Rough [01] - A Bit of Rough (4 page)

James didn't think it was possible but the man's voice got even sexier.

"Jamie!" The one word was said with so much genuine pleasure James blushed. Bram continued, "I'm really glad you decided to call. I've been kicking myself all morning for being so chivalrous last night. I would have called you over breakfast. Or called you over to have breakfast."

Pleased by Bram's willingness to reveal his continuing attraction so easily, James took courage from the admission.

"I don't eat breakfast, but thanks for the thought. If tonight is still a go, you'll need my address." A slight pause on the other end of the line made James' heart skip a beat.

"Unless you've changed your mind?"

"What? Hell, no, Jamie. Dinner is on. Six o'clock. I was just searching for a piece of paper. To write your address on." There was the rustle of paper and Bram's voice faded for a moment, like he was switching hands with the phone. "Don't want to make any
A Bit of Rough - 19

mistakes and show up late. I hate being late." Bram's voice sounded closer, like he had pressed the mouthpiece to his face. "Shoot, Tiger, I'm ready for you."

The last was said with a bit more sultriness. James had a visual of the big man naked and hard, broad muscles oiled and flexed, one massive, rough palm soothing up and down his straining cock, while the other hand gestured to James to come closer. A husky whisper proclaimed, "I'm ready for you."

James gasped at the rush of blood that filled his cock then fumbled with the phone when the sultry come-on was repeated in his ear. This time Bram sounded perplexed.

"I'm ready for you. Jamie? I know you're still there, I can hear you panting. You okay?"

James bit his lower lip hard, letting the pain distract his soaring libido. He winced when a tooth cut into a small crack in his chapped lip. "Ow. Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, fine. Ah, someone just . . . stopped by my office for a second. I got distracted by you -- them, them. But you're -- they're gone now."

The warm chuckle James remembered from last night rumbled across the telephone line, losing none of its heat along the way. "Good. I'd hate to think I'd lost your attention already. Now give me your address. I have to get back to work."

"Oh, sorry. I live in the Butler Building on West 12th. Apartment 4C, at the end of the hall. You have to be buzzed up, but I should be home in plenty of time before six." James rubbed his thumb over his sore lip. He couldn't decide whether he hoped Bram would shave tonight or not.

"I hope so." The big man's voice took another dive to the deep end of the vocal pool.

"Like I said, I'm not fond of late. In my world, late gets you punished."

The implied, playful threat sent a flash of lust and desire burning down every nerve ending in James' body. He felt sweat break out on his skin and a chain reaction of gooseflesh followed. He shivered, almost dropping the phone.

"Punished? What kind of punishment?"

"Whatever fits the crime; fits the criminal. I like to be creative."

"Uh-huh. Ah, um." James swallowed and tried to steady his breathing, his mouth suddenly dry. "Have a lot of practice in that area?"

"Enough."

"Ooookay. I'll just have to be sure I'm not late." James let out a long, shaky breath, knowing it traveled over the phone line. Bram's forcefulness thrilled and attracted James.

And it scared him, too.

A Bit of Rough - 20

Bram's tone stayed low and sexy, but the dark edge had disappeared. "I'll see you at six, then. Dress nice, but nothing fancy. No T-shirts. Soon, Jamie."

The line went dead before James could comment or protest. He stared at the silent handset then replaced it in its base. He wasn't used to being given orders about how to dress, but it
was
nice to know what was expected from him.

That was the hardest part of dating for James, understanding a complete stranger's unspoken desires and wants, second-guessing their expectations, and, all too often for James, falling short.

Not that he was having any trouble understanding Bram. The man was very open and obvious about his intentions and his wants. James didn't have to guess at anything the big man was thinking, not since the moment he'd laid eyes on the cowboy. Bram was forceful and straightforward. Both qualities were very appealing to James.

One last frustrated nip at his abused lower lip and James got back to work, trying desperately not to hear the soft, rough "I'm ready for you" whispering in the back of his mind.

