Chapter 5

O’Neil sat on couch, staring at the TV. He must have lost his damned mind. He wanted Ryan bad. Spending the evening across a table from the actor had given him a hundred more reasons to want the man.

He’d never been so attracted to someone in his life.

And now he was watching a movie starring Ryan, wondering if he’d call. Had he been wrong? Was there nothing there?

Ryan hadn’t answered him when he said to call. Shannon should have gone to bed and pushed the thought of him out of his mind.

He brushed his fingers over his buzzed hair and thought about grabbing another beer.

The phone rang. A smile crept across his lips. The number wasn’t one he recognized. “Hey.”

“This a bad time?” Ryan asked.

“No.”

“Thank you for tonight.” Ryan cleared his throat. “Look, I want to ask you something.”

“About the contract?” Shannon asked half-teasingly.

“Yeah, how serious were you about that? Or have I misread everything?” The doubt in his voice settled something inside Shannon.

“Normally, very serious. But I’d make an exception for you.”

“Not for Alexa?” Ryan asked more boldly.

O’Neil huffed. “No. She believes she can have everything she wants. I’d just be another notch on her proverbial belt. You, I think there might be something worth exploring.”

“At this stage in my life, it’s something no one can know about.”

“Understood. I’m not exactly open about the men I’ve been with. You can blame my background for that.”      

“Shit, you can blame my career for my secret.”

Shannon rubbed at his face. “Don’t like women at all?”

“I like women fine, but I’ve never been attracted to them.”

“Is it a problem that I like both?”

“Never thought you had a choice in who you wanted.”

“No, it’s not. But some believe it is.”

Ryan sighed. “That’s why I don’t blame Manny for Tara. He wanted her bad. We warned him, and he didn’t believe us.”

“Your brother seems to get it now.”

“Yeah, but he keeps slipping deeper. I don’t know the best way to help him.”

“Only time will tell. But that’s not why you called,” O’Neil answered.

“No.” Ryan was silent for a moment. “I want to know what this is before I go too far.”

“What do you want it to be?” Shannon asked, his voice dropping low.

“I need to know you better before I make that call, but there are ground rules.”

“Besides no one can know, what else?”

Ryan chuckled. “At least the most important is out of the way. The other thing is, I want to get to know you before we see how far it goes. I don’t jump in blind.”

Shannon relaxed. “Let me make a suggestion. One that won’t look suspicious. Hire me to look at your security setup. A free consultation. We don’t even have to discuss that. It will get me in your house as a supposed business setup. No one will know it’s anything else. Because it might look strange to have you come to my place.”

“When?” Ryan asked immediately.

“You busy tomorrow?”

“I have no plans as of this moment.”

“What time?”

“Hour after the training. Two if you need it.”

O’Neil smiled. “Give me your address, and I’ll be there an hour after training.”

“Can I ask one thing?” Ryan asked.

“Of course.”

“Why me?”

O’Neil leaned back. “I’ve fantasized about you for years. Never thought it was a remote possibility.”

“It’s possible.”

“Why me?” O’Neil asked.

Ryan laughed. “Half my distraction today was you, and trying to figure out if there was half a chance in hell.”

“Good to know.” He pressed a hand to his now erect cock.

Ryan cleared his throat. “I should go. I plan to be early tomorrow.”

“Good night, Ryan.”

“Good night, Shannon.”

Shannon closed his eyes. His name on Ryan’s tongue sounded damn good.