Chapter 12
He finally found Rutledge on the terrace half an hour later.
“I’m going home,” Shawn said.
Rutledge’s back stiffened. He turned around, a cigarette in his hand.
Strange. Until yesterday, Shawn had thought he didn’t smoke at all.
Rutledge took a long drag, studying him with an unreadable expression. “Why? We’re supposed to leave tomorrow.”
“I talked to your father.”
For a moment, Rutledge went very still before a sardonic smile appeared on his face. “How much did he offer you?”
“A lot. Only an idiot would refuse.”
Rutledge turned away. “Congratulations. The easiest money you’ve ever made.”
Shawn eyed his straight back. “Well, we’ve already established I’m dumb, didn’t we?”
A pause.
Rutledge let out a laugh. “You should have taken the money, Wyatt.”
“I don’t like him.”
Rutledge turned around again and crushed his cigarette with his shoe. “No one likes him. It’s not a good enough reason not to accept his money. We know it would have made no difference.”
“We know it, but he doesn’t.” Shawn cocked his head. “Are you really okay with me accepting his money? He thinks I’m your boyfriend.”
Rutledge’s lips twisted. “My father has been paying my boyfriends off ever since I was fifteen. You wouldn’t have been the first. The old man’s stubborn enough to think I’ll marry a nice little girl if he puts an end to every relationship I try to have.
Though I’m a bit surprised this time. Usually he bothers only if the guy lasts more than a month—which doesn’t happen that often. ”
Shawn stared at him. “You can’t mean all of them accepted his money.”
“No. Not all of them. But most.”
There was a bland mask of indifference on Rutledge’s face, and Shawn had to curl his hands into fists and look away, trying to shake off the urge to touch him.
“You said he reminded you of me,” Rutledge said. “But he takes it to a whole new level. He doesn’t know when to stop.”
“Yeah,” Shawn murmured. “He’s a narrow-minded, self-absorbed, high-handed asshole, and he fucked you up. But it doesn’t excuse you when you act like a dick. And if you keep being so insensitive and keep treating people like pawns, you’ll turn into him. Do you want that?”
“I didn’t bring you along so you could psychoanalyze me.”
“No, you didn’t bring me along for that,” Shawn said, his voice quiet. “But I’m done.”
Rutledge’s gaze sharpened. “What?”
“I’m a bit sick of being treated like a cheap whore by your family.”
“I wouldn’t call you cheap,” Rutledge said, his voice clipped.
Shawn laughed softly. “Okay, maybe I deserve it. I needed money and wasn’t proud enough to say no, but I’m kind of sick of it now. That’s it, Professor.”
He turned to leave, but Rutledge crossed the distance between them in a few strides and grabbed his arm. “You can’t leave. We have a deal.”
Shawn looked at him, ignoring Rutledge’s painful grip on his arm. “We had a deal. I’m ending it now. I think I more than earned the money you paid me for this trip. You can keep the money for last night’s sex. On the house.”
He tried to yank his hand free, but Rutledge’s grip only tightened. “You can’t just decide to leave.”
“Why not? Why do you even mind?” He smiled brightly. “Didn’t you say you get bored of straight guys after you fuck them? Lucky for you, then.”
Rutledge’s lips pressed into a thin line. His grasp loosened.
Yanking his arm free, Shawn strode away.
* * *
By the time Shawn managed to dress the girls and get them out of the house, Rutledge’s car was waiting for them.
Shawn stared out the window for most of the drive, feigning interest in the scenery passing by.
The twins were doing all the talking. He didn’t look at Rutledge, but the tension in the air between them was palpable, and the sheer amount of anger and frustration was overwhelming.
Shawn wasn’t even sure why. It wasn’t like Rutledge was his ex or something; it wasn’t like they had been dating; there was no reason this should affect him.
He had sucked his professor’s dick for a few weeks (granted, not something he was proud of), had been dragged along to annoy Joseph Rutledge and got paid handsomely for it.
He was finally done whoring himself out, and now he had a few months to find a better job without worrying about the bills every day.
So everything was fine. Great. Fantastic, actually.
Yet it was such a relief when the car finally stopped in front of his building.
It took Shawn a few minutes to get the girls out of the car. Rutledge already had Shawn’s suitcase out.
“Thanks, I’ll take it now,” Shawn said, without looking at him.
“Don’t be silly,” Rutledge said, walking toward the building. “You don’t have three hands.”
“The girls don’t need me to carry them. They’re old enough to walk.”
Rutledge ignored him, of course. Of course.
“We can walk,” Emily confirmed.
“But I wanna be carried,” Bee said.
Shawn glared at Rutledge’s back and picked up the girls. “You don’t even know where you’re going.”
“I know your address. I’m capable of figuring out where your apartment is.”
Scowling, Shawn could only follow him, albeit reluctantly.
When they reached his apartment, Shawn hesitated. He didn’t want Rutledge to see it. It wasn’t that he was embarrassed of it—fine, maybe he was embarrassed of it.
He opened the door and ushered the girls inside before closing it and turning to Rutledge.
Rutledge set the suitcase down, his expression stony.
“I…” Shawn said, shifting slightly on his feet. “I’ll see you around, I guess.”
Rutledge nodded curtly. But he didn’t move.
Shawn cleared his throat, hooking his thumbs in his pockets and rocking back on his heels. “Thanks, by the way.”
“For what?”
“For helping me figure out I’m not straight.”
“What?” Rutledge said, almost without inflection.
“Yeah. In case you couldn’t tell, I liked having sex with a man.” Shawn smiled faintly. “I didn’t expect it, but I did. A lot. So… I have more options now. I guess I should thank you for that.”
“Options,” Rutledge said.
“Yep.” Shawn rubbed the back of his neck. “I can date guys too now.”
Something changed in Rutledge’s expression, but it was gone before Shawn could figure out what it was.
“You can,” Rutledge agreed, pushing his hands into the pockets of his jacket.
Damn. Why was it so weird, and awkward—and whatever the hell it was?
Shawn was sure he wasn’t imagining the tension, the frustration in the air, yet Rutledge’s face betrayed nothing. And it pissed Shawn off. He wanted to shake him. He wanted to shock him.
So he said, “You know, I actually can’t wait to find out if sex with other guys will be different. It’s all new and very exciting.”
Rutledge looked aside for a moment before a smile formed on his face. “Are you trying to make me jealous, Wyatt? I don’t do jealousy. Jealousy is for insecure men with small dicks and low self-esteem. And you have to care to be jealous. I don’t.”
Shawn bristled at the implications. “Why would I want to make you jealous? I don’t like you. Your family is horrible, you’re an ass, you’re beyond fucked up, and you’re a commitment-phobe. And you don’t like children—which is obviously a big deal for me. You’re everything I don’t want.”
“Good.” Rutledge glared at him.
Their gazes clashed and a rush of carnal hunger slammed into Shawn with a force that stole his breath.
His fingers trembling, Shawn found the doorknob behind him and stumbled into the apartment.
Shutting the door, Shawn leaned against it, breathing hard.
Fuck.