by Jess Bryant
His entire body tensed at the sound of Shane’s voice behind him and he glanced over his shoulder to confirm that, yep, his boss was standing just on the other side of the door now. Lance took a deep breath, let it out, and tried not to grit his teeth. The last thing he wanted to do was make small talk, even if he liked the guy.
Shane Lowry was a straight shooter. He didn’t bullshit or pretend to be anything he wasn’t. He was a great cop, a good man and a fantastic father from what Lance had seen. In a lot of ways, he looked up to Shane. He’d been a mentor when Lance joined the force and he’d always treated Lance the same way he treated all the other guys at the station.
He didn’t give him shit for never going to happy hour or make snide comments about the notches on Lance’s bedpost. Shane never asked the kind of questions that Lance didn’t want to answer and that above all made him force a smile and ungrit his teeth to greet the guy.
“Hey Lowry.” He tipped his chin, “Lost my damn phone. What are you doing around these parts?”
Shane leaned against the side of the truck, “You looked between the seat and the console? That’s where mine always falls.”
Lance had just been about to shove his hand down there so he leaned over and skimmed his fingers through the seam. At first he thought he was going to come up empty but then the very tip of his finger brushed something. He snorted as he wedged himself deeper into the truck and managed to get a grip on the thing, pulling it out with a grunt.
“Nice.” He nodded to Shane as he dusted it off, “Thanks.”
“No problem.”
“So…” Lance shut the door of the truck so they were face-to-face, nothing between them, and asked his question again. The one that Shane had ignored. The one Lance already knew the answer to, but shouldn’t. He played dumb, like the idiot he was, “What brings you out here on your day off?”
Shane’s eyes darted back to the trailer as he scratched his head, “Your new neighbor.”
“New neighbor?”
“You didn’t notice someone was staying fifty feet from your door?”
Lance shrugged. What was he supposed to say? No, he hadn’t, but he had noticed someone in his bed. Had invited him to stay. Had come all over the both of them while they tangled their tongues and… Shit, if he wasn’t careful those memories were going to make this conversation really awkward. It wasn’t as if his sweatpants would hide the semi already growing at just the thought of Trent.
“Lemon has a friend in town from Nashville and he’s gonna be staying at Seth’s place for a while.”
Lance ignored the way his pulse jumped, “A while?”
“Sounds like it.” Shane rubbed his chin, “He’s looking to lay low and Fate’s a good place to do that. I was uh… I was kinda hoping you might keep an eye on him for me while he’s here. Make sure he doesn’t get into any trouble, that nobody bothers him.”
Lance didn’t like the idea of anyone bothering Trent. Not one bit. So he started to jump at the chance. Then he remembered that he wasn’t supposed to be the kind of guy that played nice. He was supposed to be a smartass so he sneered instead.
“You want me to play bodyguard for one of Lemon’s fancy friends? Am I getting overtime for this new job?”
Shane snorted, “More like babysitter and no. You’re not. Just call it a favor to a friend.”
Lance swallowed hard when his heart picked up the pace again. A reason to look in on Trent. To see him again. Because he really was staying. At least for a while. But that would only make things harder. Literally. His dick was already plumping up at the idea of spending more time with Trent Thorne.
“Who’s this friend?”
“Me, jackass.” Shane pushed off the hood of the car.
Lance rolled his eyes, “Not who am I doing the favor for. Who’s Lemon’s friend?”
Shane shuffled his feet, suddenly looking uncomfortable. Lance bit the inside of his cheek to hide a smile. He knew well enough to know Shane was trying to figure out the best way to tell him the guy he’d just asked him to look after was none other than Trent Thorne, the country music superstar that had just been outted as gay. The same man Lance could still smell on his skin. It wasn’t funny. Not really. So he bit off the slice of inappropriate humor and cleared his throat.
“It’s him, isn’t it?”
Shane winced, answer enough.
“The one they’re talking about all over the radio?”
“Yeah.” Shane finally met his eyes again, “Trent. His name is Trent.”
