An Unlocked Mind (Secrets #2)(49)

Vic couldn’t say silent anymore. “Have you ever considered that maybe he made something of himself, as you say, because of you?”

Rob cocked his head. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

“What if he wanted out of the house so desperately that he pushed himself? Maybe he studied harder, put himself out there. Sometimes when you’re backed into a corner, you either curl up into a ball and let life shit all over you, or you come out swinging and show that you’re not going to give up. That’s what I see in you.” Vic smiled. “Maybe you and your brother are more alike than you think.” When Rob blinked again, Vic pointed to his plate. “Here, give me that. I’ll zap it in the microwave, along with mine.” He winked. “And then it will be no talking, but eating. We can talk later.”

Vic was confident that there was more to come. He suspected they both had things to learn about Rob.

And we’ll learn them together.





Chapter Fifteen


“I SEE you found my Zen garden.”

Rob looked up from the bench where he’d been contemplating his surroundings. The pond was a series of interlocking squares, made of pale blue-colored stone, with flower beds set into them, the lush green of the foliage a striking contrast to the walls. At the top of the garden, with ferns on either side, sat a wooden structure resembling a summer house, except it contained… a roll-top bath.

Rob glanced at Vic and grinned. “A bath. Really? Tell me it’s just for show. Tell me you don’t really take baths out here.”

Vic held up his hands defensively. “Hey, don’t look at me. My friend, Wayne, kept saying a warm bath relaxes you and helps with meditation. So I tried it, and guess what? He was right.”

Rob stared at him. “You have neighbors! Do you mean they get treated to the sight of you taking a bath?”

“Only if they use binoculars,” Vic said with a grin. He pointed to the bench. “Can I join you?”

“Of course. It’s your bench, after all.” Rob returned his attention to the way the calm waters reflected the sunset, creating a peaceful atmosphere. “This is beautiful.”

“Thank you. My friend, Aaron, designed the house, but I did the landscaping. I wanted a quiet space for meditation and reflection.”

“It’s certainly that.” Rob inhaled deeply, drawing into his nostrils the scent of flowers, the smell of wood smoke, and something else that was pure Vic. Impulsively he inched a little closer, then leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. There was something he’d been meaning to say, and looking at Vic while he said it just wasn’t an option. “I meant it, you know.”

“Meant what?”

“What I said about you.” Rob took another deep breath. “You’re the only person who’s ever made me wonder what it would be like if we were together. You make me feel better about myself.”

The pause that followed made his heart beat all the faster.

“I can be your friend and do the same thing, Rob.”

Rob sighed. “I know, but….”

“But?”

He kept telling himself that he could be happy if they were just friends, but that didn’t change what he wanted, deep down. Those feelings only got stronger the more time he spent with Vic.

“When you hugged me? I’ve never felt like that before.”

Vic chuckled. “I told you I was a good hugger.”

“What you really want to say is, I told you so.”

“Well, duh.”

Vic’s quiet laughter eased the tension in him, and Rob relaxed his posture. He straightened, his fingers laced together in his lap.

“I’ve never wanted to spend time with someone. It was always about sex and then going home. But I like the way this feels, being here with you.” Rob tightened his grip, his pulse racing. “And I know I want more.”

Vic cleared his throat. “You’ve only seen a fraction of my life. While I’m sure you mean it when you say you want more, in order for us to even think about it, you’d have to understand some things about me.”

“Such as?” Rob couldn’t keep the note of caution from creeping into his voice. What things?

“I live in the lifestyle. BDSM is part of who I am, and whoever I’m with needs to know about that part of me.”

Relief flooded through him. “Okay.” Like he didn’t know about the BDSM part. When Vic didn’t respond right away, Rob turned his head to look at him.

Vic grinned. “No, pup. You don’t understand. Being with me means you’d be doing a lot of things you may not enjoy. You’d have a safeword in case things got intense, but beyond that, I’d be in charge. Now, I don’t live it 24-7. You wouldn’t be expected to give up who you are, but you would need to work on becoming the man I know you can be. And you’d need to give me free rein to lead you there.” He cocked his head. “Still think you want to be with me?”

Oh God. Rob tried to cover the surge of panic within him by resorting to humor. “Now wait. When you say free rein, you’re not talking about those guys who like to dress other guys as horses, right?”

Vic laughed, but there was an evil glint in his eyes. “Come to think of it, I’m sure I have a pony tail butt plug somewhere around here.” He rose to his feet. “But we can discuss such delightful possibilities another time. Right now I think we both need an early night, especially if we’re going on a trip tomorrow.”