Dark as Cole [The McAlisters of McKenna Downs 4] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever)

by Zoey Marcel

  “What if she isn’t and you start datin’ a woman behind her back? That’s not fair to either of them.”

  “It’s not like Jasmine and I have ever slept together. There’s nothing wrong with dating somebody for a while.”

  Aiden saw that snow had collected on Justin’s shoulder so he brushed it off. It was really just an excuse to touch him.

  Justin stopped talking briefly when he noticed. The lapse in conversation didn’t last long. It never did with him.

  “I haven’t gotten any in a while. Do you have any idea what that’s like?”

  “My kids’ mother has been dead for years. I have an idea.”

  “And you haven’t been with a woman since?”

  “I haven’t.”

  Justin blinked at this. “Wow. Well, I have needs.”

  “You’re tryin’ rather hard to convince y’rself that this isn’t a bad thing. Sounds to me like you feel guilty.”

  “I do not feel guilty. I have no reason to.”

  Aiden dusted snow off the sleeves of his coat. “I wonder who will be fucking Jasmine tomorrow night.”

  Justin frowned. “You said she might be waiting for me.”

  “Ah, sure.” Aiden got a stick of gum from his pocket. “There’s always a chance she’s waitin’ for you, but women have needs as well. It could be she justifies seein’ another fella behind your back with the fact that she’s never gone to bed with you.”

  Justin pouted. “I didn’t think of that.”

  Aiden chomped on his gum. “Where are my manners? You want a piece?”

  “Yeah, sure. Thanks. Jasmine isn’t like that.”

  “How would you know when you haven’t even met her?” Aiden stuck his hand down Justin’s pocket to put the stick of gum in there for him. At least that’s how he hoped the lad viewed it.

  Justin’s breath caught.

  Aiden felt his cock shift in his pants. What a heavenly sound.

  Justin moistened his lips with his tongue—that wet, wiggly tongue.

  Dear God, if he had no offspring whom he needed to be an example for—

  “What a bitch.” Justin’s angry little tough man face was adorable. “I’ll show her. I’m gonna fill Cat up tomorrow. That’ll teach her.”

  Fuck me. That backfired.

  “Whoa.” Aiden tugged his arm to stop him. “You don’t wanna be doing that.”

  “Why not?”

  “That sharp-tongued barista has a short fuse. She’ll walk all over you, nag you. You don’t want that.”

  “Cat has her good moments. She could be the one.”

  Aiden rolled his eyes. “You think every woman is the one.”

  “Well, I thought Jasmine was until she cheated on me.”

  “You’re gettin’ carried away, Justin. All I said was that she might be cheating. For all you know she is bein’ faithful to you and here you are, askin’ another woman out. It’s not fair to her.”

  “But what if she is seeing other guys behind my back? She could be getting some and I’m here holding out like a sucker. That’s not fair.”

  “You’re the one who chose an online relationship with a woman. You should trust her.”

  “You said she might be cheating on me.”

  “You’re puttin’ words in my mouth.”

  “Ugh!” Justin screeched. “You just said that. Screw it. I’m going out with Cat tomorrow night. Maybe we’ll just be friends or maybe I’ll get laid. Either way, I don’t want to be alone on Valentine’s Day.”

  “Is that really why you asked her out, so you wouldn’t be alone?”

  “So what? It’s not my fault women are so complicated.”

  Aiden scratched his face. “They’re not complicated. You’re makin’ it that way. It’s almost like you don’t want a woman.”

  “Have you been listening, pal? I was talking to two women online and now I’m gonna date a new one.”

  “You backed out of the chance to be with the one online woman. Now you keep talkin’ with Jasmine even though she’s stringing you along and you just asked out a woman who isn’t your type.”

  “Maybe Cat is my type.”

  “She’s not. All these women you pursue have nothing in common in appearance or interests. They’re either long distance, or if they are local, you choose relationships with bitches that don’t have a chance in hell of lasting. It makes one wonder if it’s all just a ruse.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “How do I say this?” Aiden leaned forward. “Maybe you have your eyes elsewhere.”

