Chapter Two

 

 

 

Alex checked the GPS on his dashboard and followed directions until he pulled into the gravel parking lot of the job site. A white mobile home sat near the lot, with a large sign indicating that he’d arrived at the offices of Harbor-White Construction. Two other vehicles were in the lot—a streamlined silver Lincoln sedan and a much larger Chevy Silverado truck of the same color, with a double cab. Both had Texas license plates.

Alex had to smile. He could pretty much guess who drove the truck and who the Lincoln belonged to, though, from what he’d seen of Cinda so far, he wouldn’t put it past her to be ballsy enough to drive a truck. Parking next to the shiny silver fleet, he then exited his stark, black Audi and headed for the office.

Climbing the stairs to the entryway, he knocked once then opened the door and stepped inside.

“Alex, hello!” Cinda stood from behind a desk and came to greet him. Every bit as fetching in blue jeans as she had been in a sexy dress, she greeted him with a warm smile and a kiss on the cheek. “We’re thrilled that you’re moving so quickly. It really means a lot that you understand our situation here.”

“Of course I do. You have to realize that preparing the paperwork was the easy part. Tomorrow I’ll go to court to see when we can get the case on the docket. I’m hopeful it’ll be this week, but you never know.”

She squeezed his forearm. “I understand. We appreciate everything you’re doing, is all.”

“I need a couple signatures from each of you and these documents will be ready to file.” He opened the folder in his hand and pulled out two sheets of paper.

Cinda returned to her desk and cleared a spot on the corner. She picked up a pen. “Kyle will be right in. He’s walking the site with one of our foremen. I texted him that you were on your way.”

“Fine.” He handed the forms over and glanced around the office while she read them through.

The place was strictly business, a couple of desks, a filing cabinet and stacks of catalogs and supply notebooks. The most obvious things missing were the personal touches—photos, mementos and the like—which he had in his office. He realized the place was mobile, and they wouldn’t want to drag around any more stuff than necessary. But it was a stark space.

“This looks good.” Cinda glanced up from the paper.

He pointed to the sheet. “If you could sign here and here, please.”

As she did, the door opened and Kyle entered. He’d also changed into faded denims and his blue plaid work shirt brought out a color in his eyes that nearly made Alex swoon. He struggled to keep his jaw from sagging open as he said, “Hey.”

“Hey there,” Kyle drawled, his gaze flickering over Alex for an instant then moving to Cinda. “Those the papers?”

“Yes.” She handed them over. “I signed already.”

Alex found his voice. “Go ahead and read them over. That’s fine.”

Kyle caught his gaze. “I will.” He took them behind his desk and dropped into the chair. Fumbling for a pair of reading glasses, he then proceeded to take his time making sure everything was in order.

Cinda motioned to the chair in front of her desk. “Have a seat.”

“Thanks.” Alex sat, keeping one eye on Kyle but trying not to look like he was staring. The guy was just so damn sexy. The way he chewed on his pen while reading caused an uncomfortable fullness in Alex’s slacks.

Alex glanced around again, searching for anything that might indicate Kyle was married or, at the very least, taken. There was nothing, no photos, nothing personal at all. Lots of guys in the construction industry didn’t wear wedding rings, but Alex didn’t see a tan line to indicate there had ever been a ring on the guy’s finger.

He was stumped. His online search had yielded zip. He wasn’t surprised Kyle didn’t have a social media presence, because he really didn’t seem like the type that Tweeted. But usually Alex could dredge up something online about almost anyone. Not this man. He might have to resort to the old-fashioned way and come right out and ask. Not ask Kyle, of course, but someone who would know. Cinda. The woman who was looking at Alex like he was a medium-rare Kansas City Strip Steak. He sighed.

She must have heard him because she piped up, “Kyle, just sign the damn papers already. They’re fine.”

Her partner shot her a glance over the top of his glasses. “I’ll sign the fuckin’ papers after I’ve read them, thank you very much.” His tone was calmer than the words implied.

Alex smiled. Kyle obviously swore a lot, but he didn’t seem upset. Maybe that was how they did things in Texas. “It’s no problem,” he insisted. Truth be told, he could stare at Kyle Harbor watching paint dry and be fascinated. The man was just that good-looking.

