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He had questions, many questions, and not just regarding their connection and the belief in their future that Archer seemed to possess. There were oddities that were peppered throughout their time together that Kevin had not addressed, and now, lying here thinking about it all, he realized that so many things did not make sense.
They ran through his mind one after the other, and he knew he had to have answers. Some part of his life needed to make sense. He cupped the side of Archer's face and kissed his lips very softly. "Talk to me, Archer." He whispered, and Archer opened his eyes to regard him looking so loving and open. Kevin wanted him so badly, but he needed to understand.
"You're upset," Archer said and ran his hand down Kevin's side, leaving delicious goosebumps in its wake. Kevin moaned and closed his eyes briefly, loving the feel of Archer's hands. He opened his eyes and forced a resolve he didn't completely feel, but he needed some answers.
"DuCane Industries assigned you to watch over me, fearing that Billy and his friends might cause me harm." He began.
“Yes, that is true.” Archer kept it brief as he continued to hold him and let his fingers trail along his arm.
"You referred to Billy Burns and his friends as cougars. Since the very beginning, you have called them cougars."
"Yes." He maintained a soft and steady tone of voice but did not offer anything other than a one-word answer.
"When you spoke of Louis DuCane, you referred to him as master, and you referred to his interest as the Coven. No police were called. Everything was handled in-house, so to speak. You did things that were humanly impossible, and I saw you with my own eyes, the way you looked, the speed you ran. I believe you're hiding something from me." Kevin drew in a ragged breath and captured Archer's gaze.
"My mind is racing, and I don't know if you're real or if I'm incapable of making choices in my own best interests. Everything I've done in the past two years led to nothing but destruction, and perhaps this is just another part of that mess." Kevin was scattering his mind, going in different directions, and he didn't know how to calm down.
"I have never lied to you or misled you. Everything I have said to you since the moment we met is accurate." Archer was still playing around the edges, giving the bare minimum and not elaborating.
“Tell me more.” He insisted while still holding Archer’s dark gaze.
“What are you asking me?”
Archer was not prepared for the battery of questions and the obvious growing mistrust hurled at him in the middle of the night by his beloved. He thought he had time to ease him into understanding, but clearly, his mind has spent these quiet hours sifting through the last couple of days and finding every inconsistency and confusion.
Maybe he shouldn't have used the words that he did, but at the time, he was not interested in lies or subterfuge. He kept his hand on Kevin and kept their bodies close. The bond was building, and his ability to calm his beloved would hopefully help him navigate the next few minutes. Kevin's look was beseeching. He wanted clarity since his life, as of late, had very little.
“I want to know if this is a game to you.” Kevin’s tone was again pleading, and it was tearing at Archer.
"Not a game, never was a game. This is you and me. I want you, Kevin, and I'm not embarrassed to admit that I fell for you during those days and nights of watching you and keeping you safe. I loved your strength and determination and wished that I could experience even a portion of the love you showed that mangy cat." He channeled his calm and his truth through their bond, and he felt the moment that Kevin began to relax.
"I want to believe you, but I'm afraid to trust myself. I've spent my life taking people at face value and accepting that what I believed was true when, in actuality, my entire world was working against me." He ached for his beloved, knowing his struggle but also knowing that he had nothing to fear from Archer and was unclear how to get that fact across.
"I will never betray you. I am not your brother, your fiancé, or your parents. I am Archer Quinn, and you are my beloved. It's fast and may strike you as ingenuine, but I have never made such a statement to anyone in my life before. I have never made promises to anyone and never before felt this level of connection." Archer feared that he may be saying too much too soon, but he had to stake his claim and let Kevin know the depth of his regard.
"I may not be your conventional date, hook, or boyfriend, but I can tell you that I know what I want when I see it, and I want you. I don't play around. It's not my style. You started out as just a job and ended as the focus of my heart, and I will do everything in my power to be the man that you need." Archer paused and waited for a response.
"My heart is reaching for you and demanding I listen, but my head is telling me to be careful." Kevin seemed apologetic, but Archer saw his response as hopeful, and that was more than he could ask for right now.
"Let's rest and pick this conversation up in the morning," Archer suggested and again channeled his calm restfulness to his beloved, urging him to close his eyes and sleep.
"Okay." He said softly, then admitted. "I am so tired."
"Sleep, baby." Archer kissed the top of his head and bundled him back into his arms. He loved holding his beloved and the sense of completeness it provided him. They had a serious talk in the waiting, and Archer was not looking forward to it.
Getting the truth out into the open and allowing his beloved in on the mystery that was the paranormal needed to be done, but it wasn't going to be easy. Kevin had too many doubts and demons for this to go smoothly. Archer closed his eyes and took several deep breaths, soothing himself with the presence and scent of his beloved. Kevin fell into a deep sleep, which was fortunate. He needed rest to maintain a clear head in the face of everything that was about to confront him.
Archer did not sleep, and at seven, his phone rang, and he answered it immediately. Most of his communications were handled through text, so if someone felt the need to call, he knew it was a serious matter. "Hello." He said and carefully eased himself out of Kevin's embrace and to the edge of the bed, where he sat up, grabbed his briefs, and slipped them on; he then sat back down and felt his beloved begin to stir. He put the call on speaker so he would know that Archer was not keeping anything from him.
"I know it's early, and you're with your beloved, but I thought you would want to know what I found as soon as possible," Easton explained himself unnecessarily since Archer had asked him to call, but he appreciated his thoughtfulness all the same.
"Thank you, yes." He said, eager for Easton to get to the purpose of his call.
"Everything he told you was correct regarding his family and fiancé." He began, and Archer had no doubt that Kevin had been honest with his depiction of the people and the life that had driven him into the woods.
"The brother Ted Paulson took over the company with the help of their father, Frank Paulson, using both Ted's and the fiancés inside information to complete the process while keeping your beloved in the dark until the last moment. He did manage to lock down a few assets, which included off-site equipment and a couple bank accounts, but it wasn't enough to make a difference." Easton was building up to something interesting. Archer could hear it in his voice.
"It took a couple months before the realization hit them that the Paulson Company was not just a bunch of people doing their jobs and management was immaterial. Ted and Emily Deaver, the fiancé, have discovered that Kevin Paulson was the company. It was he who kept everything running smoothly and efficiently. He was trusted by clients and employees alike, and without his control and presence, the company has begun to fail." Easton chuckled. "I love it when a lowlife gets what's coming to them." Easton threw in the side comment.
