OVERTIME (21 page)

After pouring every ounce of his kissing ability into his attack on Rory’s innocent lips, he pulled away and waited to see if all those hot and itchy sensations started crawling around in his body like it always did when Colton even glanced in his direction. Nothing…not a damned spark. It was Colton; just fucking Colton—the one man he obviously couldn’t have.

“Find out what you needed to know,
cher
?” Rory asked with a smirk.

“Yeah…I guess I did,” Jagger answered softly, humiliated that he’d used Rory the way he had. Then, of course, just when he thought he couldn’t get any worse, the puke finally came…and boy did it ever come. Everywhere. All over him. All over Rory. Hell, some of it probably got on the neighbors. Fuck.

He figured Rory would slug him, but the Cajun just burst out laughing. “
Cher
! My kisses have caused a lot of reactions in the past, but that, my sweet, is a first for me!” He kept laughing and started taking his clothes off, tossing them aside like they weren’t standing on his front porch in a cluttered neighborhood. “Get naked,
cher
. You aren’t taking that mess into my house.”

“Sorry, man,” Jagger muttered and started stripping. He figured he didn’t really have a pinkie full of pride left, so he just followed Rory’s example and got naked. What the fuck did it matter anyway?

“Sorry for the kiss you laid down on me to prove to yourself that Colton is the only man that gets your blood humming or for puking all over me?”

“Both,” Jagger grumbled. “I needed to know. Sorry about that. That was a pretty shitty thing to do.”

Tobias chose that moment to walk out onto the porch. His eyes bugged straight out of his head. “What the fuck, Rory? Colton will kick your ass,” he warned. His head kept moving from Jagger to Rory…Rory to Jagger
…

“Colton might try,” Rory countered arrogantly. “Somebody puked himself. I’m going to get some coffee into our guest and throw his clothes in the wash. Why don’t you head over to Colton’s boat and let him know where Jagger is?”

Tobias found this to be way funnier than Jagger saw it being.

“I cannot wait to tease him over this one. I swear I will never let him live it down.” Tobias was shaking his head but was, at least, heading down the steps. “I’m going to the boat first, but I’m sure he’s already wandering the streets looking for his runaway. There’s no telling how long it will take for me to find him.”

“Just find him and stop enjoying yourself so damned much!” Rory yelled. Turning to naked Jagger, he said, “Let’s get you inside and start replacing your blood with coffee. You’re going to need to be alert and ready when Colton finds you.” He opened the door and motioned for Jagger to go ahead of him.

Tobias’ laughter was still ringing in Jagger’s ears thirty minutes later as he and Rory sat at a small table on a jealousy porch off the kitchen. At least Rory had offered him a shower and toothbrush. When he’d asked for something to wear, Rory had explained that a towel was all he was going to get. When Colton showed up, he wasn’t at all interested in having any of his clothes destroyed when Colton ripped them off. Dude could not be more wrong, but Jagger didn’t really have the strength to argue with him. A towel would work fine.

“Tell me what went wrong,
cher
,” Rory ordered softly as he poured him his second cup of black coffee. “I know how Colton feels about his Wildcat so I can’t imagine what the hell happened that made you think he didn’t want you.”

“I don’t suppose that’s anybody’s business but mine and Colton’s,” Jagger answered sourly. The after-drunk headache was starting to make itself known.

“No, I don’t suppose it is,” Rory answered slowly as he studied Jagger’s hostile posture. “I just thought maybe after everything we shared on the front porch, you might be willing to trust me.” He smiled great big. “I mean you are the first straight boy that has kissed me, so that kind
of makes you my first. I mean…that’s the problem, isn’t it? You’re straight and Colton wants to take you to bed and try to flip you? I would have punched him too; the bastard deserved it.” He took a sip of his coffee and continued to watch…and wait.

Jagger took a deep breath and hated that he needed this—needed to talk to somebody about the shit going on in his life. He didn’t have a fucking clue how he’d gone from being the guy who didn’t need anybody to being the guy who was suddenly leaning on everybody. He took another breath and just let it out. “You know I’m probably gay, right?”

