Chapter 4

 

Glad Sven couldn’t see his smirk, Geoffrey kept his face turned away as he pulled chicken, mushrooms, and vegetables from the refrigerator. He set them on the island, then turned a burner on low to start heating his cast iron pan. Though he didn’t cook all that much, the kitchen had been a major part of his decision to buy the house. The sharp, white cabinets and stainless steel appliances looked clean and bright when sunlight streamed through the three tall, narrow windows over the sink. He liked the way the light sparkled on the gray marble countertops.

He set his cutting board on the island, listening to Sven moving around in the living room to his left as he made the calls to his office.

It felt so strange to have him in his home. The blond giant took up serious space, but it wasn’t only his size that impressed—he had an air of security about him, a solid core of strength in both personality and build. He felt steady. Reliable.

Safe.

That feeling was like an aphrodisiac. And Sven was so damn sexy, Geoffrey loved looking at him. He’d been drawn to Sven the first time he saw him, and it wasn’t all about his looks either. He fascinated Geoffrey with his seemingly gentle nature while his job could entail anything but. He’d heard talk before and after his classes at Ward, stories of Sven intimidating anyone who threatened his clients, rumors of him taking down a dangerous guy in a single blow. And then, he’d watched Sven patiently teaching the people in his self-defense course, being extra careful with both men and women. Geoffrey had taken him down once and he wasn’t stupid. He didn’t know if it was because he was the smallest person in the class or what, but Sven was even more cautious with him. He hadn’t fought back.

Geoffrey hated that.

He was stronger than he looked and tough enough to deal with anything the man could dish out. Everyone always underestimated him because of his size and his looks. An ex-boyfriend had once said he had the face of a fallen angel. Geoffrey snorted. But then he’d also said Geoffrey had the energy of someone on speed—that he was too damn exhausting to be worth it.

His heart twisted just like it had then. That particular ex wasn’t the only one to say that.

Everyone seemed to love his vivacity as long as they could walk away from it at the end of the night.

He glanced at Sven who was still talking quietly on his phone as he opened the door to the master hall. As much as Geoffrey wanted him, he couldn’t imagine Sven feeling any differently. He was just so…calm. Like the others, he’d eventually run away as fast as he could.

Before he could depress himself to death, he ran his gaze over that body. The broad back, narrow waist, and Geoffrey was pretty sure he did a thousand squats a day to get a round ass like that—that would be worth any time the man wanted to give him. He wanted to be the recipient of all that strength, wanted to see how far he could push Sven into letting loose. He wanted to be overpowered and he’d revel in it.

A shudder wracked his frame and his dick twitched and started filling with blood.

He began slicing bell peppers and forced his mind back to the look on Sven’s face when Geoffrey had made the crack about the bodyguard wanting to eat him.

It wasn’t like Sven really looked at him that way. Maybe a glimpse of possible interest every now and then, but not anything like the kind of attention he’d love to get from the big guy. And big was putting it mildly. At five foot five, Geoffrey was used to looking up at most men, but he’d never stood next to someone who came in over a foot taller before. He was over six foot five, easy.

He could only imagine what they’d look like as a couple because his head didn’t even reach Sven’s shoulders. Not that Geoffrey cared what anyone thought. He’d proudly show off the beautiful Viking everywhere if he were his. And he got the feeling he’d be lucky to have him. Sven was pretty damn special. Inside. Where it counted.

Nah, he would never be interested in something permanent with Geoffrey, but he’d seen enough in those green eyes to know the man did want him physically. And just what would it be like to have that heavy body stretched out on top of him?

He nearly cut his finger instead of the chicken and had to take a minute, the flush covering him from head to foot hotter than the skillet on the stove.

“So many damn windows,” Sven muttered as he strode back into the living room.

Geoffrey put all the vegetables into bowls, working to get his body under control before he looked back toward Sven. He stood in front of the wall of sliding glass doors. Three of the four in the house were all on one wall leading to the outdoor dining area and pool. And there were windows over those doors. He bit his lip to keep from smiling. He liked his world to be bright.

It wasn’t his fucking fault someone had decided to mess with his life.

Sven turned to find Geoffrey watching him and his expression went flat. He’d pulled his long, blond hair into a messy man bun when he’d changed at Ward Security and now a few strands had come loose. Probably from the agitated way he’d swept his hand over it a couple of times. He was the only man in real life Geoffrey had ever seen who could pull off that look.

“There’s another kitchen out there,” Sven said, pointing toward the back. “Why would anyone need two?”

“It’s just a grill and a mini fridge for drinks.” Geoffrey carried the bowls of sliced meat and veggies around the island and turned up the heat before tossing the chicken into the pan.

