Found at the Library (11 page)

“Um, I don’t think that’s possible right now.” Tommy pushed back against the hard erection riding his ass crack. “Not until that is deep inside me, fucking me hard. Come on, Mac. You’re killing me with anticipation.”

“Killing you? No, that’s not what I was shooting for here.” Mac grabbed hold of his erection and began to ease into Tommy. “No, I only want this to feel...so.” Gasp. “Damn.” Groan. “Amazing,” Mac gritted out.

Tommy moaned as Mac bottomed out in his ass. So full. So fucking right. “Mission accomplished. Fuck, Mac, you’re so big, but you feel so good, filling me up.” Tommy pushed back toward Mac, and they began to move in tandem.

In and out. Back and forth. Sweat pooled on the small of Tommy’s back, a sheen covering his skin. But after a few moments Mac pulled out, grabbed Tommy around the waist, and flipped him over.

Mac gave him a slow, searching kiss. Rearing back, he lifted Tommy’s legs so he could slide into Tommy’s ass. As he slowly reinserted, their gazes met and held. This time, Mac’s thrusts slowly built the tension between them. Tommy had never felt such a deep connection in his life.

Mac fisted Tommy’s cock and Tommy reared up, a growl emerging from deep within.

“Tell me you’re close,” Mac gasped.

“So close.”

Mac plunged harder, deeper, and he rubbed against Tommy’s prostate. Tommy came with a roar, sending hot jets of cum up his chest, his ass clamping down hard on Mac’s thick length.  Mac completely lost his rhythm as his cock jerked and spasmed with orgasm.

It took several minutes for the nerve-tingling spasms to end. Mac let go of Tommy’s legs and collapsed onto his chest as they both worked to find their breath.

Mac pulled out, tied off the condom, and threw it into the trashcan beside Tommy’s bed. Then he settled back onto Tommy’s chest with a light kiss to his pectoral muscle.

Tommy ran his fingers through Mac’s sweaty hair.

“Definitely mission accomplished,” Tommy said with his eyes shut as he relished this satiated feeling. “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to move again.”

Mac chuckled, the sound low and satisfied. They lay there while they came down from the experience.

Tommy ran his hand up and down Mac’s spine. Along with the coffee, they’d missed the apology part of the evening. “I’m sorry about the other day. I overreacted.”

“It’s okay. I understand. I know I overstepped, and you were already dealing with a lot of stress, but I won’t apologize for doing what I did. If I had it to do over again, I wouldn’t change it. You needed help. I gave it.”

Tommy smiled and squeezed Mac closer to him.

Mac’s shoulders tightened a little bit. “Actually, no, that’s not right. I would change something.—the day I met you at the library sale. I wouldn’t blow my chance with the sexy, hot customer with the smoking body who caught my eye. I would have gotten your number and stalked you a lot earlier.”

“Hmm, so you’re telling me because you weren’t aggressive enough at that first meeting, we missed out on two more months of this?”

Mac sighed dramatically. “I know. It’s a tragic loss, so I think we’ll have to do everything humanly possible to make up for lost time.”

They spent the next hour and a half doing exactly that. Tommy had hoped and fantasized that the sex would be good, but reality with Mac so far surpassed that. Tommy was dozing off in pure exhaustion when Mac slipped out of bed.

Tommy sat up and squinted at him. “Where are you going?” He wanted Mac to stay the night. Had he read more into this than there was?

“Oh, no, don’t look at me like that. I can’t stay. I’m weeks behind on my deadline. My agent, Emily, is out of town, but I have to get another forty thousand words written before she gets back, or she’s going to take the balls you enjoy so much.”

Tommy nodded sagely as he sat up in bed. “So, really you’re doing all this work to preserve your balls for my pleasure.”

“Nope.” Mac shook his head. “I happen to enjoy what you do with my balls too much to claim it’s just for you. I’m selfish enough to say I want to keep them for you.” He gave Tommy a quick kiss. “Honestly, I shouldn’t have even taken the time I did last night, but I’m so glad that I did.”

Tommy tried to hide his disappointment that this looked like a one-time thing, at least for the near future. “Me, too. Thanks for calling me. But it sounds like you’re going to be chained to your computer for the next few weeks.” An idea occurred to him. Mac has spent the last week taking care of Tommy when he needed it. Maybe he could reciprocate. “Let me take care of you for a while. Can I bring you dinner tonight?”

