Page 53 of Leather and Longing (Island Tales #3)

Chapter Forty-One

Any thoughts of what he’d rehearsed in his head over and over while he’d walked home fled instantly. “What’s wrong?”

Because it was clear something was.

“Do you think you’re up to driving?”

Paul gave a half smile at the implication. In spite of whatever was worrying Adam, he was concerned for Paul’s comfort.

“Yeah, I think so, unless you’re thinking of a trip off the island. I’m not sure I could sit in the driver’s seat for that long.”

“Nowhere that far,” Adam assured him. “We’re going to Ryde.” He stood up, still wearing a frown. “I’ll tell you why on the way.”

“Let me grab my keys.” Paul hurried over to the small hall table and picked them up, Adam behind him, grabbing his cane from the hall stand. They left the house and once Adam was belted up in the passenger seat, Paul switched on the engine and drove them away from the house.

“We had a visitor while you were out,” Adam said as they turned onto the main road.

“An unwelcome one, judging by your expression when I came home.”

Adam gave a low growl. “You are not going to believe this.”

Paul listened while Adam recounted his meeting with a builder. “I… I don’t understand. It doesn’t make any sense.”

Adam barked out a bitter laugh. “Oh, trust me, it makes perfect sense.”

Paul stared at the road ahead. “Now might be a good time to tell me where we’re going,” he remarked as he negotiated the turns.

“St. John’s Road, near the railway station. Number 201. There’s no parking on the main road, because there are double yellows everywhere, but you can park in the station car park.” He snorted. “Unless it’s all changed since I was last here, which was a long time ago.”

Paul snuck a glance at him. His face was flushed, his hands clenching and unclenching on his thighs.

Adam was seriously pissed off.

Paul fell silent for the rest of the twenty minutes it took to arrive in Ryde, which seemed to suit Adam. Paul longed to reach out and hold Adam’s hand but held back: one look at Adam’s tight expression told him to leave him alone.

“We’re here.” Paul parked the car in an empty space and turned off the engine. Adam had unbuckled his seatbelt and climbed out, cane in hand, before Paul was out of the car. Paul walked at Adam’s side, his fingers resting lightly on Adam’s elbow.

When they reached the house, Paul caught sight of the car in the small driveway. “That’s your sister’s car.”

“Good.” Adam snapped out the word, his voice grim.

“I’d hoped that’d be the case. Wednesday is her day off.

” He let Paul lead the way up to the front door.

Adam lifted his cane and rapped sharply on it, the sound loud against the plastic.

A moment later it opened, and Caroline appeared, her eyes wide.

“Adam? What are you?—?”

“Mind if we come in, Caroline?” Adam said, pushing past her, his hand wrapped around Paul’s upper arm. He entered the first room on the right. “This is your living room, isn’t it? At least, it was the last time I was here.”

“Well, actually, I was—” Caroline gaped, her face flushed.

“Paul, where can I sit?” Adam asked, ignoring her.

Paul glanced at the room. Dean was sprawled out on the couch, but there were two armchairs free. Paul guided Adam to one of them and took the other, his heart hammering.

This could get ugly.

Adam sniffed the air. “Good afternoon, Dean.” His nephew stared at him, mouth open.

Caroline followed them into the room, her hands on her hips. She glared at him, as though he was to blame, before turning her attention to Adam. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”

“Because I wanted to surprise you.” Adam gave a thin smile. “Surprise!” He sat upright, his back rigid, cane held between his knees.

Paul’s stomach quivered.

Caroline recovered quickly. She cleared her throat. “As a matter of fact, I was coming to see you today.” She glanced at Paul, her eyes glacial. “About a matter of some urgency.”

“Well, it seems I’ve saved you a journey,” Adam responded, his cool smile still fixed. Paul’s scalp prickled. Adam aimed his gaze in Caroline’s direction. “What did you want to see me about?”

She cleared her throat. “I’m afraid it’s not appropriate for Paul to continue working for you.”

What the hell?

Paul straightened, a gasp escaping his lips. From the chair next to him, Adam reached across slowly and laid a hand on his thigh. The gesture reassured him.

“And why, may I ask, is that?” Adam asked, his tone icily polite. Paul recognised it instantly.

Something was coming.

Caroline arched her eyebrows. “You have to ask? The two of you are having sex.” She wrinkled her nose, her lips curling.

Paul sucked air in through his teeth, but Adam gently squeezed his thigh. “And how would you know that?” Adam asked, his tone even.

Caroline snorted, an unladylike sound Paul would never have believed possible of her. “I see you don’t deny it. As for how, Dean spied a used condom”—she grimaced—“in your bathroom when he came to fix your shower.”

“So?” Adam sat back and folded his arms across his chest, his face impassive.

How the fuck can he be so calm?

Inside, Paul was a wreck.

“So?” she echoed, her expression incredulous. “You can’t have sex with your employee!”

Adam lowered his arms slowly, his gaze locked on the direction of her voice.

“I’m sorry,” he began, speaking slowly. “I didn’t realize that was part of his contract.

” When she fell silent, Adam tilted his head to one side.