“And a long counter, a table, and furniture. Do you entertain a lot?”

“Hardly ever. I used to throw parties but I got tired of people not giving a shit about my things. Now, I only go out.” He added the onions and took a deep sniff as he stirred. Nothing smelled as good as sizzling onions. His stomach rumbled.

At least the headache had eased. It had started to when they ran by his doctor’s office for blood work. He’d nixed the hospital idea. He paid a monthly fee for a concierge doctor, so he might as well be able to get in on a moment’s notice. Sven’s amazement at the fast and personal service had been comical. All his money came with nice perks.

“It’s a lot of house for two people.”

Geoffrey paused, the wooden spoon in mid-air as he looked over his shoulder. “You judging, Mister Larsen?”

“No, of course not.” Sven marched into the kitchen and stopped beside him. “I promise, no judgment here.”

His smile, both genuine and kind of heart-stopping, gave Geoffrey pause. Sexy hell, the man was really beautiful. He gulped, hoping to dislodge the lump that had lodged in his throat.

“You don’t have to cook for me while I’m here,” Sven said. “I’m responsible for my own meals. I’m here to protect, not mooch. Or socialize.”

Ouch. “I have to cook for me, so why wouldn’t I?”

“Again, I’m not here for things like meals.”

I will not throw the spoon at the giant. I will not throw the spoon at the giant. “You’re like a fucking robot sometimes, Mister Larsen.”

Sven didn’t respond.

Geoffrey’s shoulders slumped, fingers wrapping around the spoon he kept in the pan. “I miss cooking for my brother, and I’m still rattled from what happened last night.” He peeked up at Sven through his lashes, using a look that had gotten him his way more times than he could count. “Cooking for you will cheer me.”

The slightest grin tilted Sven’s mouth. “I hope you don’t think you’re being sneaky bringing up the brother.”

That was more like it. Geoffrey knew he was all teeth then when he beamed at Sven. “So you’ll eat while you’re here then. Good. But I’ll warn you, most of the stuff I make is pretty basic. I cooked for my brother who was the pickiest kid alive, so most of my repertoire includes pasta. But I could always get him to eat this.” He tossed in the peppers and mushrooms, then frowned. “Crap. Forgot to put on the rice. Here.” He held out the spoon to Sven who frowned at him. Rolling his eyes, he pulled him to the stove, noting the warmth of his wrist as he did. “Stir that for me while I get the rice on.”

Sven quietly stirred.

“We’ll have to do jasmine instead of brown—my favorite—because it takes too long. That was one of the ways I sneaked nutrition into my brother’s diet.” God, he was babbling. Shut the hell up, Geoffrey! “Brown rice has a ton of good things in it. I bet you know that, though, don’t you?” He plopped a saucepan of water on the stove and set it to boil. He looked Sven up and down. “With a body like yours, you have to eat healthy, huh? And probably a lot of whatever it is, too. I doubled what I usually do for Finn and me.”

He stepped closer, absorbing more of the man’s heat. Despite the summer temperature, Geoffrey had been cold since he’d awakened and realized someone had been in his house. One more step and he could absorb even more warmth. He put his hand on the man’s arm, then couldn’t resist sliding it up just a little to squeeze the muscle. Damn, he was firm.

Sven handed him the spoon and stepped away fast. He moved to the other side of the island, oddly graceful for someone with so many thick muscles.

Geoffrey knew the sigh that fell out of his mouth had all the drama of an exasperated drag queen and he didn’t care. “So tell me about yourself,” he said as he turned back to the stove.

“I’m not here to make friends, Mr. Ralse.”

Geoffrey growled. “Stop it with the mister stuff. I hired you, right?”

“Yes.”

“That means I’m your boss. Call me Geoffrey.” He threw a wink over his shoulder. “Or I have other pet names you could use. Anything along the lines of hottie, lover, ultimate sex god…or boyfriend. I wouldn’t mind any of those.”

Sven’s lips tightened. Another strand of long blond hair had come out of the bun and lay against his cheek, caught in his close beard. He’d worn his beard long when Geoffrey had first seen him but he’d trimmed it back. Like the bun, the shorter beard suited him.

When it became obvious he wasn’t going to respond, Geoffrey’s back went stiff. This wasn’t going to work at all if he was going to just stand around like a statue. “Are you from this area?”

“No.”

“How long have you lived here?”

“Two years.”

“Any family here?”

“Yes.”

He waited. And waited. With jerky movements, he got down the Marsala wine, soy sauce and spices. He started mixing them in a bowl, whipping the fork hard. Then he growled and turned to face Sven and crossed his arms. “Really? You can’t even tell me who moved here with you?”

“My sister.”

“Do you have any other siblings?”

“Yes.”

