Dazed
Kip
The echoes of my Darby screaming my name are still bouncing off the walls when my phone rings.
As tempted as I was to jerk off during what we just did, I didn't. Instead, I got as close as I physically could to the door, practically making love to it, and gave him all of my focus and attention.
Which is why I'm a little surprised when I answer the call and sound like I've just swum fifty laps in the pool.
It's Mitch.
He tells me the principals have just left and he's on his way over. Normally, I'd rib him for using fancy protection jargon when he could've just said Taylor and Travis, but I'm too affected by what just happened.
I don't even ask him if he managed to call in my favor because I trust that he did. He's a good man.
"Mitch is on his way," I inform Darby. "How are you feeling?"
"Dazed."
He sounds it, and my body aches to be close to him.
To hold him in my arms.
To wipe the sweat off his forehead.
To help him get dressed, cleaned up.
To protect him.
I glance toward the front doors. Mitch hasn't shown up yet, but he'll be arriving any minute now.
"I'm going to get the override key from Mitch, and then I'm going to get you out of there myself. Is that okay?"
"That's perfect," Darby says, and I can hear him getting up.
After what he went through as a kid, I don't want me getting him out of there to bring up any more trauma than it has to.
Mitch is six-six, so it's hard to miss his massive frame when he appears at the entrance. I jog through the store and open the front door for him.
"Hey."
"Hey, buddy. Sorry I took so long." He moves like he wants to step in, but I block his path. His eyes narrow in suspicion. "What are you doing? Why are you standing in my way?"
Spoken like a man who's never had that happen to him before.
"This is going to sound very weird," I say, fast and low, palming his chest of steel and gently pushing him back onto the sidewalk. "But I need you to just give me the override key and leave."
"Is this a joke?"
"It's not, I swear. I'll explain everything later." I look down to his catcher’s mitts sized hands. "The key, please."
He hands it over, eyeing me with mild curiosity. "This is a chain of custody violation, you know. I could be fired for this."
"Stop using fancy security words. You've got nothing to worry about. You won't get fired. I won't breathe a word of this to anyone. I'll get the key back to you within the hour. Thanks and bye."
He shakes his head but leaves anyway.
"Oh," he says, turning around and taking a few paces toward me. "Here. I almost forgot."
He hands me the thing I asked for, and I arch a brow, impressed. "You got both. Excellent."
"Well, I did owe you one."
In an attempt to attract a younger, more diverse crowd, the store next to mine has been converted into a pop-up store, with the space being offered for free to up-and-coming emerging designers selling their wares.
Mitch has a major crush on one of the designers, Kalex, and begged me to come up with reasons to justify him showing up there. We've had more fire safety drills in the last three months than we've had the whole time I've been here.
I've played my part, he now needs to play his and stop getting so damn tongue-tied around the guy. It's funny in an adorable way, watching this hulking six-six guy getting so flustered in front of a guy who barely reaches his pecs.
"We're even now," I tell him. "I'll return the key in a bit."
"Yeah, yeah," he says with a wave, keying his radio and murmuring into his shoulder mic. Dude seriously needs to be working for the CIA, not guarding a measly building.
I hurry back to Darby. "Sorry about that. Are you decent?"
"Considering I just fucked myself with a dildo in front of you…yes?"
I chuckle even though I can't tell if he's joking or if he's that young he doesn't know what being decent means in that context.
My chest suddenly goes hollow.
I've been so wrapped up in everything that it completely slipped my mind there's a massive age gap between us. There's no way a young guy in his prime with his whole life ahead of him would be interested in a washed-up former model like me.
Don't get me wrong, I love my life. It's quiet and settled and peaceful…but that's not exactly what a guy in his twenties is looking for.
I shake off the depressing thoughts since Darby has been locked in for way too long.
"I'm opening the door."
The override key slides in, bypasses the electrical system, and, and I can finally open the damn door.
"Wait!"