Toby’s smile was wolfish. “Oh, I don’t think Mr. Engel and I have anything else to say to each other. So if you don’t mind, I’d rather talk directly to you.” He nodded at Lucas and disappeared.
Lucas stared at me. “What the hell did you do to piss that guy off? He looked as if he’d like to castrate you with a blunt knife.”
My erect and aching penis gave a twinge of dislike at that comment. “A minor disagreement. He’s an arsehole, and I only like those in certain ways.”
Lucas was eying me with suspicion. “Rain, I don’t know what the hell you did or said, but you need to play nice. This is a big-cost job and could make us. We need the publicity a job like this will get us. Please tell me you’ll leave the bloody staff alone and make peace with that guy. He’s Winslake’s right-hand man, from what I’ve heard, and the two of them are tight.”
“I have no doubt of that,” I sneered, and Lucas shook his head in exasperation.
“Not that way, you twat. There’s about ten years between them, and I’m not even sure the owner is gay.”
I had my own views on that one. Simon Winslake was bi if nothing else. “That one certainly is.” I motioned toward the door. “Mr. High and Mighty there.” But I hadn’t been lying when I’d told him he was one of the sexiest men I’d seen in a long time. That lean body, the air of authority he had, the way he wore that suit and the dark-blond hair that curled around his face and ears, that malleable mouth and that to-die-for arse….
God, I wanted that arse. And what I’d felt when I’d been pressed against his front had seemed pretty impressive too.
Lucas heaved a long-suffering sigh. “At least it took your mind off Tommy.” He grinned when I looked at him furiously. “Now come on. Let’s get started. We’re working to a deadline, you know.”
He whistled and moved away. I picked up my design and what I called my “blueprints,” a cohesive set of concisely drawn plans for the installation of the bar. Lucas was right. It was time to begin building and forget about the man I’d just kissed and still wanted to kiss some more.
Chapter 3
Toby
STORMING INTO my office still feeling like I had an iron bar down the front of my nattily tailored suit pants, I slammed the door behind me.
That arsehole! Where the hell did he get off calling me a bloody twink? Not that there was anything wrong with them. I’d had my fair share myself over the years, but the way he’d said it had sounded like an insult.
“Bastard,” I muttered loudly. I adjusted myself with a wince. “One of those bloody macho men who think he can just take what he wants.” The thought of Rain Engel taking what he wanted didn’t help. My cock seemed to like that idea, and I frowned down at the area currently creating my sense of discomfort. “And you’re no bloody good, you traitor.”
Christ, that man had been sex on legs. And that accent, that slight twang in his voice, was a real turn-on.
Tall, well built, olive-skinned, and muscled, with a shock of unruly black hair both on his head and on his chest and a line of stubble along his chin that had scraped mine as he’d kissed me. And deep-blue eyes, like cobalt. He’d smelled like vanilla, a strange smell for a man, as I would have expected a more animal, musky scent from someone as hot as he was. But I could still smell it, taste his scent in my mouth. I sat down behind my desk and checked my e-mail. I needed to take my mind off him and, oh God, the feeling of his hardness pressing into my groin. That hot, erotic, and extremely satisfying kiss…. What the hell was wrong with me? I’d gone from famine to feast in less than twenty-four hours. I’d lusted for my boss and mentor, and now I had the hots for the contractor. I was definitely in bad shape. Give a man a bone… and he got a boner.
“Oh, for God’s sake,” I exclaimed in exasperation. I stood up. It was nearly lunchtime. I’d go and see what Tammy was doing. Perhaps something to eat and a quick walk in town in the fresh air might take the edge off.
A WEEK later and I was still putting up with Rain Engel’s brooding presence in the hotel. I thought gloomily it would be at least three months that we’d have to bear each other’s “company.” At least we were being professional about it. By that I mean I didn’t speak to him unless I had to, preferring to speak to the more affable Lucas. Rain tended to send his messages via Tammy, who he’d cottoned onto as being my friend. Tammy was highly amused, and in fact, I thought I was doing her a favor. It was obvious to me that Lucas had taken quite a shine to her. It might take her mind off that useless, domineering boyfriend of hers and give her a little something more to think about. She certainly seemed to enjoy the flirtation. Simon and I still hadn’t had that “talk” he’d mentioned, as things had been very busy. He’d been away for a couple of days somewhere too, and I’d been skirting the issue myself. The few times we had been together, I’d tried to keep it totally professional. Simon had been the epitome of professionalism too, although there were times I’d caught him glancing at me in a very nonprofessional manner, his eyes sultry. I chose to ignore that.