“That’s it?” Geoffrey lifted an eyebrow. “Okay, this is how it works. People show interest in you. They ask questions. But those questions are more like prompts. You know, to get you to share more. So, you do.”

“I answered.”

He held his breath and counted to ten.

“Food’s burning.”

“Shit!” Geoffrey swung back around, grabbed the wooden spoon, and poked at the stir-fry. “A couple of pieces are a little browner than I’d like, but the sauce will cover that well enough.” He poured the sauce in, turned the stove down, and faced Sven again. “Do you have a boyfriend?”

Silence met that question. Sven merely stared at him.

“You are gay.” He didn’t frame it as a question. He knew he was because every now and then, he caught a certain look and one time, Sven’s hand had lingered just a bit too long on the small of his back. That one touch had been so different from all the others in the class, Geoffrey’d had to hot foot it to the men’s room fast because the hard-on in his sweatpants had been like a dousing rod, pointing directly at Sven.

“Yes.”

He threw up his arms in frustration and spun around to stare at the bubbling meat and vegetables. “Okay, I give up. We won’t talk. Help yourself to something to drink out of the fridge.”

They didn’t speak at all as he finished cooking.

Geoffrey hated silence. Even when he worked, he had something playing. Music or some television series on Netflix—anything to break up the quiet of working home alone. It was also why he’d ended up going out so much once Finn had gone off to college. He loved his home but without his brother, the nights had been the worst. He’d end up wandering the place until he’d give up and check his computer to see who was out.

“I’m going to get some measurements for Rowe.”

Geoffrey just nodded as Sven left the kitchen. He’d never agreed to buying a security system and kind of found it amusing that Sven just assumed he’d let him install one. It was a good idea, though. If he’d had cameras already, he wouldn’t have this black pit in his stomach—he’d know what had happened the night before.

Every time he thought of what could have happened, he wanted to curl up somewhere safe—preferably near Sven—and close out the world.

Once most of the sauce had cooked down, he put together a covered plate for Sven and left it on the island with a note letting the man know he’d be working in his office. If they weren’t going out, he could at least get some work done. Plus, there was a new original show he’d been wanting to stream.

The curt bodyguard could find a way to amuse himself.

 

 

 

###

Three hours later, Sven stood in the guest room, looking out the sliding glass doors that gave him a view of the pool and the pavilion off Geoffrey’s bedroom. The house was built like a lopsided U, so this room was parallel to the master suite—but across the damn pool with a long stretch of house between.

Sven held a pair of cut-off sweats and a T-shirt he planned to sleep in after his shower. He was too far from Geoffrey. He supposed he could try to sleep on the couch in the office next to Geoffrey’s bedroom, but he knew he wouldn’t fit on that thing. He was about to turn toward the bathroom when the light to Geoffrey’s room came on and the man himself walked past one of those big windows. In nothing more than a towel.

Sven could fucking see into the man’s bedroom.

But then, all he saw was red. He dropped the clothes and strode through the house to bang on Geoffrey’s door. He remembered he’d taken off everything but his pants just as he opened the door. Sven didn’t wait for an invitation, brushing past a gaping Geoffrey and walking to the first window. “Blinds closed, curtains shut. From now on, Geoffrey.” Once he had every one of them covered to his satisfaction, Sven faced him. “I mean it. And…” his voice got caught as he nearly swallowed his tongue.

Low. The black towel hung so low.

He could not stop his eyes from going wide. The slim body that drove him crazy while clothed was a thing of absolute beauty without. Sinewy and strong, with defined biceps, shoulders, and stomach—everything on Geoffrey was smaller, but perfectly proportioned for someone of his height and build. He was just so fucking fit. His hair, wet from the shower, had been slicked back, his sharp features clear, his plump, sexy lips still parted. Blue eyes raked over Sven, and the flush of arousal that colored Geoffrey’s chest and neck kicked his own lust into overdrive.

“And?” Geoffrey prompted, voice rough.

“Huh?”

The chuckle that followed his brainless sound didn’t do anything to dispel the fire streaking through his body. He was everything Sven had always found beautiful. And everything he could never let himself have.

What if he lost control again? Hurt Geoffrey like he hurt Charlie? And that had been back when he was a kid. If he wasn’t careful now, he could kill Geoffrey. He needed to always remember that, cling to that hard, ugly fact like a lifeline. One careless moment and he’d hurt Geoffrey.

“You started to say something?”

Huskiness layered Geoffrey’s voice as he shifted and leaned against the door jamb. That damn towel slipped just a bit lower and all the moisture fled Sven’s mouth before pouring back in like a flood. He swallowed, ashamed of himself because he was literally salivating over Geoffrey—a man who’d hired him for protection.

One who worked out.

A lot.

