Chapter Twelve
It took Armi forever to fall asleep. After they showered, dried off, and flopped into bed, Hayden was out immediately, his breath soft puffs against Armi’s shoulder. Maybe he was too afraid to fall asleep, believing everything that happened was a dream, and when he woke up, Hayden would be gone.
But finally his lids lowered, and the next time they fluttered open, bright sunlight streamed in through the windows. He turned his head.
Hayden was still there. Sound asleep next to him. Armi snuggled the pillow to his face, drawing in the scent of Hayden’s skin. He could’ve lain there all day, simply staring at the perfect profile and lusting after the ink covering his arms, but a full bladder ruined his fun. He brushed his teeth and returned to bed, marveling at the sleek lines of Hayden’s naked body, ogling the thick cock that rose from the curly golden patch of his groin.
“Look but don’t touch doesn’t apply.” Without warning, Hayden rolled on top of him. “Good morning.”
“H-hi.” He nibbled his lip. “Did you sleep well?”
“ Mmhm . Like the proverbial log.” He ran his nose down Armi’s cheek, ending at his mouth. “You brushed your teeth? I didn’t bring a toothbrush.” Hayden pressed kisses to his neck, under his ear, and licked inside his ear.
Armi moaned. “I-I don’t care. Please. Oh, God.” His dick filled, and Hayden hummed with approval.
“I like what’s popped up. My favorite morning drink.” A firm hand wrapped around the length, and then Armi cried out as his shaft was engulfed in the searing heat of Hayden’s mouth.
“ Ahh, ahh .” Embarrassed by the loud noises spilling from his mouth, Armi clapped a hand over his lips, but Hayden peeled his fingers off.
“Don’t. I like to hear you scream. Turns me on.”
Hayden resumed sucking his cock and playing with his own. Armi couldn’t take his eyes off him, those gleaming wet lips sliding along his rigid length, the slick sound of Hayden’s dick passing in and out of his fist.
“Fuck, Hayden. Oh, God. Don’t stop.”
His belly tightened, and he flung his head back, his hips thrusting quickly. Hayden sucked hard, those sexy, throaty sounds vibrating against his shaft. Armi’s eyes rolled and he came, pulsing hard and heavy, filling Hayden’s throat. Hayden got off a moment later, his sticky come spurting everywhere.
Chests heaving, they lay side by side, and Hayden’s lips quirked up in a slight smile. “The best way to wake up.”
A knot formed in the pit of Armi’s stomach. Of course Hayden was sexually superior. Armi couldn’t even pretend—imagine telling Hayden he’d never had anyone share his bed for the night. Most likely, he’d guessed. No condoms was a dead giveaway. And the fact that Hayden had one in his wallet spoke volumes.
“What’s wrong?” Hayden ran a foot up his leg, leaving goose bumps in its wake. “I see the wheels turning.”
“Nothing.”
“ Mmmhmm . You know, I may not have worked for you that long, but I do know you’re not a liar. You’re too nice a guy.”
“God, I hate that.” He pulled the pillow over his face and rolled away from Hayden.
A warm hand rested on his shoulder. “Why? It’s refreshing.”
He lifted a shoulder. “Forget it. I’m gonna get up and get dressed. Would you…do you want to maybe get breakfast? If you don’t have plans, of course, which you probably do—”
“Armi. I don’t.” Hayden pressed a kiss to his nape. “I’d love to get breakfast with you.”
A warm glow settled in his chest. “Okay. Great. I can look around—I think there’s a spare toothbrush.”
“That’d be great, but if not, I’ll use my finger in the clutch.” He grinned. Armi couldn’t help but stare at his beautiful body—the broad chest and rippling abs, the artwork of tattoos up and down both arms. A blond happy trail led to his heavy cock. Golden hair dusted muscular thighs and the gorgeous curve of his ass had Armi biting his tongue to prevent himself from whimpering out loud.
“I’ll, uh, go shower.”
He ran to the bathroom and washed up quickly, almost afraid to be gone too long, as if Hayden might change his mind and leave. But upon his return, Hayden still sat on the edge of his bed.
Armi hurried to the dresser and slipped on briefs and sweats. With Hayden watching, he pulled a T-shirt on. He didn’t like his body—he’d been the chunky, unathletic kid, a phase that lasted until his late teens, when he’d sprouted up and dropped the weight. He exercised and tried to eat properly, but that didn’t mean the negative self-image had disappeared with the weight loss. Hayden naked and comfortable was in direct contrast to Armi’s rush to cover himself. He could never be so free.
“There’s an airplane travel kit under the sink that should have a toothbrush and razor.”
Hayden’s face was a study in puzzlement. “Okay. I’ll be right out.”
