19. Rowan
ROWAN
Samson shows me around the grounds after that, his hand finding mine, strong and steady as he guides me past the gazebo, the large pond, and an ancient oak tree that’s been here for two hundred years.
When we make it back to the house, Wylder pulls Samson aside. He doesn’t go willingly, grumbling the entire time he’s being led away, leaving me to stand awkwardly in the hallway.
But then Neo finds me, appearing from nowhere and startling me.
“What are you doing?” he asks, his head tilting as he assesses me.
My cheeks darken. I know Neo is the one who recorded Samson in his dancing shed. Did he see what we just did in there, too?
“Samson showed me where he dances and then gave me a tour of the garden. We’d just gotten back inside when Wylder pulled him away.”
“Hmm. That’s annoying, but their shit’s important. Blah, blah.” He waves his hand in a dismissive way that has me grinning.
I can’t help but ask, “What does Wylder do?”
“Besides run the family?” He lets out a small laugh. “He runs a scholarship charity. I help manage it. He’s terrible at it.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah, the guys are…rich as fuck, but they all have ways they put their money to good use.”
“What does Samson do with it?” Does he even work?
On the one hand, I feel like this grumpy, gorgeous man is showing me sides to himself he doesn’t show to anyone else.
But on the other, I don’t know the most basic shit about him.
I shouldn’t want to know, either. Knowing leads to caring. Caring leads to…
Well, sobbing hysterically on the floor of my closet.
Neo purses his lips. “Actually, I don’t know. Fuck, how do I not know?”
“Know what?” Harley asks, appearing by my side, a lollipop in his mouth. He pulls it out, leaving his lips a dark red.
“What Samson does with his money.”
Harley makes a face. “Don’t fucking know, to be honest. He’s very quiet about it. Don’t even know if he spends it. I mean, you’ve seen his dancing shed. His shitty house off this property isn’t much better.”
That makes my stomach twist uneasily. “I guess it was…beaten out of me, okay? Dancing, anything that was considered feminine was not accepted.”
Samson hasn’t built himself somewhere to dance, not because he can’t afford to, but because part of him feels like it still needs to be hidden, that his joy can only be freed in a dark space where no one else can see.
I don’t like that. Not one little bit.
“Anyway, if you want to know what I do with my money, I’m happy to tell you,” Harley says, almost flirtatiously. But the thing is, I know he’s not interested. Not in me, anyway.
“You don’t need to brag. Or show off.” Neo turns to face me. “Harley is the most insufferable dick. Ever.”
“You love me.”
“Whatever.” Neo’s cheeks tint slightly even as he rolls his eyes, revealing he does actually care about Harley. All these men seem to have countless fascinating layers to them.
Neo links his arm with mine. “Come on, let’s go find Ansel and watch a movie.”
“What about Samson?” I ask just as Harley says, “What about me?”
“You can come,” Neo tells Harley, and then pulls me forward. “And Samson will find you. He always will.”
Is it just me, or is that strangely…ominous?
I shake it off. I’m all off-kilter from the past twenty-four hours. That’s all it is.
We move down the hallway, Neo leading the way, Harley following behind. He’s chattering to Neo about Monopoly for some reason, and I just listen, taking it all in.
When we go down a set of stairs into the basement, I realize we’re turning into a large space that is set up as a theater. It has the theater seats and everything. In the corner, there’s a popcorn machine and a fully stocked bar.
What the hell?
“So, you guys don’t go to the movies?” I ask when Neo lets go of my arm and heads for the wet bar. Ansel walks through the doors as I ask that and takes a seat next to me, reclining his chair and sprawling out.
“Hey,” he says with a big grin. “I’m glad you’re still here.”
I smile back at him. I think I like him the most, but Neo and Harley…I think I could really like them, too.
And fuck, this is a good distraction. Samson was right.
“No, we never go out. We just sit here like goblins.” Neo cackles as he pulls out a few sodas and clicks the popcorn machine on. Within seconds, the delicious smell of butter and salt has my mouth watering. “Just kidding. We do go out, but this house is so big, why would you? Everything is here.”
“Agreed,” Harley says, grabbing a soda and popping it open.
“But it does get lonely sometimes. Especially since everyone is pairing up.” The way he says that has me watching him for a long moment, but then a happy grin pulls his lips wide, and he bobs his head.
“Come on, what movie do you want to watch?”