He forced his gaze off him and it landed on the giant mirror next to his equally large bed. A bed he’d easily fit on comfortably. He could situate them sideways on the bed and prop his head up high on all those pillows—high enough to see both Geoffrey’s front and his back in the mirror while he sat astride him.

“You okay, Sven?”

Holy hell, he had passed stupid into outright brainless because he could not get that image out of his head no matter what he tried to think about. He stared at the ugly art over the bed and tried to decide if the shapes were supposed to be giant leaves or decorative salad bowls.

They could get rowdy enough in here to knock those off the wall.

Fuck.

“Fine,” Geoffrey murmured, straightening up off the door and waving his arms in that spastic and completely adorable way of his. “I’ll keep the windows in here covered, okay? I usually do. You don’t have to play stoic member of the queen’s guard anymore. You can go.” A wicked twinkle filled his eyes as he turned away and casually dropped the towel. “I need to brush my teeth anyway.”

And Sven could not look away from that perfect ass no matter how hard he tried. He didn’t even blink until the door to the closet closed. Or, the dressing closet, as Geoffrey called it. His master bath lay on the other side.

Muscles tense and breathing labored, Sven walked back to the guest room in a daze. The second he closed the door behind him, his hand was pressing on the front of his pants. He knew Geoffrey had seen how hard his dick had grown—those blue eyes had locked on it right before he’d dropped the towel.

There was a sultriness to the man that made Sven’s teeth ache, a sensual nature outfitted in a compact, lissome body Sven wanted to explore so badly, he’d had to close his hands into fists so he didn’t reach out. He rubbed his cock through the fabric as he turned on the hot water in the shower.

Stepping inside, he let the water wash down over his aching muscles. The morning’s workout followed by self-defense classes hadn’t been too bad, but spending hours with Geoffrey had left him on edge so that he’d passed the majority of the day tense. But as the tautness started to ebb, images of Geoffrey smiling and shirtless danced through his head.

Groaning, he forced his brain back to thoughts of Charlie and that horrible day in Michigan. The taunting chants of the other kids. The shoving and bitter bite of the winter wind across the school yard. Anger pushed against the cold and then he was fighting back. A splash of blood. Kids shouting and scattering in panic.

Sven tried to tighten his grip on that memory. Charlie was the reason he sought out men his own size. People he didn’t have to worry about hurting if his hard-won control slipped for even a second.

Soaping up his hands, he started to roughly scrub away the day’s stress and sweat when his traitorous mind conjured up an image of Geoffrey smirking and shaking his head, shoving away Charlie and his hatred. Shoving away any thoughts that weren’t of him.

And Sven let him.

That small, perfect ass stayed in the forefront of his mind as he braced one hand on the wall and wrapped the other soap-covered hand around his cock, stroking himself. Hard. He punched his hips forward, tightening his fingers and imagining what it would be like to finally give in and touch the man who’d been teasing him for months. He’d shut that sassy mouth with his lips and his tongue and he’d hold him down…fuck deep into his body.

His hand moved faster and faster as he imagined the needy sounds that would come from that hot-as-fuck mouth. And with the thought of those full, pouty lips, his imagination switched and he was sprawled on that big ottoman in the living room, legs spread with Geoffrey kneeling between them. Those lips would look so goddamn beautiful wrapping his cock. Geoffrey would use his tongue and those quick hands would touch his thighs, stroke his belly, slip down to cup his balls.

He wondered how far Geoffrey could take a man down his throat. No, not any man. Him. He wanted to know how that mouth would feel so badly, he slowed down his strokes, long and firm slides as his head tilted back and his lips fell open.

That mouth would be hot—had to be with all those blistering, seductive words always balanced on the tip of his tongue. And if his mouth was searing, what would it feel to slide inside that taut, perfect ass?

The orgasm that hit him didn’t start from anywhere on his body and race to the finish line. No, it slammed into his entire frame all at once—blinding him. He arched his body, bowing his back, and the bellow that shot out of his throat probably shook this section of the house.

His knees grew weak and he slammed into the shower wall, watching with blurry vision as his semen washed down the drain.

Damn.

Sven closed his eyes and stepped back into the spray of hot water, letting it soak his hair, face, and beard. Even in this house, he had to duck to make that happen. He kept one hand on the wall for balance. These feelings he had for Geoffrey Ralse were a real problem. He’d always been attracted to smaller men, but he never touched them. He looked down at his big hands and closed them into fists.

He’d put those hands on someone smaller than himself once and paid a horrible price. He’d promised himself it would never happen again. And he’d always been able to keep that promise. Until Geoffrey. Because there was more to him than a beautiful face and body. A lot more.

And damned if he wasn’t just intrigued by that as well.