Page 17 of Fusion (Gravity #2)

Dash/Beau

Dash

The basketball left my hand only to bounce back as I dribbled from the free throw line. Lon was bent over, hands resting on his knees, closer to the net, panting like the old man I teased him about being. At forty years old, that was nothing more than a playful jab. Basketball had never been my forte, but it was Lon’s. He insisted we play, likely due to the way he consistently kicked my butt on the court. I was learning though.

Tonight’s game was as close as the score ever got. I was just one point behind him. He knew my plays by heart. What he didn’t realize was that I had been secretly practicing my three-point shots. This was my one chance to catch him off guard. Did I save it for another time or show off my new skill now?

“Are you just gonna stand there?” Lon asked in a dismissive tone, rising from his ready position.

Yeah. Now was as good a time as any. I positioned and sent the ball flying. The ball flew through the air, arcing in perfect form until it slid through the net. Yes ! I jerked my gaze to Lon for his reaction. He stayed rooted in his spot, no attempt to rebound, in utter shock.

“The whole reason to play with you is so that I win,” Lon shot out as if that was a reasonable thought to share aloud with an opponent. “When did that happen?” He waved toward the net to make his question clearer.

“All that matters is that I win,” I responded cockily and left the court, walking with a confident strut across the firm’s rooftop gymnasium.

“So you’ve been working on your game behind my back?” Lon asked. Based on the way his voice faded, Lon was still standing close to the net. “Not very sportsmanlike of you. Did Beau teach you that move?”

Oh, the shit-talking was flying. “Beau probably could have taught me to kick your ass a long time ago, but he didn’t teach me that shot,” I said, spinning around to walk backward to ensure he heard me. “That was all me.”

“Huh,” Lon countered. “Now you’ve played your hand. I’ll be better prepared next time.”

“If there is a next time. I got more from where that came from.” My lie sounded pretty damned convincing even to me.

I pushed through the doors into a room that rivaled any professional sports team’s locker room. There were private showers, which I had used many times after a workout before going home or beginning my day in the morning. I regularly used the state-of-the-art sauna, stored a week’s worth of my wardrobe in the climate controlled storage “lockers” — another perk properly executed by Penny. There were even bedrooms for when a partner’s home life got twisted, much like mine right now, and needed a place to stay.

“Funny, how you’ve just made the news that I’m about to give you much easier to say,” Lon said as he entered with a bang of the door against the wall in the irritation of his loss. I took a terry cloth towel off the stack and scrubbed it down my sweaty face then over the wet ends of my damp hair.

“Bad news?” I asked. My tone reflected the sense of disinterest that Lon had taught me to master. I finally cast a glance at Lon before heading to my locker for my shower kit, a term I’d learned from Beau. That thought shifted my focus back to my guy. He’d only been gone for eight hours. Yet, he’d managed to lodge himself into my thoughts. Images flashed through my mind’s eye. Beau nude, grinning, walking toward me. His cock was a thing of beauty, just like the man overall. In this memory, he was flaccid, his length bouncing from one thigh to another as he came at me.

Whatever I had done to cause such a reaction from Beau, I’m sure it would end with me being thoroughly fucked. Tingles rippled over my arms. He knew what I liked and gave it to me every single time. No matter what was happening with me, when we were home together, Beau healed me right up, making sure life looked bearable again. How had our perfect lives gotten so messy and complicated? Beau still mattered more to me than anything else in the world.

“I was prepared to trounce you then give you the blow. You’re competitive, you wouldn’t care what I said.” Lon popped open his locker, managing to gain my full attention.

“Is it about Beau or Chandler?” I asked.

“Chandler. Let’s start there. He’s locked out of everything with no chance of being hired full time. Why’s he here?” Lon asked, agitation entering his tone in seconds flat.

“He stepped up today,” I murmured, recalling the lowly tasks Lon had assigned to me when I first started working closely with him. “He’s also on a temporary contract. Let me figure out his angle, then I’ll send him packing.”

Lon turned to face me directly. “You have the firm paying a salary to a guy you suspect is reporting back to your old man?” His incredulous tone with regard to Chandler hadn’t changed since the first time we had this conversation.

