Alternating Current (Brannon Boys)

2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Garrett

W ell, I’d never been on a repair call like this before.

I’d already hit a few units to fix light bulbs, repair some weather stripping, etc., but the AC repair would be a challenge. To be expected with the heat wave though.

What I hadn’t expected was the pic the sexy thing in 3B sent me. He was slender and young—my guess early twenties—and between the tousled brown hair and pouty lips, I was instantly interested. His blue eyes beamed with curiosity, and his tee pretty much molded onto his small frame. He’d only taken a picture from the chest up, but he looked like the type to do his squats. And thinking about a tenant that way was absolutely inappropriate.

Didn’t stop the jolt of lust from running through me though.

My tools on my belt rattled as I ascended the stairs to the third floor. This was my last repair of the day, so hopefully, it wasn’t a complicated one. I’d been doing maintenance work for over a decade, and the temptation to go into specialized work sank its claws into me a little more daily. Contractor jobs would bring in more cash, but I’d rather join someone else’s crew. Maybe I needed to stop being such an antisocial fuck. I usually went out to bars to meet up with Grindr hookups or once in a blue moon to grab a beer with a few guys from the gym and once every few months for an infrequent D&D game I played in.

Apart from that, it was me and my empty house.

I ran my fingers through my hair, as if it wasn’t a mess already. Maybe a little because of the hottie waiting for me in 3B. When I reached the third floor, my pulse kicked up a notch. No reason for it to—I was just doing my job—but clearly, the loneliness as of late was getting the better of me.

Apartment 3B landed in view, and I closed the distance. My palms broke into a sweat, right as I lifted my knuckles and knocked, like I was a kid and not thirty-three years old. The heat was at fault here.

The door swung open, and the guy standing in the center was every bit as gorgeous as his picture had entailed. His shirt glued to his chest, the shape of his nipples vividly clear, and the scent of sweat and sandalwood wound its way to me. His jaw was so sharp I wanted to trace it with my tongue and follow the droplet of sweat trickling down his neck.

Lust roared through me on sight alone, which wasn’t common. I was pickier than I should be, given my lack of a social life.

“So, broken AC?” I smashed through the quiet between us.

“How’d you guess?” He seemed to have found his words again as well. “Though I’m shocked you showed up.” He stepped back, gesturing me inside, and I followed. With his back turned to me, I couldn’t help but soak in the sight of that ass encased in shorts. Ngh. Yeah, he had two firm handfuls that were a distraction. A wall of heat slammed into me, but it wasn’t just from the attraction prickling through me. No, his AC had definitely stopped working.

“I mean, it does happen to be my job,” I said, my tone dry. “Don’t think I’d last too long as a maintenance guy if I stopped fixing people’s problems.”

He arched his brow. “Don’t know. I’ve heard too many tenant horror stories of sinks taking months to get fixed. Give yourself the credit.”

I licked my lower lip. Damn. This guy was one surprise after the next. “How long’s it been broken?”

“A day, I think? I’ve pretty much mostly melted at this point. But someone needed to save Meowella from a cruel and untimely fate.” He had a surprising skip to his step for someone who claimed to be at death’s door, and I bit back my smile.

“Meowella?”

A loud meow came from the other side of the room, where a gorgeous gray-and-white tabby peeled up from the floor to brush by my legs. I dropped down to give the cat a few skritches behind the ears. They nuzzled and purred sweetly, making me wish I had a pet of my own. Maybe it was time to go to the SPCA and start my life as a crazy cat gentleman.

I glanced up, and the cutie was staring at me again.

“You know this is like walking porn, right?” he said, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. “Hot repair guy cuddling up on a cat?”

My cheeks flared up, which I didn’t think was possible with how hot it was in here. This guy cut right to the chase, didn’t he? His forwardness was attractive as hell. Maybe because there was a finesse to his flirting, a tease that lured me in.

“Happy to help.” The words came out a bit gruffer than intended. Clearly, I wasn’t the smoothest. “Now, want to show me the air conditioner that isn’t pulling its weight?” I gave Meowella one last pet and pushed up from my crouch. My knees creaked with the motion, making me feel ancient and decrepit rather than thirty-two. What I was doing engaging this kid instead of shutting that shit down was beyond me. He was so far out of my league.

He crooked his finger and led the way toward his bedroom. God, such a fucking tease. I loved it, even while he drove me crazy. The AC unit stood out from the window of his apartment, but my gaze slipped around the room. A few comforters were strewn haphazardly across the bed, and a pile of sneakers took up real estate on the floor beside it, in a rainbow of different colors. Photos decorated the wall, but I was too far away to scrutinize, and the kitty bed looked pristinely untouched—while the bed had plenty of fluff.

“This is the traitor,” he said, jabbing a finger at the AC unit.

“Thanks…” Shit, I didn’t have his name.

He grinned. “Kyle. And you know you’ve got to tell me yours now, right? Otherwise, you’re staying in my phone as Repair Daddy.”

I ran fingers through my hair on instinct. “Daddy? I’m not even graying yet.”

Kyle waggled his brows. “Don’t need silver to be a fox.”

