Just a Bit Dirty (Straight Guys #10)(35)

“I’m leaving, Ian,” he managed.

Ian’s face became very still, his eyes boring into him. “What?”

“I’m quitting,” Miles repeated. “I talked to Liam, and it looks like you were right about someone abusing his mother in front of him and his memories being all mixed up. But I couldn’t change his mind. I couldn’t—I can’t do anything to help him.” He looked at Ian pleadingly. “It’s eating at me that I can’t help him. I hate it, hate feeling useless and ignorant. He needs a child psychologist, not some bloke who doesn’t know what he’s doing—”

“What he needs is to feel loved and cared for,” Ian said, a strange expression on his face as he stared at Miles. “And I know you care for him, or we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

Miles shook his head. “That isn’t the issue. I adore the kid, but it isn’t enough, Ian. Just because I care for Liam, it doesn’t make me capable of giving him what he needs. It doesn’t work like that! Now that he’s actually talking, a psychologist can help him.”

Ian still had a very strange expression on his face. “Fine. If you’re so worried, I’ll find him a professional nanny who specializes in children’s psychology. But you aren’t going anywhere.”

Miles blinked at him in confusion. “What?”

Ian’s fingers wrapped around his wrist. “You aren’t going anywhere,” he repeated, his grip tightening, his gaze dark.

Miles’s mouth was dry. “You said just this morning that this was a mistake and we shouldn’t do it again.”

“I know what I said.” Ian leaned in and bit his earlobe.

A whine left Miles’s mouth, his eyes slipping shut as Ian’s tongue grazed the sensitive shell of his ear, sending shockwaves down his spine.

God. Anyone could come across them. Miles should stop him.

He couldn’t move. “Then what do you mean?” he managed, shaking with his whole body.

Ian’s hands squeezed his hips and pulled them flush against his own, erection against erection. “Because I couldn’t fucking focus on anything today,” he gritted out, sucking on his earlobe. “All I wanted was to get home, find you naked in my bed, and screw you into the mattress.”

A whimper left Miles’s mouth.

“It’s obviously unacceptable,” Ian said, his voice tense and irritated even as he practically made love to Miles’s ear. “I need to fuck you. Fuck this out of my system.”

The words made something in Miles’s chest tighten in disappointment, but his body was completely on board. His brain, too. Ian was right: they wouldn’t be able to move on from each other until they finally slaked this insane attraction between them.

“Okay,” Miles said, forcing himself to pull back. “But not now. I need to go back to Liam. You find him a good nanny.” He licked his lips, meeting Ian’s hungry, heavy gaze. “How long will that take you?”

Ian gave a lazy shrug, not looking away from him. “I already have a few candidates, but I’ll have to interview them. So probably an hour or two.”

Miles frowned. “An hour or two? It’s evening already. No self-respecting professional would agree to move in within an hour.”

Ian’s lips curled. He just raised his eyebrows, giving him a haughty, self-assured look that had no right to be so damn attractive.

Miles rolled his eyes with a smile. “Right. How could I forget? Obviously normal rules don’t apply to you.”

Ian didn’t smile. He stared at Miles’s smiling mouth intently before suddenly yanking him close and kissing him hard.

Miles moaned, his world immediately narrowing to the feel of Ian’s hot, hungry mouth against his, Ian’s tongue deep inside him, the scrape of Ian’s stubble, his scent, god… Miles was trembling all over as he kissed back, his arms looping around Ian’s neck, fingers burying in his thick hair. Christ, he wanted him. He wanted him, wanted him, wanted him.

“What the…”

Miles couldn’t hold back a whine of protest when Ian broke the kiss. It took Miles’s hazy mind a moment to remember that he’d heard someone’s voice. Someone must have seen them. Well, that was potentially a little embarrassing, but Miles didn’t really care about some stranger seeing them. He wanted Ian’s mouth back. He searched Ian’s mouth blindly, his hand gripping his shirt.

But Ian turned away.

Disappointed, Miles forced his eyes open.

He froze, meeting the black eyes of Derek Rutledge over Ian’s shoulder.

The silence was deafening.

“Rutledge,” Ian said coolly, finally breaking it. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” He sounded absolutely calm, as if his business partner hadn’t just caught him kissing his son’s nanny.

Miles couldn’t see Ian’s face, but he could see Derek’s, and it was absolutely blank, his dark eyes flickering between Ian and Miles behind him.

Miles felt his cheeks become warm. “Hi,” he managed, his voice a little strangled.

Derek gave a clipped nod to Ian before looking at Miles. “Shawn said you weren’t answering your phone. Since I was in the area, he asked me to swing by and tell you that you are invited to dinner next Friday. Alexander and his fiancé are finally returning from Brazil, and they want to meet you. They’ll be there too.”