  “Yeah, on Cat’s scrumptious booty.”

  “It’s funny that you mentioned her ass instead of her breasts. That’s telling.”

  “Maybe I’m an ass man.”

  Aiden smirked and scanned him up and down. “I’m sure you are.”

  Justin swallowed, squirming beneath his leer. “If I end up in bed with Cat I can just call things off with Jasmine. And if Cat and I don’t hook up, then Jasmine and I can stay together. No harm done.”

  “And if things go to shite with both of them you can always switch to men.” Aiden forced a chuff of laughter, gauging his reaction.

  Justin gawked at him before bowing his head. Blushing, he bit back a smile.

  Aiden got hard.

  “That’s pretty drastic just because of lady problems,” Justin said.

  It was a joke, but it felt like rejection. He felt vulnerable and it made him angry.

  Aiden stepped forward. “I was messin’ with you. Lighten up.”

  He patted Justin’s cheek, probably harder than he meant to since Justin blinked and flinched a little.

  Aiden walked past him before spinning back around. “Oh, by the way, you work tomorrow night.”

  Justin whirled around to face him. “No I don’t. Felicia does.”

  “It’s Valentine’s Day. We’ll be busy. You’ll be needed there.”

  “Well, maybe I won’t show up.”

  Aiden prowled swiftly toward him. “You’ll show up or I’ll fire you.”

  “I just told you about my plans with Cat. It’s not fair to make me work on Love Day.”

  “Well, it’s your fault, isn’t it? You were too busy thinking about what you want, you never stopped to ask what I want. I want you workin’ tomorrow.”

  “Just because you don’t have a sex drive doesn’t mean I don’t.”

  “My sex drive isn’t up for discussion. Be there tomorrow night or I’ll go to your flat and drag your ass there.” Aiden felt avenged by how irritated Justin looked. He brushed past him, pausing to murmur into his ear. “And as for my sex drive, it’s even more ravenous than yours.”

  Justin shivered.

  Aiden walked away, feeling smug.

  Fuck you, Cat.

  * * * *

  Justin didn’t give a crap. He showed up at work on Valentine’s Day, but little did Aiden know that he’d gone behind his boss’s back and asked Shane if he could get off early. Shane had agreed.

  After showering and changing at home, Justin met Cat at the movie theater. He figured at some point he’d stretch out and drape his arm over her chair. Maybe they would make out.

  He rubbed her thigh. She gave him death cat eyes, so he pulled his hand away. Or not.

  “Fuck me,” a familiar brogue said behind him. “What are you doing here?”

  Justin’s mouth fell open when he saw Aiden sit down in the row behind them.

  “Shh,” Cat scolded.

  “Aiden, what are you doing here?” Justin whispered. “I thought you worked tonight.”

  “I thought you worked tonight.”

  He lowered his eyes, chewing on his lip. “Shane let me go early.”

  “Because you asked him to,” Aiden said, almost reproachfully.

  “Shh,” Cat said in annoyance.

  Aiden scowled at her. “I’ll come around so we can talk.”

  “No. Don’t.” Justin sighed.

  Aiden came around with his popcorn and sa
t down next to him. “Don’t look at me like that. I thought you wanted a threesome.”

  Justin rolled his eyes. “No. I’m on date. How am I supposed to make out with her when you’re here masticating popcorn?”

  “Masturbating?” Aiden purred with a suggestive smile.

  Justin looked away, blushing hard. “I said masticating, you perv.”

  “Both of you shut the fuck up,” Cat hissed.

  “Sorry,” Justin said.

  Aiden threw popcorn at her and then faced the screen, chewing when she shot an outraged look in his direction.

  Justin leaned in closer to him when Cat focused on the movie again. “I’m sorry I went behind your back.”

  “No you’re not.”

  “Fine, I’m not. It was just really important to me to feel wanted tonight.”

  Aiden looked at him. “What makes you think you’re not?”

  “Well, I could find out if I ever get a moment alone with Cat.”

  “Trust me, she’s not puttin’ out. She’s one of those ball-buster types who only wants it when she wants it. I can tell just by watchin’ her.”

