Beautifully Stolen (Candied Crush Book 4)

by Charity Parkerson

  Roman pulled away and swiped the moisture from Brett’s bottom lip. “I find it odd that you never turn away from Xavier’s nudity, but—with me—you act as if you’ve never seen a naked man.”

  “Xavier wants me to look at him.”

  A slow and sexy grin spread across Roman’s lips. “So do I.” He gently kissed Brett’s nose—like trying to heal it before moving to Brett’s bruised cheek. He whispered more confessions while his lips lightly brushed Brett’s skin, seducing him. “I like to be watched.” Brett felt Roman’s lips shape a smile against his skin. “I think you do too.” He ran his hand down Brett’s stomach, stopping before he reached the waistband of Brett’s shorts. “That’s why you’re wearing this hot pink shirt. You like it when people’s eyes caress your skin. It makes me wonder what else you’d be willing to do while on display.” Brett lost his breath. He was so turned on that he couldn’t find the oxygen in the air. Roman turned away before Brett could panic and push him away. “Since you’re up and moving, we should go out for breakfast. Do they serve anything other than coffee at that Back Porch place of Wrecker’s? You should let your friends see that you’re okay.”

  Brett’s eyes ate up the sight of Roman crossing the room to dress. His every muscle bunched and rolled—like a predator ready to pounce at any moment. Roman was a dangerous work of art, but Brett realized something monumental. His killer body and beautiful face weren’t why Brett couldn’t stay away. Roman saw him. No one else saw him and it was fucking terrifying.

  When he didn’t respond, Roman turned his way, as he pulled on his clothes, giving Brett full view of his erection. Brett wanted it. He wanted all of Roman. He hadn’t called Roman because he knew the man would do anything for a price. Brett had called Roman because—deep down—he had known Roman would do him in ways no one else understood.

  “They have pastries and breakfast breads,” Brett heard himself answer—like he responded from a distance. He was totally screwed. Roman knew him. It was entirely possible this man would be his ruin.

  Roman freely admitted he moved a lot slower than necessary while pulling on his clothes. He made a show of flexing as he tugged his clothes in place. Brett openly watched. He made Roman proud. Roman had always suspected Brett would be like fire in his bed. Lots of people claimed to be kinky, but few truly knew the meaning. Brett would play. Goddamn. Roman had never wanted anyone as badly.

  It hurt tucking his erection away and pretending his lust didn’t matter. Right now wasn’t the time, though. Roman still hadn’t proven his worthiness. Occasionally, Brett still looked at him like he stripped for a living. He did, but Roman needed Brett to see him as more than a toy before they slept together. Otherwise, he would never be more than someone to use and throw away in Brett’s eyes.

  “Let’s see you in action,” Roman said as he crossed the room fully dressed. “Set that baby in motion and show me what you can do.”

  A bright smile lit Brett’s face, doing nothing to squelch the flush of desire still tinting his cheeks. “Probably not as much as I’d like but definitely more than yesterday. You’ll probably still have to help me down the garage steps and into the car, but otherwise, I’m good to hit The Back Porch, if you are.”

  “Let’s go.” Wrecker would be on his honeymoon by now, so Roman was all in. Now that he knew Brett had been with Wrecker, he didn’t feel quite as keen to ever see the guy again. Brett happily set his scooter in motion. He looked adorable—like a happy kid, rolling his way down the hall. When they reached the garage stairs, Roman easily plucked Brett from his feet and set him at the bottom of the three steps and handed down his scooter before closing the door behind them. He headed for the Range Rover again, since he knew it would be the easiest for him to help Brett maneuver in and out.

  As he lifted Brett into the passenger seat of the SUV, Brett shocked the hell out of him by kissing him. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to Roman’s, as if testing the waters. When Roman leaned into the kiss, Brett opened his mouth over Roman’s bottom lip. Roman tried to protect Brett’s foot, but he lost himself. He dragged Brett closer while pushing his thighs apart to make room for him to get as close as possible. Brett pulled his hair and bit his bottom lip. Things turned into an inferno so fast that Roman threw out every plan he had to slowly seduce Brett. Before Roman could start tearing off clothes, Brett’s kiss slowed and softened. He went from being a wildcat to tender in an instant. Roman wasn’t any less seduced. In fact, he wanted even more than before. Brett’s body wasn’t enough. Roman craved his soul. He knew himself well enough to know he wouldn’t stop until he had it.

