Desire & Denial (Southern Boys Book 3) Read online

  Flirting was all kinds of fun.

  What happens if I take this further? There was only one way to find out.

  “You work here full time?”

  Chaz shook his head. “I get days off. ’Specially now.” He smiled. “An’ if we close for the winter, I’ll get a lot more days off.”

  His heart racing, Kendis took the plunge. “I don’t suppose you… wanna go for a coffee one of those days?” The way he figured it, coffee was a good start.

  Chaz’s smiled widened. “Sure. I can do that. How about tomorrow?”

  Kendis blinked. “Really?” He doesn’t waste time, does he? He reined in his lust. Whoa there, Usain Bolt. It’s just coffee, that’s all. You could have him figured all wrong.

  Lord, he hoped not.

  “Unless you’re busy.”

  Kendis snorted. “Yeah, my schedule’s lookin’ pretty full these days.” When Chaz gave him a puzzled glance, he smiled. “Coffee tomorrow sounds great.” He got out his phone. “Here. Put your number in. You can text me where and what time.”

  As he passed Chaz the phone, their pinkies touched, and electricity crackled between them. They both jerked their heads up to stare at each other, their hands still touching.

  This is crazy. Kendis fucking loved it.

  Chaz took the phone and began typing, his thumbs flying over the keys. “So, wanna tell me why you dropped by? Unless it was to ask me out for coffee?” He glanced up, his eyes sparkling.

  Kendis chuckled. “I came to see Del, as a matter of fact.”

  Chaz pouted. “Damn.” They both laughed. “Sorry. I don’t have a clue when he’ll be back.” He grinned. “I don’t think he’s got work on his mind right now.”

  “More like, it’s on his boyfriend?” Kendis said boldly.

  Chaz gaped. “How did you know about—?” He stilled. “You’re okay with that, right? I mean, I sorta got the impression you’re—”

  Kendis held up his hand. “We’re good. And yeah, you go with that impression, okay?” He’d said way more than he’d intended, and maybe this was the point to shut up and drink his coffee.

  “Christ, it smells like wet dog in here.” Del’s brother Jon came into the office, his nose wrinkling. He came to a halt when he saw Kendis. “Hey. I remember you. It’s Kendis, right? Weren’t you here Saturday?”

  Kendis nodded. “I came to speak with Del but he’s not around.”

  “He’s in town, drumming up support for this Community Business Owners group he’s setting up. Is there anything I can help you with?”

  Kendis knew the brothers ran the bike shop together, and Jon seemed like an okay guy, but he felt more comfortable talking to Del. “I don’t think so. I’ll try again some other time.” And now he was feeling in the way. He got to his feet. “I should really get going.”

  “You just got here,” Chaz protested. “And your clothes haven’t even begun to dry out yet. Stay a while longer?”

  Before Kendis could respond, Jon got in there. “Plus, you really wanna wait a while. It’s raining cats ‘n’ dogs out there.” He gave Kendis a warm smile. “Stay. Unless you gotta be somewhere?”

  “Not really.” Then Kendis caught the faint aroma of something that smelled delicious, and his stomach growled.

  Jon cackled. “That does it. You’re staying. I just bought some fresh cinnamon rolls from this great bakery in town. You’re welcome to share.” His eyes sparkled. “You just need to get in quick before Mr. Tape Worm here nabs them all.”

  “Hey!” Chaz’s eyes flashed indignantly.

  Jon chuckled. “Hey nothin’. Be thankful. I only have to look at a donut to put on three pounds.” Kendis didn’t know why Jon was complaining. As far as Kendis was concerned, Jon looked just right. He was a big guy like his brother, but maybe a little softer around the edges. What Kendis liked best were his eyes. They were green, something Kendis didn’t see a lot of. Mind you, he had some pretty nice lips too.

  Whoa there. First it was Chaz, now it’s Jon. It seemed to be Kendis’s day for thinking with his little head.

  Jon held out the fragrant box and opened the lid. “Here, have some.”

  Lord, they smelled divine.

  “Well, just one,” Kendis said as he reached into the box. He laughed when Jon brought the lid down on his hand.

  “Gotcha!” Jon cackled.

  Chaz shook his head. “You’ve been watching Pretty Woman, haven’t you?” He took the box from Jon and held it open for Kendis. “Try again. You might have more luck this time.”