“I’d like that,” Mac said with a soft smile. “I’ll text you my address.” Mac had finished getting dressed, and he leaned over onto the bed with a single knee planted while he kissed Tommy. “But now I have to go. Thank you for the most fantastic coffee date I’ve ever had, even though we never made it to the coffee part. I’ll lock the door on the way out.”

“G’night, Mac.”

When Tommy heard the door click closed in the other room, he fell back in the bed and rested his arm across his face. “Yes!” It had been a perfect date.

Ampersand jumped on the bed and pawed at Tommy’s arm with a small mew. He distractedly scratched her behind the ears as she requested. “Despite everything, I think it’s going to be a good Christmas, Amp. And I probably jinxed it by saying so. No, I’m going to think positively. It’s time for some good karma to come our way.”

Chapter Seven

Releasing a book is a lot like sending your child to school for the first time. It’s terrifying. You just hope your kid isn’t the nerd in the back of the class, getting bullied because he picked his nose.

-Observations from Mac

Tommy entered the foyer of the new mental health facility. Serendipity offered everything the state facility hadn’t...comfort, security, peace. Even the lobby offered the welcoming feeling of someone’s living room rather than a sterile hospital environment, and from everything he’d seen, that same atmosphere echoed throughout. Ryder’s care here cost a fortune, but his brother was worth it. Thank fuck for the anonymous benefactor who had made moving Ryder here an option.

Tommy had only dreamed of someday making even a portion of the money he’d made from the gallery sale. And although he wouldn’t see the benefit of any of it hitting his bank account before he had to pay the bills here, he could deal with that.

He stepped up to the reception counter and a pleasant woman wearing a business suit smiled at him. “Hi. Welcome to Serendipity. Are you here for an appointment or to see a patient?”

That was an option here, unlike the last place. Here they would let him see Ryder. He would know without a doubt whether Ryder progressed or not. So even if he had had to mortgage the Typecast building, it would have been worth it. Luckily it didn’t have to come to that.

“I’m here to see a patient, Ryder Garrett. I’m his brother, Thomas Garrett.”

She typed into her computer. “Yes, you’re on the approved list, and you’ll be happy to know he’s having a better day today. It looks like he’s in his room right now. Do you know where that is?”

Tommy gave a mental sigh of relief. “Yes, thank you.” Ryder had been here three days, and if it was a good day, Tommy hoped Ryder would actually talk to him...something that hadn’t happened so far.

On Ryder’s first day, he’d been in and out of consciousness with the lingering bruises and sedation. The second day, he’d simply been stubborn and had bottled up. But Tommy wouldn’t give up. He loved his brother, whether Ryder wanted to hear that or not. He would be here every day, telling him that until it got through his thick head.

Approaching Ryder’s room, Tommy was surprised to see the door open. Ryder sat in his chair, staring out the window, so Tommy knocked on the doorframe. Ryder glanced his way. Recognition and a glimmer of relief showed in his eyes.

“Hey, is it okay if I come in?”

His brother’s bruises were fading. They’d turned a sickly shade of greenish-yellow, but he looked so much better than he had before. And for the first time since Tommy had found him unconscious, he had some life to his eyes.

Ryder visibly swallowed and then nodded. “Yeah, that’d work.”

Tommy grabbed the chair from the desk and pulled it up so that he could sit beside his brother. It was already dark outside, but Ryder had a view of the interior lit courtyard. This evening the snowfall had kept everyone indoors so Tommy wondered what Ryder saw.

“What are you watching?” he asked.

“The snow in the lights looks like glitter. It’s like the world is getting decorated for Christmas.”

Tommy glanced around Ryder’s room. It was nice, but still sterile like a really nice hotel room. Nothing that said it belonged to anyone who would be here through the holidays. Why hadn’t he thought of doing something to decorate for Christmas? Would the hospital even let him bring something in? He needed to check that. The common areas were decorated, but it seemed like Ryder should have something festive in here, too.

“You don’t see it?” Ryder asked. “I thought you were supposed to be the artist.”

Tommy grinned at Ryder. “No, I see it. You’re right. It’s beautiful. I like that imagery. It’s positive.”

“Well, yeah, I’m working on that. Dr. Shaw says that even if I’m faking it, that it helps to eventually make the feelings real if I make positive comments.”

