Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 84002 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84002 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
“I just…I said I didn’t want to fight with you, Maxwell. I have an appointment.”
He didn’t stop her, and she didn’t ask him to go with her as he’d offered.
*
It was about one o’clock when Van pulled up in front of Shane’s auto shop. He knew he shouldn’t bother Shane at work, but he wanted to see Shane in action, he realized. Wanted to see Shane in his element—one of his elements, at least.
“Can I help you?” a man with light brown hair and a welcoming smile asked. He was tall, with lean muscles and a couple days of stubble on his face. He had oil on his coveralls and hands, and a sexy, soft jawline that made him look slightly like he had a baby face.
“My name’s Van. I was looking for Shane?”
Just then he heard a bump and then, “Shit,” before Shane’s head popped out from underneath the hood of a car.
Well if that wasn’t cute as fuck, Van didn’t know what was. He had oil smudged on his forehead and his hair was messy and… “Did you just bump your head?”
“He’s been klutzy the past two days. I think maybe now I know why,” the other man said.
Van grinned. “Don’t worry. I have that effect on people.”
“Fuck off,” Shane said to his employee before looking at Van. “And you can fuck off too. ‘I have that effect on people.’” He said the last sentence in a playful, mocking tone. “Maybe because you’re so damn annoying.” Shane looked around then and Van wondered if it was because they were being flirty. Shit. He hadn’t even thought of that. He knew Shane had never had a man here. Did they know he was even gay?
He looked at the other man who said, “Ryan. Nice to meet you. I’d shake your hand but you’re much cleaner than I am.”
“I don’t care about that.” Van shook Ryan’s hand.
“I’ll leave the two of you alone. Might be wise to keep anything out of his walkway, nothing dangerous or sharp in his hands.”
Van laughed and Shane groaned. Oh, Van liked the guy.
“I’ll keep an eye on him,” Van replied. Obviously, Ryan knew Shane was into men. Van walked over and leaned against the car. “I make you klutzy, huh?”
“Didn’t I say fuck off? I’m pretty sure I did.”
“You didn’t mean it though.” He nudged Shane. “Is it okay that I stopped by here? I wasn’t really thinking….”
“What? No. It’s fine. I don’t give a shit about that. I might not announce my sexuality to everyone in town but I’m not trying to hide it either. Plus, just because you stopped by doesn’t mean we’re fucking.”
“Speak for yourself but I’m pretty sure it’s written all over my face that I want to fuck you. I have no qualms about that either.”
Shane’s cheeks flushed a light pink.
“You’re cute when you blush.”
“I’m not blushing.”
“Okay,” Van replied. “Did you eat lunch? Can I buy you lunch?”
“No, I didn’t eat and I’m fucking starving. I should be able to sneak away for a little bit. Now is actually a good time. Let me talk to Ryan.”
“He’s cute.”
Shane cocked a brow at him. “He’s straight.”
Was Shane serious? “Oh, sweetie, that man is not straight. Maybe bisexual or bi-curious but definitely not straight.”
Shane lowered his voice. “What? No way.”
“I could be wrong but I’m typically not.”
“No shit?” Shane’s eyes went wide and he looked the direction Ryan had gone.
Van nudged him again. “Simmer down, man. You’re fucking me right now, remember? At least wait until I leave before you move on to baby-face.” The words were meant as a joke but they almost stuck in Van’s throat. Tasted bitter. He actually might be a little jealous, which he needed to squash right away. “Unless you think he’d be down for a threesome….”
Shane rolled his eyes. “Ryan is straight, and even if he wasn’t, he works for me. I’m not fucking him and you’re not fucking him.” There was a slight harshness to Shane’s voice that made Van smile when it likely shouldn’t have.
“Don’t worry. I don’t want to share you either.”
“Who said I didn’t want to share you?”
“You didn’t have to.” Van winked and then pushed off the car.
“I take back what I said. I don’t like you anymore.”
“Yeah you do. Now come on. I didn’t have the best morning. Let me take you to lunch.”
Shane frowned slightly. His forehead wrinkled and even though Van didn’t know what it was, Shane obviously had something on his mind. For a moment Van thought he was going to change his mind but then he said, “Hold on. Give me a couple minutes to get ready.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Shane went into the office and saw Ryan looking at some paperwork. Could Van have been right about him? Was he gay? Bi? In the closet?
He looked at the other man, studied him for a moment, before Ryan looked up. Had there been another gay man so close to him and he hadn’t known? “I have something in my teeth or what? Why are you looking at me funny?” Ryan asked.