Hunter back to the conversation.

  "Why do you assume there's someone?"

  It was his father's turn to glare.

  Hunter caved. "Cam. His name is Cameron. He works at the diner by the office," he finished before jabbing another wafer into his milk.

  "Obviously, you like him. So what's the problem?"

  "I don't know," he mumbled with a mouthful of moist treat. "I don't know what to say."

  "That's a new one. Knowing you, you're probably doing that stare thing rather than talking to him."

  Hunter shook his head as he chewed.

  "You're a stubborn ass. You don't even know you're doing it. You're probably freaking him out."

  "What the hell am I supposed to say, Dad? 'Hey, Cam, I like you—let's go fuck like bunnies?' You can't be serious."

  Hunter almost spilled his milk when his father slapped him across the back of the head. "What the hell, Dad! Those were your words not mine," he said, rubbing the back of his head.

  "I can't believe I'm having this conversation with you." His father pressed his palms to his eyes. "You obviously like him so damn much you don't know what to do. What are you worried about?"

  Hunter shrugged. "He's younger than I am."

  "Is he legal?"

  Hunter pinched the bridge of his nose. "For fuck's sake, Dad. Really?"

  His father laughed. "Son, it's not like you're my age. How much younger?"

  "I don't know for sure. I asked him but I didn't get an answer."

  "And?"

  "And what?"

  "I was fifteen years older than your mother, and I loved her more than I thought it was possible to love someone else, and she loved me the same. Age is bullshit. Ask him out."

  "It's not that easy. Sometimes, I think he's flirting or something, but then I'm not sure. Maybe he's just being nice to me because I'm a customer. I don't know, Dad. I think he sees me as…old," Hunter mumbled the last part.

  "Has he called you an old fa
rt or something?"

  Hunter just shook his head at the direction the conversation had taken. He couldn't believe he was sitting in his father's kitchen, having cardboard sugarless tasteless wafers with milk, talking about his love life or lack thereof.

  "He calls me sir."

  "So. Some people are into that stuff."

  "Oh hell, Dad." Hunter got up from his seat to empty his glass in the sink.

  "Stop it and listen," his father said in his tone of authority.

  "If Cam were a girl, I could tell you what to look for—the hair flips, the giggles, and all that other flirty stuff your mom did, which I loved to let her think I didn't notice. But I don't know what it is you guys do. I do know one thing—I was terrified out of my mind to talk to your mother even though I knew, from that first instance, that she was the one for me. I'd sit in those damn uncomfortable church pews for hours just to watch her. When I finally got the nerve up to talk to her and ask her out, you know what she said?"

  "No, you've never told me this story," Hunter said with a soft tone and wistful half smile.

  "She said…'It took you this long to ask me out, how long is it going to take before you kiss me?'"

  Hunter laughed. "What did you do?"

  "I kissed her right then and there," his father said with a devilish grin.

  His dad rose from his seat and walked over to Hunter. He cupped Hunter's face and looked at him for some time without saying a word.

  "You're freaking me out," Hunter said after a few moments of silence.

  "I want you to listen to me very carefully."

  "Uh huh."

  "I want you to be happy. I'm tired of seeing you overworking yourself—sacrificing your life and putting everyone else first. Something about this young man has you all screwed up in the head. That's not like you. The biggest mistake you can make is to ignore that. Just talk to him. Ask him out. Your persistence is one of your strongest character traits. If he says no, try again until you tire him out and he gives in."

  "People have been known to get arrested for that," Hunter said. "Stalking, harassment, restraining orders—"

  His father squeezed Hunter's face tighter and searched his expression. "I don't remember you ever getting like this about anyone."

  "I haven't, that's why I'm so damn…" Hunter paused, searching for the right word. "Confused. Besides, it's way too soon for it to be anything that serious. It's only been a week."

  "You're scared because you don't know what to do."

  "I'm not scared."

  "Of course you're not."

  "Dad, reverse psychology won't work on me."

  His father finally released Hunter's face. "I knew I loved your mom on that first day and married her a few months later. Same thing happened to your grandpa and his. It's part of our DNA."

  "What are we? Werewolves?"

  "I have heard you growl on an occasion or two."

  Silence.

  "You're not old, Son."

  "I'm forty."

  "That's not old, you stubborn mule," his father said, exasperated.

  "I thought I was a werewolf," Hunter deadpanned.

  His father paused and looked down, lost in thought for a moment then shook his head. "I'm glad you're here because I wanted to talk to you about something."

  Hunter wasn't about to let his guard down. He had learned some tricks from his dad and knew a switch in conversation was a tactic to get his way.

  "I'm seeing someone."

  Um, that's unexpected. "Uh…what?"

  "I'm seeing someone. She makes me smile," his father said with a grin. "We get along great, and we talk about all kinds of stuff and have a lot in common."

  "Okay," he commented, not knowing what else to say.

  "She's not your mom—no one ever will be. We just like each other's company and I've got a date this weekend with her. We're going to go watch a movie on Miracle Mile."

  "Okay." Hunter thought about it. The thought of his father seeing someone else was surprising. He knew his mother wanted his dad to move on, she was very clear about that before she passed away so many years ago. His dad was the one who seemed resistant to taking the next step, said he could only ever love someone that much once in his life. Hunter wrapped his arms around his father and gave him a hug. "I'm happy for you, Dad."