  It was a cozy way to spend an hour, the three of them seated around the heater, drinking coffee and eating rolls. Jon turned out to be more than okay. He had a great laugh that made you want to join in, and Kendis liked the way he and Chaz joked with each other.

  Be honest. You like the way he looks too. Kendis pushed the thought aside. Jon had to be twenty years older than him. It felt wicked to be lusting after a guy Jon’s age.

  A delicious kind of wicked.

  Kendis glanced at the windows. “The rain has stopped.”

  Jon huffed. “Not for long. Give it five minutes and there’ll be another deluge. Fuckin’ rain.” Sure enough, seconds later, the quiet was shattered by the sound of rain pelting hard against the front windows. Jon scowled. “See what I mean?”

  Kendis got to his feet again. “Look, I’m gonna get wet no matter when I leave here.”

  Jon coughed. “You might wanna think about putting some clothes on first.”

  “Does he have to?” Chaz grinned. “I kinda like him like that.”

  Yeah. Kendis didn’t have Chaz figured out wrong at all.

  Jon blinked. “I see.” He rubbed his hand over his beard.

  Kendis patted his clothes on the back of the chair. “At least they’re dryer than when I arrived.” He put on his hoodie and jacket. “Thanks for the chat,” he said to Chaz. “Don’t forget—”

  “Coffee tomorrow. I won’t,” Chaz assured him. “I’ll text ya later.”

  Jon stood, reaching for his jacket. “I’ll run you wherever you need to be.”

  “You don’t need to do that,” Kendis protested.

  Jon gave him a frank stare. “You got no transport. I know that ’cause the lot outside is empty. That means you came here on foot. Right?”

  He nodded.

  “Where are you goin’?”

  “Home.” To spend the rest of the day filling out application forms and working on his resume. Anything to get him closer to finding a job.

  “Fine. I’ll take you there.” Jon speared him with a look. “An’ I won’t take no for an answer. Ask Chaz. I can be real stubborn when I put my mind to it.”

  Chaz snorted. “In the dictionary under stubborn, it says See Jon Walters.”

  Kendis laughed. “My momma would tell you my name would be right under Jon’s.” He gave up. “Okay. Take me home. An’ thank you.”

  Jon grabbed his keys and went to the door. “Come on then.” He led the way out of the shop, running across the lot to a beat-up truck that had seen better days. He opened the passenger door, then cleared away empty snack bags to make a space. Kendis climbed in, and buckled up while Jon went around to the driver’s side. Jon got the wipers working once he’d switched the engine on. He peered through the windshield.

  “Forecast says less rain tomorrow.”

  Kendis really hoped so. If not, he was gonna get soaked again.

  Jon pulled out of the lot, once Kendis had given him an address. The wipers were going full pelt as they drove along West Central Avenue. Silence fell, but it felt comfortable. As they turned right onto South Tennessee Avenue, Jon cleared his throat.

  “So…. You two are meetin’ up tomorrow for coffee?”

  “Yeah.”

  “That’s good.”

  When nothing else was forthcoming, Kendis glanced across at him. “Chaz seems like a nice guy.”

  Jon sighed. “He is. He’s been through shit recently though, so anything that puts a smile on hi
s face is okay by me.” He gave Kendis the briefest of glances. “I’m glad you stopped by. You’re good for him. Haven’t heard him laugh that much since he started with us. An’ don’t repeat what I said, okay? I don’t want him hearin’ I was talking about him behind his back.”

  “All you’ve told me was, he’s been through shit recently,” Kendis said quietly. “An’ I think it’s good that you’re lookin’ out for him. You obviously care about him.”

  “He’s my roommate. Of course I’m gonna look out for him.”

  Kendis had to say something. “You’re good for him too, y’know?” When Jon gave him a quizzical look, he smiled. “You’re the one who made him laugh just now.”

  Jon shrugged. “I s’ppose.” He pulled up outside Kendis’s house and shoved the truck into Park. Jon didn’t look at him, but stared through the windshield. “I know I don’t know diddly-squat about you, but you seem like a nice guy too.”