I rolled my eyes, even as a smile tugged at my mouth. Fuck, he was persistent and charming in ways that were ticking all my goddamn boxes. “The name’s Garrett. Now let me inspect your air conditioner.” Not wasting any more time, I stepped up to the unit, the problem glaringly clear. “Time and heat must’ve affected the weather stripping. We get a replacement for this. I’ll fix it, and you’re golden.” This would be a quick jaunt down to the utility storage area in the basement.

“You’re saying I’ll have air conditioning again?” He stood a mere few inches away from me, driving me to distraction, but I would be out of his hair quickly. Disappointment thudded through me. He was the most entertainment I’d had in ages.

Clearly, I needed to get out more.

“That’s what I’m here for,” I said, hooking a thumb through the band of my toolbelt. “Make sure you and Meowella don’t melt away.”

“My hero.” He fanned himself—though that might’ve just been from the heat.

“Let me go get the weather stripping, and I’ll be right back.” Even as I walked away, there was a subtle draw in his direction that I couldn’t deny, a magnetism I rarely found.

“I’ll just be here. Dying from heat exhaustion,” Kyle called after me. I grinned before I could help it. The guy seemed to have a flair for the drama, based on a simple five-second interaction, but I liked it.

The trek to the basement was easy, one I’d done a thousand times, and I beelined over to where I kept the weather stripping. Within minutes, I had the supplies I needed and was heading back to Kyle’s apartment. My heart thumped a little faster upon approach—this time not from the unknown but because the guy was effortlessly sexy and charming. Also young—probably fresh out of college—which meant I shouldn’t be indulging in his flirtation.

I knocked again, and the door creaked open.

Kyle stood in the frame, toying with the hem of his shirt. He used it to fan himself, which exposed plenty of lickable tan skin and abs, especially with how low slung his shorts were.

“Thank god you’re back. I thought you’d abandoned me.” His eyes twinkled, and I just shook my head, a grunt coming from me. The sooner I finished this job, the sooner I could extricate myself from temptation incarnate. Because the man was clearly flouncing around for attention I definitely wanted to give—just not while I was on the job.

I set to work on the AC unit, removing the weather stripping and replacing it with the new. The whole process unfolded seamlessly, and I lost myself in the motions, in the peacefulness to the procedure I enjoyed. Kyle lay on his couch as he weathered the heat in his apartment, which honestly was no joke. He must’ve been boiling here, along with his poor tabby. Sweat trickled down my neck, and my undershirt was glued to my chest. My coveralls were going to be disgusting after this workday.

I finished the final touches on the weather stripping and reset the air conditioner. When I placed my hand over the vents, a burst of slightly cooler air brushed over my fingers. All good signs.

“We’re done. Your place might not cool down at once, but it should be better in a few hours.”

Footsteps creaked from the other room, and when I turned around, Kyle was already behind me.

“Damn, you move fast,” I muttered.

He grinned, those blue eyes sparkling. “Guys tend to like that about me.”

“Trouble, that’s what you are.” I ran my fingers through my hair, which had grown damp from sweat. He was such an insatiable flirt, but damn if my body wasn’t responding.

“I’ve been called worse,” he said, all cheekiness.

“Need anything else?” I asked, regretting my phrasing the second it came out of my mouth.

“If you’re offering help…”

“I’m working,” I said, laying down the professional line.

“That wasn’t a no.” Kyle peeled up his tee again to “fan himself,” which was a flimsy attempt to show more of that delicious torso.

Before my brain could catch up, my mouth jumped ahead. “It wasn’t.”

Kyle’s expression lit up, and my heart sped up in turn.

“Is this line your personal number?” he asked, giving me a coy glance.

“If I tell you yes, am I going to regret it?” There were mere inches between us, the air percolating from more than the summer heat. Everything about him was light, effervescent, and I’ll admit, I was curious. About how he tasted, how he moaned, how he looked falling apart on my cock. Or hell, even how he fucked.

He lifted his phone. “Mm, I don’t leave regrets.”

“We’ll see.” Even as I walked to the door, part of me wanted to turn back. I’d never experienced a draw this strong to someone before, and when my hand landed on the handle, I paused there for a moment. Chances were, he was just flirting with me while I was fixing his shit, and the second I left, he would forget about me. Connection severed.

“Thanks, Repair Daddy,” he called back.

I shook my head again, turned the knob, and saw myself out, amusement bouncing in my chest. The stairs creaked as I traveled down the flights of steps. This was the last job for the day, which meant I was done and could head home, take a shower, and sink onto my couch.

Except the prospect didn’t excite me nearly as much as it had an hour ago.

I stepped onto the first-floor landing when my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out and checked on instinct, my heart rate picking up.

Kyle: Since my AC won’t be at full blast for another few hours, it’s only fair to invite me over to your place.

Lust sparked through my veins. If it wasn’t in my place of work, then…

Me: I live five minutes outside of town. If you want the invite, you’re welcome to join me in an hour.

That should give me enough time to get home, shower the sweat and dirt off me, and tidy up my place a bit.

Kyle: I’ll be there.

I swallowed hard and exited the building.

Apparently, my night had gotten a lot more interesting.