“Arthur?”
“My driver. The limo’s a rental but I dragged him away from whatever he had planned for the day.”
Rusty hadn’t thought about that but yeah, it would kind of suck to be at someone’s beck and call, flying across the country with zero advance notice. “Does that bother him? I guess your pilot, too.”
“It’s their job. Arthur has days off when someone else is on call. It’s not 24/7. But I don’t think Arthur’s the ranch type and if we stay in town, he can get a meal out or go to a movie or a bar. Unless Marie told him to be on bodyguard duty.”
“You don’t usually have a bodyguard.” That would make Rusty feel even weirder about the differences between him and Cross.
“Marie gets protective sometimes. I couldn’t run away from a kidnapper at the moment.”
“Kidnapper? What?”
Cross lifted a shoulder. “Part of being in a rich family. Always someone who thinks they should get a big chunk of the money the easy way.”
Rusty had known that, kind of distantly, but considering bodyguards made it sound more real. “Have you ever…besides last summer’s thing?” That hostage-taking hadn’t been about Cross’s money.
“Not me. But when Marie was in college, one of her classmates tried to drag her into his car after a party. We don’t know if he wanted money or, um, assault, whatever, but Dad had made sure she took self-defense classes. She bit his hand and kneed him in the balls. He pleaded guilty to simple assault, but it left her jumpier about that stuff.”
“I bet.”
“Plus, every now and then, Dad’s security staff turns up something worrying.” He gave Rusty an odd look. “They checked out Tyler, to see if he was any kind of likely threat.”
“You said. I was grateful.”
“Luckily, he’s mostly a pathetic loser. Although he has a restraining order against him from an ex-girlfriend two years back. My security person said she reported a lot of petty harassment, stalking, possible theft, but no direct violence.”
Rusty winced because he was the one who’d dated the pathetic loser. At least, since coming to Kansas, the texts and calls from unknown numbers had stopped. Still, he’d been stupid to let Tyler get close in the first place.
Cross must’ve noticed because he grabbed Rusty’s hand. “Bastard’s worth less than the dirt on your fingers. You’re special. I hope you know that.”
Rusty didn’t feel special, although he didn’t hate Cross saying so. However, speaking of dirt. “I’m not getting in your limo covered in hair and dust.” He pulled his hand free. “Let me go shower and pack an overnight bag and I’ll meet you at the car.”
Cross grabbed the wheels of his chair, his fingers clenching and unclenching. “Only if you want to. I didn’t call ahead so if you have other stuff to do, that’s fine.” His tone was thin and light, and unconvincing.
Rusty’s heart filled with an unfamiliar tenderness. He didn’t know why a guy like Cross would be so unsure around a guy like him, but he planned to fix that. He reached out slowly, slid his fingers behind Cross’s head, and when he seemed willing, pulled him into a long, hard kiss.
Rusty grinned when they separated. “Got nothing I want to do a tenth as much as you.”
Cross blinked as if debating how that was meant to sound, but smiled back.
“And the quicker I get changed, the quicker it’ll happen.” Rusty pushed to his feet. “Give me ten minutes.”
“Sure. Great.”
Rusty pointed. “Car. Ten minutes.” Then he sprinted to the big house, leaving the shed door open behind him.
Scott had put an on-demand heater in the house so there was always plentiful hot water. Rusty scrubbed fast, cleaning his ass and balls, but not lingering like he usually did. In his room, he pulled on his best jeans and a T-shirt that was now tighter than when he bought it. He didn’t know what to expect from tonight, but there was no harm advertising. He stuffed clean socks and shorts and a shirt in a backpack, and hesitated over the stuff inhis drawer. Lube? Condoms? That dildo he liked to play with? Cross said he liked to watch, so maybe?
In the end, he grabbed the lube and condoms and left the toy. There was prepared and then there was ridiculously overeager.
He almost ran over Nita as he charged out the front door. She caught his arm. “Hey, you heading out?”
“Yeah. I’ll be back for morning chores, I promise.” Cross’s driver would surely give him a ride, even at ass-o’clock in the morning, right? If not, he’d find a way.
“No, take the day off.” Nita tugged his arm, halting him despite their relative sizes. “Kris said a good friend’s in town. That’s a legit excuse. How long is he staying?”
“Just through tomorrow.”
