Worlds Apart (21 page)

“No,” Niall said.

Taylor pulled up in front of the house, ran to unlock the front door and then rushed back to help Niall. Now Roo had wiped most of the blood from his face, he didn’t look so bad. Niall eased himself out of the car and stood on shaky legs.

“I’m okay,” he muttered.

Taylor put his arm around him. “Let’s get you inside.”

Roo scurried after them and Taylor turned and threw her his keys. “Get your stuff out of the car. Pick a room. I’ll look after Niall.”

Her heart was still beating hard enough to hurt. She wanted to help with Niall but something in Taylor’s manner, the worry on his face, the concern in his voice, the way he snapped at her, told her how much he cared for the guy and that she wasn’t wanted. Strange, because Roo had thought just before that phone call, Taylor had been thinking about kissing her. And she’d been thinking about letting him. What sort of tart did that make her?

In a way, Sutton Hall was the worst place for her to be. One guy she fancied who wanted her one minute and not the next, and one guy she hadn’t fancied—much—who hadn’t seemed to fancy her at all, who now suddenly did. And despite his crankiness, Taylor was growing on her, which just made the situation worse.

She dragged her case and the rest of her things out of the trunk and carted them into the house. Roo hadn’t been upstairs before. The place was massive. They’d hardly know she was there. She could find a bedroom and keep quiet. Though that might be a problem. If she couldn’t keep quiet, she could offer to clean.

After lugging all her gear up to the landing, Roo went exploring. The first door she opened was clearly Taylor’s room. A bed unmade, clothes she recognized and shoes strewn on the floor. Roo closed the door again. Three bedrooms didn’t have beds. She found a bathroom that didn’t look used so maybe Taylor had an en suite. Two more doors to try. One held a massive four-poster bed and Roo shivered. It wasn’t quite a phobia she had about four-posters, but she really didn’t like them. She quickly closed the door.

The other room stole Roo’s breath.

At first she thought someone must live here with the guys, but when she saw the dust, Roo realized she’d been mistaken. This was a young girl’s room with pink curtains and a line of faded soft toys in the window seat. A single bed, with a pink-and-white-checked cover, had a pretty wooden headboard, a heart cut out in the middle. There was a matching wardrobe and chest. There were even books on the shelves. It had to belong to Taylor’s sister.

Now it could be hers. Roo carried her things into the bedroom and rolled out her sleeping bag on the bed. She’d wash the sheets tomorrow. Roo tiptoed out to use the bathroom and then returned to lie down. She had nothing from her early childhood, no teddy bear, no doll, no books, no photos, only memories of good times and bad, memories that were so mixed up she was no longer certain which were true.

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” Niall said. “I just need to rest. The orangery.”

Taylor frowned. “You sure? It’s a mess in there. I need to sort it out. Well, you can do it. You’re the gardener. I’m surprised you haven’t done it already.”

“Yep, leave it to me,” Niall said.
Don’t touch it, please.

But at least Taylor helped him in there and onto a couch. Niall toed off his shoes and wriggled his bare toes. He felt better already.

“What the hell are you smiling about?” Taylor snapped.

Because I kissed a girl and it didn’t hurt.
“Thinking about the other guy.”

“Liar.”

“Oh fuck. Did my eyes shift left?”

Taylor smirked. “You’d think after I’d told you about that, you’d remember not to do it. Now, what can I get you? A drink? Frozen peas?”

“Frozen peas would be good.”

Although he really didn’t need them. Niall was healing already. He could feel the aches and pains fading, his anxiety receding now that he was back at Sutton Hall, particularly in this room. It was annoying he’d been assaulted like that. If he’d been at normal strength, it wouldn’t have happened. Taylor returned with a bag of frozen peas and a dish of the peapods Niall had picked in the garden.

Niall nodded at the fresh peas. “I was going to cook those.”

Taylor perched on the end of the couch. “I’d rather eat them like this.”

Niall smiled, pressed the icy bag onto his ribs under his shirt and shuddered. Maybe his cock would take the hint.

