James stood frozen for a few seconds, trying to figure out what to do. This wasn’t how he’d planned for the evening to go—sandwiched between the door of a toilet cubicle and a mere acquaintance, his fly open, while his bodyguard stood just a few feet on the other side of the flimsy barrier.
He couldn’t stay in here forever. Not with the confused way Declan looked at him.
If Ethan kept calling his name, then how many more people who entered the gents would get curious about what was going on and try to investigate?
Shit. Where was that giant sinkhole when he needed it?
Declan moved James’s palm and mouthed, “What’s going on?”
“Just wait,” James replied silently, using hand gestures as well as his lips. He pulled his zipper up and indicated again. “Stay.”
Declan leaned forward and whispered in James’s ear. “You can ignore him, you know.”
James shook his head. “I can’t. Wait until I leave the gents before you come out.”
The little he knew about Ethan proved he was a determined and persistent man. He wouldn’t go away without James in tow.
James had to think about how to explain his situation quickly with as little embarrassment as possible, although his cheeks were already aflame and heat flushed through his body.
He turned, tugged the bolt securing the enclosure, opened it and stepped out.
From the corner of his eyes, he saw Ethan standing at the right end of the long row of wash basins. He didn’t look directly at the man as he strode to one of the sinks, ran the tap and washed his hands.
“What are you doing here?” James asked in a nonchalant voice, trying to project a calm exterior while his stomach did the Macarena.
“I should ask you that question.” Ethan’s voice had a crisp, stern quality, reminding James of the day he’d walked into James’s room and found him arguing with Kezie.
And just like that day, James’s temper flared. “I don’t owe you any explanations about my movements. I’m an adult capable of deciding when and where to go.”
“Lying about your plans for the evening is not an adult thing,” Ethan retorted, bulging arms crossed over his chest and feet wide apart in an intimidating pose. “Sneaking out of the hotel like a naughty teenager to go to a nightclub is not an adult thing.”
James’s face heated up again. He opened his mouth to tell Ethan to piss off when the cubicle opened and Declan stepped out.
“What’s going on?” Declan asked.
“I’m sorry, Declan.” James sighed with resignation. This was not his night.
“You can talk to me.” Declan moved towards James.
“You need to keep out of this, Declan,” Ethan said in a mocking tone.
“And who the hell are you?” Declan glared at Ethan.
“Haven’t you figured it out already?” Ethan said in a snide tone. “James is with me.”
“Ethan!” James exclaimed in a breathless voice, the fluttery feeling returning to his belly, surprised by the man’s words. Anyone around would interpret it as if they were lovers. His deflated cock pulsed to life at the implication of being together with Ethan, of Ethan touching him, fucking him.
“What? Didn't we come on this holiday together? Are we not staying in the same hotel suite? And you snuck out in the middle of the night just for a hook-up.”
His bodyguard’s taunting drew him back to earth. Blood drained from James’s head. His grip on the sink tightened.
What was Ethan doing?
“Oh.” Declan jerked back and glanced between Ethan and James. Then he frowned. “I didn’t know he was with someone. I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes.” He hurried out of the gents.
The sound of the slamming door got James into action again. “Why, the hell, did you tell him we were together?”
“It got rid of him, didn’t it?” Ethan arched his brow. He didn’t look perturbed, which angered James more.
“So that’s what you came here to do? To ruin my night?” He didn’t care for the bodyguard interfering in his affairs.
“If it means saving you from yourself, yes.” Ethan pointed at the exit. “Is that really the kind of man you want to hook up with?”
James’s mouth dropped open, and he stared at Ethan wide-eyed.
“How do you know I came for a hook-up?” James snapped, using rage to veil the knot of anxiety growing in his gut. Ethan had figured out James was gay.
“What else would you do in the toilet cubicle of a gay bar with a man? He wasn’t going to show you his rare coins collection.”
“And it doesn’t bother you that I came to a gay bar?”
“No, it doesn’t bother me that you’re here. I don’t care who you fuck as long as you’re not hurting anyone.” Ethan waved his hand around him. “But it bothers me that you lied to me. It bothers me that you deceived me. Hell, it bothers me that you’ll choose to have sex in a public toilet. And your random stranger didn’t even wash his hands before he left.”
Ethan shook his head, his nose wrinkling.
James shuddered, his skin prickling. He returned to the sink and washed his hands again, as if he was sanitising Declan’s hands. James obsessed about cleanliness, which was the reason he had balked at carrying out any kind of sexual activity in the cubicle. Scrubbing his skin helped to calm his mind.
Afterwards, he dried his hands and faced Ethan. “I came to London to get away from the stresses of my life for a few days. I’m going to go clubbing. I’m going to hook up with random men. I don’t need you to tell me what to do, or who to do, for that matter.”
James kept his chin up and strode towards the door. Before he reached it, Ethan grabbed his arm. His breath caught and his pulse rate spiked.
There was something about having Ethan restrain him, about standing still for him, which sent a sizzle down his spine to his balls. Mostly, because he knew if he asked the man to let go, he would, just like he’d done the first time in James’ room.
Ethan leaned in and James breathed in his scent, clean and masculine.
“You’re trouble. But I’ve dealt with trouble before. So don’t think that I can’t handle you, James. If you pull the stunt you pulled tonight again, I’ll be all over your business. You won’t be able to make a move without me crowding you.”
“You can’t talk to me like that. You work for me.” James glared at him.
“Think again. Your brother signed the contract, and unless he terminates it, you’re stuck with me.”
“Damn it,” James gritted out. He couldn’t fire Ethan. At least now he didn’t have to pretend in front of him. An issue remained, though.
“Are you going to tell my brother about ...?” James trailed off.
“About you being gay? No. Not unless I have no other choice. If you put yourself in danger again and something happens, I’ll have to explain to him how you came to be hurt.”
“That’s blackmail.”
“I don’t care. I’ll do what I have to do to keep you safe.” Ethan’s unflinching gaze bore into him.
“Fine,” James grumbled. “You can tag along wherever I go. But I’m not going to hide or pretend while I’m here. So, whatever you see or hear is on you.”