Chapter Eight #2
Ry’s gaze flickered Kash’s way for half a second before dismissing him.
“I’m good. I actually saw you two about three weeks ago, but I was too far away to say hi.
Obviously, I was a bit surprised to see you two together.
I called Valon to see if they had gotten back together. He says Kash is your bodyguard now?”
Kash nearly laughed. Ry couldn’t try any harder to pretend Kash wasn’t standing there.
“My son is famous. He worries.”
It got harder by the second to hold himself together. It was obvious Ledger didn’t take shit from Ry any longer.
Ry must have had some anger management classes because he let the statement stand. “From what I hear, you are too.” His gaze swept down Kash’s body, leaving no room to doubt the true reason he flagged Ledger down. Greed swam in his eyes.
Kash’s mood swung wildly from enjoying watching Ledger make Ry squirm to ready to kill someone. “You have a schedule to keep.” Kash kept the statement formal-sounding and directed solely at Ledger.
Relief touched his features at the out. He checked the time on his phone. “Damn. You’re right.” Ledger’s gaze flickered toward Ry. “Sorry to keep things short, but I have to get moving.”
Ry looked desperate to keep Ledger from getting away. “Okay. Yeah. We should catch up soon. It’s been a long time.”
Ledger nodded and gave an awkward wave as Kash steered him in the opposite direction. Kash didn’t feel Ledger relax until they were out of Ry’s sight.
“Thank you for that. I know you could’ve handled that a dozen other ways. But I’ve had all the drama I care to spare with Ry. Nowadays, I prefer not to see his face at all.”
“It’s all good. We’re supposed to be having a fun day. Not a going to jail day.”
Ledger’s sexy chuckle washed away any bad juju left behind by Ry’s presence. “We should go get some real food to wash the taste of flavorless fried food from our mouths.”
“Sounds good to me. Figure out where we’re going before we reach the car, so I’ll know which way to fight traffic.”
Ledger huffed. “Already? Are we really going to toss the grenade back and forth on where to eat this soon in our relationship?”
“I don’t even know what that means.”
Ledger’s gaze flashed with irritation. “Your giant, goofy smile says otherwise.”
Kash paused, forcing the crowd to go around them like a boulder in the river. “I’m smiling because you make me deliriously happy.”
Ledger looked as if he melted. “Same.”
For a moment, they simply stared at each other. Kash cleared his throat. “What’s the name of that cafe with the frozen mugs?”
“Marge’s?”
Kash nodded and started guiding Ledger toward the SUV again. “That’s the place. Are they good?”
“Yeah. I just don’t come this way often.”
“Let’s go there.”
Ledger stepped closer. “Sounds great. Sorry I got irritated. I didn’t expect this day to take a terrible turn.”
“Don’t apologize. The last thing I wanted to do today was see Ry again.”
Ledger took his arm and squeezed. “I was talking about the cookie. Seeing Ry means less than nothing to me. I ended up with you. He ended up with no hair. Why should I be bitter?”
A loud laugh popped from Kash that made heads turn. He tried swallowing the sound. “Oh my god. I didn’t even notice that. I was too busy trying to figure out what the hell was going on with his face.”
Their laughter didn’t stop until they were back inside the SUV.
While they waited for the air to really get going in the California heat, they stared at each other.
It felt like a thousand words were exchanged in the silence.
Fate had really shown out when it put them together.
Kash had never seen anything more beautiful.
They had a great day. When they got home, Ledger wasn’t the least bit surprised when his phone rang. His only shock was that it was Valon and not Ry. He wasn’t blind to how Ry had looked at him, and yuck.
Ledger damn near juggled his phone trying to answer as quickly as possible. It was rare as hell for Valon to call him first.
“Hello?”
“You’ll never guess who called me?”
Ledger knew, but he loved the way Valon sounded, as if he had the hottest of teas to spill. “Who?”
“Ry. Actually, this is the second time in the last few weeks. I fully expected he wanted money. Nope. He’s obsessed with your being with Kash.”
Ledger didn’t know how to react.
Kash gave him a quick kiss and motioned toward the bedroom, silently mouthing, “I’m going to take a shower.”
Ledger nodded and then savored the show of Kash’s ass walking away from him. “Yeah. We ran into him today. He said he saw us a few weeks ago, but I can’t imagine where. I damn near get everything delivered these days, and I have my own gym. How have you been, by the way?”
“I’m the same as always. He said he was out jogging when he saw you two go into a storage unit.”
Ledger nodded like Valon could see his head move. “Kash had his things in storage. I figured there was no reason for him to pay for a storage unit when he could just move his things here.”
“Makes sense to me. What happened when you saw him today?”
Ledger moved to the couch and sat. “It was kind of weird, actually. He seemed off, twitchy and shit. Thankfully, Kash was quick on his toes to make an excuse to get me out of there. Ry kept looking at Kash and quickly looking away while acting all nervous and pretending he wasn’t there.”
“He’s probably afraid Kash will tell you he had to start sleeping with a gun at our house because Ry wouldn’t leave him alone at night.”
Everything inside Ledger froze. He didn’t know what to say. His brain completely locked up.
“Ah, damn. Let me call you back, Dad. It’s always something around here.”
Ledger spoke by rote. “Okay. I love you.”
“You too.”
Nothing but silence came through the line.
Ledger still hadn’t moved the phone from his ear.
The doorbell rang. If he had been thinking clearly, he would have ignored it.
Instead, his feet moved that way while his brain lagged like a computer with too many tabs open.
He opened the door without checking the peephole.
Ry stood on the other side. Something that had been brewing for more than a decade grew bigger by the second.