  "Me, too," his father said as he patted Hunter's back. "So if this old fart can get the nerve up to ask someone else out, so can you."

  Fuck, I walked right into that one.

  "Smooth, Dad."

  His father laughed. "All kidding aside, just ask him. Otherwise, the what-ifs are going to drive you insane."

  Hunter couldn't argue that point. "I'll figure something out."

  "You always do," his dad responded in his proud-father tone.

  "I've got to go." Hunter turned and gave his father another hug. "Thanks, Dad."

  "I didn't do anything but give you a hard time," he said, squeezing Hunter tighter.

  Hunter released his dad and looked at the man who always seemed to know exactly what Hunter needed to hear throughout his life, even if he didn't know it at the time. He pressed his forehead to his father's. "I'll see you soon. Have fun on your date."

  Hunter waved good-bye to his dad. He drove off and wondered how the hell he was going to focus on getting some sleep when all he could think about was seeing Cam the next day. He wasn't sure how he was going to do it, but he had to get his brain in gear and focus on his cases. Even if the only thing on his mind had the most alluring blue eyes he'd ever seen.

  Hunter wasn't stalking…much. He also wasn't kidding himself as to the reason why he was sitting at the diner so early in the morning. He just wanted to see Cameron, hear his voice, see his smile, anything…something.

  He had arrived at the office early, hoping to catch up with a few case files only to receive notice Preston had been found dead in the holding cell. How he had managed to get a sharp object and slit his throat was under investigation, and the FBI wanted to immediately review Preston's case, in detail. Another day gone to hell, but there was no way he was going off to meet with the feds unless he got a chance to see Cam before the weekend.

  As luck would have it, Cam started later today. Hunter looked at his watch for the billionth time. He had stretched this as much as he could and only had a few minutes before he needed to leave and hoped like hell Cam arrived before then.

  He looked at his watch again. Damn. Resigned, he stood and walked over to the counter just as Bill finished up with a customer.

  "Um, Bill?"

  "Yeah."

  "Can you tell Cam—"

  Tell Cam what, exactly? That he waited for over thirty minutes like a psychotic stalker because he wanted, no, needed to see him? "Uh, can you just tell him—"

  "Why don't you tell him yourself," Bill said with a chin up gesture toward the door.

  Hunter turned, and there was Cam, walking along the sidewalk toward the front door. When he entered, the surprised expression was quickly replaced by a scowl.

  "You're early today," Cam said once he walked up to Hunter.

  "Yeah, something came up and I'll probably be away all day. So, I…uh…wanted to come by before disappearing all day."

  "Oh," Cam said and fidgeted.

  "How old are you?"

  "That's the second time you've asked me that," Cam said with a half smile. "Does it matter?"

  Yes, no, Hunter wasn't sure anymore.

  "Sir?"

  Hunter's cheeks heated. He looked up and saw Cameron with a broad grin on his face. "You do that on purpose, don't you?"

  "Gets you every time," Cam said with the first full smile directed at Hunter.

  Hunter stifled a laugh and stared at Cam, both men with silly grins on their faces. He couldn't believe how much a smile brightened this man's entire face.

  "I'm twenty-seven," Cam finally answered.

  Hunter nodded and breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought you were younger."

  "I get that
a lot."

  "I just had a birthday. I'm, um…forty."

  "Is that supposed to bother me," Cam asked, still smiling. "Sir?"

  Hunter chuckled with a grin still plastered on his face.

  "If it makes you feel better, I'll be a whopping twenty-eight soon."

  Hunter shook his head. He had the sneaking suspicion Cam was going to give him a shitload of grief about the age gap. But if it really didn't bother him, then Hunter would welcome the teasing if they got to spend more time together.

  "I know you need to leave, but can you wait two minutes?"

  Hunter nodded then Cam walked off and, in a few quick strides, made it behind the counter to the corner where the coffee machine resided.

  He looked over to Bill who was wiping down the sandwich area with a knowing grin. Hunter didn't care if he'd heard. He finally broke through the awkwardness with Cam and was pretty damn proud of making some form of progress.

  Cam returned with a lidded coffee cup in hand. "I figured you were going to have a long day and you could use one of these. No design today because you're supposed to drink it not stare at it."

  Hunter reached for the cup. Their fingers grazed as they held the hot drink. Their gazes fixated on one another and both took a slow, labored intake of breath. Hunter's pulse began to race, his heart fluttered frantically. He wondered if Cam had also felt a jolt pass through his body when they'd touched. He cautiously raised his index finger and brushed Cameron's digits, still gripping the cup. Cam gasped, maintaining eye contact. His eyes looked dazed, darkening to a beautiful shade of sapphire with each stroke of Hunter's finger. Cameron swayed slightly. Hunter withdrew the cup from his grip and broke the trance.

  Cam steadied himself and blinked rapidly until he focused again on Hunter. "You were leaving," he said, his hoarse voice barely audible.

  Hunter nodded. He fought to control a base desire in his body to grab Cam and take him over the countertop. "Monday," was all he trusted himself to say. Saying 'have a nice weekend' or 'see you on Monday' would have expelled more energy than he could spare.

  A customer entered the diner, immediately followed by another.

  "Monday," Cameron whispered. "Sir."