irritation.
“Are you calling me a slut?”
“You told me yourself that up until a few months ago that you were,” Chauncey pointed out. “Are you going to use everything I said last night against me?”
After the way he’d opened himself up to Chauncey it would destroy him if the man turned on him that way. Brody had shared things with him that he’d never told another living soul.
Chauncey’s expression grew tender as he cupped Brody’s face. “Babe, I would never do that to you.”
“Why should I believe you? I know you can’t stand me.”
“If I couldn’t stand you, I wouldn’t be out here now, trying to make you feel better. Do you honestly think I’d do that unless I cared for you?”
Brody shook his head. “I don’t know what to think.”
“Then don’t think.” Chauncey leaned down and lightly brushed their lips together. “Just feel.”
Desire coursed through Brody as his damn libido betrayed him yet again. His cock played the role of traitor, too, as it grew hard and pressed against the fly of his uniform pants.
“I don’t want to get hurt,” Brody finally admitted. “I know I’m not good enough for you and that lit will only be a matter of time before you figure that out for yourself and dump me.”
“Why do you think so little of yourself?” “I don’t think, I know.” Brody gave a bitter laugh. “A lot of people have gone out of their way to make sure I know exactly what I am—an airheaded slut who’s only good for one thing.”
Chauncey stepped back as if he’d been slapped and Brody didn’t blame him. He knew they were both recalling when Chauncey himself had tossed some of those very words in Brody’s direction.
“I didn’t mean it. Not really. They were just words spoken in anger.”
Brody forced himself to give a crooked grin. “No hard feelings. You were just speaking the truth.”
“I never wanted to make you—”
A sound came from the rear of the rig, making Chauncey cut his sentence short. They both jumped apart guiltily right before Kiefer came around. He stopped and gave them a confused look. Something he’d been doing way too much for Brody’s comfort.
“I thought you said you were going to clean the rig,” Kiefer said, his gaze going from Brody to Chauncey and then back to Brody again.
Brody straightened, his heart hammering from fear of Kiefer discovering them. “Yeah, I was just getting to that. Sorry.”
Kiefer let out an aggravated sigh. “You didn’t get it done because you were too busy arguing with Chauncey. I really wish you two would knock that crap off. Do you have any idea how annoying it is to have to listen to you go on like two kids fighting over a shovel in the sandbox?”
Brody brushed by Chauncey then went to the rear doors of the rig and pulled them open. He climbed inside and began to gather up the trash, and used equipment. As he worked, he could hear Chauncey and Kiefer arguing.
“You need to cut him a break,” Kiefer said. “What makes you think I was giving him a hard time?” Chauncey countered.
“Because you alwaysride his case. If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear you had a hard on or something for him.”
Brody froze, hand halfway to the garbage can as he waited for Chauncey’s reply. “I do have to admit he has a cute, bratty thing going about him.”
Bratty. Despite himself, Brody couldn’t help but smile now whenever Chauncey used that word in conjunction when speaking about him. It’d almost become a pet name between the two of them.
“Just try to be nicer to him. I have a feeling his home life isn’t that good so he can use all the friends he can get.”
Brody wanted to snap back that he didn’t need any help and he could take care of himself. That would mean, however, he’d have to reveal he’d been eavesdropping so he held his tongue. Which wasn’t an easy thing for somebody like him to do.
“What do you mean his home life isn’t good? Did he tell you
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