Kyle set the forms on his desk and signed before handing them back to Alex. “There you go. Thanks for gettin’ them done so fast. Now I’m gonna have a beer. You want a beer?” He stood and went to a half-sized fridge in the front corner of the trailer.

“Uh, sure.” Alex shrugged. “I’ll have one.”

Kyle opened the fridge. “Cinda?”

“Why not?”

He returned with three cold Bud Light bottles and passed them around.

“So.” Alex twisted his bottle cap off. “You’re both from Texas?”

His bottle to his lips, Kyle asked with a twang, “What gave us away?”

Alex smiled then took a swig of beer. “That, and the license plates.” He turned to Cinda. “You don’t seem to have one. An accent, I mean. I saw the plate.”

“What accent?” Kyle took another long pull from his bottle.

Cinda waved him off. “Ignore him. He’s a Texan born and raised. I moved there with my husband, but I’m actually from Chicago. My family still lives here, which is one reason I was interested in a project in the city. Mama’s getting on, and I thought it was time to be closer to her.”

Alex nodded, absorbing all the information. “Your husband?”

“Sydney. He was the original ‘White’ in Harbor-White Construction. Syd was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer three and a half years ago and he died six months later.” A sad expression crossed her face.

“I’m sorry.” Alex felt bad for her. It was obviously still painful talking about him.

“I am, too. He was a great guy. You would have liked him. Everybody liked Syd.”

Kyle tossed back the last of his beer then pointed at Alex using the same hand that held his bottle. “He was a good man. The best damn friend a fella could ask for.”

Alex saw the same pain in Kyle’s eyes. “Again, I’m sorry for your loss. Both of you.” His beer was only half gone but the atmosphere in the room had changed and he just wanted to get the hell out. Setting his bottle on the desk, he rose. “I really should go. Thanks for the beer.”

Cinda stood. “Don’t rush off! I didn’t mean to get so gloomy. It’s been three years, after all. Usually Kyle and I can talk about Syd and smile. But there are times, like now, when everything seems to be going wrong. It’s easy to fall back into old habits and feel sorry for myself.”

Kyle chucked his empty into a nearby trash can. He waved a hand and gave a small smile. “Guilty as charged. Sorry.”

Alex hadn’t thought the guy could look any sexier, but the expression on his face at that moment was breathtaking. He needed a moment to collect himself before speaking so he took a breath and blew it out. “Neither of you has anything to say ‘sorry’ for. There’s not a time limit on grief, and three years isn’t all that long in the scheme of things. You can think you’re going along fine and then something happens that takes you right back to that sad place. It sucks, but, as far as I can tell, that’s the way it works.”

Cinda dabbed the corners of her eyes with a tissue. “You’ve lost someone.” It was more a statement than a question.

He shrugged sheepishly. “Not a spouse, or a really close friend. My grandpa died eight years ago and we were tight. There are still moments that I just wish I could call him and talk about my day. Especially when the Cubs win. Besides his family, not much made him happier than that.”

Kyle smiled. “Cubs fan, eh?”

“Oh yeah. Big time.” Alex grinned. “He hated the White Sox. Hated. Hated. And no, hate is not too strong a word.”

Kyle’s laugh was deep and hearty. “I get that. My old man was an Astros fan and he hated the Rangers. Hated. Didn’t matter that the team had been owned by a president. He had no use for ’em.”

Alex thought it was nice to see happy crinkles replace the sad ones around the handsome man’s twinkling eyes. He smiled. “Some guys are passionate about their sports. I wrestled in high school but, other than that, I was no great athlete.”

Cinda batted her eyelashes at him. “You could be an athlete. You’re in great shape.”

His face heated and he knew his cheeks were probably pink. Definitely time to go. “Thank you. And, on that awkward note, I should bounce. I’ll call you once I have an appearance date. Hopefully we’ll know tomorrow.”

“I’ll look forward to it.” Cinda smiled.

Alex hurried to the door but cast one last glance back at Kyle. The man was studying him almost quizzically. He really wished he understood what that meant, but Kyle Harbor wasn’t as forthcoming with his emotions as his partner Cinda White. Pity. “Talk to you soon.”

