Promises Part 1 (Bounty Hunters #1)(12)

Duke smiled shyly. He felt like a guy getting hit on by the most popular kid in school. Vaughan did that sexy chuckle against the back of his neck. “I knew it.”

“Yeah. I mostly bottom,” Duke admitted, picking up another cologne bottle, hoping he wasn’t blushing too hard. “Does that mean you only top?” Duke had a lover that primarily topped before. Judge had never, ever bottomed for him. Had downright refused it. Even though Duke thought there was nothing better than a hard cock driving into his ass, he still had a cock of his own, and he liked to use it sometimes.

Vaughan used his pointer finger on Duke’s chin to turn his head towards him. When he spoke, his lips danced across the corner of his mouth. Duke wondered if there was anything Vaughan did that wasn’t sexy. “No. I don’t only top. But for you. I’ll do anything you want me to do.”

“Damnit. Don’t say things like that, Vaughan.”

“I have to speak the truth. No games, no lies, no teasing. Remember?”

Duke nodded his head, his words evading him again. When the clerk came back over, he glanced at their positioning but kept his face friendly. “Have you decided on something, sir?”

“May I?” Vaughan interjected.

“By all means,” Duke said. He was so ready to get out of the store anyway, and after smelling a few bottles, he had no idea what he wanted.

“A gift set of your Bleu De Chanel, s’il vous pla?t.” Vaughan spoke with a perfect French accent.

Duke was very impressed and he hoped he’d played it cool. But if he was being totally honest with himself… he was Vaughan’s already.





“What about her?” Vaughan tossed back his fifth shot and pointed out a beautiful redhead to his dad. He’d pointed out about ten very different women and his father shot each one down, barely looking in their directions. “What’s with you?”

“Nothing. I just want to enjoy a night out with my son without a lot of distractions.”

Vaughan studied at his drinking partner for a while. “Aren’t you lonely?”

He got a serious look in return. “Not anymore.”

Vaughan understood. He was gonna have to be careful and make sure he didn’t dedicate every bit of his time to Duke. Even though he’d missed the man like crazy, his father had been missing him just as much. Vaughan was a smart guy; he could figure the situation out, make everyone happy. Him, his father, and Duke.

“Alright big guy. Let’s get the hell out of here. The music is giving me a headache anyway.”

“Here. Here,” Quick agreed.

He finished the last of his beer and went up to pay the tab. The quaint hole-in-the-wall in the heart of Atlanta was a hidden gem he’d heard about through the grapevine. The food was great, and while the music was good, old school stuff, it was a little louder than what he expected. The crowd was low key and people were nice, though. He got a lot of interested looks, mostly from women. He simply returned a slight smile and turned away. He was already taken. His father on the other hand… What was his deal? Vaughan would eventually want to build a life with Duke; he couldn’t be his father’s companion. He needed to find his own, even if it wasn’t for anything serious. At the age of forty-nine, he still had some miles left in him. Since his parents were only teens when they’d been forced to marry, his father had missed out on a lot. Vaughan wanted some happiness for him.

“Let’s pop Armageddon in the Blu-ray and veg out on the couch,” his father suggested happily, throwing his denim jacket on.

Vaughan mock groaned. “Armageddon again! We’ve watched it a million times.” It was their favorite; they could watch that movie a million more times and still be just as engrossed as the first time they watched it.

“You love it. Come on let’s go.”

********

Duke made a third attempt to clip on his gold cufflinks. His collared shirt was white with fine tan pinstripes. He left the top button undone and the hem untucked—just as he’d been instructed. The camel colored Ralph Lauren blazer brought out the tan pinstripes and was the exact length of his shirt. It went perfectly with the faded denim jeans and his brown Clarks casual shoes. He looked in his full-length mirror. He hardly recognized himself. He had to admit, he looked pretty good. His usual ensembles consisted primarily of jeans and t-shirts. With the occasional Polo shirt on special occasions.

He put a small glop of mousse in his hand and tamed his silver locks, simply finger combing them back. His freshly cut edges and sideburns didn’t hurt the look at all. Putting a couple dabs of Bleu De Chanel on the skin just above his collar, he was set to go.

His condo was only a few miles from his office. He had another bail bond taking his calls—if any came—tonight, so they could all have a great time with no interruptions. His phone buzzed when he got in his truck. He adjusted the temperature before pulling out his cell. His smile was broad when he saw the sender.

He and Vaughan had exchanged numbers at lunch the previous day. They’d kept the conversation light and used it as an opportunity to get to know each other all over again, as two grown men. He hadn’t been home for more than an hour after their outing before he got an “I’m thinking of you” text. It wasn’t cheesy or childish. It made Duke feel special. It’d been a long time since he’d been made to feel like that. He read the text.