***

Shifting his portfolio from his right hand to his left to get out his keys, James juggled the two-foot by three-foot document carrier, trying to make his short fingers wrap around the handles of both his briefcase and it at the same time. He had limited success, only saving them both from dropping to the ground by pressing them tightly to his chest.

The pressure reawakened the burn of the abrasions dotting his torso, a lasting reminder of his first meeting with the man he was rushing home to get ready to see. The small burst of sizzling discomfort shot straight to his groin and James had to drop the portfolio lower to hide his body's response.

He pressed the button for the elevator up to his apartment floor and stepped into the first empty car that appeared, lost in thought over his new relationship.

For the tenth time today, a tiny warning signal flared in the back of his mind reminding him to be cautious. A total stranger, who had no qualms about inflicting physical pain on a new sexual partner, even if it was something the partner wanted, should be approached carefully.

Certainly James had enjoyed the whole scene in the alley, nearly begged for it, was fucking outrageously turned on by it, but he was the one living with the lingering pains.

The abrasions on his body hurt with every brush of his clothing, his ass ached and spasmed when he sat and his lips were chapped raw and swollen from the cowboy's
A Bit of Rough - 21

prickly stubble. Even James' cock felt like it had been scoured with sandpaper instead of just the cowboy's work-rough hands. If this cowboy planned on getting any rougher than last night, James would need to defy his growing attraction for the man and avoid him.

But that wouldn't be happening right now.

Stepping off the elevator, James jumped to one side, twisting and spinning to dodge two growling bulldogs on chains. In the effort to avoid coming into mauling range of the snarling, straining animals, James backed into their owner.

"Watch where you're going, punk."

A shove to his shoulder sent James stumbled back to thump against the apartment hallway wall, fumbling for hold on his slipping workload. "Sorry, I didn't see you. The dogs surprised me."

"Afraid of a couple pets, Jamie-boy?"

James straightened up and cast a reluctant glance at the thirty-something man holding the ends of the dog chains. Dressed in military fatigues and boots from the waist down, the square, boxy, but well-muscled man sported a sleeveless T-shirt on his upper torso and a Harley-Davidson handkerchief tied around his thick neck.

"They're not pets, Williams. You train them to pit fight. Everybody knows that." James found a better hold on his briefcase with his left hand and settled the portfolio against the wall.

Williams marched up to James and pushed him until they were chest-to-chest with James pressed onto the wall behind him. James' head thudded against the painted drywall with the force of the impact.

"So what? You going to do something about it, Jamie-boy?" Williams sneered into James'

face.

The sour smell of old beer and cigarette smoke made James flinch and turn his head from the stench. He was unnerved, but he didn't believe Williams would do anything extreme in a public hallway, even a deserted one.

"Those dogs shouldn't be allowed in the building, man. There are little kids living here,"

said James.

As subtly as possible, James thumbed the keys on his keyring between the fingers of his right hand, slowly creating a makeshift weapon to defend himself if the confrontation escalated.

Williams pushed his forearm under James' chin and pressed until James grimaced.

A Bit of Rough - 22

"You going to be their guardian angel, Jamie-boy? Huh?" Williams leaned in and ground himself against the other man, massaging a growing erection over James' hip.

James hissed and swallowed down the bile that rose in his throat. "Get off me, asshole."

"Whoa. Big words, from a sweet little boy." James' vision was suddenly filled with Williams' pitted face as the man leaned in close. "I've been wondering lately just how sweet." He tried to capture James' lips in an open-mouthed kiss.

James responded with a sharp punch to Williams' side, all four keys in his hand extended and braced for maximum effect.

Williams grunted and lifted his groin away, lessening the pressure on James' throat at the same time. But he was toned and firm, and with limited room to swing, James' punch had little effect.

Williams grabbed James' wrist and pinned it to the wall over James' head. James squirmed and twisted, trying to avoid the man's face.

The struggle seemed to excite Williams. "Why, you little cocksucker." He laughed and held James' face immobile with the pressure from his arm then leered. "You just might be worth risking the jail time for after all, Jamie-boy."