Kyle nodded. His reply, “All right,” came out as one word in his fine Texas drawl. Ah’ite. Alex’s heart melted.

 

Kyle watched the door close and tried to will away the hard-on that threatened to bust through his jeans. The feelings that Alex West stirred in him made him as uncomfortable as Cinda obviously made Alex.

“That boy is a hoot,” she cackled and nursed her beer.

He thought about that for a moment before slapping his thighs. “Well, you called that right. Boy. He’s a boy, Cinda. He can’t be more than thirty.”

She blinked. “You think? He’s a lawyer. He might be closer to thirty-five. In which case, there’s only five years difference between us.”

“Damn, Cinda. Did you see his face? I’m not sure he could have escaped any faster.”

“Aw, stop that. He’s a man. I’m a woman. Hell, if some good ol’ boy was going after a younger gal, y’all would be giving him a high five. What’s different about a woman dating a younger man?”

She had a point, but Kyle’d be damned if he let her know that. He grinned at her devilishly. “The foolishness you have in mind wouldn’t be considered ‘dating’ by any stretch of the imagination. Admit that.”

Cinda chuckled and finished her beer, tossing the empty into the can with his. “Shall we have one more for the road?”

Kyle stood. “Better not. The last thing either of us needs is a citation for drinking and driving. Best you just get on home, now.” He grabbed his phone and sunglasses off his desk and headed toward the door. “See you tomorrow?”

With a smile and a resigned sigh, she nodded. “See you tomorrow.”

He dug his keys from his jeans pocket as he walked out to the truck. He hated to lie, especially to Cinda, who was probably the best friend he had these days. But he had no intention of going home.

He pointed his truck in the direction of the seedier part of town, trying to ignore the loud pounding in his chest. Sometimes when he did this, his heart beat so hard it felt like it might explode. Cinda thought he had panic attacks, but Kyle knew the truth. He might have been trying to fool everybody else, but he wasn’t kidding himself. He got off on his reckless behavior. The thrill of knowing that what he was doing was bad, and even a little dangerous.

His cock throbbed within the confines of his jeans.

On Baker Avenue, just past the old abandoned shopping mall, where more of the businesses were boarded up than not, he slowed his truck to a crawl.

Who will it be tonight?

A group of girls gathered on the corner under one of the few working streetlights. He drove on past. He wasn’t into girls.

A boy with scruffy blond hair made eye contact with him, but Kyle kept going. He wasn’t into boys, either. He wanted a man. Craved the touch of a man.

It was shameful and sinful and just plain wrong, but Kyle couldn’t change who he was even though his father had damn sure tried. He’d tried, too, and had stayed married for nearly twenty years. He wouldn’t give up his beautiful daughter for anything, but he regretted lying to his wife all that time. Kelly was a fine woman and she deserved better. He never could tell her the truth, and when he’d left, the only thing she knew was what he’d told her. It’s not you, it’s me. That had seemed like enough for both of them at the time.

Two dark-haired men were talking on the next corner and Kyle slowed to a near stop. They looked at him as he checked them out. One of them had short, cropped brown hair and full lips. Close enough. He made eye contact and, with a slight jerk of his head, the man approached his truck.

Kyle pushed the button to lower the passenger window.

“Hey, baby.” The man smiled at him. His voice was high-pitched and feminine.

Kyle didn’t smile back. “Don’t talk. Just get in.”

The hustler rolled his eyes at his friend but climbed into the truck.

Kyle drove around the corner and pulled into the alley he knew to be half a block away. He turned off the engine and removed a twenty from his pocket. He held it up.

The man made a point of not speaking as he snatched the bill and stashed it away. He reached for Kyle’s zipper. They both knew what twenty bucks would buy.

Kyle had thought that was what he needed to take the edge off. But as his zipper was lowered he realized he no longer had an erection, and it didn’t seem like it’d be returning any time soon. He touched the man’s shoulders. “You know what? Never mind.”

The guy didn’t seem put off. “Problems? Maybe I can help. You already paid.”

