Chapter Fourteen
AUSTIN
The furniture I’d ordered had begun to be delivered, and I not only had Frankie to assist me in the staging, but I’d enlisted the help of Vijay to help me put together several large pieces, like the beds. They both met me at the penthouse at noon, and by five o’clock, we’d done the sofa, love seat, and coffee tables, set up the lamps, and arranged the chrome fan-backed chairs by the island. Now I instructed Frankie to place the lamps on the end tables, while I set decorative plates and bowls on the island. Vijay was in the master bedroom, finishing the setup of the bed. We had Spotify playing Britney, and I danced along as I worked.
“Damn, I can’t believe this place.” Having finished screwing in the finial on the top of the lampshade, Frankie wandered over to the wall of windows overlooking the river. “If I lived here, I don’t think I’d ever be able to leave.”
“Yeah, it’s pretty sweet.” I centered the last ocean-blue porcelain plate in between the others and stepped back to survey my handiwork. All the elements tied together to create an airy yet elegant living space. The neutral tones of the furniture, accented with pops of blue and green, created an almost resort-like feel in the city.
Vijay walked out, sweat glistening on his forehead. “Beds are done. Got anything to drink?”
“Yeah, sure. I have water in the fridge.”
He took one for himself and brought Frankie and me one as well. “Man, Austin, you did an amazing job. My wife would die to have someone decorate our house. Don’t tell her, else I’m gonna have to hire you.”
“For you, I’d do my family rate.”
“Ha-ha. Unless it’s free, brother, no dice. I know her—she’ll want to throw everything out and start fresh.” His eyes darkened, and the always present smile faded into a somber frown. “Which might end up happening if, as I suspect, the landlord sells the building to the developer and kicks us out. Then we’ll be going to Florida.”
“Shit, man, no.” Not having Vijay and Chanan across the street would leave a huge void in my life. Not that I saw them every day—but losing the comfort of having them there would certainly hurt not only me but the community as well. Rhoades came to mind, and I wondered if he was the developer, then dismissed the idea as ridiculous. I’d looked up his firm and studied their work, noting they only built in areas on the way up. My area of Brooklyn was more stagnant. No high-end developer would be willing to risk their money where bodegas, not baristas, ruled.
“We’ll see,” he said grimly. “It’s not looking good. But enough about that. I can’t get over that you got a job working here. What a break for you. And I bet it sells the first day.”
“That would be cool. I hope Rhoades likes it.”
Frankie snorted and opened his water bottle, took a sip, then wiped his lips with the back of his hand. “Are you kidding? Rhoades is gonna flip when he sees this.”
Nervous all of a sudden at the thought of seeing Rhoades and showing him what I’d done, I walked around the apartment, puffing up pillows, adjusting a shell-shaped bowl. Some small pieces of furniture would be delivered tomorrow, and then I’d be ready for Rhoades to see it. He hadn’t contacted me since that one phone call, and I had no idea when he’d be back from his trip. All I knew was he wasn’t back yet. At least I thought he wasn’t as I hadn’t seen him at Man Up in over a week.
“What’s got you so jittery?” Frankie whispered in my ear, and I jumped. “Missing someone?”
“Jesus fucking Christ, don’t sneak up on me.” My hands shook, and my heart hammered. “And I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. I’m not missing Rhoades.”
Unperturbed by my foul mood, Frankie broke out into a wolfish grin. “Funny. I never mentioned Rhoades. Guess he’s on your mind, huh?”
I had zero desire to argue with Frankie and articulate why he was dead wrong. “Let’s start cleaning up. We have tons of stuff to haul to the freight elevator.”
Vijay shot a confused look between Frankie and me, then finished his water and headed back to the master bedroom to put away his toolbox and gather the trash. I made sure to turn off all the lights and gave a satisfied look around the apartment before closing the door behind me and locking it. It looked as good as any staging I’d seen in a magazine. Confident I’d done my best, I mentally ticked off what remained to be done as we rode down in the elevator. I nodded to the night watchman on duty on our way out.
“You going to the store or home?”
Vijay was on his phone but looked up at my question. “Home. Dad’s at the store now.”
“Okay. See you tomorrow, then. Frankie and I are gonna grab some dinner. I really appreciate your help today.” We hugged and separated, Vijay to go to Brooklyn to get the Long Island Railroad at Atlantic Avenue and the two of us to head uptown to grab our usual pizza near Man Up.
