Steam (Homecoming Hearts #4)(65)

Which was a good thing, considering a flustered-looking Skye from the beauty spa rushed in about an hour later. She spied Ashby and made a beeline for him. “Oh, hon,” she said breathlessly. “I’m so glad I’ve found you. Have you seen the news?”

Ashby’s stomach dropped. “No?” he said cautiously. “Why?” His mind instantly thought something bad might have happened back in London.

Skye pulled her phone out of her tightly fitting uniform and brought up a screen. “I have certain words flagged, so they ping up on my newsfeed when there’s a story, you know?” Ashby did, so he nodded. “Well…uh…”

She showed Ashby a story from a Hollywood blog site, one of those celebrity gossip ones.

His heart dropped through his boots.

“Can you…” he stammered, getting to his feet. He gestured between Merlin and Darnell, who was looking at him with concern as he almost tripped getting out of the chair. “Merlin needs to, I – oh my god. I have to find Trent. I’m sorry. Darnell, can you take Merlin?”

Ashby didn’t wait for an answer. His eyes were blurred with tears as he fumbled his way out of the bar, trying to get his own phone out of his jeans. He should have known this was all too good to be true.

He had to find Trent now.





26





Trent





As much Trent hadn’t wanted to let Ashby out of his sight, after two days near constant fucking and lazing about in his cabin, they had both agreed a few hours apart would be a good thing. Ashby had gone back to his own room to freshen up and Trent had taken the time to do a much-needed work out.

Barry had threatened to check in with him later. He probably had news for him about the next Fixer contract. Trent wasn’t ready to go back to the real world just yet. But he would be willing to pop his head back in for half an hour knowing that Ashby was waiting for him to have dinner together later at the resort.

Although they had shared dinner together before, this would be their first time out in public as a real couple. They hadn’t used the word ‘boyfriends’ yet, but Trent felt they were going that way. At least he hoped so. A small, mostly empty restaurant would be the perfect place to test how it felt to be seen together.

Mostly, though, Trent just felt excited. He’d asked Ashby to wear whatever he felt comfortable in and he hoped he might experiment a little and wear something just a bit flamboyant. Trent wanted to prove he could be at ease around him, however he wanted to present himself.

It felt like by working things out with Ashby he had accomplished something huge. Could this be the start of a relationship that would actually stick? Trent’s heart ached with hope that it might. He rubbed his chest. It wasn’t so bulletproof anymore.

He knew it was a bit early for dinner, but Ashby had messaged a while ago to say he was having tea at the bar. Seeing as Barry hadn’t called when he was supposed to, nor responded to Trent’s text chasing him, Trent decided he would just go meet Ashby and could step out if he got a call.

His mind was preoccupied with the thought that if they had dinner early, that left them the rest of the evening to play. Trent wished he had his motorcycle here. He wanted to take Ashby on a long, fast ride, then make love on a blanket under the stars somewhere. A beach preferably. Trent had always been partial to a bit of public fucking. Not like Raiden and Levi who were always dashing into closets and spare rooms, the horny bastards. But to be out in the open with someone, to feel the elements and them on your skin, it was something else.

Trent couldn’t believe it when Ashby had dragged him out to fuck in the pool, wearing even less than the first time Trent had seen him there. It ticked all Trent’s boxes. He was starting to appreciate that Ashby did that a lot. He was perfect in so many ways.

Trent was already getting carried away with ideas of how they could stay in touch when they both had to go back to their homes. All he knew was, the more time he spent with Ashby, the harder it was going to be to say goodbye.

He was so caught up in his thoughts, he almost didn’t notice when he bumped shoulders with someone in the hall on the way to the restaurant. The white Stetson really should have given it away.

“Well, look who it is,” Kiefer drawled. “Lover boy, in the flesh. Guess you decided to come crashing out of that there closet after all,” he said with a snicker.

Trent took a step back and shook his head. “What do you want, Burton?” he asked. “Why are you even still here?”

Kiefer smiled, although it was more like a sneer. “Oh, I had business. It’s almost taken care of now. I really should thank you.”

Trent frowned. “For what?”

Kiefer grinned, showing off his perfect pearly whites. “Well, I thought I had a decision to make. But…” He shrugged and leaned in closer to Trent. “You took something of mine, I took something of yours.”

“Take?” Trent repeated, not understanding. “You mean Ashby?” His rage flared. “He was never yours and I didn’t take him, asshole.”

“Oh,” Kiefer scoffed. “It looks to me like you’ve been taking him quite spectacularly. In all kinds of places.” Kiefer shivered, that shark-like grin still loitering on his smug face. “You see, I don’t deal with public humiliation very well, TJ. Now you’ve flaunted that piece of ass for the whole world to see, I don’t want him anymore. But,” he added, “I still felt like getting even.”