“So what happened?” Taylor asked.

Niall sighed. He should have known Taylor wouldn’t let it go.

Taylor’s jaw twitched. “If you stare straight at me, I’ll know you’re lying.”

Niall was tempted to close his eyes. “I kissed a girl. Her boyfriend took exception.” Just as well he hadn’t gone with his next thought, which had been to ask her to come back to Sutton Hall so he could kiss her here and check whether that made any difference.

He saw the flicker of confusion cross Taylor’s face.

“I told you I’m not gay,” Niall whispered.

Taylor opened his mouth as if he were going to say something and instead pushed in several peas and chewed. He swallowed and said, “I nearly kissed Roo.”

Niall didn’t let a whisper of emotion cross his face. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that. “Why didn’t you?”

“I had that call about you.”

“Ah.” That was good, wasn’t it, that Taylor had come for him? Only Niall felt a surge of desperation leap in his chest. He couldn’t lose Taylor now, and if he told him he’d already kissed Roo, Niall suspected he’d sustain further injury.

“What happened with Roo’s new place?” Niall asked.

“A dump. I wasn’t leaving her there. Oh and can you believe we found that missing dog? Took it back to the house and the mother looked as though she wanted to kill us. Cost me two hundred pounds because I suspect the check she gave me will bounce. The police arrived as we left. Seems the father was embezzling. I doubt I’ve heard the last of that. That wanker Dan Newlyn was there.”

He tossed a pea toward Niall’s mouth and he caught it.

Taylor smiled and then his face fell. “I panicked when I had that call. I thought your past had caught up with you. You never go out on your own. I…”

Niall rubbed Taylor’s back with his foot.

“Want to tell me why you’re hiding? Maybe I can help.”

Niall wondered what would happen if he told Taylor the truth. Would they come and drag him away in front of Taylor’s astonished eyes? Would they kill Taylor? It was possible. More likely they’d take his memory again.

“My family wants to control my life.” Niall chose his words carefully. “My mother…is a difficult woman. She and I don’t see eye to eye. She had someone in mind for me to marry. It’s not going to happen. I’m just laying low until it all blows over.” That was a joke. She could carry a grudge forever.

“But you’re never in touch with any of them. If they wanted to contact you, they wouldn’t be able to. There could be some sort of emergency. What if…what if a friend or a family member was ill or dying? Shouldn’t you at least tell someone where you are?”

Niall had managed to work Taylor’s shirt out of his pants with his foot and he was now rubbing his toes on Taylor’s lower back. He was encouraged by the fact that Taylor hadn’t moved away.

“My brother knows where I am,” Niall said. “This won’t go on much longer.”

Taylor stiffened. “You mean you’ll leave?”

Niall slid his toes higher. “You’re selling the house, remember?” He hadn’t missed Taylor’s reaction to the thought of him leaving. Disappointment. Niall felt a rush of delight.

“Mmm.” Taylor groaned, closed his eyes and arched his back as Niall pressed on some aching muscle. “What are you doing?”

“It’s not obvious?” Niall whispered.

“You’re supposed to be injured.”

“I’ve recovered.”

“Why did you kiss the girl?” Taylor blurted.

“Actually, I kissed four girls.”

Taylor let out a snort of laughter and then pinned Niall with his gaze. “And did you like it as much as you liked kissing me?”

“Can’t quite remember,” Niall whispered.

“Like me to remind you?”

The word
yes
stuck in Niall’s throat. He could only nod. Taylor turned and knelt on the couch, one hand resting on the back, the other against Niall’s hip. He leaned over and lowered his head until their lips were only inches apart.

“Sure you’re up to this?” Taylor asked.

“All of me is up for it, despite the frozen peas.”

What am I doing? What am I doing? What the fuck am I doing?
But Taylor dropped his head until his lips brushed Niall’s, and when he felt the electricity arc through him and need roar along his veins, he knew full well what he was doing. Taylor licked the seam of Niall’s lips, tasting beer and a hint of salt, and then Niall’s lips parted and Taylor’s tongue slipped inside. Niall’s groan vibrated in Taylor’s mouth and he felt it all the way down to his dick.