  “You’re still sexy, but I miss the long hair.” Brett sounded every bit as turned on as Roman felt.

  “I’ll grow it back out for you.”

  Brett chuckled. The sound was soft and sexy against his lips as Brett swiped another sweet kiss across Roman’s mouth. Too late, Roman realized he sounded like he intended to stay. He wasn’t sure yet if that was the case. First, he needed to win Brett’s heart. That might not be as easy as he would like. Brett could have anyone. He had no reason to settle on Roman. Roman would have to give him a few. That might be harder than he liked, since he didn’t have much time left. He couldn’t stay in L.A. forever. Roman had a job to get back to, but he would give this his all in the little time they had left. He couldn’t give up now.

  Brett spent the ride to The Back Porch trying to fight the overwhelming desire to climb Roman like a tree and fuck him. Hurt foot and all. He couldn’t recall a time he had been this horny without relief. By the time they reached the coffeehouse, he thought he might survive. Until Roman helped him from the car again, that is. Roman smelled too good. His skin felt too warm. He was too close. Brett couldn’t deny the sexual attraction.

  “Stop looking at me like that. You’re too much of a temptation.”

  At Roman’s admonishment, a smile snapped to Brett’s lips. He didn’t doubt he had been eating Roman alive with his stare. Brett felt pretty damn intense. Still, he had his pride. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  The sexy rumble of laughter that fell from Roman’s lips at Brett’s lie had Brett near to panting. The guy was an incubus. Brett was sure of it. A sigh of relief washed over Brett as they cleared the coffeehouse doorway. The scent of fresh brew lingered in the air. Despite being owned by Wrecker and the memories the place wrought of loving someone who couldn’t love him, The Back Porch still felt like a second home. He genuinely liked the people who frequented the place. Several people called his name and jumped to their feet to hug him, expressing relief that he would be okay. His throat swelled as he realized how many wonderful people he had surrounded himself with the past few years.

  Dawson, Wrecker’s new manager, found Brett and Roman a table that would be easy for him to maneuver. The moment they were settled and finished ordering, the vultures set in. As always, Remington and Roscoe were the first to approach. They were dark-haired, light-eyed, and equally beautiful. The pair had met their first day of high school and had been inseparable since. They were a couple, but they liked to play. As far as Brett could tell, they had attempted to sleep with everyone new at The Back Porch since the day the place opened. The pair succeeded more often than they failed.

  “May we join you?”

  Brett fought an eye roll as the pair spoke in unison. His irritation quickly faded at Roman’s expression. He stared in horror as they kept him locked in their combined stares.

  “Is this some type of cult initiation?”

  Brett covered his mouth, trying to hide his smile.

  Remington wasn’t the least bit put off by Roman’s tone. “Would you like it to be? I’m certain we can find a few… tasks you could handle.”

  “He’s with me,” Brett said, cutting in and hoping to save Roman.

  Roscoe smirked. “Even better.”

  A charming smile snapped to Roman’s lips. In a blink of an eye, Roman transformed, turning fake. He nodded Brett’s way. “This one has my han
ds full, but thanks for the offer. I’m sure I’ll regret passing up your proposition. You both seem exquisite, but Brett is already more than I can handle.”

  Brett had to look away. Roman was too much.

  “Maybe some other time,” Remington said as the pair left them alone.

  Roman chuckled. The sound had Brett pressing a hand to his stomach as his gaze slid back Roman’s way. Roman shook his head. “Well, that was something.”

  Brett felt a strange need to come to the couple’s defense. “They’re harmless.”

  “Everyone is harmless if your heart isn’t in it.”

  For some reason Brett couldn’t explain, he found himself leaning forward and falling into Roman’s eyes. Roman had so many facets that Brett had yet to uncover. He needed more. “Are you saying your heart is never in it?”

  Roman’s mouth quirked in one corner. “We’re not talking about me. Those two are harmless until they meet someone who thinks sex matters. Then their games become very real.”

  Brett hid his disappointment. He had hoped to learn more about Roman. “True. I guess they’re pretty safe around this place. No one here believes in fairytale romances.”

  “I do, but modern-day fairytales don’t exist. Life isn’t that magical.”

  For a moment, Brett found himself speechless. When he added together everything he knew about Roman—the flirting, his job, and the general show he always put on for everyone around him—Brett didn’t come away with a picture of someone looking for love. “You’re a dangerous man.”