“Trent Thorne?” Lance couldn’t help but raise a skeptical eyebrow, “The same guy that got handsy with Lemon a while back? The one you said you’d gut if you ever saw him in person? And you’re asking me to look after him instead?”
“Oh, fuck off Nichols.”
Lance snorted when Shane laughed, “Just making sure we’re on the same page.”
“Yes. Okay? He’s Lemon’s friend and he’s having a rough time right now so I’m cutting him a break.”
“Because the rumors are true?”
“No. I mean, yes. I mean… Yes, the rumors are true. No, that’s not why I’m cutting him a break. He’s a good guy from what Lemon tells me and as much as I hate what he did, I don’t hate him. He was scared and he reacted. It’s over and done. They’re friends which means he’s my friend and since you’re my friend too I’m asking you to keep an eye on him while he’s here.”
Lance grinned, “Aww, you’re gonna make me tear up, Lowry. We’re friends? Should we braid each other’s hair and make bracelets too?”
Shane flipped him off good-naturedly. Lance laughed. Damn, it felt good to know that Shane considered him a friend. Felt even better to simply joke around with the guy. He didn’t have many close friends these days. Any close friends really. He was too scared of being found out to let anyone get too close. But Shane was his friend so even if he wasn’t lusting after the guy in that trailer he would have said yes.
“Sure, no problem. I’ll keep an eye on him.” Lance lied, because the truth was he hadn’t been able to take both eyes off Trent from the moment they met. He doubted that was going to change. Even if he needed it to so that nobody guessed his secret.
“Thanks man.” Shane offered a hand and Lance shook it to seal the deal.
He was officially Trent’s babysitter. Weird. And how the hell had he gotten himself into this situation? Oh yeah, he’d come outside looking for his phone. No, that wasn’t right. He was in this situation because he’d gotten a taste of Trent Thorne and he wanted more, any way he could get it.
Because he was a fucking idiot.
He rubbed his chest, which was aching again, “You uh… you don’t actually think he’s gonna get in trouble do you?”
“Nah. Like I said. He’s gonna lay low.” Shane shook his head, “We’re going to take him and show him around town today too. Let the locals get a look, get their fill of the gossip, and they should leave him be.”
Lance smirked and nodded his understanding. It was a good plan. Smart. Show the town the superstar, let him charm their socks off, and they’d start to think of him as one of their own. They’d protect him from the outsiders. And anyone in town that would’ve thought about giving him a hard time for being gay, well seeing him with Shane would shut that down too. Nobody in Fate was dumb enough to mess with the FSD boys because if you took on one, you got them all.
“Good call.”
“Hope so.”
“He’ll be fine.”
Shane blew out a rough breath, “Well, come on then and I’ll introduce you.”
Lance instantly balked, “What?”
“I’ll introduce you.” Shane eyed him as if he were an idiot, which he’d already conceded he was.
He couldn’t go walking up to Trent and hold out his hand to shake and pretend he didn’t still have the taste of him on his lips. He wouldn’t be able to play it off as nothing and there were spectators. Lemon and Shane would be watching their interaction. Besides, he wasn’t
even dressed yet.
“I uh… no need. I’ll catch him later.”
Shane shook his head, “Stop being weird and come say hello.”
“Nah, I…”
“Jesus Nichols, you got a crush on the superstar or something?”
He barked a laugh that felt loud. Too loud. Too fake. And slightly manic. Because yes, of course he had a crush. He’d had a crush for years. One of those silly, ridiculous celebrity crushes that nothing could ever come of because it was safe. He was never supposed to have met the guy let alone crawled into his lap and sucked on his tongue.
And there his dick went again, twitching with memories.
“I’m… I should go put a shirt on at least. Give me a minute.”
“What?” Shane rolled his eyes, “Fuck. Nichols, don’t be an asshole. He’s not going to jump you because he’s gay and you’re shirtless. You’re not that fucking irresistible.”