But the last two days he’d been a little more withdrawn with me, seeming to go out of his way to avoid me. I was now even more confused about my feelings, given the fact that every time Rain Engel walked close to me or our eyes met, I felt this instant blast of sheer animalism from the man. I was in a state of constant arousal, and my right hand was starting to complain. I was becoming a candidate for RSI. Perhaps they’d find a new name for this particular injury and call it a special strain of “wank-me-off-itis.”
I watched as Tammy arranged her desk with her usual precision of organized chaos, ready to leave. It was almost 8:00 p.m., later than her usual knock-off time, as we’d had a conference in the ballroom and it had overrun. The delegates had been picky, demanding, and an absolute nightmare to manage.
She looked at me with a tired smile. “Right. I’m ready to go home, have a hot bath, and get into bed with a good book.” Her face looked a little more strained than usual, and her mobile hadn’t stopped twittering all evening. I assumed it was the boyfriend trying to control her life again and find out where she was.
I walked over and gave her a hug. “Tam, you look knackered, sweetheart. Take a nice glass of red wine into the tub with you. That always does it for me.”
“I thought Rain Engel did it for you, Toby,” she muttered, and I frowned.
“God, no.” I crossed my fingers in the fervent hope that a lightning strike from the big guy didn’t knock me down where I stood. I wasn’t going to admit to her that the big lug who wandered around the hotel in his cutoff tee shirts with his brawny arms on show, giving me a permanent hard-on, was special. “I have more taste than that.”
She nodded in amusement. “You keep telling yourself that. That man has you all aflutter.” She grinned. “But as long as you two aren’t giving in to the desire to jump each other’s bones, which is quite obvious to anyone, really, at least I have the lovely Lucas paying me attention.”
“I do so not want to jump his bones.” Fingers crossed tighter. She thinks he wants to jump mine? My groin warmed up at the thought.
“Toby, even Simon’s noticed. He mentioned it the other day, something about the two of you seeming a little at odds with each other. I might have mentioned that I thought you two had the hots for each other, and he didn’t know what to say.” She frowned, a small crease on her forehead marring her pretty face. “In fact, he seemed a little strange about it. He said it was about time you found someone to be with. Then he upped and disappeared, and I don’t think I saw him the rest of the day.”
I groaned loudly. “Tammy, you shouldn’t have said anything. I don’t want him thinking I’d bonk someone he’s employed in the hotel. You know his rules.” And now he knew I had the hots for someone. Perhaps that was why he’d backed off. But I had the hots for him too, didn’t I? Christ, this is all so bloody confusing.
“Yes, but Rain isn’t employed, he’s a contractor from outside. So ‘Simon’s Rule’ doesn’t strictly count. That’s for emp
loyees and customers; everyone knows that.”
“You talk too much, missy,” I admonished her. “Now get out of here before Neil comes looking for you to drag you back by the hair, with his knuckles scraping on the ground like the caveman he is.” I’d meant it as a joke, but it obviously hit a nerve with her.
“Toby, for God’s sake, he’s not that bad. Sometimes you make me so mad.”
Her lips pressed together as she slung her bag over her shoulder and marched away. I was about to go after her to apologize for my comment but was distracted by an elderly patron asking where the restroom was. He was a little hard of hearing, and by the time I’d tried to explain where it was, it was easier to simply escort him to the very palatial loo. The bathrooms in the hotel had been designed by some world-class designer who’d won an award for them. They were a little too rich for me. I preferred clean, fresh lines with a minimalist feel. Once he was sorted, I went out to see if Tammy was still around.