“Yep, just wasn’t sure you knew it or not,” Rory answered like it was no big deal instead of him admitting something that he’d never admitted to another living soul in his life. “Is that the problem? You’re gay…but don’t want to be,
cher
? Is that what is causing problems between you and Colton?”

“No,” Jagger answered quickly. “The problem is that Colton doesn’t want me. He’s toying with me and then when I start to give in, he shoves me aside.” His hand was shaking as he reached for his coffee cup. “It’s like he wants to play with the poor boy, but then suddenly realizes he’s so much better than me and can’t go through with it.” He swallowed another swig of the strong Cuban coffee Rory had served him and loved the burn that it caused down his throat and in the pit of his stomach. It allowed him to focus on something other than the pain in his heart.

“That’s nothing but bullshit,
cher
. That boy has wanted you for as long as any of us could begin to remember. When his parents brought him here and he was shoved into our high school as the new gay boy, you were all we heard about—his Kentucky heartthrob.” Rory winked in his direction. “After basketball camp, he referred to you as his Wildcat and that has never changed. You’re all he’s ever wanted. Don’t get me wrong, baby cakes; you are as enticing as sin on a stick and you’re not a half bad kisser…even if you were flat-assed drunk, but nobody could ever be the phenomenal god that he described you to be. But that’s just it…when you love somebody, really love somebody, they are perfect in your eyes…and that’s exactly how Colton described you—how Colton sees you.”

Jagger snorted. “Yeah, now I’m the one calling bullshit,” he countered, but he couldn’t stop the warm feeling Rory’s words caused. He literally had to fight back the satisfied smile that wanted to curve his lips when he thought that there was a possibility that young Colton had sung his praises to his new friends. He was pretty damned sure nobody had ever sang his praises.

Rory’s eyes narrowed. “Is it the money,
cher
? Is that your biggest hang-up with Colton? You’ve mentioned it a few times—Colton has mentioned it bothers you. What’s the big deal? He was born a trust-fund baby…it’s not like he had a choice in the matter and he definitely doesn’t flaunt his wealth and rub it in anybody’s face…like I’ve been known to do. Don’t let something as stupid as money cause you to lose what could possibly be the best thing to ever walk into your life.”

“Uhhhh…coming from the rich dude.”

“Smartass,” Rory snorted. “I won’t cross the line and share something with you that belongs to Colton, but I will say this much—Colton isn’t nearly as wealthy as he used to be. He made a rather hefty investment in something that is very near and dear to his heart…there isn’t a financial payoff from this investment, so it pretty much tanked the biggest portion of his funds. It makes his heart feel good, so he finds it to be worth the investment.” He shrugged. “Other than that, he’s invested in a couple of other businesses with me that should bring in a monthly profit that will keep food on his table and liquor in his belly and I’m pretty sure he’s got a nest egg put back to buy a home whenever he knows for sure where he is going to settle down.”

Rory just didn’t get it. Wow, he supposed when someone had been born wealthy, they really didn’t understand what it meant to be poor. In Rory’s mind, Colton was ‘roughing it’ by drawing his monthly profit check from his investments…and there were days when Jagger had wondered when he would get to eat again. There always been money for beer and cigarettes, but not always enough left over for food for the kid of the house. Sure, it had been years since he’d been there, but one never really forgot what it was like to be hungry and not know when you would eat again. Liquor in his belly? Fuck…they didn’t have a fucking clue. “Poor baby.”

“I get it,
cher
,” Rory answered. “I can’t pretend to understand what it’s like to not have money because I’ve always had it. I get it. I’m an arrogant ass who has never really worked a full day in his life. Don’t judge Colton by my lifestyle. He’s always wanted his Wildcat; I’ve been looking for just the right piece of ass that will appreciate the fact that he won’t ever have to lift a finger…just his ass.”

Jagger’s eyes rolled. Rory was an idiot, but you couldn’t help but like the dude. He was one of those ‘what you see is what you get’ kinds of guys. He might be a tad shallow, but he didn’t try to act like anything other than a tad shallow prick that loved life and was, as he said, looking for a guy that would love him for what he was. Could he ever do that? Could he love
somebody else without judging them against the shitty life he’d had? Could he ever quit judging himself long enough to let somebody love him?