Frankie and I remained silent almost all the way uptown, and I kept side-eyeing him, wishing we could return to the place we were before Aaron came back into his life. Without being too obvious, while we worked together today in the apartment, I’d searched his arms for any signs of bruises, scratches, or other unexplained marks. Though relieved to have seen his skin smooth and unblemished, I planned to remain vigilant.
“Are you ever going to stop?”
Frankie’s question startled me, but I refused to be anything less than truthful.
“If you mean stop being your friend, no. If you mean stop worrying about you being back with Aaron, also no.”
“You’re not going to let this go, are you?”
“Not until I’m proved wrong.”
We didn’t speak again until we reached the pizza place and sat down with our food. Frankie blew on his slice, then set it down without taking a bite.
“So you’re saying if I invite you to hang out with us for a night, you won’t?”
I took a bite of my slice in an attempt to collect my thoughts before I answered. Frankie’s eyes widened, and he pointed to the overhead television. “Hey, look. Isn’t that your guy Rhoades?”
My gaze flashed up to the screen to see. Sure enough, Rhoades stood next to a tall, African American woman being interviewed by a reporter. It was daylight and had obviously been filmed earlier. It looked like they were standing in front of some kind of public-housing building. Shit. Was he throwing people out to build a condo? If that was true, penthouse or no, I was done.
“Shh.” I waved at Frankie to be quiet and yelled at Vinnie. “Hey, Vinnie, can you turn up the TV?”
“Sure.” The owner picked up the remote and pressed a button. Immediately the sound of the woman’s voice filled the air.
“So if it wasn’t for Mr. MacKenzie, we’d be out on the street, looking for a place as a stopgap to tide us over until we could find something permanent. But who knows how long that would take? We were helpless until Mr. MacKenzie swooped in. He not only bought the building, he’s working with us to update and modernize the facility.”
“Mr. MacKenzie, your company is known for your high-end buildings in trendy areas such as SoHo, Tribeca, and the Upper East Side.” The reporter shoved the microphone in Rhoades’s face. “What made you, a luxury developer, decide to come uptown to this area and buy a run-down building that houses a homeless shelter?”
Holy fuck. Rhoades wasn’t kicking them out—he was helping them. I sat with my mouth wide open as I hung on his every word. His precise, measured voice drowned out Frankie’s excited chatter.
“You are correct in that my company hasn’t been involved in property holdings in this area, nor have we operated facilities such as the One-on-One shelter run by Mrs. Hunte. But please don’t assume we don’t do our part to help.” I’d seen Rhoades angry before and could tell by his narrowed eyes and thrust of his jaw he was fuming but doing his best to keep it under control. He was damn hot when fired up, and I couldn’t help but be a bit turned-on.
“Over the years, The MacKenzie Company has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to charities such as this one. And I’m happy to announce today that not only will we be providing jobs to people from this facility who want to work on the renovation project, but my company, as well as the various construction companies and architects The MacKenzie Company works with, will be available to train people to work in our companies.” He gave her a thin smile. “No one should go homeless or jobless in this country if we can help.”
Wow. I sat back, my head spinning. In one moment, Rhoades had turned me around and upside down with his generosity. And hell if that didn’t open my eyes to who he’d always been. A man who cared, always asking if he could kiss or touch me before he did so. Perhaps I’d been wrong to shut down my feelings for him. Perhaps…
“That’s pretty cool, what he did. Color me impressed.” Frankie finished his first slice and drank some water.
“Yeah,” I said weakly, my mind racing. Why didn’t he tell me he was back in town? Maybe I’d pushed him away so hard, he’d grown tired of running into a brick wall. I chewed on my pizza but barely tasted it. If I couldn’t admit it out loud, I should at least be able to whisper it to my heart. I wanted Rhoades. From the first, my attraction was undeniable. Purely physical, I thought it would be easy to push aside. But now we’d kissed, and when he touched me, it left me breathless in a way I’d only read about but never imagined I could have. So I fought it. I fought because I was scared. Scared of letting go and giving a piece of myself away.
The truth was so much more than that: I might have already lost my heart.
The club was packed, and I had little time to dwell on Rhoades and myself. There were bachelor parties and some of my regular customers, all expecting attention. I’d washed and styled my hair and put on some glitter lotion. Shirtless, Frankie sat next to me, putting on his makeup.
