Somebody to Hold (Tyler Jamison #2) - April Wilson Page 0,25

he’s lying to me? But I’m afraid if I push him, he’ll think I don’t trust him.

Ian picks up my empty plate. “I’ll clean up the dishes and take a quick shower. Then maybe we can relax and watch a movie or something.”

I take the plate from him. “You go take your shower. I’ll clean up here.”

After Ian disappears, I carry our dirty dishes down to the kitchen and load the dishwasher. Then I transfer the leftovers to glass containers and store them in the fridge.

A buzzing noise attracts my attention. When I turn to look for the source, I notice Ian left his phone face down on the kitchen table. And apparently, it’s on silent. The vibration stops, and a moment later it starts up again. Someone’s in an awful hurry to get in touch with him.

As I stand there staring at his phone, I contemplate checking to see who it is.

Should I look? Or would that be an invasion of his privacy?

Here I am, at my age, with my first serious relationship—hell, my first relationship of any kind—and I don’t know the rules.

I’m dying to pick up his phone. But relationships are about trust. And I do trust Ian, completely. That means I need to mind my own business.

I head upstairs to our bathroom where I find Ian in the shower. I lean against the bathroom wall and watch him through the foggy glass. “Someone’s blowing up your phone, babe. You should check it.”

“It’s probably Layla,” he says as he shampoos his hair. “We might get together tomorrow.”

I watch as he ducks beneath the spray and rinses out the shampoo. When he turns off the water, I hand him a towel.

I can’t help admiring his body as he dries himself. He’s as tall as I am but leaner, not quite as muscular. I outweigh him by at least thirty pounds. My gaze follows the trail of brown hair that runs from his navel to his groin.

Ian wraps the towel around his waist and steps out of the shower. He comes to stand in front of me, his eyes glittering with heat. Yeah, he’s noticed I’m staring.

“See something you like?” he asks me, grinning as he presses his hips into my growing erection.

“Maybe.” I reach out and brush my thumb against one of his piercings. As his nipple puckers tightly, my belly clenches, and I find it increasingly difficult to breathe. “I told Jud about us today,” I tell him before I get even more distracted.

Ian’s eyes widen. “You did?” Then he gives me a blinding smile. “Seriously? You came out at work?”

“Just to Jud.”

“How did he react?”

“He was surprised at first. I told him I’d met someone, and he asked me who. He assumed I meant a woman, but then I told him it was you, and of course he knows who you are because of your dad. I think he reacted pretty well.”

Ian links our fingers together. “I’m so proud of you. I know that wasn’t easy.”

“I wanted him to hear it from me. I also told him all about the fight at Sapphires. I didn’t want him to be caught off guard if Turner brings a complaint against me.”

Ian’s smile falls. “It’s good you told him. He should be prepared.”

He walks to the bathroom counter and retrieves his comb from a drawer. I watch him comb his hair and brush his teeth.

We end up lying in bed together, watching a movie. Ian is still uncharacteristically quiet, and it worries me.

Should I leave him alone, or keep trying to get him to talk to me?

Near the end of the movie, Ian falls asleep on me.

I run my hand up and down his back but he doesn’t stir. I guess our talk will have to wait until tomorrow.

Chapter 9

Ian Alexander

The next morning, my phone buzzes repeatedly with incoming texts from Brad.

Brad: don’t forget. your boat @ 1 or you’ll regret it

Brad: Ian?

Brad: You’d better be there

Brad: Answer me dammit

I have two choices. I can either let this sadistic monster fuck me, or I risk Tyler facing criminal charges that could put him in prison. Neither option is acceptable.

I honestly don’t know what to do. I won’t be the reason Tyler goes to prison, and yet there’s no way I can give in to Brad. He gets off on administering pain. Eric used to tell me about the ball gags and cock rings, about the whips and the spreader bars. I shudder. And this sick prick wants me to