“No, I don’t have problems. Well, maybe I do. Maybe you’re my problem. You want to get out?”

“You already paid.”

Kyle pushed him a little harder. “I said get out. I don’t want the money back.”

“Whatever. Freak show.” The man climbed out and slammed the truck door.

“Yeah, you got that right.” Kyle started the engine and sped off, getting out of the neighborhood as fast as he could. When he was safely away, he drove aimlessly for a while before heading home. He’d never felt as disgusted with himself has he did tonight. And the only things that made him feel better were thoughts of Alex West. He’d go home and jerk off to fantasies of the hot lawyer. Because that was the only option he had.

 

* * * *

 

Alex looked up from his computer at the knock on his office door. “Oh, hey, Pippa. How’d it go?”

His pretty paralegal with a head full of curly ringlets entered and placed some files on his desk. “Good. I filed the motion for the Davis lawsuit and scheduled the hearing for Harbor-White. The court clerk tried to give me next week but I sweet-talked her a little and managed to get them a spot on Friday morning.”

Leaning back in his chair, he rubbed his chin. “Friday, eh? Not bad. They might not like it.”

Pippa shook her head. “You won’t get anything sooner. Judge Needham is at a conference for two days, so Friday is the earliest for her. We could have gotten Judge Beckett but I didn’t think you’d want him.”

“You got that right.” Marsha Needham was a well-known advocate for LGBT rights and didn’t have a problem with tattooed lawyers, even though Alex kept his covered most of the time. Ralph Beckett was a homophobic asshole and Alex cringed when he had to appear before the man. “Friday isn’t bad. Thanks for taking care of this, Pip.” He shifted through the paperwork. “Any problems with the Davis motion?”

“No. We should be good to go on that one.”

“Perfect. Appreciate your help.”

“You bet. So I heard you got a new tat. What is it, and can I see it?”

He grinned. “It’s the Chinese symbol for justice, and it’s on my ankle.” He rolled his chair back so he could lift his trouser leg and push down his sock.

Pippa peered around his desk. “Cool. That had to hurt.”

“Hurt like hell!”

“It looks kind of flaky.”

“They all do that. They scab up, then when the scabs fall off it’s perfectly smooth underneath.”

“Gross.” Pippa made a face. “Does that hurt?”

“Not really.”

Denise stuck her head in the room. “Does what hurt?”

“His new tattoo,” her daughter replied.

The secretary shook her head. “Don’t you go filling her head with ideas. Tattoos do hurt, and they’re permanent.”

“Mo-ther.” Pippa rolled her eyes. “I didn’t say I was going to get one, I was just asking about his.”

Alex smiled. “How’d you hear about it, anyway?”

“Roxie had a checkup yesterday and Dr. Trav mentioned it. He sounded a little envious, actually.”

He chuckled at that. His friend was a respected pediatrician and an equal tattoo fanatic. “No matter how many you have, they’re still addictive.”

Denise clucked her tongue. “That doctor is probably running out of skin. You too.”

“There’s always my face.” Alex grinned and waggled his eyebrows.

Her eyes flashed.

Before she could light into him, he raised his hands. “Kidding. I like being able to cover them up. No one knows they’re there unless I choose to tell them. It’s my special secret.”

Denise snorted. “Yeah. Well, you have a few of those, don’t you?”

“Mother!” Pippa appeared horrified.

Alex laughed. “It’s all right. As mean as she is, I know she loves me.”

“He has yet to see ‘mean’.” Denise glanced at her daughter. “I could show him what ‘mean’ really looks like.”

“Yes, you could. Come on, Mom. Walk me out. See you later, Alex.” She led her mother out by the shoulders then turned around and whispered, “Love the new tat!”

He shot her a wink. “Give that kid of yours a hug for me. See you.” He picked up his phone and dialed Cinda’s number. When her voicemail answered, he left a message. “Hey, Cinda, it’s Alex. We have a court appearance Friday morning at nine. I’m pleased with the judge we landed, so I hope you are, too. Call me if you have any questions. Otherwise, I’ll plan to touch base with you on Thursday.” He ended the call and thought about her partner. He could call Kyle, but the prospect intimidated him more than the thought of appearing before Judge Beckett. No, he’d let Cinda pass the message on to Kyle. Even though he’d like to hear that sexy voice again. Ah’ite. Alex sighed.