  A line appeared between Roman’s brows. “How do you figure?”

  Brett shrugged. “You could easily make someone see a future with you, but I don’t think you really want that. If you did, someone would have swept you away by now.”

  To his surprise, Roman smiled. “Maybe someone already has.”

  That sucked the wind from Brett’s sails. He sat back, putting some distance between them. Brett hadn’t realized how close they had moved to each other, leaning over the table as if drawn by an invisible lure. Brett needed space now. It had never occurred to him that there might be someone back in Aspen who owned Roman already. This thing had started as a weekend business transaction. Neither of them had expected that wreck. There was a very real possibility that Brett had been kissing and feeling up someone else’s man. He felt sick. Why was he always dumb? He knew why he was always people’s last resort. Brett wasn’t like Roman. He didn’t have that spark that drew people closer.

  Brett knew he needed to say something before he ended up looking like more of an idiot than he already had. “I look forward to hearing about this mystery man sometime.”

  Roman’s face hardened. “Did you really just sit back, accepting that you might be some California fling?”

  Discomfort had Brett’s gaze sliding away. “It’s not unreasonable to think you have someone amazing back in Aspen. It’s also not farfetched to think of myself as disposable. I’m always the guy on call. I need to check my accounts. My company is probably already falling apart at the seams. I can’t imagine my clients will be too thrilled with their impressions this month.” Brett dug out his phone and tried burying his horror by working. He couldn’t believe he had let Roman get so close.

  Roman’s hand covered Brett’s phone, bringing Brett’s gaze to his. He looked sad. “I’m the stripper.” Brett held his breath. Roman looked too serious. Brett needed to hear more. Roman didn’t let him down. “I’m supposed to smile and drop to my knees for the right price. It doesn’t matter that I don’t actually do that last part. That’s what everyone who meets me thinks of me. I don’t meet people who are looking to build a life. I’m...” Roman seemed to fight for a fitting term before obviously settling. “Candy, I suppose.” A sad smile touched Roman’s lips. “I guess that’s why meeting you struck me so hard. From the first moment, you’ve never treated me like a plaything. Hell, you don’t even like me.”

  “I like you.”

  Something sweet flashed in Roman’s eyes at Brett’s confession. “Then put your phone away and spend some time with me. I can’t stay in California forever. You’ll still be amazingly successful long after I’m gone.”

  A wave of sadness washed over Brett at the thought of Roman leaving to never be seen again. He needed to use his time wisely. That way, Roman wouldn’t forget him. Brett set his phone aside. “Tell me about yourself. I want to hear about your life.”

  A bright smile lit Roman’s face. He slid his hand across the table palm up. Before Brett could take it, Jeremy, another regular, appeared beside their table. He only had eyes for Roman. “Hi.”

  Roman’s smile slipped a hair. “Hello.”

  Jeremy rubbed the back of his neck, looking nervous. “Would you like to have lunch sometime?”

  To Brett’s surprise, Roman scowled. “What’s the deal with this place? Is Brett invisible?”

  Jeremy’s gaze slid Brett’s way. He looked even more nervous than before. “No.” Horror touched Jeremy’s features as he held Brett’s stare as the truth obviously dawned. “Oh my gosh. I’m sorry, Brett. You never date anyone. I just assumed he was a new client.”

  Brett waved off the apology. He knew Jeremy to be a tender-hearted guy. Jeremy wouldn’t purposely approach anyone else’s date. “Don’t worry over it, sweetie. You’re right. I don’t date.” He stole a quick peek Roman’s way before adding, “Plus, Roman is ungodly gorgeous. It was fair to assume he could be famous.”

  Jeremy’s shoulders fell—like a weight slid from them. “That’s very true. You’re a lucky guy. I’ll leave you to your breakfast.”

  Brett smiled and nodded. He waited until they were alone again before looking Roman’s way. Roman stared at him with an intensity that took Brett’s breath. “You’re a hit,” Brett said, hoping to hide his sudden onset of nerves. He swiped his suddenly sweaty palms on his shorts. “Jeremy is very shy. You should be flattered he stepped out of his comfort zone to meet you. I expected half a dozen others here would have approached you first.”

