“It was everything I’d imagined…and more. Darius knows just how to…” Marc shook his head. “No point thinking about that. He made it very clear that it was a mistake. He doesn’t fuck people who work for him.”
Riley nodded. “Obviously not.”
“Well, he said he couldn’t help himself.”
“I’m sure he couldn’t, and now you want more.”
“Yes and no. Anyone would want to fuck him again. He’s so fucking good.” Marc got a wistful look. “It might’ve been the best sex of my life.”
Riley didn’t think it was prudent to point out that no way in hell was he better than Thorne. “But…”
“I want more than sex. Sex with my boss? No problem. I’ve done that before.”
It had been a problem, but Riley didn’t remind him.
“Sex with my boss when I like him a lot…not good. Disaster. Not each other’s type at all, and he’s an ass, a fucking ass!” Marc yelled the last part.
Riley stifled a laugh. “So’s Thorne. You’ll need something better than that to convince me.”
“Maybe you’re better equipped to handle that. I don’t know if…”
“You’re scared.”
“Scared of fucking my life up. Right now I have a job. I’m learning a lot. I’ve got…direction. If I push him, I could lose it.”
“Or you could—”
He shook his head. “Darius rarely fucks anybody more than once. What was it he said…? Oh yeah. ‘Don’t think you’re special or something; I don’t give many men seconds. Too fucking messy.’” Marc did a perfect imitation of Darius’s accent.
“Did he really say that to you?”
Marc nodded.
“Wow.” Darius was a piece of work.
“So I’m gonna learn what I can about taa-talio-tailoring. I’ll work there a few more months, and then…and then not.”
Riley shook his head. Marc was such a mess. “But once you’re not working there…”
“No! I’m not getting involved with another man who doesn’t want me. I’ve done that. Tried to turn the wild ones, the ones who say it’s only sex. I’ve pre-pre…tended they don’t mean it. Look what that’s done for me.”
Riley laid a hand on Marc’s arm. “It’s true you’ve dealt with an uncommon number of assholes. But Thorne said it was just sex between him and me. And look at us.”
“He never meant it.”
Riley considered that. “He wanted to mean it.”
“That’s the differ…not the same.”
“Are you sure?” He’d seen the way Darius looked at Marc.
Marc rubbed his forehead. “I’m already getting a headache, and it’s not even morning.”
This wasn’t the time to push him any more. “You think you can walk to the guest room if I help?”
“Of course I can.”
They made it. Barely. Marc fell heavily onto the bed.
“Don’t you want to take your clothes off?” Riley asked.
“Clothes are good,” he muttered.
Riley smiled down at him. “You know I love you, right?”
“Of course I do, baby, and I’d invite you under these covers if you weren’t Thorne’s.”
Riley kissed the top of his head. “Good night.”
“Mmmm,” was all Marc said.
CHAPTER TEN
Kathryn called Thorne a few days later.
Thorne almost didn’t answer, but he was in a taxi on his way to a meeting, and he’d simply been playing around on his phone anyway, too distracted and antsy to be productive.
“What’s up?” he said instead of a proper greeting.
“Are you coming back tonight?” Kathryn asked.
“No, tomorrow afternoon. I’m on my way to my final meeting now.”
“Good. Riley’s missed you.”
“I’ve missed him. I tried to call him last night, but he wasn’t home.”
“I think he went out with Marc.”
That surprised Thorne. Riley had been so tired from working on the bakery lately he hadn’t wanted to have any late nights. “So Riley said Marc’s been giving him a lot of help with the wedding plans.” Great. He probably sounded jealous or suspicious or simply pathetic.
“Yes. He’s been great. He actually listens to Riley.”
Thorne bit back a word he should never call his sister. Why did he feel a strange twinge of jealousy when she mentioned Marc? Barton’s words echoed in his mind. Hope you can keep him.
Riley’s closeness with Marc had never bothered him before, but something about Marc making plans for their wedding didn’t sit right. And that was doubly ridiculous because Thorne didn’t want to do the planning and Riley deserved help.
“What about this wedding planner? What’s her name? Jessica?”
“It’s Jenna, as you should know since she’s planning your wedding.”
He bit back another inappropriate sobriquet. “Fine. I’m an idiot to forget her name. What’s she doing?”
“According to Riley, driving him crazy.”
“Then I’ll be happy to fire her.”
Kathryn sighed. “No need. She’s just really enthusiastic.”
“I’m not.”
“We’ve all noticed.”
And he’d really meant to correct that, but now he was even more unenthusiastic. “What horrors await me when I get home?”
“Do you mean what stage is the planning in now?”
“Of course that’s what I meant.”
“I believe Riley is working on choosing a caterer and a photographer so he can reserve them early enough.”
That didn’t sound too painful. A car tried to cut them off and the taxi driver swerved, distracting Thorne momentarily.