“I’m paying his salary and leading him on a wild goose chase. My father’s getting harmful information from Chandler. Why’re we still talking about this?” I asked and slammed shut my locker door to drive home my point.

“My suggestion is to let the vendetta go, along with Chandler. You’ve won. You’re moving to senior partner soon. Whatever your family did doesn’t matter.” Lon shut his door in a normal way, then followed me into the showers.

“Did we cover the blow you were prepared to give me, or is it about Beau’s appearance today and the way he left the office?” Sadness blanketed my heart. I’d been wrong not to stand up for Beau over the last few years. The hurt and anger in Beau’s gaze the minute he recognized Chandler might leave a lasting scar across my heart. I hadn’t expected Chandler to be in the office until well after Beau had left for the airport. Whatever reprimand Lon was about to throw down was nothing compared to the way I beat myself up for allowing Beau to leave without the full explanation.

But damn, Beau should trust me by now. I’d never do anything to hurt him.

“They’re formally sanctioning you,” Lon said quietly from behind me. That was a much stronger punishment than I’d ever been given before. I will be on probation for the next year. My senior partnership goals were now in question until I served my time. “This time, you’ll be given a discipline mark with a probation time and a substantial fine.”

“For Beau,” I admitted aloud in defeat. There had been countless discussions regarding Beau’s appearance, his demeanor, and how the firm wished to present itself. When I was promoted from associate to junior partner, my agreement dictated that my life revolve around the firm twenty-four seven. This wasn’t the first time I faced discipline over my guy, and he and I had talked about what the firm required from him. He’d agreed to try his best, but when I saw him today, looking quite lumberjack-like, I’d gone with it. His wardrobe choices were a bold statement. He’d grown into an incredibly stubborn man. He gave me no choice but to try to enjoy the hour we shared and take the hits when they came. I had sacrificed so much due to him.

Before entering my shower stall, I stopped, my finger and thumb went to my temple, rotating against the stress building there. I had given Beau a pretty good life and he resented me the entire time.

“Have I mentioned to you that I was married to my high school sweetheart?” Lon asked but didn’t pause for a response. “She was the love of my life. We managed to make it through college together and law school. But once I started working here, everything changed. She was alone most of the time, while I poured myself into my job, day and night. She left and I never looked back. I’ve never been certain which path would have been better. Professionally, I’ve found success, but what would my life have looked like with a pretty, wholesome wife, a pack of children, living the middle class dream”

“I can’t see you as a family man,” I finally said.

He came forward, his palm clamped on my shoulder. “This place molds you, makes you into a different man. I’ve never regretted my decision. This place is my life. I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished.” He squeezed before he passed by.

He’d made my predicament even more dire. Naturally, I didn’t really want to lose Beau. No matter the differences between us, Beau knew how important this job was to me. After I worked Chandler out of the company, and I became a senior partner, my time commitments would ease, no more late nights, a day off every weekend, Beau would again become my first priority. At least that was how I wanted it to be.

Beau had landed in Northern Virginia a few hours ago, and I hadn’t heard a word from him. Lon’s life scenario could be a possibility for Beau and me, but I was determined to have Beau meet me halfway. He had to fight for us too, understand that there were two of us no matter how I’d placed him first throughout our lives. We had rocky times ahead of us if he didn’t.

I needed food, not a shower, then some rest. Time would lead my decisions. Beau was my soulmate. I was his. He’d make the right choices, allowing me to do so as well. I had faith in us.

Beau

The following morning

“Beau. Beau. Beau. Beau. Beau.” My sweet, willful little sister Kailey hopped around the kitchen on both feet, chanting my name with every leap she took. Dressed in a bunny costume she wore with pride, she’d been at it for several minutes, never tiring and promising to leave a trail of candy egg treats behind for me to find. At four years old, she hadn’t quite grasped the realities of biology, insisting that in fact, she was a rabbit.

“Kailey, go bounce around in the living room. I’m making breakfast,” my mom instructed her.

In response, she burst out with a new chant while jumping out of the room. “Cereal. Cereal. Cereal. Cereal.”

I sat at the kitchen table, nursing my cup of coffee, when a pretty significant yawn escaped. I slept restlessly last night as I fought my urge to text or call Dash. Staying off my phone took serious effort until I reasoned that he hadn’t made contact with me either. Once I realized that, it became surprisingly easy to set my phone aside and drift off to sleep at about four this morning.

