Chapter 5 #2
If Val objected, he didn’t do so out loud.
He stayed in Saint’s truck while Saint grabbed the flashlight from the tool bag on Val’s workstation table.
He quickly and silently went around to the front of the house and checked the area.
Val’s home might not be surrounded by a small jungle like the one around Colton’s, but there were bushes, palms, and lots of greenery.
Saint scanned both ends of the quiet residential neighborhood and returned inside. He closed the garage door, and on his way to return the flashlight to its place, he signaled for Val to get out.
“Well, that was…weird,” Val muttered as he unlocked the inner door that led into the house.
“What was weird?”
“Seeing you in bodyguard mode. I mean, I’ve seen you in bodyguard mode. You being all serious and intense, but not like that.”
“Really? You’ve seen me with clients before.”
“Yeah, but I was never one of them. Not that I am now, but you know what I mean.” Val switched the lights on, and Saint followed him down a short corridor.
“I get it.” They rounded the corner, and Saint was pleasantly surprised by Val’s ranch-style house’s neat, open-concept layout.
“Guest bedroom is all yours, and you’re welcome to use the guest shower. I can grab you some clean clothes to sleep in.”
“Yeah, that would be great. Thanks.”
“I’ll be right back.”
Saint took a seat on the soft, brown leather couch.
It was way more plush and comfortable than his, and each end had a recliner, which was awesome.
He could easily picture Val watching the game on a Sunday.
Everything was tidy, which didn’t surprise Saint.
Val struck him as the kind of guy who liked order.
“Here you go. If you need anything else, just let me know.”
Saint stood and took the clothes from Val. “Thanks. Do you mind if I grab a glass of water first?”
“Go for it.” Val walked off toward his bedroom, and Saint left the change of clothes on the couch’s armrest before entering the kitchen. It was bright and spacious, with matching stainless steel appliances.
There wasn’t a single dirty dish in sight, not one crooked hanging dishtowel or a fingerprint on any of the sleek appliances. It was spotless. Checking the cabinets, Saint found the glasses and got some ice and water from the fridge. This was certainly not how he’d expected tonight to go.
Saint took a couple of gulps and stood at the kitchen counter, looking out at the place, smiling when he saw the bookshelves in the wall filled with books, mostly paperbacks.
The spines on some of them were so cracked and worn that he couldn’t read the titles.
Curious, he walked around the counter and took a big gulp of water as he headed into the living room…
which, of course, was the exact moment when Val walked past his open bedroom door in nothing but a towel, his body glistening with water and his wet hair slicked back.
Oh my god .
Saint didn’t just spit out a mouthful of water. He sprayed it like a water hose. Oh shit! He gasped and started choking. Then he started coughing. No, no, no!
“Are you okay?”
No, he was not okay, but he couldn’t communicate that he was not okay. And on top of everything, a mouthful of his spit and water was all over the coffee table and floor.
“Saint?”
Saint darted back into the kitchen, put the glass down, and grabbed a handful of paper towels, all while he coughed out a lung and tried to reply. Quickly he ran back and wiped the water off the table and then the floor.
“I’m okay,” he rasped. Jumping to his feet, he returned to the kitchen to dispose of the evidence.
“Are you sure?”
“Where’s the trash can?” he whispered to himself.
Why did people hide their trash cans? Shit, Val was coming this way.
Oh, this wasn’t good. Having no time to find the trash can and not wanting to get caught going through Val’s cabinets, he opened the nearest drawer and shoved in the wad of paper towels.
Also, if there had been any doubt that Saint was physically attracted to Val, it was gone now.
Eviscerated. Because he had the Biggest. Fucking. Boner. Ever.
“Hey.” Val stood on the other side of the counter, his expression a mix of concern and confusion.
Then Saint locked on to the fact that Val was almost naked.
In front of him. Just there, like nothing.
Like his broad, muscular chest wasn’t covered in little drops of water, or his biceps weren’t flexing. Did he know he was flexing?
“Hello?”
“Shit. Yeah, um, sorry. Shit.” Real smooth .
Val chuckled and took a step forward. “You sure—”
“Yes!” Saint threw a hand out to stop him because that wasn’t weird.
“Sorry. I mean, yes, I’m sure.” He edged toward the opposite end of the counter as Val rounded it.
“I should, um, go now. To bed.” He motioned to the hall behind him—in case Val wasn’t sure where his guest room was.
“So tired.” He fake-yawned, pulled the front of his t-shirt down to cover the bulge in his slacks, spun around, and power-walked to the guest room like a cardio-crazed mall-walking granny.
Inside, he spun around and shut the door waaay harder than he intended.
What is wrong with you?
“In my defense, I’ve never sprung a boner in front of a guy before,” he whisper argued with himself. “That was very unexpected.” He closed his eyes as he paced the room. “Think unsexy thoughts. Think unsexy thoughts.”
A knock sounded at the door. “Saint?”
“Hm?”
“I’m going to ask you one more time. Are you okay?”
“Of course I am. Why wouldn’t I be?” he dropped his gaze down to the bulge in his suddenly too-tight pants. He was fine. Fine. Totally fine.
“I don’t know. Maybe because you sounded like you were dying a minute ago, your face was all red, and then you semi-ran to the bedroom?”
What was he supposed to say? Saint cracked the door open. “You gave me a boner, okay? That’s what that was. I’m a guest in your house and I sprung wood.”
Val’s eyebrows shot up, then a slow smile crept onto his face.
“No. Nope . You wipe that smug smile off your face.”
“Don’t think I can. Am I your first? I’m your first, aren’t I?”
“I’ll have you know that I’ve gotten hard for guys before. Anyway, it doesn’t matter. You…I’ll have you know that...Put a shirt on!” Saint slammed the door in Val’s face, doing his best to ignore Val’s fading laughter as he walked away. The man was so frustrating!
“Everything’s fine. Just breathe.” He inhaled deep through his nose and released it through his mouth.
A nice shower was just what he needed. He dropped his gaze to his crotch.
He needed to do something about this. No thinking about Val.
None. Shower. He needed a shower. A cold shower.
Wait, the guest bathroom was out in the hall. Damn it!
Hopefully, Val had gone back to his bedroom.
Saint cracked the door open and peeked out into the hall.
Val’s bedroom door was closed. Oh, thank goodness.
Quietly, Saint slipped out into the hall and dashed for the bathroom, where he found the change of clothes he’d left in the living room on the closed toilet lid.
A little smile came onto his face, and he shut the bathroom door behind him.
What a weird freaking night. Shaking his head, he got undressed and turned on the shower.
He was not going to think about Val, and he certainly was not going to jerk himself off in the man’s shower.
Not that Val would know if he did. Saint stepped into the shower and let the cool water envelop him, making him shiver.
It was fine. This was fine. All he had to do was shower, get dressed, and go to bed. Easy.