I can’t help but study him a little closer as he plonks down in a seat. There’s not a single inch of Harley’s handsome face that suggests he’s anything but completely happy in this moment. But I know all too well what it’s like to hide your pain with a smile.
“How about that thriller?” Neo suggests. “The one with the gay vampires biting each other all over.”
“Yes, do that one,” Ansel says, reaching up and taking the drink Neo hands him. Next, Neo hands Harley a bucket of popcorn, which he sets between us.
Neo takes the seat on the other side of Ansel and flicks his thumb over his phone, and the lights dim. Another tap has the film starting on the big screen. I lean back, watching as the movie opens, my eyelids growing heavy.
They’re tired from all the crying, from all the fucking emotions.
From the whirlwind of it all.
Before I know it, I’m asleep.
Angry whispers wake me up.
“Why are they lying like this?” a French-accented voice asks.
“I don’t fucking know. Harley has a lot to answer for.”
“Harley? No, it is yours that’s the problem.”
I let out a soft moan and my eyes blink into focus on Samson and Jules, both of whom are standing in front of me, arms folded across their chests, their eyes narrowed in annoyance.
I lift my head then and realize I fell asleep on Harley’s shoulder.
By the looks of it, he’s knocked out too. He doesn’t seem to have noticed the legs I’ve kicked over his lap. A glance to my other side shows that Ansel and Neo left at some point, meaning it’s just myself and Harley in the theater.
Snuggled up together.
“Good evening,” Jules says, a fake smile plastered on his lips. “You look tired. You should retire.” He pauses and then adds, “At home.”
Samson grunts at that, and for a moment I worry that he’s going to send me on my way, but then he reaches down and strokes a wayward strand of hair off my forehead. “He’s not going anywhere. He’s staying here with us.”
My brows shoot up. I am? Since when was that the plan?
Jules huffs, and Samson looks at him pointedly. “Remember who you work for. Get used to it.”
The other man sucks in a quick breath as his eyes flash with hurt. Without another word, he turns, stalking off out of the theater room.
“I think I made things awkward,” I murmur, wetting my dry lips. “I was just so tired. I tend to take up way too much space when I sleep.”
Samson’s face softens, and he tucks his hands into his pockets. “You do.”
That’s right. He’d know. He’s spent a lot of time with me in my bed, holding me. Fucking me.
My cock stirs as I push myself up and step into Samson’s arms. They wrap around me, and he squeezes me tightly as Harley lets out a soft snore.
I tuck my face into Samson’s chest, muffling a small laugh.
Honestly, ending up here wasn’t the plan when I woke up this morning.
It’s kind of crazy when I think about it.
I fully banked on staying inside the closet all day, only leaving when my bladder forced me to, and not speaking a single word to another soul.
Instead, Samson brought me here. He gave me space to wallow all night, but today?
He’s reminded me of some of the goodness in the world. Like these men, who’ve accepted me into their home and family without a second thought.
I sigh. “I do need to go home, though.”
“No. You’re staying with me.”
“What? Here?”
“Yes. In my room.”
I chew on my lip. “I guess I can stay for one night. I’ll have to go pick Nugget up from boarding though. Shit! What time is it? I was meant to get him before five.”
Samson’s arms tighten to stop me from turning and searching for my phone. “Relax, he’s already here.”
“He is?”
“Little fucker has already eaten one of Jackson’s textbooks that he left here and part of a rug. Dotty took a shine to him, so he’s tailing her around the house.”
My mind’s spinning with all this new information. “Who’s Jackson? And Dotty?”
“Jackson is Wyatt’s brother,” Samson explains. “Wyatt is married to Matthias, my brother. And Dotty is…well, technically she’s our housekeeper, but I can’t remember the last time I actually saw her clean. I swear she just uses those spray bottles to torment us.”
I shake my head, begging my brain to clear the sleep fog faster so I can catch up. “The boarders shouldn’t have let you take Nugget without my permission.”
He offers me a crooked smile. “I can be very persuasive when I want to be. Fair warning, I’m about to unleash those skills to make sure you stay here with me.”
Smiling softly, I sway into him. “Well, I guess you’ve removed my issue by bringing Nugget here. I suppose I can be persuaded for one night.”
Samson hums. “Actually, I was thinking more like a week. Maybe two.”
I search his face for signs that he’s joking. “You can’t be serious.”