The only problem with that was Kailey sneaking in my room before seven and pouncing on me to wake up. At least someone wanted to spend time with me.

“She’s full of energy all the time,” my mom said, preparing a Michelin-star-worthy continental breakfast.

On the large farmhouse table she had eggs, meats, cheeses, a variety of cereals, jams, jellies, and so much more. Right now, she was slicing bagels which she placed next to small bowls of different spreads on a silver platter. This was my first visit to her new home on the Potomac River. From this vantage point, they had a beautiful view of the river in a cozy yet modern kitchen. My mom had such a knack of making a house a home. She made me feel like I belonged here. These days the only time I felt that way was with my mom.

“Hey.” Carter greeted us as he entered the room with Kailey scooped up into his arms, sitting on his hip. He went to my mom. I watched her beam happiness at him as she whispered a good morning to him before placing a light kiss on his lips.

“Good morning. Good morning. Good morning,” Kailey started, bouncing in her father’s secure hold. She placed both hands on his cheeks and turned his face toward me. “Daddy, say good morning to Beau.”

“Good morning, Beau,” Carter said with a smile. I had to give it to him, he loved his girl. The entire scene warmed my heart for my mom. She truly deserved to be cherished, and those two did love her as much as I did.

I raised my cup, grinning at my little sister who beamed at me. “She’s full of energy.”

“Would you like a fresh cup of coffee?” Carter asked, putting Kailey on her feet. “Go to the table and wait for mommy.”

She did a full run, climbing into the seat she’d arranged next to mine. Her chair had a bolted booster seat, and she climbed in closer to me. “I wanted to sit next to you. You’re my big brother. Mommy’s sitting on the bench with Daddy.”

“Need a refresher?” Carter asked again. I lifted a finger to the carafe on the table. Carter nodded. “I should have known. Your mom thinks of everything.”

It had been several years since Carter and my mom had gotten together. They’d tied the knot about eighteen months after that first date. During that time, I’d had ample opportunity to see how well they complemented each other. I wanted my mom to be happy and appreciated for everything she brought to a relationship. Carter shared stories about the lives of the rich and famous and the pretense that accompanied such a lifestyle. He appreciated the way my mom anchored him to the life he had always wanted to live.

Great for them. Woo-hoo . However, I still didn’t let him off the hook. I couldn’t shake my distaste for him.

As I grew older, the more I wanted to become a self-made man. I wanted to live and thrive on my own accomplishments. While I had allowed Dash his taste for luxury, I ensured that I still managed my own path. Since Carter was insecure about his and my relationship, he was always offering some sort of financial help. I didn’t want it, and I couldn’t make him understand why. In that same vein, I wanted to appear strong and tough so Carter always treated the females in my life with the respect they deserved.

He hadn’t lost sight of that one time. Not that I saw. But neither had my father…until he did. Though, that wasn’t entirely true either. My distrust of the men in my mom’s life naturally put us at odds with one another.

“Here you go.” My mom placed the bagels on the table and reached for Kailey’s training napkin/bib contraption from behind her chair. “You’re really not sitting by your dad this morning?”

“Nope.” After my mom snapped the napkin in place, Kailey climbed over her chair onto my lap. I had to be mindful of where her feet landed as I helped her settle down on one thigh. She scooted her bowl over closer to her side.

“Well, I’ll be lonely over here,” Carter remarked teasingly.

Kailey giggled and twisted until her face lifted to mine. “Mommy’s sitting by Daddy. He’s not lonely. He’s tricking me.”

“Got it.” I started filling my plate, sinking into the comforting atmosphere my mom created. It brought back memories of my younger days, when I’d lived with the same confidence that Kailey currently had. My father was louder than Carter, and angrier, but my old man was often absent, allowing my mom’s warmth to guide my life.

The way Dash had stayed lodged in my head was also fading. I felt like I belonged here, with or without him, that it was my home too. I appreciated Carter for that.

“I had my assistant forward you the confirmation email for the place on Duck Key,” Carter said, absently filling his plate. “The keys are in a lockbox on the property. Access information is included in the email. I believe you’ll really like this place, Beau. It’s a fisherman’s dream spot.”