“Are you faking it?”

“Fuck, yeah.”

Those two words were like a blow directly to Tommy’s gut. “I wish you didn’t have to.”

“Me, too,” Ryder murmured. He glanced over at Tommy. “But that doesn’t sound very positive, does it? Unfortunately, the snow was my only positive for today, at least until you came. Tell me something happy, big brother, so we have something to talk about.”

“My positive for today is that my brother is actually talking to me and trying. And that means so damn much to me, because he’s all I have left in this world, and I can’t imagine living in it without him.”

Ryder’s eyes filled with tears. “I don’t think you quite get the positive aspirations part of this conversation.” He looked back out the window to hide his tears, but Tommy could still hear them in his voice. “I’m sorry,” Ryder whispered.

“Me, too,” Tommy said and reached over to cup Ryder’s shoulder. “I’m sorry I got so wrapped up in my own world that I didn’t realize how bad things had gotten for you. But that’s all going to change now. Things are going to get better. And you asked about something positive. I do have some news. My entire collection that opened at the Minton Gallery last week sold.”

“Every piece?” At Tommy’s nod, Ryder actually smiled, even if it didn’t reach his eyes. Fake it until it takes, right? “That’s great. My brother, the famous artist.”

“Well, not quite yet, but this will help. From what I understand, the collection is supposed to be displayed at the Denver Public Library, so that could mean some great, long-term PR for me.”

“That’s fantastic, Tom. Congratulations.”

They lapsed into uncomfortable silence, and Tommy glanced around again. “So, I need to know. Is this place okay? Do you like your doc? If not, we can move you somewhere else.”

A momentary shadow flitted across Ryder’s features, but then he gave Tommy that fake smile again. “No, this is good. Dr. Shaw seems like she knows what she’s doing. Although Dr. Phillips was a good sort, too. But it’s better here. It doesn’t seem like there are so many problems here.”

“That’s good.” In fact, that provided a huge relief since Tommy knew most the problems in the last place had been the out of control patients.

At least so far, Ryder hadn’t remembered the attack on him. He’d been sedated after it happened and it was likely he never would remember it. Tommy hoped that would be the case.

“Hey, they’re going to kick me out in about five minutes. Is there anything I can bring you tomorrow night when I come back?”

Ryder’s shoulders tightened, and his lips thinned as he gazed down into his folded hands in his lap. “Maybe something to read. There’s not a lot to do in here.”

“You got it, bro.” Tommy hated leaving him here when he knew Ryder was unhappy with it, too. “I’ll be back tomorrow night, and maybe I can bring a few other little surprises, too.”

Ryder’s eyes lit up for a moment. “Surprises? That sounds fun...and positive. I like that. Thanks, Tommy...for everything.”

“Always.” Tommy leaned over and hugged Ryder’s stiff shoulders and placed a light kiss on the top of his head. “I love you. It’s going to get better.”

***

Tommy swallowed, trying to find some saliva in his mouth as he looked up at the huge house in front of him. He knew Mac did well as an author, but he hadn’t really considered what that meant. The house—no correct that...the estate—in front of him sprawled over a huge property in the middle of downtown Denver. The property took up at least a couple of acres, and the house looked almost as big as the amount of land.

Mac was stinking rich.

Oh fuck, what was he doing here?

This guy was so far out of his league. But he’d promised Mac dinner tonight. Tommy grimaced down at the grease-laden bag and then back to the house. He’d brought him barbeque from a pit when it looked like the man lived on caviar and pate.

It was one of those old mansions found downtown in Washington Park. It looked like something that had been picked up and brought here from France. The brick and stucco exterior with ivy vines crawling up the walls made it look like some sort of French chateau. Was that an actual turret? A huge, bricked drive circled the front and led up to the front door. With the dusting of newly fallen snow, it looked like a winter palace. He defiled its beauty just by being here.

It felt wrong to park in front and just go ring the doorbell.

He turned off his truck, and peered up at the massive place again, rubbing his damp palms on the thighs of his jeans. Maybe he had the wrong address and they would simply send him on his way when he rang the bell.

Nothing he could do now. He was here, and if he sat out here much longer,
he
would be the one arrested for stalking. He stepped out of the car onto the freshly shoveled brick drive.  How many people did it take to upkeep a place this size?