“You need my eye pencil again, or you brought your own?”
I waved my makeup kit at him. “I remembered this time and got a new color.” I rummaged through the unzipped case and pulled out the pencil. “Look. Royal blue. It’s supposed to sparkle.”
“Oooh, that looks great with your eyes.”
Once I drew the line on my upper lids, I carefully smudged it, and I had to admit it did make my eyes glow. “What do you think?”
“I think he’s gonna love it.”
“You’re stupid.” I elbowed Frankie and we laughed, but in the back of my mind, I really hoped so.
My inbox had remained empty, and I had no way of knowing if Rhoades would show up tonight. Nor did I have the time to spend thinking of him. From the moment we set foot on the floor, we were working and working hard. I’d done three bachelor parties and one bridal party where the bride was sweet and funny. We drank champagne, and she showed me her wedding dress, which was fabulous, and her new apartment in the Meatpacking District. I even gave her some decorating tips.
“I love your suggestions! Do you have a card? I’d love to hire you to help me do my apartment. My fiancé doesn’t care as long as there’s a bed and a coffeemaker.” Her dark eyes sparkled. “He just got traded to the Knicks, and we’re getting married in two weeks, so neither of us has had a chance to breathe.”
“Oh, I don’t, but—”
“But if you get in touch with me, I’ll make sure to get the message to Austin.”
My hand froze in midair as I was about to take another sip of champagne, then began to tremble. I quickly downed my drink and placed a smile on my lips.
“Rhoades. Good to see you again.”
“You as well.”
The bridal party watched our interaction with avid eyes.
“When you’re finished here, I’d like some time with you if you aren’t already booked.”
His formality might’ve struck some people as odd, but I knew him a bit better now and read his eyes. Their burning depths told me all I needed to know.
I tilted my head in acknowledgment. “When I’m finished.”
With a brief smile to me and a nod to the ladies, he walked away. A touch to my arm brought me back to my bride.
“I’m sorry.”
“Oh, don’t be. Who was that? I got all hot and bothered from the way he stared at you. Is that your boyfriend?”
“N-no. We’re friends.”
“Sit next to me.” I slid into the velvet seat next to her and poured her another glass of champagne. “I don’t know your story or what you’ve got going on. But the only other time I’ve ever seen that look on another man’s face was when my fiancé, Andre, watched me get naked for him the first time. And let me tell you, that was a night neither one of us will ever forget, honey.”
“You tell him, Yvette.”
“Austin”—Yvette’s friend tapped me on the shoulder—“she called me at three in the morning from the bathroom in his apartment, crying because she said, ‘I found the man I’m gonna marry.’ ”
“Lauren’s right. It’s a feeling I get, and I’m never wrong.”
“Well, there’s always a first time.”
“Oh, I’m not. Trust me.” She placed her hand on my arm and whispered in my ear. “And when you two do get together, I bet you’re gonna need the fire department ’cause you’re gonna blow the place apart.”
All I could do was laugh at her silliness and raise a glass to toast her. But I felt Rhoades’s eyes on me from across the room. And I burned.
By one a.m., I’d earned my cut for the night, and after showering and changing back into my street clothes, I approached James.
“Is it all right if I leave? I earned out.”
“So soon?” His pale blue eyes gleamed. “Big plans for the night?”
“I’ve got something to take care of.”
“You’re good to go. As usual, you’ve made well over the two-thousand minimum. His expression sobered. “I’ll miss you when you leave, Austin. I’m not sure you’re replaceable.”
The joke I was about to make died on my lips when our eyes met. “Uh, do you know something I don’t, or are you trying to tell me something? I’m not going anywhere.”
He glanced behind me, his smile wistful yet true and bright. “Oh, you are. And please? That thing you need to take care of? It’s been waiting a very long time. Be careful with it.”
James in normal conversation was a hard man to figure out. But a cryptic James? Call me clueless.
“Are you ready to go?”
My skin prickled with awareness when Rhoades spoke. “James and I were talking about something, but I’m not sure what he meant.”
Rhoades’s lips twitched. “Don’t worry. Most people can’t figure out what the hell James means half the time. The other half he’s simply annoying.”
“Good night, you two. Don’t let the bedbugs bite.”
Without answering, Rhoades touched the small of my back, and a powerful wave of longing rose inside me from that simple brush of his fingers.
I bit the inside of my cheek to quell the ache inside me.
