I don’t know how to handle it.
Probably because Iwantto figure this out. Iwantto want to get laid. Iwantto like sex. I just don’t want to do it with him…or anyone else, it seems.
Dropping his voice, he says, “I keep trying to tell you, Stone, I’ll happily fuckoff,on,sideways, top, bottom…just tell me what you want.”
I can’t…because I don’t fucking know, I think to myself.
Before I have the chance to lose my ever-loving shit on Logan, Jeremy walks in the door to my office, tossing a set of keys at me.
“Here you go, boss. I think these are yours. I grabbed thewrong ones by accident. Wondered why Shelby wouldn’t start.” Shelby issnowmobile two. All my guys have their preferences on vehicles.
“Thanks.”
“Oh, and just so you know, I think the new kid just arrived. There’s a young guy out front; looks like he’s either going to bolt or throw up.”
My palms start sweating because I know Hanlon’s probably expecting someone other than me to walk through this door, and maybe someone else should, but I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t pass him off.
Hanlon has been my responsibility since I was ten years old, and as much as I hate it, I’m not willing to change it. Especially not out here in this vast wilderness. Our parents would kill me.
“Thanks, Jeremy.”
“Oooh, I want to take a look,” Logan says, following me out of my small office.
“Behave,” I growl, as he rushes ahead of me to look out the window.
Peering through the blinds, my annoyance triples when Logan says, “Oh,shit. This guy’s hot as fuck. God, I love a nerd in glasses.”
Unfortunately, I need Logan. We only have two chopper pilots, and Logan is the best. It’s the only reason I haven’t sent him packing yet. Though hitting on Hanlon makes me the closest I’ve ever been.
Through gritted teeth, I issue a warning. “Keep it in your pants, Kirkland.”
“Why? It’s not like you’re gonna do anything with that, and he’swaytoo pretty to let go to waste.”
I want to yell, ‘He’s not even gay, you dimwit,’but I keep the thought to myself. I’ll have to trust Hanlon to set the record straight when the time comes.
Grabbing my heavy red patrol jacket, I slip it on and push my way through the door into the blistering cold as I grind my teeth into dust.
“If you’re planning on standing out here all day, you’re going to need a heavier jacket,” I say to his back.
Slowly, Hanlon turns to face me. Andfuck. My little stepbrother grew up.
My eyes widen in surprise at the changes, but I quickly school my features because, of course, I don’t care that he finally has glasses and a haircut that match the year we live in. Or that he’s now taller than me. Not by much, but I have to raise my eyes to meet his.
Iamglad to see he’s put on some mass. He was always so fucking thin the wind could blow him over. If he’s determined to be out here, and he truly wants to work in this environment, he’s going to need the extra pounds to help keep him warm.
“I was told all my gear would be provided,” Hanlon says, matching my hostile tone, and I can’t help but notice he’s grown into that voice of his. I don’t have long to think on it though, because although he’s trying to hide it, I can see him shaking, and immediately, I know his muscles have to be getting tight. They always do when he’s cold or nervous, and right now he’s probably both. When he was little, it used to take him hours to be able to move normally again after playing in the snow.
“Right. Follow me.” I cut the verbal sparring short to get him inside. The fact that he would stand out here to prove some point by makingmecome tohimpisses me off.Thisis the shit that used to make me so angry.
Guess it still does.
Heading back inside the warm office building, I hear him trailing behind me. My gloveless fingers are already hurting from the cold, even though my hands are shoved into my pockets, and I know his joints probably ache like hell.
“Where are you staying?” I ask just to make small talk. This is awkward enough without the silence closing in around us, and I know Logan is listening toevery word.
“I’m sharing one of the employee apartments with two hospitality interns.”
The employee apartments are terrible. I lived in one for three years when I first got out here.
