Page 50 of Devil’s Kiss (Sunset Cove #2)

“Wow,” he said, his voice low as he tried to control the urge to tell Finn to take his opinions and shove them up his ass.

But instead, he reminded himself that he was in Finn’s house, as a guest. “It must be nice to be so sanctimonious. Huh, Danny boy? Aren’t you the one who got pissed and stayed the fuck away for close to a decade because the man you loved did what was best for you? ”

“That was totally different, and you know it.”

“Do I? Fuck you. I don’t need this shit tonight.”

Derek turned, ready to leave, only to see Brantley and Jordan standing just inside the kitchen. He had no idea how long they’d been standing there, but judging by Brantley’s pissed expression, he’d at least caught the tail end of it, whereas Jordan…he just looked…sad.

“Then maybe it would be best if you left for now,” Brantley suggested as he walked into the center of the tense room.

Derek heard Jordan gasp, but before he could say anything, Brantley had taken another step forward, and this time his eyes softened, and Derek hated that worse than the irritation he’d originally seen.

“You are always welcome in our home, Derek. But not when you’re talking shit about two of the people I love most in this world. Got it?”

Derek swallowed and tried to compose himself. “No sweat, professor. I figured this was a mistake anyway.”

He looked over his shoulder to Finn, whose jaw was clenched and his eyes downcast, and then without another word, Derek turned and headed for the door.

JORDAN COULDN’T BELIEVE what had just happened and what he’d heard. He watched Brantley walk over to where Daniel stood, offering him a hug, and then…well, then Jordan lost his shit.

“Are you both out of your fucking minds?”

Brantley looked over at him, his eyes wide, and he looked as if he was going to speak, but Jordan didn’t want to hear it.

“I can’t believe you just did that to him.”

“Jordan, he was in a foul mood and you heard what he said when we walked in. It was just going to get worse.”

“I don’t give a shit,” he snapped. “You two were hardly hearts and roses when you were working your mess out. How dare you be so judgmental now, especially when there is so much going on with him that you don’t even know. Good job, Daniel. Maybe I should be the one kicking your ass.”

“Jordan,” Brantley growled.

“Forget it,” Jordan said with a shake of his hand as he spun on his heel and made his way out of the kitchen, running toward the front door. He yanked it open and caught sight of Derek walking down the driveway toward the Jeep he’d parked out on the curb.

“Derek,” he shouted, and ran after him. By the time he caught up, Derek had the door open and was climbing inside. “Would you wait a goddamn minute?”

“Why?” Derek barked.

“Why?” Jordan repeated, and when Derek looked at him, Jordan gripped the door where the window was wound down and told him, “Maybe because we need to talk?”

“Oh, so now you want to talk? What about, Jordan? Charities? Okay,” Derek said as he pushed open the door and climbed down before slamming it behind him. He was heaving with pent-up frustration. Yet even with all of the power and fury Derek was radiating, he didn’t frighten Jordan in any way.

“Let’s talk,” Derek said. “I’ll go first. Do you remember a conversation you once had with a student of yours where you told him flat-out that he wasn’t a charity case?” Jordan opened his mouth to deny it, but Derek got in first. “Do you?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. Now, can you possibly understand how it might feel to that same student—hell, let’s cut the bullshit—how it feels to me , the man who has sat in front of you broken and beaten to a fucking pulp…

can you imagine how it felt to that man to hear that you…

” Derek paused and dragged his bottom teeth over his top lip, then shook his head.

“That the one person I believed would never do anything to shake the trust I had in him, had gone and done something so personal without asking my permission first.”

“Derek—”

“Can you?” he shouted, and Jordan shook his head. He’d never thought of it that way, never even considered that it would be seen as anything other than how he’d meant it—a gesture of love and respect.

“I’m so sorry.”

“So am I,” Derek said, as he spun away from him and reopened the door. Before he could climb back in, Jordan put his hand over the fingers Derek had on the car and tried again.

“Derek. I wasn’t thinking. I never meant to?—”

“I know,” Derek said, and then glanced over his shoulder. “I know you didn’t mean to hurt me. I know that, Jordan. But it doesn’t change the fact that you did.”

Jordan’s hand slipped away, and as it fell to his side, he nodded. “I understand.”

Just when he thought that would be it, that Derek would get in the car and drive away, he rounded back on him. He grabbed Jordan’s shirt and pulled him in to take his mouth in a bruising kiss, and the spark was instantaneous.

They caught alight as quick as gasoline and a match. Tongues tangled, hands fumbled for purchase, and all of the worry and upset Jordan had experienced the night before fueled the passion now blazing back to life between them.

When Derek finally tore his mouth free, he rested his forehead against Jordan’s and whispered, “I am so fucking hurt right now. But just so we’re clear, I’m not breaking up with you.”

The words from their argument a week earlier registered, and Jordan was amazed at how comforting they were even as his heart splintered in two.

“I’ll call you,” Derek said, and climbed into the car.

Jordan stepped up onto the curb, and as he watched Derek drive away, the only question that remained was…when?