Just a Bit Dirty (Straight Guys #10)(34)

Or maybe Ian lied, a voice said at the back of his mind. With his sexual inclinations, wouldn’t it be believable that he would hit a woman who cheated on him?

Miles dismissed the thought as soon as it appeared. Ian wasn’t the type to physically abuse a woman.

Yeah, and you’re not biased at all. You’ve got it so bad you’ll believe whatever he says.

Miles felt himself flush. His judgment was probably compromised; there was no denying it. But he still felt absolutely certain that Ian wasn’t capable of physical abuse. Enjoying rough, kinky sex was one thing; abusing one’s partner was completely another.

“It wasn’t your dad,” Miles said, taking Liam’s hand and looking him in the eye. “Your dad never hurt your mom.”

Liam shook his head stubbornly and turned away, back to his LEGO house.

Miles stared at the back of his dark head, feeling more useless than ever. Fuck, he was a business major, not a social worker. He knew nothing about kids’ psychology. At this point, Miles was pretty sure him being unqualified for this job was actually detrimental for Liam’s correct development and mental health. Liam needed someone who would help him get through this, a qualified professional who would know what to say, would know how to fix the issue, not someone who had no clue what he was doing.

He had to quit.

His stomach clenched at the thought, but he knew it was the right thing to do. He cared about this little boy so much, but caring wasn’t enough. Liam wasn’t a normal child. He was a child who’d been through several traumatic experiences, a child without a mother, who was irrationally scared of his own dad. The truth was, Miles had no idea how to help him. These were Liam’s formative years. He couldn’t risk hurting the boy’s development just because he didn’t want to leave—just because he’d gotten a bit too attached.

To whom? a voice said snidely at the back of his mind. The boy or his father?

Miles pushed the thought away. In the end, it didn’t matter, did it? He still couldn’t stay. He should leave for many reasons. He should leave before he could hurt Liam with his incompetence. He should leave before Liam got too attached—in a month, it would be much harder for the boy when Miles suddenly disappeared from his life.

He should leave.

By the time he heard the sound of the car pulling into the driveway, Miles was convinced it was the right course of action. He was going to tell Ian that he was quitting the moment he saw him.

Not wanting to have that conversation in front of Liam, Miles left the room and headed toward the front door.

But Ian was already walking upstairs.

Miles stood at the top of the grand stairs, watching Ian ascend unhurriedly, his piercing eyes fixated on Miles as Ian loosened his tie.

Miles’s heart thudded in his chest so fast he felt nearly dizzy. He felt hot all over, as if he was running a low-grade fever.

“Good evening,” Ian said quietly, his deep voice sending a shiver up Miles’s spine.

Miles tried to remember what he had wanted to talk to Ian about.

Right. He wanted to quit.

“I,” he said, looking at Ian with wide eyes. He moistened his lips.

Ian’s expression became somewhat pinched. He tugged at the collar of his shirt. “Stop looking at me that way, for fuck’s sake.”

“Like what?”

“Like you want to sit on my cock,” Ian said tersely, shoving his hands into the pockets of his dark slacks. That stretched the fabric, drawing Miles’s gaze to the bulge there.

A laugh left Miles’s mouth. “Arrogance should be your middle name.”

Ian’s jaw clenched. “It isn’t arrogance. It’s self-preservation. My housekeeper is just around the corner, you little menace.”

Miles took a step down, so that they were face to face. “Are you saying you’d let me do it if Winifred wasn’t there?” He had intended for it to sound like a joke, but it came out breathless, his voice hoarse and full of want.

What are you doing, you idiot? What happened to your resolve to quit?

“Stop flirting with me,” Ian said, his gaze heavy as it moved between Miles’s eyes and mouth.

Miles bit his lip for a moment. “Or what?”

Ian glared at him. “Or you’ll get what you’re asking for.”

Miles swallowed, all the blood in his body rushing south.

God, just imagining it made him so hard. He’d never even had anything inside him besides his own fingers, and it had been ages ago. He’d liked it all right even if he couldn’t really imagine letting someone stick his cock in there, but now, as he imagined Ian filling him up and moving inside him, taking him, bruising him from the inside… Fuck.

It seemed everything he was thinking was written on his face, because Ian’s expression became tighter. “Stop that.”

“I’m not doing anything.”

“You’re thinking about sex.”

“And you aren’t?”

Ian glowered at him before glancing around. The tips of his ears were red, his jaw working. “Yes,” he said, looking Miles in the eye. His gaze was scorching in its intensity, but his tone was almost conversational. “Which is why you should stop looking at me like you’re gagging for it. I’m only a man, and not a good one.”

Miles wet his lips, his heart hammering in his chest. When Ian was close, he had trouble remembering why this wasn’t a good idea. He took a deep breath, trying to find some semblance of self-control. If he didn’t, he might end up dropping to his knees and sucking Ian’s cock right there, on the grand stairs of the Caldwell family mansion.