  In a flash, before Brett could register what happened, Roman came to his feet. He didn’t stop there. Roman climbed onto his chair. “Excuse me, everyone.” The coffeehouse fell silent at Roman’s loud words. Brett couldn’t wrap his mind around Roman’s actions. Roman wore the same smile he always wore when putting on a show. It struck Brett that he knew that now. He could tell the difference between the real version of Roman and the showman. His mouth went dry as the truth sank in. He was the only one who got to see the real Roman. That didn’t explain why he stood on a chair now. Roman didn’t drag things out. He touched his chest. “I’m Roman. I’m with this guy right here,” Roman said, pointing at Brett. He said the words so loudly and comically that no one could possibly be offended. “I just wanted everyone to know that so you can know how goddamn lucky I am that he not only wastes his time and affection on me, but also that he’s still alive and well. That’s all.” Roman leapt from the chair, grabbed Brett’s hand, and loudly kissed it while everyone still watched. Several people made sounds like they were moved by Roman’s gesture while a few laughed at his audacity. Brett couldn’t stop staring at him in shock.

  Roman settled back down in his seat, but he held tight to Brett’s hand. “Okay. Where were we? Oh yeah. You asked about my life. Well, let’s see. I was born in Kit Carson, Colorado, which is East of Aspen. My parents still live there.” Brett stared in awe as Roman spoke, as if nothing happened. He had spent so much time being Wrecker’s booty call that he didn’t know how to feel now. Roman had publicly claimed him in a spectacular display. Brett felt... stolen—like Roman had swept him off his feet when he hadn’t been looking. He had to force himself to listen to every word Roman said because he was completely floored.

  Roman kept talking, oblivious to Brett’s plight. “My dad loves golf, so they travel a lot so he can try out different courses. Mom is a gay rights activist. She owns more pride gear than the factory that makes the stuff. I’ve been going to parades and rallies si
nce I was born.”

  Brett found himself snagged. The shock faded. They were together. He wanted to know more. “Obviously something drives her.”

  Roman nodded. “My grandmother’s brother was an out and proud gay man when it wasn’t anywhere near as easy to be so. He never had any kids of his own, so he doted on my mom. They were very close. He died from complications due to AIDS. She said he wasn’t treated with the dignity he deserved, and it lit a fire inside her. His life mattered. She won’t stop until everyone knows it.”

  “That’s very sweet. I’m guessing you didn’t have to suffer the coming out most people do.”

  A bright smile lit Roman’s face. He snorted. “You’d be right. Growing up, I would be like, she’s hot. Damn, he’s sexy. They look nice today. Mom would just smile and be like, well, pick one then. You’re not limited. She’s pretty amazing. She’d love you.”

  Brett smiled at the thought. A shot of longing hit. “I do miss being hugged by my mom.” Brett froze. He couldn’t believe he had confessed such a thing.

  Roman’s smile fell. “Has your mom passed?”

  “No.” Brett tried for a smile and failed. “She doesn’t really speak to me anymore.” He tried starting from the beginning so Roman would understand. “We were a military family and moved all over the world. I was the new kid at school every single school year and sometimes more often than that. In our house, kids were seen but not heard. We were expected to blend into the background and not rock the boat. By the time I was seventeen, that was getting to be way too hard for me.” Brett motioned toward his bright clothing. “I’m not the fading-into-the-woodwork type. At first, I secretly took my eccentricity online. I started a YouTube channel where I played video games and talked about life. Before I knew it, I’d made a ton of money. We were living in Georgia and had been for two years. That was the longest we had stayed anywhere. Dean was fifteen and he had finally found his place after years of us being dragged around. We were happy. Then they dropped the bomb. Dad had been re-stationed. We were moving to Germany.” Brett shook his head, losing himself in the memory of that horrible time. “We had two months to pack and ship everything to a new country. I was pissed. Dean was devastated. Even though I was still six months away from graduation, I was only one month away from turning eighteen. So I put my foot down. I not only refused to go, I demanded they leave Dean with me. They were angry and refused. We spent the next two months fighting and tearing each other apart. In the end, they agreed that Dean’s happiness meant more than staying together.” Brett shrugged. “He’s been with me ever since and my mom refuses to speak to me now.” Brett skirted that last topic to save his heart. “I worried that moving to L.A. would be another jarring move for Dean after he graduated, but he was actually excited to move again by then. I hope I’ve given him a pretty good life.” Discomfort had Brett quickly shifting topics. “What’s your stage name?”