His cell rang and he grabbed it, for some stupid reason thinking it might be Kyle. The screen showed a photo of Travis. He pushed the accept call button. “Hey, Dr. Trav. Is it some kind of HIPPA violation for you to be telling everyone I got a new tattoo?”

His friend laughed. “No, it’s not. You aren’t my patient. In fact, I don’t have one patient with a tattoo. Except those little rub-on ones. Levi loves those.”

“Well, I would hope not, seeing as you only treat minors. So, did you call to ask about my tat? Because Pippa says it’s flaky and gross.”

“Ah, I know the feeling. Never fear, this too shall pass. No, I actually called to invite you to Levi’s first football game on Saturday. He’s playing in a Pop Warner league. Game’s at three at the field over on Clemson Avenue. We thought we’d grill some steaks at home afterward.”

“Sounds fun. I’ll be there.”

“You’re welcome to bring a friend.”

“A friend like Denise? She just loves football.”

“No, not a friend like Denise. Although she and Roger are welcome at any of Levi’s games. I meant someone a little more interesting.”

“I’ll tell her…that you don’t think she’s interesting.”

“You’re an ass, West.”

“Possibly why I don’t have a friend to bring along. Thanks for the invite. See you Saturday.”

“See you, buddy.” Travis hung up.

Alex set his phone down and smiled. Travis and Sam were insanely happy with their marriage and two kids, and wanted everyone else to be just as content. He got that.

He wouldn’t mind another shot at love. He already had someone in his sights. The only problem was—ah hell, there were two problems. He didn’t know if Kyle was interested, and Kyle barely knew he was alive. Two relatively minor issues. Should be easy to resolve.

Alex rubbed his temples and sighed.

 

* * * *

 

Alex had a couple of suits that cost more than his monthly mortgage, and he chose to wear one of them Friday morning. Subconsciously, he knew he’d selected the navy Dior pinstripe virgin wool suit to impress Kyle, but he tried not to dwell on it. He wanted to look good in court. That was his story and he was sticking to it.

Kyle and Cinda were pacing nervously in the hall outside the courtroom when he arrived. Cinda always appeared well put together, but Kyle had obviously dressed to impress, too. His navy suit was stylish and made him hot as hell. Alex cleared his throat and shifted the waistband of his trousers, which suddenly felt tight. When the case was over, finding out about Kyle Harbor would be his number one priority. Is he available, and is he interested? The two questions kept circling in Alex’s mind. He needed answers once and for all.

He approached them. “Good morning. Everybody ready for this?”

“Mornin’.” Kyle tugged at his necktie nervously. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

Alex resisted the urge to straighten the tie, but Cinda didn’t hesitate.

She fixed Kyle’s tie then patted his chest. “You’ll do fine.”

Alex bit his tongue. He wanted to be the one to console Kyle, to touch him casually and not so casually. He felt a bit of resentment toward Cinda. It was completely irrational, but it was there. He turned to Kyle. “I’d be very surprised if either of you were asked to speak. This should be very straightforward and simple. All you have to do is sit there and look pleasant and cooperative.” And hot as hell.

Cinda patted Kyle’s chest again. “You should be able to fake that for an hour or so, sweetie.”

He smiled at her and muttered a jovial, “Fuck you,” under his breath. Rolling his eyes at Alex, he said, “Let’s do this.”

“Let’s do this,” Alex agreed. He ushered them both into the courtroom and they took seats in the gallery until their case was called.

The clerk rose and announced, “The Historical Society of Downtown Chicago versus Harbor-White Construction. Plaintiffs and defendants, please step forward.”

“Here we go.” Alex moved forward. “Alexander West for the defense, Your Honor.”

The plaintiffs and their lawyer approached the table opposite theirs. “Benjamin Cross for the plaintiffs, Your Honor.”