“Come on! I was just kidding,” Rory slapped him on the back, nearly knocking his coffee cup right out of his hand. “You really need to loosen up. You’re way too serious for somebody your age.” He accused. “Let me ask you something and you let yourself be really honest for me, okay? Really honest,” he urged.

“Go ahead; ask away.” He was so tired of fighting it.

“How do you feel about Colton? Is he special to you? I’m not asking if you’re in love with him like he is you…just want to know how you feel about him.”

Jagger wanted to lie. He figured lying was probably the safest thing for him. It was the best way for him to protect his heart. “He manages to piss me off and turn me on at the same time.” The words flew right out of his mouth. “Whenever I would let my guard down, his words have haunted me for the past four years. I’ve…I’ve thought about him when I’ve had sex with women…or when I’ve been alone.” His hands swiped his hair out of his face and he fought the urge to grip his chest and try to massage away the pain in his heart. “It fucking scares me to death how much control he could have over me if I let him.”

When he looked up at Rory, the other man was staring at him, a seriously sweet expression on his face. It made him blush to his roots. Why the fuck had he opened his big mouth?
Rory was Colton’s friend; there was no doubt he would tell him what he’d said, giving Colton even more ammunition to use against him. He’d always been so very careful with his thoughts and emotions. So. Very. Careful.

“Ah,
cher
, sometimes giving up control is one of the most beautiful releases in the world. Give my boy a chance.” He leaned over and kissed Jagger on the forehead. “Give yourself a chance,
cher
.”

Before Jagger could answer, Rory’s phone chirped that a text message had come through. Jagger felt his entire body tense. What if he’d actually hurt Colton? What if Colton didn’t even want to see him one more time before sending him back to Kentucky? What if the text told Rory to drive him straight to the airport and he would never get to see him again?

Rory checked the message and looked slightly troubled. “Well, apparently Colton woke up and went hunting for his Wildcat. Tobias says he isn’t on the boat. He’s going to head down to Duval Street and see if he can find him.” He stood up and motioned for Jagger to follow suit.
“It looks like this is going to take a bit longer than we’d thought. Best thing for you to do is try and get some sleep. When he comes for you…you need to be ready.” He gripped Jagger’s upper arm and started leading him down a long hall. Opening a door to the left, he gestured for Jagger to go inside. “Use my bed,
cher
. I’ll send him in to you when Tobias finds him.”

Jagger snorted nervously, the thoughts of Colton furious with him making his heart ache. “You act like he’s going to try and kick my ass. Maybe I should just head straight for the airport?”

Rory laughed softly. “No,
cher
, he’s going to fuck your ass when he finds you. Be ready.” With that warning, he closed the door right in Jagger’s shocked face.

Chapter 12

“You’ve got about three seconds to tell me why in the fucking hell my man is naked and in your bed, Rory,” Colton growled. His chest was heaving and his eyes were wild with fury that he was barely containing at the moment. This confrontation had been building from the moment he’d walked into Rory’s house and heard Jagger was in Rory’s bed. Jealousy turned everyone into an ugly bitch at some point in their life. Today looked like Colton’s turn. On top of that, his fucking head hurt where he’d connected with the deck when Jagger had punched his fucking lights out.

Tobias, standing in the doorway, snorted out a laugh but then scurried away when Colton sent a glare in his direction. Rory merely smirked at the decidedly evil look and fury radiating from his friend. He’d known this was coming…anticipated it. He couldn’t wait to see Colton finally happy but he was pretty sure he and Jagger were going to have to endure this confrontation before they were going to be able to head in the direction of happiness. Colton’s boy had a lot of issues stemming from his childhood and they were going to be tough to overcome. He and Colton witnessed that shit on a pretty regular basis and Colton had been one hundred percent certain that experience would help him handle anything Jagger threw in his direction. Rory wasn’t so sure that was going to be the case. Jagger’s pain ran deep and he had years of protection built up as a method to block strong emotions. How in the hell Colton thought he could win Jagger over in a few short days was beyond him.