  “Oh yeah, well, next time I show up for work with the biggest smile on my face you’ll know why.”

  Aiden looked tense or maybe pissed as he picked through his popcorn.

  “I’m sorry about this,” Justin whispered to Cat.

  “It’s fine, just let me watch. We can talk afterward. Movies are for watching,” she complained.

  “Sorry.” Justin looked at the screen again, jaw locking in frustration when Aiden spoke in a low, mocking tone.

  “Once upon a time, there was a ball sack with some testicles in it.”

  What the fuck?

  Aiden skimmed through his bucket of popcorn. “Its name was Justin. A surgeon castrated him. Her name was Cat. She grafted that ball sack into a pussy. He sure as hell wasn’t a brain or he wouldn’t have let the surgeon remove his testicles. The end.”

  “Ha ha. Very funny, you weirdo.”

  Cat let out an exasperated sigh as she got up and moved a few rows down.

  Justin frowned. “Now look what you’ve done.”

  “I did you a favor. Your hand treats you better than that.” Aiden stuffed popcorn into Justin’s mouth, dropping some onto his lap. “Have some popcorn.”

  Justin made a muffled squeal of surprise before chewing.

  Aiden picked up the fallen popcorn from his chair. When the man reached for the kernels on his lap he accidentally groped his crotch. A sharp gasp tore out of Justin. Piercing electricity zipped through his testes. His cock jerked, filled out with hot need.

  Aiden stared at him. “What was that?”

  “What?”

  “That hard thing I grabbed by mistake.”

  His cheeks burned. “My wallet.”

  “It didn’t feel like a wallet.”

  He pulled his eyes from Aiden’s. “Well, it was.”

  Aiden leaned in and whispered into his ear. “It felt hot and hard. I swear it moved when I touched it. I felt it swell.”

  Justin’s groin tightened. His body burned with a fever.

  “I’m gonna go sit by Cat.”

  Aiden put a firm hand on his arm, keeping him there. Pleasure shot through his body. Fire streaked through him. He’d never been so aroused before.

  “Why is your cock hard, Justin?” Aiden murmured, almost seductively.

  Justin gulped. In a perfect world he would have totally climbed onto Aiden’s lap and started making out with him, but the enticement he perceived in Aiden’s voice had to be his imagination. Aiden had acted disgusted by gays on more than one occasion and he seemed to take even greater offense to bisexuals, though Justin wasn’t sure why.

  Aiden had also donated to some cause before to keep same-sex couples from getting married. That had really bothered Justin. He wasn’t sure if it was because he didn’t respect people who tried to keep in-love couples from getting married, or if he was hurt that the obvious contempt for alternative lifestyles only sealed the disappointing fact that Aiden was straight.

  Justin sometimes liked to fantasize that they were dating. He’d had more than one wet dream about him.

  Aiden was probably just giving him crap, trying to ruin his night with Cat to be an ass since Justin had gotten out of work early.

  “If I was hard it’s only because Cat looks so good tonight,” Justin lied.

  She did look good, but it wasn’t the reason.

  “You sure?” Aiden whispered hotly.

  Justin swam in his hypnotizing gaze. “Yeah, I’m sure. I’ve been going on about her for days now. Don’t you listen when I talk?”

  “Do you want me to go?”

  He didn’t. To say that would clue Aiden in that he liked him. Justin would be super depressed if the guy ever looked down on him for being attracted to men.

  Aiden’s hand was still on his arm. It was so big and warm and surprisingly smooth for a man. Not callused like his brothers’ hands, but then, they were ranchers. Aiden’s hands looked and felt very masculine, though, despite the smoothness.

  “Well, at some point you’ll have to so Cat and I can be alone.”

  “Is that what you want?”

  He wasn’t sure anymore. He really liked where he was right now with Aiden’s hand on his skin and the heated caress of his lilting murmurs only inches from his face.

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, you know y’rself.” Aiden stood. “Cheers.”