The garden was full of people sitting on wrought iron chairs, enjoying their drinks and bar snacks. It was warm, and the sun was still beaming its rays across the trees and the grass. People nodded at me as I walked down the path to the graveled car park. I smiled at them, waving and nodding back. It was a garden made to be outside in. The herb garden gave off a fragrance of rosemary and lavender, and the brightly colored flowers moved slightly in the breeze, also enjoying the sunshine.
Tammy normally parked her car around the side in the shade of a large oak tree. As I walked around, I heard shouting. She was standing at the half-open door to her car. Neil’s hand was clasped tightly around her wrist as he shouted. She struggled to remove herself from his grasp. A surge of anger swept through me at the sight of him manhandling her, and I moved swiftly toward them. As I got closer, he smiled nastily, still holding tight to her wrist. “Well, look who’s coming to the rescue,” he sneered. “Fag boy himself. Sucked any good cock lately, Toby?” He waved at his own groin area. “I have to say I’m particular about who I let down there, but Tam here makes a pretty good job of it.”
Tammy’s face blushed red, and her look of sheer mortification was more than I could bear.
“I’m particular about who I suck, Neil,” I drawled. “I have to say your cock doesn’t come close on my list of preferred dicks. I have a rating, and on a scale of one to five, I’d guess you’re a….” I looked at his groin pointedly, seeing him get uncomfortable. “A minus fucking ten?”
My derogatory comment had its desired effect, as Nick swore loudly, releasing Tammy’s wrist. I was amused at his distress. It seemed that even a straight man didn’t like to think his cock wasn’t good enough to be sucked by a gay one. The amusement faded when I saw Tammy standing rubbing the wrist he’d grabbed. I scowled at Neil. He scowled back. “You bastard,” he hissed as he moved over to me, his fists clenching. Neil was a big man, six foot four and very wide. He played rugby for the local team, and a smack from his fist would definitely not be a good thing. But I held my ground. I’d met bullies before, even though I’d usually ended up the worse one off, as I honestly didn’t know when to stand down. If he smacked me one, so be it. I’d go down fighting.
I tensed as Neil reached me and stood before me, breathing deeply, his face twisted in a snarl. I smiled. I couldn’t resist my next words. “I hear a little bit of heavy breathing going on there, Neil. Am I turning you on, ’cause I normally only hear that level of heavy breathing when a man intends fucking me. Do you fancy me, then?”
I heard Tammy’s low exclamation, her “Oh shit, Toby, you idiot” coming at the same time as the solid sound of Neil’s fist hitting my mouth, splitting the skin and driving my head back. I hadn’t expected him to retaliate so quickly—my miscalculation. I didn’t fall, though, but staggered backward, holding my ground. I heard a tight voice behind me.
“Everything all right, here, Toby?”
I turned to see Rain Engel standing there, his face taut, his broad shoulders squared, with a look of absolute loathing on his face as he looked at Neil. He was dressed in low-slung jeans and his usual cutoff tee shirt, and I have to say even under the circumstances I appreciated the sight. His forehead had the slight sheen of sweat on it. He made no move to help me or interfere, and I felt grateful for that. “I think so, Rain. Neil here was just leaving. And he won’t be back. He’s banned from this place forthwith. No arguments, Tammy.” My voice was sharp as I saw her open her mouth. “This is a place of business. Personal stuff stays at home. Neil’s not welcome here anymore. I’m sorry.” She might be my friend, but I was still GM of this place.
She nodded slightly and stared at her boyfriend. “Neil, go home. Sleep it off. I’ll call you later.”
My heart sank at the fact that she still intended seeing this bastard. Neil gazed at me, then at Rain. He nodded, a slight smirk on his face.
“I see how it is. God, what’s the world coming to when a decent bloke has to put up with all these pretty boys on their doorstep?” He stepped back as he glared at Tammy. “I’ll speak to you later. This isn’t over.”
He sauntered jauntily to his car, a Pug 106 that looked a little the worse for wear, and climbed in behind the wheel. He drove off in a snarl of tires and a blast of foul-smelling exhaust smoke. I let out a breath, realizing I’d been holding it in. Tammy moved up to me. I recoiled slightly, thinking I was about to get decked. Instead she put her arms around me, hugged me, then drew back to touch my lip tenderly. I winced.