Armi watched Hayden pick up his discarded clothes before crossing the expanse of the bedroom to the en suite. He heard the shower run and wished he’d had the nerve to suggest they shower together. A sigh escaped him at the missed opportunity. If only this wasn’t a one-off, but he knew better. They’d have their breakfast; then Hayden would say he had things to do and see you at the office on Monday.
Freshly washed and dressed, Hayden reentered the bedroom. “Ready to go?”
“Yeah, sure.”
They left the town house and walked around, passing a few restaurants with huge lines. “Damn,” he complained. “Doesn’t anyone eat at home?”
Hayden chuckled. “Let’s walk farther downtown. It’s less crowded.”
They strolled through the streets until they reached a little bistro that didn’t seem to have too much of a line. Within fifteen minutes they were seated and had coffee. Hayden ordered the shakshuka , and Armi the breakfast burrito. When the server walked away, they each took a sip of coffee.
Hayden moistened his lips. “Do you know how you want to respond to Price’s article?”
Pain twisted in his stomach. “I have no clue. I haven’t even thought about it since last night…when you showed up.” He gulped more coffee, and Hayden continued to regard him with a steady, thoughtful gaze.
“Would you like my opinion?”
“Of course.”
Hayden hitched his chair closer and leaned in. “Get in front of it. After breakfast, we can work on a statement for you to put out from the publicity team first thing on Monday.”
Armi stopped with the coffee cup halfway to his mouth. “We? You want to work on this with me?”
“News flash, Armi.” A cocky grin curved his lips. “I’m the best, and we’re going to make sure this stupid piece of shit never messes with you again.”
Their food arrived, and Hayden dug into his meal, but Armi remained quiet. After a minute, Hayden glanced up from his plate.
“Is something wrong?”
“I-I guess I’m surprised you want to spend your Saturday with me. Doing this.”
Hayden’s eyes warmed. “I can’t think of anything else I’d rather do.” He pointed a finger at Armi’s plate. “Eat before it gets cold. We’ve got work to do.”
They ate and spoke of Armi’s roses—the time he spent grafting and fighting the diseases that ate away at their leaves, leaving black spots and mildew, how he’d constructed the greenhouse to take care of the bushes in the winter. It was a subject he was passionate about, but when he stopped to take a sip of coffee, he remembered how one guy told him it was boring listening to him droning on about flowers. He pressed his lips together and gave Hayden a weak smile.
“Sorry. I’m babbling. I’ll shut up.”
“What? No, you’re not. I told you, my mother loves her rosebushes. She’s always entering them in the town garden contests, but she’s never won. I can give her pointers now. Maybe you’ll write down some of the things you just talked about, so when I go home I can tell her.”
“Uh…yeah, of course. Sure.” There was so little he knew about Hayden, he decided it was a good time to ask a few questions. “Where do your parents live?”
“Upstate.” Hayden finished his coffee.
“Is that where you went to school?”
“Yes.” Hayden shifted in his chair.
The clipped answers were such a direct contrast to Hayden’s normal easy speech, it was conspicuous. The questions he asked were innocuous. Why did it make him so uncomfortable?
“What made you want to go into PA work?”
The tension of Hayden’s shoulders eased. “I’m very organized, and I love spreadsheets. I don’t want to be the boss, but I’m happy to help whoever I work for to be the best they can.”
“You do a great job.”
“Thanks. Are you finished? You should get home and start working.”
His heart plummeted. “Oh, yeah, of course.” Guess Hayden had changed his mind because he wasn’t including himself in their afternoon plans. “I’ll get the check.” He raised his hand.
“Thanks. I’m going to stop by my apartment first, change, and get my laptop. It shouldn’t take me more than an hour.”
“Oh, you’re coming back?”
Hayden’s brows drew together. “Yeah, of course. I said I would.”
He lifted a shoulder. “I thought you might’ve changed your mind.”
“No way. We’re gonna get this bastard for what he wrote.”
They walked out together and parted at the corner. Armi hurried home, and knowing he had nothing to eat in the house, put in an order for sandwiches, drinks, and snacks. He debated for a moment and included a box of condoms. Not that he expected anything more to happen between them, but he should have them. Just in case.
Of course he’d messed up his clothes—a grease stain on his shirt and coffee spilled on his sweats. Hayden was too polite to point it out. He changed into a Kings T-shirt and a pair of gray sweats. The food came, and he put away the beer, sparkling water, and sandwiches, and emptied one of the bags of chips into a bowl. The rest of the snacks he left in the bag on the island. As a kid, he’d come home from school and grab either cookies or potato chips and go to his room, where he’d sit by himself and watch movies or TV or read. It was the only way to drown out the laughs and jeers of other boys in school when he was the last—as usual—to be picked for team sports.
You’d think he’d be good at sports ’cause his dad owns a football team.
Looks like he eats the football instead of throwing it.