“I hadn’t planned on being here tonight. I thought I was so tired, I’d sleep through the night, but I couldn’t rest, and decided to come.”
“After our phone call, I wasn’t sure when I’d see you next.” The odd arrangement between us made me even more self-conscious about being with him.
“Where would you like to go?” That low voice I’d heard in my dreams sent a surge of blood singing through me. Hearing him in person was so much better.
“I’d like to show you the penthouse and what I’ve done. It’s amazing what can get accomplished in such a short time period.”
The black car sat idling at the curb, and it roared to life as we approached. Rhoades opened the door, but before letting me slide in, he touched my arm.
“I think you’re amazing.”
His hand lay heavy on my arm, yet comfortably right and necessary. His nearness, that warm scent of him, played against my inner desires and the fear of releasing all the anger, hurt, and pain I’d lived with since childhood. If I didn’t have that to hold on to, who was I? Did I exist without them? I might not know myself.
I climbed into the car, and Rhoades told Felix to go to the penthouse.
“How was your trip?” Small talk I could do. It required little effort. “Was it for business or pleasure?”
“Business.” His smile erased years from his face. “All my pleasure is here.”
“Yeah, well, you live in New York.”
“I’m not talking about the city.”
Oh, damn. That declaration turned my insides soft and made my dick hard. Then he put his hand over mine, and we sat that way the entire drive downtown, my mind racing in a thousand directions but always coming back to the same starting point.
Rhoades.
When we finally reached Charles Street, Felix stopped the car, and we both got out. Once again, Rhoades stood behind me, his hand resting on my back as we walked into the building and the elevator.
“I can’t wait to see what you’ve done. I was thinking about it quite a bit on my trip.”
“You were?” I glanced over my shoulder, a bit breathless at the intensity of his gaze.
“Yes.”
The elevator hissed to a stop, and the door opened to the apartment. With pride, I stepped aside and swept my arm wide. “Have a look around. There are still some small pieces I’m waiting on for delivery, but the majority of the work is complete.”
Without saying a word, Rhoades walked through the apartment, gazing at each piece of furniture and accessory I’d chosen. With each passing moment he remained silent, my heart kicked up a notch, and I began to question my choices. Perhaps I should’ve gone more bold. Maybe my vision was wrong, and Rhoades thought the view called for a more formal setting. Sweat dampened my palms, and I discreetly wiped them on my jeans when he entered the master bedroom. Despondent, I walked to the windows and stared out, unable to enjoy the magnificent view.
“Austin?”
So engrossed in the view, I jumped at the touch of his hand on my shoulder. “Oh, what? I’m sorry. I didn’t hear you. So if you don’t like it, tell me and I can exchange the things you hate.” I winced at hearing myself babble but couldn’t stop the flow of words. “Obviously you have a vision, and that might not match mine, but I’m happy to do whatever you see.”
“Austin. Shut up.” He placed both hands on my shoulders, and my words dried up at the twinkle in his eyes. “I love it.”
“You do?”
“Yes. The concept, the arrangement of the furniture, everything. It fits the apartment perfectly.”
My mouth hung open in surprise, and Rhoades tipped my chin up to close it. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you you’d catch flies with an open mouth?”
I shook my head, the thrill of his touch, his proximity, robbing me of speech.
“Perhaps I should kiss you to make sure you listen?”
What I liked about Rhoades was his willingness to take his cues from me. Unlike Chris, who’d never cared if I was tired or hungry when he wanted sex, Rhoades treated every touch as if I was granting him pleasure.
“I think you should.”
His smile lit up the night, and I wrapped my arms around his neck and touched my lips to his. The rush of desire when our mouths met left me shaking, and I wasn’t only holding on to Rhoades to touch him. I needed support.
Rhoades pressed me up against the window. “Can I tell you that I missed you these past weeks? That every night I imagined you dancing and someone else touching you, and it drove me crazy?” Our kisses grew more frantic, lips clinging, tongues pressing and twisting. With our mouths locked together, Rhoades shed his suit jacket, undid his tie, and threw them off to the side.
“I didn’t dance at all,” I said, my voice strangely hoarse. “I spent all my time here.”
“Good.” He traced my lips with his fingertip, and I swayed toward him. His gaze grew fierce, and a thrill shot through me as I pulled off my sweater and let it fall to the floor. I’d railed against being possessed, yet here I stood, craving to be owned.