  “You’re not so bad yourself,” Kendis said teasingly. Jon laughed, and it was enough to give him courage. “Okay. I don’t know what shit Chaz went through, but I do know I am not about to give him more. And that is what this ride home is about, isn’t it?” Jon’s abrupt decision to bring him home suddenly made sense.

  Jon jerked his head to look at him.

  Yeah. Kendis had nailed it.

  Impulsively, he reached over and placed his hand on Jon’s forearm. “You don’t need to worry. I’m not gonna hurt him, okay?”

  Jon glanced at his hand, then nodded. “We’re good then.” He smiled. “Enjoy your coffee tomorrow.”

  Kendis thanked him, and got out of the truck. He waited on the sidewalk until Jon was out of sight before walking briskly up the driveway, trying to dodge the fat raindrops. Once he was inside, he took off his jacket and hoodie, then hung them in the utility room to dry off. The house was quiet—Momma was at the hospital—and he walked into the kitchen in search of a glass of water. As he ran the faucet, Kendis stared at the rain-streaked windows.

  Two things had really become clear during the last hour or so. Kendis wanted to get to know Chaz a whole lot better. And while Kendis’s first impressions of Jon were of a sweet, gentle guy who cared a great deal for his roommate, he couldn’t escape the feeling that there was more to Jon than met the eye.

  Chapter Five

  Tuesday Dec 12

  Chaz stepped into Common Ground’s warm interior, and was immediately assaulted by the enticing aroma of freshly ground coffee, with an underlying scent of chocolate. One look told him he was the first to arrive at the coffee shop. Most of the tables were occupied. There were two empty chairs in the window, but that was way too public. Instead, he headed for the rear. As he passed the counter, he glanced at the pastries.

  I should never come in here when I’m hungry.

  He had to admit, he wasn’t sure what to expect from this meeting, and that came down to not knowing Kendis’s motivation for asking him. Not that Chaz minded in the slightest. Kendis was cute. And as for the flirtatious banter between them on Saturday, that had been all kinds of cute.

  He chose an empty table in the far corner, and sat on one of the red plastic chairs. From behind the counter, Drew gave him a quizzical glance.

  “I’m waitin’ for someone,” Chaz explained.

  Drew waved his hand. “Sure thing, Chaz. No hurry.” He grinned. “And Della brought in a fresh carrot cake this mornin’.”

  Chaz glared at him. “Get thee behind me, Satan.” One slice was never enough.

  Drew snorted. “Just ’cause I know how to push your buttons does not make me Satan.” He glanced toward the door when it opened, then stilled as Kendis entered. “Mornin’.” His tone lost its warmth.

  There were times when Chaz really hated people as a species.

  Chaz raised his hand to attract Kendis’s attention, and his obvious look of relief was hard to miss. He hurried over, not looking in Drew’s direction as he passed the counter. “Hey,” he said with a smile as he approached the table. “Have you ordered yet?”

  “I was waitin’ on you.” Chaz cocked his head to one side. “You like carrot cake?”

  Kendis’s grin was a lot more natural. “Does the Pope shit in the woods?”

  He snickered. “Then take a seat, an’ I’ll go order us some coffee an’ cake. You got a preference for coffee?”

  “A latte would be good.” Kendis placed his jacket on the back of the chair.

  Chaz couldn’t resist. “Now me? I like my coffee like I like my men.” He wondered if Kendis would recognize the line from Airplane, one of Chaz’s favorite movies.

  Judging by the way Kendis’s eyes widened, Chaz was taking that as a yes. “I… see.”

  Chaz left him to think on that while he went over to the counter, smiling to himself. Teasing Kendis was almost as much fun as flirting with him.

  In the meantime, Drew was staring at Kendis like he had two heads.

  Fuck. That.

  “You recognize him, right?” Chaz said quietly, his manner conspiratorial.

  Drew blinked. “No. Should I?”

  Chaz gaped at him. “That’s Kendis Sesay. One of the best players the Cougars ever had. You remember him and his brother? They were on the team a couple years ago. Outstanding.”

  Drew jerked his head in Kendis’s direction. “Oh yeah. Now I remember. I saw him play. Damn, he was good.”

  Chaz smiled. “Good? He was fan-freakin’-tastic!” He put in their order, amused at the glances Drew kept firing toward their table. When he was done, he went back to the corner and sat facing Kendis. Chaz leaned his chair against the wall. “Won’t be long.”