  Justin watched him leave, inhaling the lingering traces of the man’s cologne. He smelled like the sexiest man alive and looked so hot walking away in his casual street clothes it made him ache. His cock pulsed incessantly, the throb so strong he wanted to whip his dick out and jack off on the spot.

  Yeah, nothing like traumatizing everybody here.

  Cat came back and sat down next to him. “Finally. I thought he’d never leave.”

  “I know, right? Men.”

  His cock swelled.

  Men.

  * * * *

  Aiden waited outside near Justin’s car. He’d parked his right next to it, so it shouldn’t look too odd that he was standing next to Justin’s.

  He saw Justin and Cat coming out of the theater together. They had their arms around each other as they made their way through the parking lot. Not good.

  Thinking fast, Aiden plopped down into the snow on his belly. They were far enough way that neither saw him do it. Trying not to smile, he made a face and grabbed his leg.

  Justin and Cat showed up just then, halting when they saw him.

  “Oh my God, Aiden.” Justin was by him in an instant. On his knees in the snow with a hand on his arm and the most worried look he’d ever seen. The concern didn’t surprise him. It was the depth of it that did.

  “I slipped on ice,” Aiden said, making his voice come out strained as with pain. “My ankle doesn’t feel too good.”

  The worry on Justin’s face deepened. “You poor thing. Do you need a ride?”

  “Not necessary. I have my car here. Just not sure how I’m supposed to drive when it hurts to move my right foot. Awkward drivin’ with the left one.”

  “I could drive you home in your car if you want,” Justin offered.

  “Excuse me?” Cat snapped. “We’re on a date.”

  “I wasn’t trying to be rude,” Justin reassured her. “I’ll totally come back to you.”

  She folded her arms. “I’m sure if you just help him into his car he can take it from there.”

  “My thoughts exactly,” Aiden agreed.

  Justin helped him up, letting Aiden lean on him when he hobbled.

  “That’s better. I’ll just be on my—Oh!”

  Aiden cringed and hurled himself backward, taking Justin with him. They landed on their backs in the snow, but Aiden was careful to make sure Justin’s head fell on him to keep him from banging it on something.

  Cat looked annoyed when they sat up.

  “You can’t even stand.
” Justin looked so sad. “I’ll call an ambulance for you.”

  “Jaysus, no, don’t do that. It’s just a sprained ankle. No sense in lettin’ someone else die of a heart attack because I couldn’t make it to my car. I’ll be all right. I just need a few minutes.”

  “I’ll stay with you,” he offered softly.

  That touched him, like the sweet, innocent stare of his kids had when he’d held them as babies.

  “I appreciate that,” Aiden said.

  Cat threw her hand up.

  Justin grimaced. “I’m sorry. I can’t just leave him here. I could meet you at your place afterward.”

  “It’s okay,” she said. “We got off to kind of a rough start. Crap happens. Maybe our next date it will just be the two of us.”

  Bitch, don’t even.

  Aiden put on an aspartame-sweet smile.

  “I’ll drive myself home. We’ll meet up soon.” Cat hugged Justin when he stood. “Thanks for the date.”

  “No problem. I had a good time, too.”

  “We should go shopping next time,” she suggested.

  “Yeah, totally. See ya later.”

  “Bye.”

  Aiden scowled, softening his features when Justin sat next to him again.

  “You poor guy. That’s a crappy way to spend Valentine’s Day.” Justin sat really close to him. Their legs touched. It was exciting.

  “It’s not so bad. I have you for company.” Aiden gave him a smile, drinking in how beautiful Justin looked when he smiled back. “Your date is fussy.”

  “Yeah, she’s one of those high-maintenance girls. I don’t mind, though. My ex was worse.”

  “You don’t hafta climb the ladder one rung at a time, you know.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Aiden reached into his coat pocket for the sweets he’d bought in the theater. “You’ll reach that high you’re craving faster if you raise your standards. Don’t go for someone marginally better than your ex. Aim for someone worlds above her. You like peanut M&Ms?”

  Justin grinned. “I love them. They’re my favorite, actually.”

  Aiden opened the bag and held it over Justin’s lap. “Well, that worked out well.”