Lance tried not to wince at the words. That wasn’t what he’d meant. Hell, he’d been more worried he might jump Trent than the other way around. But Shane thought he was a bastard, just like everyone else in this town, so of course he thought Lance was homophobic enough to want to put on clothes before meeting the gay guy.
“It’s not that I…”
“Sure. Just try to be less of a dick when you meet the guy, okay? Don’t make him uncomfortable.”
Lance snorted, “What about me being uncomfortable?”
“Yeah I could give two shits about that.” Shane grinned at him good-naturedly before turning back to the trailer and raising his voice, “Hey! Lem! Come out here would you?”
He cringed at the request. This was happening. It was really happening and there was no escape. He was half-dressed in a pair of sweatpants that wouldn’t camouflage his reactions at all and he was about to come face to face with the star of his fantasies. The same man that had blown all those fantasies out of the water last night when he read Lance’s mind and gave him exactly what he wanted. Needed. What he’d always craved. And made him want more.
“What? We’re talking!” Lemon’s voice rang back with slight irritation.
“You can talk later. Come outside. I want to introduce Trent to his new neighbor.” Shane growled back.
There was a long moment of silence and Lance caught himself holding his breath. Trent knew Shane meant him. There was nobody else but the four of them for a good half-mile in every direction. What would Trent do? Come outside and pretend he didn’t already know him? Intimately? Or come outside and out him? Lance swallowed past the sudden lump in his throat.
“Trent said he hasn’t even had a shower yet. He’ll meet Nichols later.” Lemon chirped, her head popping out the open door of the trailer.
Shane rolled his eyes at Lance, “What is with you two? It’s not the MTV Music Awards. Just get over here and say hello so we can all go about our day.”
With no escape route in sight, Lance slowly followed Shane back towards the trailer. His heart was racing in his chest, pounding out a beat so hard and fast he thought it might explode. It would be karma if Trent outed him now. For all he’d done and all the people he’d hurt with his lie, Lance deserved this and had known it would come sooner or later.
But even as his head spun and his heart walloped, somewhere deep down, deep in his soul, he knew that Trent wouldn’t out him. Not here and not now. Not like this. Not after what he’d just gone through and not after what they’d shared last night.
A big figure loomed in the doorway of the trailer before heavy steps brought Trent out into the light. Their eyes connected again and that spark of electricity snapped between them. Lance’s entire body shuddered with awareness as the other man stepped down so they were on the same footing. Those beautiful blue eyes were wary but the fire was still there, Lance could see it, and he knew, he just knew, that he wasn’t the only one that felt it.
Whatever had happened between them last night, it had been crazy. Spontaneous. Out of control. It had burned bright and fast but it hadn’t burned out. He still wanted Trent and Trent still wanted him. There was something here, between them, if only Lance had the balls to figure out what it was.
Instead he dropped his gaze. Because he wasn’t strong enough to find out. He couldn’t. Whatever attraction there was between them, it wasn’t worth losing his entire life over.
“Hey.”
Lance swallowed hard… was it?
That deep, velvet voice rolled over his senses and Lance fought another shiver of desire. Memories of that voice, husky with need, made him bite his lip to keep back a moan. God that voice, it was sex and sin and he wanted to hear it whispering against his ear again, telling him what to do.
He forced his eyes back up, “Hey.”
Trent’s blue eyes twinkled with amusement and Lance tried not to fidget. The other man knew he was nervous and he was grinning now. That wide, sparkling white-toothed grin that could’ve sold toothpaste. Somehow, someway, it made Lance want to grin right back at him, as if they had a secret that nobody else was in on… which he supposed they kind of did.
“Well, that was poetic. Really.” Shane snorted, bringing them back to reality, “But let’s try it again, huh? Lance, this is Trent Thorne. You know who he is and why he’s here. Play nice.”
Lance’s smile dimmed and he glared at his supposed friend, “I’m always nice.”
“Uh huh.” Shane ignored him, “Trent, this is Deputy Lance Nichols. He works with me at the FSD. I’ve asked him to keep an eye on things around here while you’re in town, make sure nobody’s loitering around or giving you any trouble. You need anything, anything at all and you can’t reach me or Lemon, you go to him. Got me?”