Judge Needham shuffled some papers in front of her then glanced at each of the lawyers. “Gentlemen, let’s cut to the chase on this one and leave the theatrics at the door. I realize when the Historical Society is involved things tend to get a bit dramatic and tensions run high. I’d like to wrap this up today and not let it drag out, if possible.”

Alex opened his briefcase and pulled out his files. “The defense wholeheartedly agrees, Your Honor. We’re prepared to prove that Harbor-White Construction did everything that was required of them and then some, in the proper timeframe.”

Ben Cross replied, “And we’re prepared to refute that, Your Honor.”

She nodded. “Then let’s begin.”

Alex presented his case and offered so much evidence that the plaintiffs were left with little but their verbal protests. The judge usually called a recess to deliberate but she didn’t bother this time. She wrapped the whole matter up in under an hour.

“I find that the defense provided sufficient evidence that Harbor-White Construction fulfilled the necessary requirements in obtaining building permits for the development in question. The plaintiff’s case is dismissed with prejudice, and this court is adjourned.” She banged her gavel.

Cinda grabbed Alex’s arm. “What does that mean, exactly?”

He smiled. “It means you win, and the Historical Society can’t try to block you again. You’re good to go.”

“Yes!” She squealed and hugged his neck, then turned to hug Kyle.

Alex caught the eye of the judge and mouthed, “Thank you.”

She gave a backward jerk of her head, inviting him to approach.

He did, stepping in front of her bench.

Judge Needham spoke in a hushed whisper. “What’s this I hear about you getting the Chinese symbol for justice tattooed on your ankle?”

Alex grinned. “Seriously? I kept better secrets in high school.”

“Yeah, well, I know everything. Just ask my husband. I want to see it and decide if I might want one.”

“Begging your pardon, Your Honor. But my paralegal tells me it looks flaky and gross, so I’d rather wait until it’s healed to show it off. And I’m not that comfortable pulling my sock off in the middle of your courtroom.”

The dark-skinned woman chuckled. “Understood. I can wait. I’ve got my next one picked out already, anyway. It’s a tribal hearts and flowers kind of thing.”

“I love the tribal ones. They’re very dramatic. I’ve got a few.”

“I’ll bet you do. Okay, Counselor, we’ll talk again soon.”

“You bet, Your Honor. Thank you.” With one last smile, he returned to the table, where Kyle and Cinda were looking nervous again.

“Is everything okay?” she asked quickly.

He shook his head. “I mean, yeah. That wasn’t about the case. You won, it’s over.”

She exhaled and laughed. “Thanks so much.”

Kyle reached for his hand and shook it enthusiastically. “Way to go, buddy. We could not be more thankful. I’m gonna call the foremen and see if we can’t get some people back to work today.”

A tingle ran up Alex’s arm but he couldn’t bear to pull his hand away. He stammered for a moment then finally said, “Good. I’m glad this all worked out so easily.”

Kyle tugged his hand and drew Alex closer. “I think you just made it look easy. But thank you. I’m very grateful.”

Alex’s heart thudded loudly. He was anxious to find out exactly how grateful Kyle Harbor was. “I, uh…” Words failed him.

Cinda stepped between them and the men dropped hands. She squeezed Alex’s forearm. “We really are. We’d like to take you to dinner tonight to celebrate and say thanks.”

“That’s kind of you, but unnecessary. You’ve thanked me. And you’ll get my bill.” He grinned.

She laughed. “Which we’ll pay promptly. But we insist. Unless you’re busy tonight, then we’ll find another evening.”

He could see she wasn’t going to give up easily. And when he glanced at Kyle and caught the man’s eye, he liked something he saw there. “I’m not busy.”

“It’s decided, y’all.” Cinda patted each of their shoulders. “We discovered a little place called The Roadhouse and the food there has been wonderful. Would that work for you?”

Alex nodded. “I’ve been there. It’s a good choice.”

“Tonight, then. Say, seven? We’ll meet you there.” Cinda’s eyes twinkled.

Alex nodded and searched for another reassuring glance from Kyle, but he’d already headed out and was talking on his phone. It was just him and Cinda, and she was still making moony eyes at him.

He groaned inwardly. He’d finally gotten his date with Kyle, but first he had to fight his way through Cinda. It might be a long night.