Randy moved behind him, standing close enough for Tash to sense his body heat. “How many do you have?
The air stirred around him as Randy’s breath drifted past his ear. Tash’s body unexpectedly hardened. A delicious frisson rocketed through him. For five years desire had lain dormant within him, his blood running thick and sluggish in his veins. Somehow this unassuming man had awakened what he thought was gone forever.
“Uh, there are two, although most days it feels like double that. That’s Cleopatra, and her brother is Caesar.” He pointed to the two lithe bodes stretched out on his sofa, their almond-shaped turquoise eyes daring him to remove them from their throne.
“Great names.” Randy grinned, his concentration on the cats.
“They are devils more than royalty, but they keep me company.” Tash strode over to the sofa and picked up Caesar, who immediately began to squirm and yowl. “Behave now; we have company,” Tash murmured to the cat, fully believing the animal understood.
As if to prove his point, Caesar ceased his howling and stared at Randy, who reached out to pet him with hesitant fingers. To Tash’s ultimate shock, Caesar not only accepted the petting but head-butted Randy’s hand and began to struggle to get down from Tash’s arms. When Tash set him down, the cat wended his way around Randy’s legs like a cream-colored snake. Cleo, loathe to miss any action, joined her brother. Tash could only gape at his usually aloof cats as they lavished attention on a stranger.
“Come on and sit down. I can give you that coffee, if you want, but I also have beer and wine.” The guy could use a drink. Randy sat stiffly on the sofa, his rigid posture once again betraying his nerves. What the heck was the guy so scared of? Maybe he was in hiding from an ex-lover. Tash’s intrigue grew. “Relax. I’m not going to interrogate you.”
“Coffee’s fine, honest.” Randy’s husky voice, that suede-over-sandpaper sound, shot straight to Tash’s groin. What the hell was going on with him? He’d never had this kind of attraction toward anyone before. But even as he struggled inwardly with his suddenly reawakened libido, Tash was imagining what Randy would taste like. The man was too damn sexy without even trying. Tash made the coffee, a cinnamon blend he loved, and brought a tray with two thick cream-colored mugs, a small carafe of milk, sugar, and a plate of hazelnut biscotti. He was a firm believer that one should never drink coffee without a little something sweet.
“Here. Help yourself.” He placed the tray on the coffee table, and they busied themselves with the milk and biscotti. The cats, who had settled themselves on either side around Randy, watched with avid, gleaming eyes.
He and Randy settled back on opposite ends of the sofa. “So,” Tash began. Immediately, Randy tensed, his hand gripping the coffee mug tight, but Tash continued, determined to be as direct as possible. “Do you care to tell me why you are scared to death?”
Chapter Five
Damn, damn, DAMN.Brandon knew he shouldn’t have accepted Tash’s invitation. Of course Tash would want to know why Brandon had left the meeting last night. Brandon knew he’d been wrong—his running had only made everyone wonder why, but he couldn’t help himself; the mere mention of the police had rattled him so, he couldn’t think straight.
With the practice he’d spent years perfecting, he stared straight into Tash’s eyes. “I was wrong to bail on all of you. I had an encounter years ago with the police, and I’ve been wary of them ever since, no matter that I know they’re here to help.” A fine sweat broke over his body, and his hand shook. Some coffee slopped over the side, onto his pants.
Tash moved over and handed him a napkin but remained disarmingly close. Though tall, Tash wasn’t broad, yet his nearness overwhelmed Brandon’s senses. Brandon’s normal steady rhythm beat out of sync.
“You don’t seem the type who’d stay scared forever. If there’s anything I can do to help you, let me.” Tash’s eyes glowed behind the glint of his glasses. “Can I help you? Won’t you tell me what’s wrong?” Tash laid a hand on Brandon’s shoulder. It remained there, warm and comforting. The air around them swelled with sounds—Brandon’s rapidly beating heart, the pulse of his blood singing through his veins, Tash’s breath. A yearning welled up inside Brandon, and all he wanted was to be held. The loneliness inside him had bled his soul dry. He hadn’t felt this desperate since the night Luke told him Ash was never coming back.
