The shower door opened, and a nude Scout stood in the opening. Their gazes met. Clay snapped. He hauled Scout inside and shoved him against the wall. Their kiss was explosive, bordering on violent. He palmed their dicks, holding them together as he stroked. The pressure wasn’t enough. He wanted more, but he was also too enraged to slow down enough to try a different approach.
Scout’s nails dug into Clay’s shoulders.
Clay wanted it. He needed to hurt on the outside so he could forget the way this killed him on the inside. Clay wasn’t this guy. He was relationship material. Clay honestly believed that. No one wanted anything real any longer, and Clay didn’t even know who to lash out at.
Scout pulled away from their kiss. “Take a breath.” He kissed Clay’s neck. “I’m not going anywhere. We have time.”
Clay took a breath. Scout was right. He had pulled Scout into this shower. It wasn’t like Scout had forced his way in. He wasn’t being fair by taking his frustration out on Scout. Clay did this to himself. He forced himself to slow. When the tension left his shoulders, his hips rolled. This time, Scout initiated their kiss, and it was sweet as hell. While the passion hadn’t lessened, this kiss felt more personal. His eyes stung. He felt special to Scout, and that was a knife to his chest. But Clay couldn’t stop because he was starved as hell for affection. He lapped up the loving waythey touched like a man dying of thirst. His mind played tricks on him. The same dumbassery that had led to him spending every night praying Fabrice would love Clay the way Clay had always loved him stirred inside him. It was crazy to expect Scout to jump right into a full-blown relationship with him. Of course, he needed time. Clay just needed to relax. Go slower. He was okay.
Scout dropped his forehead, resting it on Clay’s shoulder. “Damn, Clay. You have no idea how badly I want you inside me. Tonight, we stay in my room.”
Happiness flared to life inside him. Scout sounded like he wasn’t done. “You won’t regret me.” With that promise hanging between them, Clay worked harder to please Scout. He needed to feel Scout blow in his hand. There were so many ways Clay wanted to fuck him. He could keep Scout high. Unfortunately, everything he did to Scout happened to him as well. He sucked air, doing his best to hold on. Scout’s dick felt way too good against his. He clenched his stomach muscles.
Scout cried out. Cum shot from him while Scout whined his way through his orgasm. Clay snagged Scout’s chin and forced his head against the wall, holding him there. It took Clay a few strokes more before he joined Scout over the edge. As pulses of pleasure stole his soul, Clay’s gaze never wavered from staring at Scout. He knew exactly who got him so fucking hot, and his eyes refused to look away—like watching porn. Scout was in his head. Truthfully, he had no clue how it happened.
Scout headed for the kitchen. He needed fortification. Clay had gone in search of Henry to get the lowdown on the Jay business. The delicious scent of all the perfect breakfast foods filled the dining room. To his surprise, Fabrice was setting up a mound of plates at the table.
He glanced up as Scout stepped into the room. “Hey. You’re the first person I’ve seen this morning. I guess everyone had a late night.”
Scout pasted on a bright smile. He didn’t have to fake it. Clay had made his entire goddamn morning. “Hey. When did you get into town?” He pulled out a chair and sat.
Fabrice glanced at his watch. “About three hours ago. With Beau and Kylo coming in early, some of us needed to rush here as well. Sorry your peace was disturbed early. You probably enjoyed the time alone since it’s always hopping back home.”
“I wasn’t alone,” Scout said absently as he filled his plate.
Silence fell between them. Scout focused on his task. It took a second for Scout to realize it wasn’t a comfortable one. He met Fabrice’s stare again. The chef’s expression was completely closed. His gaze dropped a hair to Scout’s neck before he went back to arranging plates. “I see.”
Scout had no fucking clue what that was about.
An obnoxious squeal rent the air, jerking Scout’s attention away. Clay skipped through the doorway and tried climbing Fabrice like a jungle gym. “It’s my friend!” He kissed Fabrice loudly on the cheek while Fabrice smiled like an idiot and swiped at his face.
A spew of French spilled from Fabrice.
Clay laughed and backed away. “Please spare me. You know you love me. Quit threatening to put me in timeout. You’d get bored without me.”
Scout’s gaze moved between the two. A bad feeling scratched at his gut. They had known each other their whole lives. There was a very good chance they had been more than friends at some point. Scout thought he had gotten past this feeling of something being between the two. Now he saw them together again, and the ugly sensation in his gut was back.
Clay grabbed a chair and pulled it close to Scout. He stole a piece of Scout’s bacon. “Awww. You fixed me a plate.”
Scout slapped his hand away. “Mine, lazy ass. There’s a whole table of food.”
Clay’s eyes swam with laughter as he ate his nefariously gained treat. “Did you know you have a hickey?”
That explained Fabrice’s judge-y look. “I didn’t, but whose fault is that?”
Fabrice walked away without unloading his entire cart onto the table.
An alarm rang in the back of Scout’s mind. He wouldn’t stew. “Did we do something wrong?”
Clay stood and took care of the work Fabrice had left behind. He shrugged. “Who knows? I imagine he’s just busy. Timing is everything when serving a huge household.”
Scout eyed Clay. He genuinely looked unconcerned and/or clueless. As long as any longing wasn’t reciprocated with Fabrice, Scout wouldn’t worry. It was Scout’s bed Clay intended to share tonight.
Clay glanced toward the kitchen. A deep line appeared between his eyes. “I’ll check on him, just in case.” Clay headed inside the kitchen.
Like a crazy person, Scout shifted his chair trying to catch a glimpse of the pair inside. With the way the area was designed,he couldn’t see a thing. As the minutes passed by, Scout’s jealousy grew.
Before he decided to make an ass of himself, Clay reappeared. He didn’t look any less concerned than when he left. Clay reclaimed his seat. His gaze locked on Scout. Scout immediately knew he wouldn’t like whatever Clay said next. He was right. “Is it okay if I take a raincheck on tonight? Fabrice wants me to spend some time with him. I guess he has some sort of drama going on, and I’m his best friend, so…”