Their lips attached, they unfastened shirts, button by button, fingers drifting over nipples as they moaned into each other’s mouth. Taylor’s cock surged against his zipper. He tugged his shirt from his arms as Niall pushed himself up to remove his. The bag of peas fell to the floor but their lips remained loosely connected, tongues dancing as they panted and gasped.

Taylor kicked off his shoes, heard the dull clunks as they hit the floor, then Niall’s fingers rubbed his cock through the material of his pants and Taylor sucked in a hiss. It filtered through Taylor’s brain that they’d be more comfortable in his bed, but the thought of lying in a bed with a guy stopped the breath in his throat.

What am I doing?
rushed back into his head.

Niall popped open the button on Taylor’s pants and unzipped him. The relief that his cock had room to grow drowned out his worries. They wriggled out of the last items of clothing, mouths still sucking greedily at each other until they were naked, Taylor with his knees planted on either side of Niall’s hips, and Niall lying there with his hands holding Taylor’s head.

Taylor pulled back to breathe and gulped as he looked down at Niall, all long limbs and fluid muscle. No sign of any injury, except for that graze on his chin, which was good and bad. What if he’d—

“I’m fine,” Niall whispered. “I just had the wind knocked out of me.”

“You’re gorgeous,” Taylor muttered.

Moonlight filtered through the vine-covered glass ceiling, casting Niall in an ethereal glow. The tattoo running down the side of his leg had such sharp definition in the dim light that Taylor blinked, thinking he was seeing things that weren’t there. Niall’s cock, all thick and long and hard. It was a thing of beauty, and the fact that he could think that brought Taylor one step closer to acceptance of his sexuality not being as clear cut as he’d once thought.
Barbed wire? Thorns?
Hadn’t it been ivy? But his gaze was drawn to

Niall pulled Taylor down to lie on top of him, the base of Niall’s cock gloving the delicate skin of Taylor’s balls as their shafts rubbed together. Niall’s arms wound around Taylor’s back and his legs spread until he hooked his ankles over Taylor’s calves. They kissed more deeply now, the thrusts with their tongues matching the rocking of their hips.

Taylor’s head swam with excitement as they rutted against each other. He slid his hands under Niall’s shoulders, holding him tight as they bucked and rubbed their cocks together. Precome wet their bellies and the warm, slippery sensation tipped Taylor closer to release. And he knew Niall was holding back, waiting for him to take the lead, tell Niall what he wanted. Only Taylor didn’t know what that was, except that he had to come. Soon.

He slid his hand between their bodies, reaching for Niall’s cock. Wrapping his fingers around it, he squeezed and pumped, sliding his thumb over the sensitive crown, feeling Niall’s shudder ripple through his body. Niall groaned and slid from under him, forcing Taylor to let go.

“You’re too good at that,” Niall said with a half laugh.

His eyes.
Oh fuck.
How could Taylor see the color in this light? But he could. A brilliant green. He’d never seen anyone with eyes like that before—
yes I have
. Where? When?

“What do you want to do?” Niall whispered.

Christ, he’s asking
me
? Everything. Nothing. No, not nothing.
Taylor forced his bloodless brain to think. No condoms around, no lube—
oh God.
Letting Niall fuck him or him fucking Niall was a big step and one too far for Taylor.

Niall sat up on the couch, watching, waiting, and Taylor dropped to his knees in front of him. His heart was racing, his mouth dry, his breathing too noisy. Taylor clenched his fists to stop his hands shaking. It didn’t work. Niall leaned back and spread his arms along the back of the couch. Taylor got the message. He wouldn’t push. But Taylor would have liked a bit of a shove.

“You don’t have to do this,” Niall said.

Taylor smothered his laugh.

“What’s funny?” Niall asked.

“I need encouragement, not an out.”

“Be nice and I’ll make carrot cake tomorrow.”