“Great,” my mom responded, pouring milk into Kailey’s cereal bowl. “We’re planning to leave here by ten at the latest.”

“Beau, are your friends arriving today?” Carter asked, his eyes lifting to me. “Do I need to forward them the entry information?”

“No, Scott’s had to push back their arrival by a couple of days. He’ll get there around the same time you do,” I said, assembling a bagel sandwich out of the eggs, various meats, and cheeses. With a nod, I grabbed another bagel to make one for the road. It looked that good.

“Is Dash coming?” Carter asked.

I chomped into the first bite of the bagel and accidentally nipped my lip. “Ouch,” I muttered, tasting blood.

Kailey quickly grabbed her napkin from around her neck, dabbing at my sore lip. Her sweet, concerned gaze stared up at me.

“Let Mama kiss it. She makes it feel better,” Kailey said, offering all the help she could.

“Sweetheart,” my mom started. She received a pretty thorough update about the state of my and Dash’s relationship last night. Thankfully, she headed off any more questions from Carter. “Dash isn’t coming this time.”

“The guy needs to slow down,” Carter said, spreading jam over a biscuit. “He hasn’t taken significant time off in years. He’s so driven.”

I swallowed the bite that made it in my mouth and reached for the pitcher of ice water, pouring a good portion into a glass. When Kailey’s big green eyes still stared at me in concern, I tapped my cheek and bent for her to place a kiss there. She did happily.

“I feel better. Thank you,” I said. She nodded like she completely understood and went back to tackling her bowl of cereal. “I’m pretty sure he’s in trouble with the firm. I wore my blue jeans into the office, which is against the dress code,” I explained, turning my bagel, eyeing a good next bite. “I rented a pontoon boat and a couple of jet skis for the length of our stay. The company I rented them from will have them docked outside the place. We don’t have to do anything.”

I glanced up at the silence, taking a bite of my sandwich. Both my mom and Carter held concerned stares. I had to tick back over what I’d said and came up with nothing that should cause their worry. “What?”

“Son,” Carter said, the word sounding like fingernails running down a chalkboard. “Your refusal to abide by his office’s dress code causes him problems.”

Right. I nodded, confused. Why did it matter to him and how did he even know that? “I’m rarely at his office. Three years ago at a Christmas party, I was dressed in a suit and pretty much stayed quiet the entire night. Since then, they’ve locked me out of the company pretty solidly.”

“Wesley, he and Dash aren’t doing well,” my mom added, choosing her words carefully.

Carter flipped a confused stare at me. “Who? You and Dash?”

“Daddy, I’m done,” Kailey announced proudly, diverting the attention off me. As if materializing from thin air, Jenna appeared beside Kailey to tend to her needs. Mom and Carter had hired the early twentysomething college student as a nanny for Kailey and she’d quickly become like one of the family. Or so my mom had told me.

“Let’s get you ready for the drive,” Jenna said, gathering her from my arms.

“You’re going with us, right?” Kailey asked in the abundance of love she seemed to have for the young girl.

“Yes, I am. We need to get dressed so we can get on the road.”

“Yay,” Kailey said, clapping as she scurried away.

Since the conversation had diverted, I wanted to keep it that way and swept a hand over all the remaining food. “Are we taking this for the ride?”

My mom chuckled and shook her head. “We can do that. I believe you’ll have it eaten before we leave the state,” my mom teased.

“I’m off. I’ll see you guys this weekend,” Carter said as his cell rang. He answered while rising and giving a kiss to my mom. “Hang on,” he told the caller and stared down at my mom. “You guys be safe. Let Beau drive. He does it for a living.”

“Absolutely,” she said in the same playful tone as before. “Beau’s doing all the driving.” Carter chuckled and waggled his eyebrows at me while lifting the phone to his ear. He left us with long strides out of the room.

“Come on, babe. I’ll have this loaded up. Let’s be on the road early so we don’t hit traffic,” my mom said, sliding from the bench seat. I stayed in my spot, finishing my cup of coffee. No matter what she said, it’d take her another hour before we ever managed to load into the SUV and start driving down the road.