Rugged Guard - Jason Collins Page 0,2

possibly could about Derek. I wanted to ask him if he preferred to read books or watch TV. I wanted to ask him if he liked to drink wine, and if so, which ones were his favorites. I wanted to ask him about his music tastes, if he’d been to any good concerts recently, if he liked going to live shows at all.

As I continued to stare over at him, the nature of my questions shifted from light banter to something that tugged a little deeper and darker. A few moments later and I couldn’t stop myself from wondering if Derek liked guys, specifically if he liked guys like me. I now wanted to know if Derek had any interest in meeting me for dinner later and if he had any interest in bending me over my kitchen counter and sliding his cock inside me until I couldn’t take another thrust. I wanted to know what kinds of sounds Derek would make if I went down on him, if he would moan when I took his shaft into my mouth, happily on my knees and sucking him off—

“…Parker?” Viv was speaking to me, but she sounded like she was miles away.

“What?” I shook my head, trying to desperately shake myself back into the conversation. “I’m sorry, were you asking me about something?”

“I was just asking if you wouldn’t mind giving Derek a tour of the B&B?” Viv repeated. “Since he’s going to be guarding you, it’s best that he knows everything he can about the place, including any secret exits or passageways reserved for employees. Derek needs to see it all.”

“I want Derek to see it all,” I replied and as soon as the phrase came out of my mouth I felt my cheeks turn beet red. “I mean, uh, I want to show Derek everything, as long as it pertains to the… you know…”

“The investigation?” Viv suggested.

I gave her a hasty nod. “Yes. The investigation.”

“Good. Cooperation is always a good place to start.” Viv smiled over at us again. “All right then. Derek, go off with Parker. Eddie, do you mind showing me the letters and the checks? I’d like to inspect them for myself.”

“I wouldn’t mind at all,” Eddie replied before he shifted closer to me, close enough to whisper in my ear. “And I haven’t seen you blush like that since that guy came up to you on the beach and asked for your number.” Eddie then moved away from me with a grin on his face, his footsteps leading him right to Viv’s side. “Ready to go all P.I. on the case?”

“We’ll see how it goes,” Viv replied before she began to walk down the nearest hall.

“I’m sorry,” I apologized as I led Derek down a set of steps near the back of the building.

I hadn’t spoken to him much since we’d met, keeping my phrases short and descriptive on our impromptu tour while I pointed out different rooms and areas of the B&B. I was still waiting for my cheeks to go back to their normal color and in the meantime, I was trying my best to not embarrass myself in front of a guy I’d just met, a guy who was probably straight as an arrow anyway.

“Sorry for what?” he asked, his voice just as serious as his demeanor.

“Earlier,” I explained. “I’m usually a lot more on top of my game when meeting new people. I just didn’t want you to think that I was a space case—”

“I don’t think you’re a space case,” he interrupted as we reached the bottom of the steps. “Hey, is there another room down here or something?”

“Yes,” I replied. “Just… give me a sec.”

I turned toward the back wall before I hastily flipped on a light, revealing the width and scope of the basement bedroom. It’d been one of my side projects after I’d bought the place, turning this area into something not only livable but preferred. I’d spent countless hours working on the mood lighting too, installing Edison bulbs that hung uncovered from the ceiling and painting the walls a welcoming, soft shade of blue.

The room was also decked out with custom furniture, pieces I’d designed myself with the help of craftspeople along the way. I had a vision of creating an outdoor space while keeping it firmly indoors, substituting a getaway spot when the weather outside wasn’t too inviting.

“Huh,” Derek said, folding his arms across his chest.

“Do you like it?” I asked, my nervousness showing through