Trevor had been his only friend, but he was on the squash team and always had practice. He’d sit in the stands and watch Trevor play, wishing he could be so athletic and have people cheer him on.
Away at college, he and Trevor would go to parties, but once Trevor met Marianne and they started dating, Armi wouldn’t go by himself and spent his free time walking around the campus, even in the coldest winter months. The excess weight dropped, and though he’d kept it off, he never got over the stigma of being that chubby kid in gym class, standing alone. Laughed at and last to be picked.
The doorbell rang, and Armi wiped his sweaty hands on his pants. He peered through the peephole and opened the door. “Mother. What’re you doing here?”
She breezed inside. “Hello to you too. I was hoping we could have lunch and talk about that terrible article.” He followed her to the front parlor but didn’t sit.
“I, uh, there’s nothing to talk about. I’m working on a rebuttal.”
“Oh? What’re you going to say?”
“I-I don’t know yet. I’m still working it out.”
The bell rang again, and his heart pounded. “I’ll get it.”
“Are you expecting someone?” She trailed after him.
He opened the door, and Hayden strode past him. “All right, I’m ready to get down and dirty.” He stopped in the middle of the hall. “Oh. Mrs. Winters. Hello.”
Hayden had changed into a dark-blue polo and a pair of black skinny jeans. He carried a backpack and slid it off his shoulder. Armi caught his mother’s smile, and his stomach cramped.
“Hayden. Hi. Come in. Uh, my mother stopped by unexpectedly.”
“And now she’s leaving,” she stated.
Hayden frowned. “Please don’t let me chase you away. We were going to work on a response to that article.”
“Good. But too many cooks and all that. I’ll leave it in your very capable hands. I’m sure you know best, Hayden. After all, it’s your job. Armand, I’ll call you.”
And with that, she disappeared.
Hayden closed the door behind her. “Did I miss something?”
“No. My mother’s just being funny. Or at least thinks she is,” Armi huffed. “I figure we’ll work in the family room. I got sandwiches for lunch if we get hungry.”
“Sounds good. I’m ready.”
**
Three hours later, Armi groaned and rolled his shoulders. “Oh, God. That was brutal.”
“But we did it,” Hayden said with supreme satisfaction and hit a few more keys on his laptop before closing it. “This should shut Price up and let other reporters know not to mess with you again.”
It all sounded good, but there were still so many unknowns. “What if it backfires and he gets angry? Maybe he’ll write an even worse story the next time.”
Hayden’s smile was grim. “Let him try. As it is, City News is banned from any scoops or information about the team. They can fuck off.”
Armi’s lips twitched. “You’re so passionate about an organization you’ve barely worked for.”
“When I believe in something, or someone, I give a thousand percent of myself. You didn’t deserve what Price said. I know how hard you’re trying.” Their eyes met, and Armi’s stomach tightened. Hayden set the laptop aside and got to his feet. “How about a beer to celebrate? We’ve gone through the club soda and the first bag of chips. I’m ready for something stronger and a sandwich.”
“Yeah, sure.” Armi blew out a breath when Hayden left the room, and cradled his head in his hands.
Why was he doing this to himself? He didn’t need the hassle—everything would be easier if he simply did what people expected and wanted him to. Quit and let the others take over.
Strong hands came down on his shoulders, holding him firmly. “What’s wrong?”
Hayden’s quiet voice broke the dam inside him. “Why am I bothering? I’m not who they want to lead the team. That’s obvious. I know they think I’m a failure.”
Instead of responding, Hayden began to knead the tight muscles of his neck, and a groan of pleasure slipped from his lips. The tension melted away, and he closed his eyes. For a moment, the pain of all his failings faded away.
“You don’t really think that, do you?” Hayden murmured. “I don’t.”
He turned his head and slanted a tiny grin at Hayden. “You have to say that. You work for me.”
But Hayden didn’t return his smile, remaining tight-lipped and grim. “I don’t have to say anything. You aren’t a failure, and it’s time you rise above this. You’re the owner. You’re in control. Of both the team and your actions.”
“Are we still talking about the Kings? Or something else?” He blinked and nibbled on his lip. Maybe their night together had awoken a sleeping giant. He’d never been an overly sexual person, but having Hayden so close left him weak with desire. His thoughts weren’t on the team, but on what happened between them. He wanted to kiss Hayden. He wanted to be kissed in return. He dropped his gaze to the floor.
“Armi?” When their eyes met, Hayden was holding the box of condoms. “I found these in the bag with the chips.”
Oh, God. He’d forgotten to take them out and put them away. “Uh, it’s not what you think.”
“What am I thinking?”
Armi’s heart thundered.
“Uh, well, uh…” His face burned. “You know. That we were going to…” He licked his lips. “You know, have sex again.”
Armi waited for Hayden’s response. Wishing and hoping.