“Sorry to just drop by like this. I realized I don’t have your number any longer, and I doubt Valon would give it to me.” He looked right and left, admiring the house. “Damn. Valon really set you up here.”
There was no way Ry didn’t see the fury bleeding from every pore.
Ry shifted nervously. “Is it okay if I come in? There’s something I’d like to talk to you about. Something long overdue.”
“You’re right. Some things are long overdue.” Ledger’s fist shot out, connecting solidly with Ry’s eye. The second punch took him to his knees.
Ledger’s chest heaved. He didn’t feel better.
He slammed the door and locked it. Ledger set the alarm because he wasn’t completely out of his head.
His knuckles bled from the force of the hit.
Ledger didn’t care. He headed straight for the bathroom inside the bedroom where Kash showered.
Ledger jerked open the shower door. He hadn’t calmed at all.
Kash’s gaze shot toward the doorway. “Hey.” His smile fell. “Holy shit, Ledge. What happened? You’re bleeding.”
Ledger stepped inside the shower fully dressed and backed Kash against the wall. “Don’t you ever let anyone scare you the way you let Ry. You should’ve fucking told me the second he made you uncomfortable. I never would’ve let him stay in the same house as you.”
“Whoa. Wait. Is this Ry’s blood on your shirt? What the fuck happened in the last ten minutes?”
“Don’t change the subject. Why didn’t you tell me what Ry did?”
Guilt etched Kash’s features. Thankfully, as always, Kash was honest. “Maybe you would’ve blamed me and not let me come back.
Even if you didn’t blame me, you definitely wouldn’t have let me come back for my safety.
Worse, maybe you would’ve thought I lied and want me out of your life.
There’s a lot I can handle, but never seeing you again, knowing you hate me, isn’t one of those things. Now tell me why you’re bleeding.”
Ledger’s hand shook as he touched Kash’s cheek. His knuckles were split, and blood poured from the wounds. “I need you to trust me.”
“I do.” Kash looked hurt at even the insinuation.
Ledger dropped his forehead to Kash’s chest and breathed in his existence. “Valon called and told me everything.”
“Did you punch a hole in the wall, or teleport to Ry’s?”
Ledger shuffled closer, still not giving a damn he was fully clothed. He couldn’t lift his head. The weight of all the mistakes he had made weighed too heavily on him. “He’s probably still on the front porch where I left him.”
“Damn, baby.” Kash’s arms wrapped around Ledger and squeezed him. “He’s not worth this.”
That had Ledger’s head shooting up. “No. But you are, and I never would’ve put you out for something he did. Maybe I stayed through a lot of shit, but it was never because I was desperate or weak. You’re worth twenty of him.”
Kash cupped Ledger’s face between his hands. Like always, his piercing stare left Ledger feeling like they were alone in the world. “I love you.”
Kash had said those words in anger and pleading but never so point-blank. His eyes said everything. He expected to hear them back. Kash needed to know how Ledger felt.
“I absolutely love you too.” An embarrassed snort escaped Ledger. “You have no idea how badly I want to go back and finish the job. I’m so fucking in love with you. How dare he touch you?”
Kash captured his mouth in a scorching kiss, stopping the rage before it built again.
He fought like hell to get Ledger out of his soaked clothes.
While he had left his phone on the couch, his wallet hadn’t dodged a shower.
Ledger didn’t give a shit about the ruined leather.
He didn’t care if every article of clothing was useless after tearing at them to make them go away.
Everything inside him was a mess. Valon still didn’t know about them, and Ledger was so in this relationship.
He wanted a full life with Kash. Ledger couldn’t lose this.
He had never felt so close and strongly about anyone.
Ledger wasn’t scared about losing Kash. He already knew he wouldn’t let that happen, and he had no idea what keeping this would do to the rest of his life.
Ledger still wanted to go finish the job with Ry.
Finding out Ry had tried to touch Kash in any way was a fire in his gut.
Ledger couldn’t take it.
He dove his fingers into Kash’s hair, forcing Kash to hold his stare. “You’re mine. You’ve always been mine. Don’t you ever let anyone make you feel any other way again.”
Kash looked aroused as hell. Sexy as fuck. “Same. Anyone touches you and they’re dead.”
The moment their bare skin finally met, Ledger wanted to cry. This was his man. His other half. If they never left this shower, Ledger would live the happiest of lives.
They came together hard. Their tongues clashed and fought for dominance. Ledger’s back hit the wall, and his feet left the floor. He had no clue what Kash found to use as lube, and they definitely didn’t have a condom. There was no stopping this. They were too close to insanity.
When Kash shoved his way inside, Ledger gasped for air.
Everything went still. Their gazes met. They didn’t look away as Kash rolled his hips and took Ledger.
Fuck, everything he did felt amazing. Kash knew how to play his body.
As much as he wanted to savor the moment, his emotions were too high.
He strained as much as he could, trying to take what he wanted.
Kash lifted and lowered, fucking him hard.
Kash sucked his neck and moaned. Ledger babbled with no clue what he said.
He was pretty sure he begged for the dick.
Kash suddenly changed angles and hit the right spot. Cries reverberated from the walls as Ledger raced toward the edge.
“I fucking love you. I need to watch you come. Give it to me, sexy.”
Ledger blew. He sucked air and gave no shits about how he looked.
He was in the clouds. Kash moaned as he pumped inside Ledger.
His thrusts slowed, and the air changed.
Their mouths met again. Ledger’s eyes burned at the power of the moment.
They were forever, and it wouldn’t be easy, but it would definitely be worth it.