“You did stipulate in his contract that he wasn’t allowed to have sex with his employer, didn’t you? ”

Caroline spluttered. “Well, no, but?—”

“But nothing .” Adam straightened. “And I wouldn’t pursue that any further if I were you, not after what I learned today.”

“Which was what?” Caroline spat out.

“I had an interesting visit,” Adam said, his smile widening, “from Dave Kennedy.”

Paul could almost taste the silence.

“Oh, Lord,” Caroline said weakly.

“I don’t think the Lord had anything to do with your plans,” Adam retorted.

“When did you intend telling me you were going to turn my house into a guesthouse? A B&B? The first day it opened for business?” His nostrils flared.

“At least now I know why you were so keen for me to live in monitored accommodation. How did you think you’d get away with it?

Did you imagine I wouldn’t find out, on an island this size? ”

“Adam, I?—”

“Why would you do this, Caro?” Adam thundered, his face mottled. “You already have a tea shop. Isn’t that enough for you?”

“Business has been very poor the last few years,” she said, her face white. “It’s been hard to make ends meet.” She bit her lip. “I thought a B&B would do well in Steephill, seeing how the rental properties down there are always fully booked all year round.”

“Christ, Caro, if you need more money coming in, there’s an easy solution.

Get your son off his fat lazy arse and tell him to find himself a job!

” Dean growled at the back of his throat and Adam whipped his head around to glare in his direction.

“And you can shut it, after the stunt you pulled.” He turned his attention back to Caroline.

“I’m surprised at you. That could have been nasty. ”

Caroline frowned. “What are you talking about?”

Paul took in her genuine air of puzzlement. “Adam, I don’t think she has any idea what you’re talking about.”

Adam lifted his eyebrows. “Dean thought that one up all on his own?” His lips twisted into a thin smile. “Why, Dean, I didn’t think you had it in you.”

“Shut it, you,” Dean muttered.

Adam ignored him. “Your precious son left the cold-water feed shut off on the shower, so the next time I used it, things got a little… hot.”

“Dean?” Caroline gaped at him. “Is that true?”

Dean lurched to his feet, his fists clenched tightly.

“I wanted to do something to help you,” he whined.

“I thought if he called you and told you how he’d got burnt in the shower, it would’ve been another argument for him moving out like you wanted.

” He gave Adam a filthy look. “Only he didn’t call you, did he? I didn’t count on that.”

Caroline sank onto the couch, her face still pale. “I never asked you to do that. You… you might have seriously hurt him. You took a chance, too, that it would be Adam who took the next shower.”

“I thought you’d be pleased,” Dean said belligerently.

“Why on earth would I be pleased about that? He is still my brother!”

Paul felt sick to his stomach.

“Just so we’re clear,” Adam said, rising to his feet, “I have no intention of moving out of my home. Paul and I are coping just fine with things the way they are, so please feel free to stay out of our way.”

Caroline appeared to have regained her composure. She sneered at Adam. “You and Paul. I hire someone to help you out and you turn him into your whipping boy, literally.”

Adam became very still. “Excuse me?”

Paul’s stomach roiled.

“Oh, don’t deny it,” she flung back at him. “I’m well aware of your… proclivities.” When Adam stared at her, she snorted. “You think I didn’t see all those… things Dean was packing away in your apartment? What are they, if not evidence of a sick mind?”

Adam took several deep breaths, his fists clenched at his sides.

“You know nothing of my lifestyle, beyond what you read in the tabloids or on the internet,” he said quietly.

“With your background, your age, I wouldn’t expect you to understand, nor do I have any wish to explain one single thing to you.

Not that I’d expect you for one minute to listen with an open mind. ”

Before Adam could say another word, Dean rounded on him. “Why should we listen to a sexual deviant like you anyway? You’re just a sick, perverted fucker.”

Paul had had enough.

He leaped to his feet and placed himself between Adam and Dean.

He glared at Dean. “Now you listen to me, you lazy fuck. You do not get to say shit like that about the man I love, you got me? Adam is worth ten, twenty of you, and if you come anywhere near us again, I will lay you out, so help me God.” He set his jaw and pulled himself up to his full height.

“And if you think it would be just me coming after you, think again. There are people who care about us, even if you don’t, and they wouldn’t hesitate for one second to pound you into dust.” He grabbed hold of Dean by his T-shirt and twisted it, tightening it around Dean’s neck.

“Am I making myself clear?” Spittle flew from his lips and hit Dean in the face.

Dean swallowed hard. “Y-yeah, I got it.” Caroline was at his side, staring at Paul’s clenched hand.

Slowly he let go and stepped back. “Adam, we’re leaving.”

Adam moved to stand next to him. “Yes, we are.”

In silence, Paul led Adam from the house, past a startled, red-faced Caroline and a sullen Dean, and out onto the road. He strode along the pavement, Adam keeping up with him, the rage in him reduced to a simmer.

By the time they got to the car, he was calmer.

Paul opened the passenger door for Adam to get in, but he simply stood there, leaning against the car, his eyebrows visible above his glasses.

“What is it?” Paul demanded.

Adam’s face broke into a slow smile. “The man you love?”

Oh… Fuck .