“You’d better go inside and put some ice on that, or no one will be able to kiss you for a while.” Her glance flitted toward Rain, who stood there impassively.
“What was his problem?” I asked her, studying her face.
She sighed. “Someone told him I’d been flirting with Lucas, and he got upset. He’d been drinking a little. He came down to ask me what the hell I thought I was doing.” She smiled sadly. “I’ll sort this out, one way or another. I’m sorry he hit you, Toby. I know you were just trying to protect me. I’ll call you later.” She kissed my cheek and moved away to her open car door. She climbed in and drove off, leaving me and Rain staring after her.
Rain came to stand by my side. I flinched as he gently took my jaw in this hand.
“She’s right. You’d better get some ice on that. Come on inside.”
I didn’t argue, just followed him, returning his ogling action of the other day. He had a tight backside, snugly encased in black jeans. I had to physically stop myself from reaching down and filling my hands, parting those taut cheeks to see what lay between them.
“So… I didn’t know the dickometer went as low as minus ten.” His amused words made me flush slightly.
“Oh. You heard that?”
“I heard it all. I was standing outside. You looked like you were handling it okay until he smacked you.” He opened the door and gestured to me to go first. I went in and made my way to the Mahogany Bar, the casual drinking spot for the residents. Eddie would probably be there and would have ice on hand for my mouth.
I scowled. “Yes, well. He took me a little off guard. He’s such a fucking prick.”
Rain looked at me with a grin as we walked into the cool, dimly lit bar. I headed off behind the counter to the under-counter fridge. I opened the door and took out a few cubes of ice, wrapped them in a clean dishcloth, and held it against my lip. It reminded me of the incident with Trevor. A few patrons were seated, sipping their drinks. Eddie was at the far table, serving food. He glanced up at me and nodded, looking a little surprised at seeing me in his domain. I moved out from behind the bar into the open with the cloth against my cut. The ice cold bit into it.
“Christ, that stings.”
Rain chuckled. “Don’t be such a baby. If you weren’t such a feisty little git, you wouldn’t have that rather sexy pout.”
My insides churned at his words. My groin was already a little heated from him simply being in such close proximity. “Feisty little git? Pouty?” I said indignantly. He smiled a slow, warm smile that definitely
made my cock want to play nice.
“Compliments, I promise. You had great lips before. Now they’re just poutier.”
Our eyes met, and I think both of us lost our breath. He cleared his throat and moved away. His voice was quiet when he spoke next.
“What you did out there was pretty brave, considering the other guy was a helluva lot bigger than you. Tammy’s lucky to have you as a friend.”
I shrugged. “I wasn’t going to let him hurt her. I’ve taken on worse before.”
He nodded. “I’ve no doubt you have. You have balls, I can tell you. I would have thought twice about taking him on.”
I couldn’t help myself. “Oh, I definitely have balls,” I murmured. “Maybe one day you’ll get to meet them.”
No sooner had the words slipped out than I wanted to take them back.
What the hell is wrong with me? I sound like a slut.
Rain grinned. “It’s obviously my lucky day. Feisty, pouty, and forward. I like that in a man.” He smiled wolfishly. “There are other things I like in a man too, but I’ll let you figure that one out. It shouldn’t be too hard.”
His constant play on words made me sweat, and I saw Eddie wandering over to the bar. My cock was straining at the front of my pants. From the bulge at his groin, so was Rain’s. I felt a surge of pride at being able to cause that reaction in him.
He eyed me lazily. “I’d also like to see if I can make it onto that preferred dick list of yours. I’m pretty sure I’d be a one.” He winked. I swallowed, thinking about the implications of that comment, my mouth starting to water as I imagined my lips wrapped around whatever he had bulging in his jeans.
“Toby, my God, man! Are you all right? Jerome told me what happened. He saw you in the parking lot with that idiot, Neil.”
Simon’s anxious voice catapulted me out of my dirty fantasy, and I blinked and stared at him. He stood in front of me, a worried expression on his face. He took my jaw, as Rain had, examining it gently. Rain stepped back warily.
Waiting for Rain Page 4