Williams pressed in harder with both his arm and his groin until James coughed and bucked against him. James tried to raise the briefcase between them, but Williams knocked it from his hand. It skidded down the hallway to thump against an apartment door.

In the background, the dogs let out several low growls, dancing in place with impatience, the jingle of the heavy chains marking each frenzied step. Williams didn't even turn to look at them. He flashed a hand signal at the animals and grunted a curt, "Stay!" The growls tapered off into high-pitched whines then disappeared altogether.

James saw the raw lust settle over Williams and his mouth went suddenly dry. His restrained wrist was brought closer to his head and James felt the man's fingertips as they wove through his hair and pulled tight.

"Let go!" James spit through gritted teeth. "Perverted dick!"

Pulling hard on the handful of curls, Williams tilted James' face up. "Who's going to save your sweet ass, Jamie-boy?" James closed his eyes tightly as Williams' ugly, leering face drew near.

"I guess that would be me."

A Bit of Rough - 23

James felt Williams freeze in place. It took a full five seconds before James realized the soft, husky voice near his ear hadn't come from his attacker.

Williams never got the chance to realize much of anything. He was ripped off James'

chest and slammed face first into the wall, again and again. Blood from his nose splattered the wall in increasing amounts until it left a surreal imprint of the man's face on the pastel-colored surface.

James dropped, panting, to one knee, amazed at the sight before him. Bram towered over Williams, manhandling the molester with an ease and power that rocked James. The cowboy had Williams reduced to battered heap of useless muscle and brawn in under twenty seconds.

When Williams finally hit the floor, one of the dogs broke his training, jumping over James' kneeling body to launch himself at his master's attacker. Bram blocked the snapping jaws, pinned the snarling animal with his knees and deftly snapped the dog's neck, letting the quivering body fall to the floor by Williams. The other dog paced and whined, but stayed put.

Trembling from the rush of adrenaline and fear, James pushed himself to his feet. He used one hand to brace himself on the wall while the other rubbed his reddened throat.

James hopped over the fallen bodies, stumbling a little when he miscalculated a step.

Bram caught him by the arm.

"Do we need an ambulance here?"

James shook his head and coughed, massaging at the ache in his throat. "Only for him."

He gestured at his fallen attacker.

Williams was just beginning to come back to his senses. He moaned and pushed himself up to a sitting position against the wall, feebly wiping at the blood flowing from his misshapen nose.

"Fat chance of that happening." Bram slipped an arm around James' shoulders and began to pry the keys from James' white-knuckled hand. "Loosen up, Tiger. He's down."

James huffed out a surprised breath and watched the cowboy unbend his own stiff, numb fingers. Once the keys were free, Bram pocketed them. He touched James' quivering shoulder and said, "Stay right here."

Numb, James barely nodded.

Grabbing the fallen portfolio, Bram crouched beside a subdued Williams.

Williams flinched, but recovered enough bravado to attempt a half-hearted sneer. "Who the hell are you, Jamie-boy's new bodyguard?"

A Bit of Rough - 24

"No, his new boyfriend. His very possessive, protective boyfriend. You might want to remember that from now on." Bram started to rise then stopped and leaned closer to Williams. "And one other thing."

Bram's hand shot out and grabbed Williams by the neck, pinning him against the wall.

Williams' neck was as thick as a tree trunk, but Bram had no trouble gripping it.

"Don't ever,
ever
call him 'Jamie' again," said Bram. Williams gasped and tried to pull free, but the grip only tightened. "Got it?"

Williams gurgled an unintelligible reply and nodded.

Bram released his hold, wiping his bloodied hand off on Williams' white T-shirt.

Standing, he shoved the dog's dead body out of his way with one foot and walked back over to a shivering James.

"Let's get you inside. You're hurt." Bram herded James down the hallway to his door.

"Not really." James' voice broke on the last word, his abused vocal cords betraying him.

He ducked his head whispering, "Well, okay. Maybe just a little."

"Uh-huh. I can hear that 'just a little'." Opening the apartment with James' keys, Bram pocketed the keyring again and locked the door behind them.

"Do you want to call the police, Jamie?"