“Because I don’t like thinking of anyone touching you but me.” His fingers trailed across my jaw, down my neck, then to my chest, where he circled the pointy nipples. My breath burst out in short pants, and I bit my lip to prevent myself from crying out. “I love touching you. Kissing you.”
“Me too,” I gasped, finally able to say it out loud.
His lips followed his fingers, and I soon forgot all about remaining quiet and moaned when he sucked and teased first one nipple, then the other. His teeth nipped at the tender flesh, sending a throb to my groin. To end up at this place, with Rhoades worshiping my body…to my shock, he knelt at my feet and gazed up at me, his hands hovering over the waistband of my jeans. And as he did the first time we were alone together, he hesitated.
“May I?”
“You don’t have to—”
“I never do anything I don’t want to do, Austin. And right now, there’s nothing in the world I want more than you. Please.” He rubbed my stomach, and I arched up into his hand.
How could I resist? And why would I want to anymore? With every word, every action, Rhoades had broken me down and proven himself a man unlike any other. This man could have anything and anyone he wanted, and yet here he sat at my feet, asking permission to touch me. It was fucking sexy and powerful, and my dick swelled.
At my nod, he popped my fly open, and I put my hand on his. Our eyes met, and together we unzipped my jeans and I wiggled them down until they pooled around my ankles. His eyes widened.
“You wore my gift.”
“I wear it often.” I felt no shame in my admission. Not any longer. “I think of you.”
I cupped my hard cock inside the silky jock he’d given me that started this strange seduction between us. Had I anticipated it coming to this? No. I’d had no intention of ever having sex with Rhoades when I first met him. My walls were high and strongly built.
He hooked his fingers over the edge of the elastic and pulled it down, freeing my cock to the air. I shivered, but whether from nerves or anticipation I couldn’t tell.
“So beautiful. I knew you would be. Every inch of you is beautiful.”
I had no chance to react as his mouth slid over the head of my dick and he licked around the tip. A powerful ache rolled through me, and I struggled not to come immediately. Pleasure such as this should be savored, not rushed. The jock slid all the way down my thighs, catching on my knees, and I was well and truly trapped, caught between the expanse of the window and Rhoades, who now grasped my hip. He ran his mouth from the base to the tip of my cock, his tongue leaving a wet trail behind, and teased the crown. Golden light shimmered before my eyes, and I leaned back against the windows, drugged with blissful longing. Those walls had been breached, but not by any enemy. No matter how many arrows I shot his way, he’d deflected them all. This man had conquered me.
Firm, strong hands swept up and down my thighs, my skin pricking from the awareness of his touch. He mastered me, yet I relinquished no control. I touched the top of his head, my fingers tangling in his dark waves. He understood my needs without me speaking and took me deep, his tongue swirling around the base of my cock before taking a lazy slide back up the hard shaft, only to repeat. As he sucked, he gently squeezed my sac with his free hand, then rubbed a finger up and down my crack.
“Oh, fuck.” I flung my head back and thrust my hips, forcing my cock down Rhoades’s throat. He hummed his pleasure and reached behind to cup my ass, fingers wet and searching to find my hole.
“Oh, my God.” I cried out and held on to his shoulders, my fingers digging into the strong muscle. My dick touched the back of his throat, and he began to bob up and down on my shaft as he rhythmically pumped a finger in and out of me.
“Ahhhh.” I blew apart, wave after wave of fire exploding inside me as I came, my come splattering against Rhoades’s lapping tongue. The shock of my orgasm continued to roll through me, leaving me curiously free and cleansed. Giving myself over to Rhoades to be loved transformed me into a new and different person than only moments before.
When I’d softened and slipped out of Rhoades’s mouth, he sat back on his heels, eyes glowing, lips glistening, brow damp with sweat. The sight of him on his knees at my feet would remain with me forever. This man, who I knew bowed to no one, at this moment existed to give me pleasure. He helped me pull up the jock and then my jeans, and after I finished fixing myself, he stood and ran his knuckles down my cheek. To my surprise, he didn’t kiss me then but took my hand in his, twining our fingers together.
“Come home with me?” His eyes searched mine. “Stay the night?”
If we were to be lovers, then we first needed to be friends. No secrets, no lies, no shame. And for once, I wanted to share myself.
“Let’s talk, and then if you still want me to stay”—I squeezed his hand tightly—“I will.”