His expression doesn’t waver. “Deadly so.”
Stepping back, I feel his hands slip from around me. “Um, no, I’m not doing that. I barely know you. You barely know me. I’m not going to stay here. Especially not for a week or two.”
His hands fist by his sides like he’s going to reach for me. They lift, but at the last second, he stuffs them into his pockets. “Why not?”
I realize we’re having this conversation right in front of Harley. His snoring has stopped, and the last thing I want is a witness to this discussion. I nod toward the door, and when Samson doesn’t get the hint, I grab his arm and drag him out of the room.
When we’re in the hallway and completely alone, I let go of him and take a step back. I worry that if I keep touching him, things will spiral out of control.
More so than they already have.
“You were saying?”
“Well…” I wet my lips. “I have a life. I can’t just be sequestered in here. Honestly, I could get lost just walking around. You’d have to send out a search team to find me. It would be a whole thing.” The joke falls flat.
“Neo has this whole place hooked up to a central camera system. We’d know where you went.”
“Is that how you knew I was in here watching a movie?”
“No, he messaged me.”
I chew on my bottom lip. “Well, as gorgeous as this place is, I really can’t stay here. It’s a nice invite, but I have a life. I have work and friends and…Larry.”
His eyes narrow. “Like I’ve said before, Larry is fucking fine on his own.”
I search for another protest. “And this is much farther away from the studio than I’d like.”
“I’ll drive you.”
It’s my turn to fold my arms across my chest, widening my stance and pursing my lips. “I said no.”
He mimics my stance, and I see the stubborn set of his jaw. “Fine.”
Well, that was entirely too—
“But I stayed with you for two days. Four days if we count last night and today. I distracted you…gave you what you need, and now I want the favor returned.”
My mouth drops open. Is he really going there? “Are you negotiating with me? Blackmailing me?”
“If I have to. I prefer blackmail. It’s more fun.”
My lips turn down, and I find myself oscillating between shouting and laughing. This is so fucking ridiculous. “So, what do I have to do to make this fair, then?”
“You stay here with me. Four days, just like I did with you.”
I should argue more, I know this. It’s insane. But also…when was the last time I did anything insane? Reckless? Selfish?
I know the answer to the last one. The night I left Adam alone.
And he died.
Maybe more distraction isn’t a bad idea after all. “Is sex included in this deal?”
“Yes. Of course.”
I stare at him, and he stares back. “Fine. Four days here and then we’re even. But after that, we’re done. I’m not talking to you ever again.”
Really, I’m being ridiculous. I haven’t been able to stay away from Samson so far, so what makes me think that’ll change with spending more time in his vicinity? I have to try though, to make a little protest. For my dignity.
Samson surprises me with his reaction. He lets out a loud laugh at that and then stalks toward me, my legs carrying me backward, my body hitting the wall with a gentle thump as he reaches up and rests his hand on my throat.
Cupping it. Not strangling. Gentle.
Full of promise.
He squeezes, and I let out a soft moan, feeling his hips move slightly, grinding against my own.
“You’ll talk to me again, Row. You know you will.”
My lips twitch, but I refuse to let them smile. I refuse. “I won’t. I’m determined.”
He runs his nose along the side of my cheek, up to my ear, his teeth grazing my sensitive earlobe.
I let out a soft groan as he tugs on it. “So am I.”
Samson smirks. “Guess I’ll have to show you those persuasion skills I was talking about.”
Then he falls to his knees, his hands pulling my pants down with a flick of his wrist, my hard cock appearing right before his mouth.
“You’re mine. All fucking mine,” he mutters, and then swallows me down.
My legs shake, my hands threading through his hair as he takes me. The sight of it… I don’t last long, my entire body curled forward as I come, his mouth accepting it all. There’s not even a drop lingering on his lips when he pulls off of me and leans back.
I’m panting as I stare down at him, this man who’s calmly tucking me back into my pants and buttoning them up, like he didn’t just make me come in the hallway of his childhood home.
I finally find my voice. “I really hope that’s not how you persuaded the guy at the boarding place to let you leave with Nugget.”
Samson dusts a kiss over my cheek as he chuckles. “Nah, these particular skills are only for you. No one else.”
I go for the button on his jeans, ready to take care of the erection he has, but he steps out of reach. “No time for that. We’ve got to get ready for game night.”
I frown, puzzled. “What kind of game night?”