  Kendis peered at Drew, who gave him a nod as he uncovered the cake. Kendis blinked. “What did you say to him? It’s like he’s a different person.”

  “I just reminded him that he’s a basketball fan, that’s all.” Chaz gazed at the coffee shop’s interior. “You been here before?”

  Kendis shook his head. “I don’t go out much. Besides, it always feels weird to be drinkin’ coffee alone in one of these places.” He gave Chaz a hesitant smile. “You look like you’re at home here.”

  Chaz chuckled. “This is my favorite coffee shop.” Well, it was now. And if this encounter went well, he aimed to bring Kendis here again. So Drew had better get used to seein’ him around.

  “Have you always lived in LaFollette?

  Chaz nodded. “I was born here. And until Thanksgiving, I lived with my folks.”

  “Is that when you moved in with Jon?”

  Another nod. He debated sharing more about his situation, then tossed any hesitation aside. He wanted to be as upfront with Kendis as possible.

  “The thing is… my daddy an’ me, we didn’t get along so well, ’specially when I hit my teens.”

  Kendis became very still. “Any particular reason for that, or was it just the usual buttin’ heads with the olds routine?”

  Chaz leaned forward, his elbows on the table, his chin resting on his laced fingers. “I think you prob’ly already know the answer to that, don’tcha?”

  A slow sigh escaped Kendis’s lips. “Yeah. It doesn’t take a genius to work it out.” His eyes held genuine sympathy. “I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

  Chaz huffed. “I thought I could cope, keepin’ out of his way. But then he went an’ found that magazine. The one I thought I’d hid real well. Not well enough, it seems.”

  Kendis tilted his head. “Well, there’s magazines… and there’s magazines. If you catch my drift.”

  Chaz snorted and leaned in closer. “We’re talkin’ pretty hot stuff. You know, leavin’ nothin’ to the imagination?”

  Kendis’s eyes widened. “How in the world did you get hold of somethin’ like that?”

  He shrugged. “Bought it online. Which is illegal, ’cause I wasn’t eighteen at the time.” He cackled. “You should’ve seen me. I was lyin’ in wait for the mailman for days, just so my momma wouldn’t get to the mail before I had a chance to sneak the e
nvelope outta there.”

  “I wouldn’t have the nerve to buy it in the first place,” Kendis muttered. “Momma would string me up by my balls if she found it.”

  Chaz stared at him for a moment before they both broke into laughter.

  “Wanna share the joke?” Drew stood next to their table, carrying a tray with two mugs and two slabs of carrot cake.

  Chaz snickered as he leaned back. “Sort of an in-joke. Sorry. This looks amazing.”

  “It’ll taste amazing too,” Drew assured him. He put the plates on the table, along with the silverware. “You enjoy, now.” He gave Kendis a friendly nod before retreating to the counter as a new customer entered the shop.

  Kendis wiped his eyes. “I gotta ask. What happened to the magazine your daddy found?”

  “He tossed it on the fire.”

  Kendis’s eyes twinkled. “Dammit.”

  That was all it took to set them both off laughing again.

  “So how come you ended up livin’ with Jon?” Kendis picked up a fork and pulled his plate closer to him.

  “I called Del on Thanksgiving when my daddy beat the crap outta me, and—”

  “He did what?” Kendis’s nostrils flared and he narrowed his eyes. The fork fell from his fingers and hit the plate with a clatter. “Did you call the police?” Around them, folks gave a start and turned to look, before getting on with their coffee and conversations.

  “Like I was gonna call the police on my daddy, even if he did lay into me. Del was all for takin’ me to the Emergency Room, but I told him no. He did take some photos, in case I changed my mind about the police.” Chaz smiled. “Then Jon stepped in like a Good Samaritan, an’ told me I could stay with him.”

  “He seems like a good man, all right. An’ he looks out for you too.” Kendis tried a morsel of cake and groaned. “This is delicious.”

  “What do you mean, he looks out for me?”

  Kendis sighed and put down his fork. “When he took me home on Saturday, I got the idea he wanted to make sure I wasn’t gonna mess you around.”

  Chaz puzzled over why Jon would do such a thing. “I guess we were makin’ it kinda obvious.” He let out a chuckle.