Love Beyond Words (City Lights, #1)(85)

“Bad day?”

“You could say that,” David muttered.

“I’ve been there.”

David looked up. Kyle, the bartender, was at the other end, stacking beer bottles. David swung his head the other way. A young man, large of frame and dressed in casual yet elegant clothes sat a few stools down. He had ginger hair and a warm smile. David returned it with a wan smile of his own.

“No offense, but I don’t think you’ve had a day as bad as this.”

The man shrugged his broad shoulders. “Try me.”

David studied him. A come-on? Or friendly conversation? He couldn’t tell. “No, you don’t want to hear my problems.”

The man shrugged again. “Suit yourself. Although they say that talking about a thing takes the sting out.” He chuckled. “Of course, so does this.” He held up his cocktail glass and took a swig.

David cracked a smile. “Yeah, it does. Just…tough day at work.”

“I hear that. What do you do?”

“I’m an…assistant to a…I’m a personal assistant. A wealth manager. You?”

“Real estate,” the man replied dourly. “I know, right? In this economy? Why do you think I wandered into this sleazy joint?”

David laughed despite himself.

“I’m Evan Harris.”

“David Thompson.”

Evan offered his hand and engulfed David’s in a strong, warm grip. His expression was open, suggestive, interested, and David was suddenly aware of how unwashed and unkempt he was. He leaned back, smoothing his greasy hair and cursing inwardly at his continuing terrible luck. Any other night and he would have been better dressed, showered, and open to the advances of a handsome stranger.

Evan reached into his pocket and studied his cell phone. “Sorry, I’ve got to take this.” He pulled out a fat billfold and laid a twenty on the table. “Yours is on me, David Thompson. The least I could do. For your bad day and all.”

He got up and wended his to the front doors. David jumped off his stool and followed him.

“Wait! Evan, wait!”

Evan strode outside the club and around the corner to an alley. David trotted after.

“Evan…”

The ginger-haired man flinched and dropped his cell into his pocket as David caught up to him. Evan was even better looking in the club’s neon signs and the streetlights. He wasn’t as beautiful as Julian, but tall and built and wholly masculine.

“Listen, tonight is a shitty night,” David said. “Really. But maybe tomorrow we could…?”

A flash of surprise crossed Evan’s face but then he smiled, a smile with a sharp edge to it that David found wholly enticing. It had been ages since his presence had garnered anything but sour or suspicious looks.

“Tomorrow? Hmm. I don’t think I have anything going on. What about dinner at my place? If that’s too weird…” He laughed in a self-deprecating way that David found extremely charming. “God, listen to me. Is it very obvious I’ve been out of the game for a while, or just extremely obvious?”

David laughed. “You’re doing fine.”

“Am I?” The sudden hungry purr in Evan’s voice took David by surprise. “I can do better.”

David found himself backed against the cement wall, Evan’s body pressed to his, his mouth crushing his lips. Is this really happening? But it had been so long since anyone had touched him. So nice…

Just as he relaxed into the kiss, Evan’s body jerked and a deep, nauseating ache burst in David’s groin. Evan kneed him again, then delivered a punishing left hook that sent David sprawling to the trash-and-cigarette-butt-strewn ground. His head spun, and his crotch glowed with pain. He tried to scramble away on his elbows and knees and then Evan’s knee on his back pinned him to the ground.

“My name’s Marshall, *.” Hands pawed around the pockets of David’s coat. “I’m a friend of Natalie’s. I was about to call the cops but I’m glad to have this opportunity to beat your ass first for what you’ve done to her.”

“No,” David moaned. The injustice of it all…the humiliation. A white hot threat of rage burned through his blood, giving him strength.

“Where’s the gun, David?” Marshall leaned over to pat around David’s left pocket. “Ah, here we are.” He slipped his hand in the pocket and David threw his elbow back. He connected with Marshall’s eye and the bigger man cursed. David felt the pressure ease up enough that he could crawl out from under him.

He was on his knees when Marshall’s strong hand gripped his collar and yanked him backward awkwardly. David yelped as some ligament in his knee stretched and then tore with a searing burn. Marshall, kneeling behind, snaked an arm around his neck and began to squeeze while both of them tore at David’s left pocket for the gun.

Marshall was quick but David could feel where the gun lay heavy in his pocket and got to it first. He didn’t pull it out; Marshall was too strong and would easily wrest it from him. David pressed down, keeping his arm rigid while Marshall tried to pry it from his fingers. His knee screamed, his vision began to fill with starbursts. He bit down on Marshall’s wrist mercilessly and then reared back again. Cartilage crunched and gave. Marshall reeled and David slithered free.