2. Noel
Glancing over my laptop, I watch as Edward adds more wood to the fire. When he wanted to move in the middle of nowhere, my initial reaction was fuck, no! Sadly, he had a point. He had lived in the city for five years because it’s what I wanted. We had agreed to try both options out, the country and city. After five years in each location, we’d discuss where to live long term. Both of us work non-traditional jobs, so it’s not like we need to be tied down to one location. The one thing we did agree on? Skipping the horrors of suburban hell.
Eddie’s going to be one smug bastard when I tell him I want to continue living out here in the wilderness. But what can I say? He does sexy lumberjack so very well…
Alarms suddenly go off throughout the house, and I flick over to the surveillance cameras on my laptop. Eddie heads toward me, leaning over where I’ve been sitting on the couch. I zoom in, humming at the kid walking up our driveway. At least it looks like a fucking kid. His head is down against the wind, so I can’t get a visual to put through my databases, and he’s far smaller than Eddie and even me who, admittedly, is way too close to being a so-called twink. We’ve been in the business long enough to know size doesn’t mean shit.
The unwelcome intruder finally makes it to our door and throws his hood off, staring straight at our doorbell. I capture a quick picture through the camera we have hidden outside and start running through the databases. It seems I’ll have time to check them out because the kid—no, young man—hasn’t even knocked. He’s shifting his weight from one leg to the other, chewing on his bottom lip as he glances around. We’re the only place around for hours, so he’s shit out of luck if he’s an innocent traveler. He’s definitely a fine-looking man.
Ping. That didn’t take long at all for the results to come in on the databases. Innocent. That seems to be the conclusion. Or, at least, he hasn’t been found guilty or on anyone’s watch list. Right as I send the picture off to my friend asking for a background to confirm, marking it urgent, the doorbell finally rings.
I quickly close my laptop, not wanting whoever is here to see the programs I have running. Eddie glances at me, and getting my nod, he heads over to the door. He grabs the gun by the doorway, tucking it into his holster. It makes enough of a statement that it”ll hopefully deter anyone wanting to be stupid.
When he opens the door, the young man comes fully into the picture. Even with the thick winter coat, he’s shivering. Those glacial blue eyes are more startling in person than through a camera lens.
“Uh…hi. Umm…so my car broke down back there. Went right off the road, unfortunately. I have no cell reception and there doesn’t seem to be anything around. Like, at all.” He makes an adorable wave toward the southwest, although I almost cringe knowing how bad the cliffs on this road are. Coughing awkwardly, he continues. “Anyway, I was wondering if you have a phone? For a tow truck? And maybe you could tell me how far away I am from civilization?”
Eddie sighs, and I know exactly what he’s going to do. There’s a reason we have three cats in this cabin. I’m just lucky there aren’t more. “Come in out of the cold. There’s nothing around for miles.”
“Umm…I gotta say, although that sounds really wonderful. I’m not sure if that’s the best idea. I kinda like living.” His red lips, with the bottom one a little thicker than expected, curl into a lopsided smile. He tries to pass it off as a joke, but his body screams tension as he takes in Eddie’s gun.
Rolling my eyes, I stand and walk over to the doorway. “We’re a long way from anywhere. You don’t have to worry about Eddie, unless you’re here to harm us. But it’s not like the woods are always safe, so he makes sure to keep a gun on him. He just came in from chopping wood.”
“Ah. Alright, and no I don’t plan on causing any trouble. I’m pretty sure the most I could do is what I recently did to my ex. I took all of the batteries out of the remotes before leaving. But to be fair, he deserved it. And I paid for them, anyway.”
Snorting, I have a feeling there’s more to the story, but I can respect that level of petty. “Taking the remotes would have been better. But come in and get warm. It’ll be a while before a tow can get here, though. There’s a storm coming in and we’re hours away from the next town. They won’t come out in this. Especially on this road.”
“Uh, yeah. Makes sense. This road sucks. Not what I expected when I got in the car and decided to head north for the mountains. Anywhere but where I was. And I totally should have taken the remotes. But then my luck, he’d have his asshole uncle try to claim I stole shit. Of course, he probably doesn’t give a shit, anyway. He’s likely on the cruise I paid for, not caring that it was supposed to be our honeymoon. Fucking jackass!” He throws his hands up at the end, and I exchange a quick glance with Eddie. The newcomer startles easily, but I’m still not getting any danger signals from…huh. I don’t even know his name.
“Well, you’re welcome to wait out here. I’m Noel, by the way. And of course, that’s Eddie. What’s your name?”
“Sorry! I totally went on a tangent without introducing myself. I’m Robbie. Er, I guess Robert, but everyone calls me Robbie.”
His face flames red, and it draws me in, making me think of other thoughts that certainly aren’t appropriate. Eddie and I have…proclivities. And putting a delicious morsel right in our pathway is dangerous. Too bad he seems off limits, since we don’t fuck with those who are the happily ever after, one man type. Not to mention, I’m still waiting to hear back from Dustin on whether Robbie is anything but what he seems. But damn if this won’t be a temptation. Whoever his ex is must be a damn idiot because I’m already envisioning bending him over this couch and fucking his hole while Eddie shoves his cock down Robbie’s throat until he chokes. Ah, yeah. That is exactly the feeling he brings out of me.