“I-I’m fine, really.” His weak grin didn’t seem to fool Tash, who gazed back at him with skeptical, knowing eyes. “Honest. Why don’t you tell me about the program now? I know I should’ve stayed and listened instead of bailing. I’m sorry.”
Tash patted his shoulder and removed his hand. Immediately Brandon regretted the loss of his touch. “It’s fine. I’ll tell you now. You’re still interested, right?”
“Of course.” Brandon stroked the soft fur of one of the cats, the rumble of her purring vibrating through his fingers. It was true what they said about animals; they did relieve stress. His racing pulse and frantically beating heart slowed to its normal pace as his fingers slid through Cleo’s plush velvet coat. At least he thought that was Cleo. “I don’t want you to think I’m not interested. I have several kids I’m concerned about. They get bullied constantly because they do their homework and like school.”
“That’s not cool for most kids, right?” Tash relaxed back onto the sofa, and the other cat, annoyed at being ignored, stalked over to him, claiming a place of honor on his lap. Brandon couldn’t help but watch Tash’s long fingers slide over the cat’s sinewy frame and wonder how those hands would feel against his own skin.
Guiltily, Brandon’s face heated, and he returned from his daydreams to concentrate on the conversation. “It’s unfortunate, but you’re correct. These two boys I help after school are intelligent and so eager to learn. Their parents have done so much to help them, yet at school they constantly get teased. I’m afraid if they don’t have a safe place to go to, they’ll give up and fall into the cycle of drugs and violence.”
“And you won’t let that happen, will you?” The confidence in Tash’s voice surprised Brandon.
“No. No, you’re right; I won’t.” He couldn’t let those boys be subjected to the constant barrage of criticism and insults he heard some of the other kids whisper in the halls. “I’d never forgive myself if anything happened to these kids.”
“I have an idea.” Tash rubbed his jaw. “Why don’t you come with me to the shelter and meet Wanda?”
“Who’s she?” Brandon couldn’t keep up with all the new people he’d met over the past few days. “Was she there last night?”
“No. But she’s the heart and soul of another project intimately tied up with this one. She can introduce you to the people from the shelter she runs, as well as take you around the community center. These boys sound like they’d be perfect for the center if they can come.” Tash lifted the cat from his lap and placed him on the floor. Caesar stalked away, his tail sticking straight up like a flagpole. Freed to move, Tash took his coffee mug and a biscotti. “Jordan and Luke should be back from Europe tonight, and I know they want to meet everyone involved with the project.”
“Jordan’s the doctor, right?” His heart gave a funny thump when he heard the name Luke. “Who’s Luke?” Hoping against hope, Brandon’s voice trembled. There had to be a million Lukes in the world, but maybe…
“Yes. Jordan Peterson and Drew are best friends, along with Mike Levin, the other man you met last night. Luke Conover and Jordan are a couple.”
Brandon’s frantic heartbeat slowed. Conover, not Carini. Of course it wasn’t his Luke. How stupid to think it might be? “Sure, I’d be happy to meet them.”
“So, you’re in, then? I’m glad. I think you’re a perfect fit for the group.” Tash dunked his biscotti in his coffee. Fascinated, Brandon stared at Tash’s mouth as he chewed, swallowed, then licked his lips. He couldn’t ever remember being this turned on by another person. This couldn’t happen. Tash was being kind to get him to help with the program. He was an incredibly attractive man with a life and a family. Brandon was probably another project to take on.
“What? Yeah, sure.” He wanted to help; it was the reason he became a teacher. And Brandon hadn’t survived for this long without keeping his wits about him. If the police needed to be involved, he’d make himself scarce, come up with excuses. As long as the kids needed him, he’d find the way to help. Their welfare was paramount in his mind.