Trent’s lips twitched, “Sir yes sir.”
Shane snorted, “Watch it.”
Lemon giggled from her perch in the doorway of the trailer, “Trent I told you, only I can get away with that.”
Lance ignored the innuendo. Hell, he all but ignored everyone and everything. Except Trent. Those blue eyes had captured him in their gaze again and he couldn’t look away. The magnetic force he felt being anywhere near Trent took hold and his feet moved him forward before he could convince them not to.
“I uh… it’s nice to meet you?” He offered his hand awkwardly.
Jesus, what was wrong with him? He wasn’t this guy. Nervous and shy and embarrassingly tongue tied. He was tough. Detached. Cynical. He was a smartass, a bastard. But his mask completely fell away in the presence of this man.
“Nice to meet you too, Deputy Nichols.” Trent took his hand and sparks all but flared where they touched.
“It’s uh… It’s just Lance.”
“Lance.” Trent said his name and it rolled off his tongue like a prayer and a curse all at the same time, “Thank you.”
His brows furrowed slightly, “For what?”
“Your service.” Trent’s grin widened again and Lance pulled his hand away with a scowl.
He was getting a kick out of this. Trent knew he was uncomfortable. Knew he was on edge. And he was playing with him. Lance wanted to punch him. Or kiss him. Or both. One right after the other. His suddenly very vivid imagination supplied him with an image of punching Trent in the teeth and then using his tongue to lick up the blood as apology.
Fuck he was so screwed. His dick was hard. He was half-naked. And his boss was standing three feet away.
Lance stepped back purposefully, putting distance between himself and Trent, “Oh, yeah, no problem. You uh, just let me know if you need anything. It was nice meeting you.”
“You too.” Trent let him go with nothing but that broad smile. “I’ll be seeing you.”
“Yeah. Sure.” Lance nearly tripped over his own feet and shot a look at Shane, “I’ve got some stuff to do today but I’ll check on him later.” He glanced back at Trent one last time, “Nice to meet you, again.”
He all but leaped up the steps into his trailer and slammed the door behind him. His heart was tapdancing with panic. His hands w
ere sweaty and his knees felt weak. He was on the verge of a panic attack and he couldn’t quite see straight, his vision blurring with the image of Trent grinning at him.
He’d needed to get away but he knew that exit would only make the others ask more questions. Shane would want to know what his problem was. He’d been rude running off like that. His only saving grace was that rude was the expected status quo with him these days. Shane wouldn’t read too much into it and even if he did, he’d be wrong about his conclusions.
Lance swallowed hard, forcing air in and out of his lungs. He was gay. Tucked so far into the closet coming out seemed impossible. And the one man that knew his secret, that made him want and need more, that was his every dream come to life, was staying next door. Maybe even because he’d asked him to. Lance closed his eyes and cursed.
He was so fucking screwed.
Chapter Eight
Lance took a long swig from his bottle of beer and eyed the empty trailer across the driveway. It had been a long day. Not just because of the early wake up on his day off or the awkward situation this morning either.
He’d taken Lulu shooting, as promised, and listened to his little sister complain about her best friend Derek for hours. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out Lulu was in love with Derek but since she refused to do a thing about it or even tell the guy, Lance had long since lost patience with her complaining. He’d finally snapped at her and she’d gone rushing off in a hissy fit, leaving him alone with his own demons and the knowledge he’d have to apologize for taking his foul mood out on her.
Hell, who was he to tell Lulu she was wasting her time? That she should tell Derek how she felt? Tell him the truth and see how it played out? At least she’d know once and for all and be able to move on… But what did he know about any of that? He certainly hadn’t lived his life that way. He was in his thirties and he was still lying, still hiding. He hadn’t told anyone his truth, not even Lulu, and he wasn’t living, not really.
He took another long sip of his beer and nudged at the steaks on his grill with a fork. He eyed the empty trailer again, wondering where Trent was and what he was doing. Just like he had for the last ten hours.
