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Chapter Forty-one
Mike
Mike was standing at his bedroom window, staring out at the dark entrance to his neighborhood. He was more tired than he’d ever been, but his mind was moving too fast for him to rest. Mike had got up to take a piss and to check on Rayne, but he was gone. It was almost three in the goddamn morning, and Rayne wasn’t home. He’d called him multiple times, but his cell phone went straight to voicemail.
Goddamn him! How could he do this? How could he be so inconsiderate and reckless? Mike’s hands began to shake, and he stared at them in part shock but mostly horror when he realized he was scared. Fuckin’ scared! Mike instilled fear in men, not the other way around. His phone buzzed in his hand with a text from Manny asking if Rayne was back yet. He couldn’t even respond to his best friend, who was waiting on standby if he needed him. Thoughts of Rayne getting hurt ran through his mind on replay, making panic unfurl in his chest.
What if someone picked him up, but now they won’t bring him back?
What if he can’t call for help because his cheap-ass flip phone is dead?
What if he went out for a walk and someone fucked with him?
Mike’s heart hammered in his chest, his breaths becoming choppy and short when he thought of anyone laying a finger on Rayne’s beautiful body. Maybe he went to his best friend’s house for company and dozed off. Mike was mentally kicking himself for never bothering to get Chelsea’s phone number.
Either way, Mike couldn’t keep standing there waiting for something bad to happen. He was five minutes away from leaving the house and scouring the entire city when he saw headlights turn onto his street and slowly cruise down to his driveway before stopping. There was another man in the driver’s seat, but Mike couldn’t make out who it was. After a few seconds, Rayne got out on the passenger side and jogged up to the door.
Mike stood at the top of the stairs in the dark, watching Rayne as he eased the front door open. He closed and relocked it without making a sound, then quickly punched in the code for the alarm. He attempted to keep his steps light as he tiptoed up the stairs.
Rayne was almost to the top when Mike stepped out of the shadows. “Where were you?”
Rayne clutched his hand to his chest. “Jesus, Mike. You scared the hell outta me.”
“Did I?” Mike gritted out.
Rayne walked up the last few steps, his eyes wide like his vision was trying to adjust to the darkness.
“Where were you?” Mike asked again, sure that Rayne could hear the anger in his voice now.
“Mike—”
“Answer me,” Mike demanded just as his phone vibrated again. He answered when he saw it was Manny and muttered two words—“He’s home,”—before he hung up.
Rayne was standing inches away, staring back at him with those sultry bedroom eyes that somehow tamped down his anger. Numerous expressions danced across his face before Rayne seemed to settle on nervous. His dark brown eyebrows dipped low as he cocked his head to the side.
“Do you think I was out with another man?” Rayne asked cautiously. “Because I swear I would never do that. I’m not a cheater, Mike.”
He shook his head. That was the last thing he thought—actually, it’d never even crossed his mind. “I know that, Rayne… you’re too considerate to put another man’s life in danger.”
Rayne’s expression turned serious. “I am sorry that I didn’t tell you I was leaving, but you were already asleep, and I didn’t want to wake you.”
Mike leaned against the wall, his head tilted toward the ceiling as he tried to calm himself down. Rayne was home and safe. Don’t overreact. Besides, he was a grown man who could come and go as he pleased. But not in the middle of the goddamn night.
“I’m sorry if I worried you.”
“You did a lot more than that,” Mike growled.
“I can see that now.” Rayne’s deep voice was low and soothing. Instead of him being worried by Mike’s tone, it seemed as if he was getting turned on by it. Rayne pressed his chest to Mike’s. He didn’t say anything for a moment as his body did the talking. Rayne smoothed his hands up Mike’s arms and around his neck. God, his hands were so soft and comforting that Mike was defenseless and closed his eyes. He had very little energy left in him to do anything else.
“I apologize,” Rayne whispered in his ear, then kissed his lobe, causing Mike’s dick to betray his anger. It reacted too fast as if it no longer cared how upset Mike was feeling before; all that mattered was he now had his man home and secure in his arms.
“Damnit,” he groaned as Rayne gently bit down over his pulse, his breath warm and labored near his ear.
“I didn’t mean to be so inconsiderate. Let me make it right,” Rayne said, his voice taking on a different tone, a gentler, more mellow tenor that somehow calmed Mike against his will.
Mike’s cock grew more solid in his shorts. What are you doing to me? Mike wasn’t done—he had more to say and every right to fuss, but… but he was forgetting what about. His argument fled altogether when Rayne dug his fingers into a sensitive area around his neck and began to apply wonderful pressure.
“I won’t leave like that again without telling you.” Rayne paused his rubbing and laid one gentle palm on Mike’s bristly cheek, those damn gray eyes holding him in place, his hot breath caressing his lips. “I promise.”
