Page 61 of Strut

That done, Hunter helped me from the couch and led me into the bedroom where he undressed both of us before pulling me into the shower. The steaming needles were heaven on my freezing skin that hadn’t warmed since I’d left the studio. He washed me from head to foot, cleansing every unwanted touch, every nauseating press of lips and unwelcome grope of hands from my body, and I wondered if it was as much for his benefit as mine. An act of reclamation for the both of us, and the tenderness almost brought me to my knees.

Then he kissed me in the same way. A hundred feather-soft kisses that covered my face, my back, my dick, my balls, my chest, the mottled bruising on my wrist, everywhere that mattered, everywherehe’dtouched, and every kiss drew more tears until I was pretty fucking sure I’d drained the well.

And when Hunter was satisfied, he dried me, dressed me in a T-shirt and briefs, and put me to bed, curling around me like a protective bear until I fell asleep with his chin on my shoulder, his arms around my waist, and the solid reassuring beat of his heart at my back.

CHAPTERFOURTEEN

Hunter

For the firstcouple of hours, Alec slept fitfully. Short periods of calm broken by long runs of ragged breathing and flickering eyelids like someone was chasing him. His grip on my forearm would tighten to the point of pain and I kept thinking about that fucking bruise on his wrist. I wanted to hurt something, badly. Still, Alec could rip my arm off for all I cared if it helped him deal with the fuckery Darcy had put in his head. I didn’t give a shit as long as he slept.

And he did, eventually, like every cell in his body was ravenous for it. Whereas I had no chance in hell, my thoughts tangled in a thick knot of vengeful fury and heartbreak mixed with relief that he’d managed to get out of there before anything else happened.

I had no clue what to do, and so for the longest time, I did the only thing I could. I held him as he slept and kissed him when he stirred. I told him he was safe and that I’d look after him. I watched over him and ran his story through my head over and over and over until it made me sick. And I shed my tears on his shoulder.

The shadows of evening that had painted the bed when I’d first tucked Alec against me passed into night, and his body lay heavy and still in my arms, his breathing much calmer. I slowly reached for my phone and saw it was eleven and I was no closer to sleep. With a kiss to Alec’s head, I eased my arms free of his weight and carefully got to my feet, pulling the covers over his slack body to keep him warm. Then I shut the curtains and crept into the lounge, leaving the door open in case he woke.

I forced a few spoonfuls of leftover chicken and quinoa deli salad down my throat, then gave up. It tasted like sand and I shoved the plate aside, worried I might throw up. The china clattered against my laptop and my gaze darted to the bedroom, but Alec hadn’t moved. His long body lay still and too fucking quiet.

In the time we’d been sharing a bed, I’d learned quickly that Alec was a night twitcher, his body in a state of constant motion—lips, hands, feet, coughing, blankets on, blankets off, side to side, anything and everything. I’d ribbed him mercilessly about it, but in reality, I thought it was too fucking cute for words, and I wasn’t at all comforted by this sudden change.

I sighed and switched the television low for ambient noise, then scooted down on the couch to think. I really, really wanted Alec to go to the cops, but I understood his reasoning. Trouble was, it was the exact same reasoning that let fuckers like Darcy keep doing what they did. I wasn’t giving up on the conversation, but it would be Alec’s choice in the end. Still, we’d face that tomorrow along with any other options.

The thought gave me pause.Whatwerehis options? I didn’t have a fucking clue, and I guessed he didn’t either. That needed to change. Whether Alec wanted to use them or not, I could at least find out what choice he had.

I grabbed a pen and paper and started a list. I put Mel’s name at the top because... Mel. As owner of Melt Talent and my friend, she was a fount of knowledge, had a heart as deep as the Mariana trench, and I’d trust her with my life. I added the cops to the list and then Cage—they had to have faced this kind of thing before. And I was sure there was some model organisation that looked into this kind of stuff. Mel would remind me. Then I wrote Rhys’s name for a lot of reasons. If anyone could offer some advice to Alec, it would be Rhys. Finally, I added my own professional organisation since Darcy was a fashion photographer, after all. There were people I could ask on the quiet without mentioning Alec’s name. Then in block capitals above them all, I wrote TALK TO DARCY.

I read the list and sighed. It was a start. I grabbed a beer and took it back to the couch, then wrote a summary of what Alec had told me. I wanted it all down in black and white in case Alec needed it for the police or anyone else. I included what Alec had looked like when he’d come from the studio, his pale shock and almost catatonic state. Just remembering that squeezed every drop of blood from my heart. It had been the longest thirty minutes of my life watching him stare out the window of the cab as I got him home to find out what the hell had happened.

And I still couldn’t believe it. Alec’s big breakthrough. Until Darcy fucking Fenchurch.

A tidal wave of anger swept through me. I wouldn’t need five minutes alone with that bastard. Just one would do it. And I knew that regardless of anything else that happened, at some point I’d be paying that arsehole a visit to tell him exactly what I thought of him. If I didn’t, I was pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to see his fucking face again without completely losing my shit and ending up in jail. I’d certainly never work with him again, ever, and I’d be doing everything in my power to fuck him up.

How dare he?

How fucking dare he?

How dare that arsehole do that toanyone.

How dare he do it to Alec? To a guy with such a big heart. To a man who has talent and integrity and a huge future ahead of him.

How dare he do it to... to... to the man I... loved.

I swallowed hard. Oh... God. I loved him. I fucking loved him.

I threw the pad and pen on the couch and crept back into the bedroom. I squatted on the floor beside him and brushed a disobedient twist of blond hair from his forehead. I drank in the angles of his face now soft in sleep, his smooth pale skin, and the way his full blush lips parted just a little with each breath. I smiled and tugged the covers over his bare shoulder and then fell on my bum and stared up at him.

My heart beat against my ribs as I watched him sleep. I was definitely whole-heartedly, undeniably, and stupidly in love with him.

While no one was watching... least of all me... I’d gone and fallen in love.

Well... shit.

Rhys was going to piss himself laughing.

I watched Alec sleep for a little while longer and then got to my knees and kissed his forehead before tiptoeing back out of the bedroom. I grabbed another beer and slumped on the couch, surprised to find the earth still in alignment considering the gobsmacking tectonic shift in my personal universe.

I drank my beer, wrote, thought, fumed, swore, and then wrote some more. Then just before midnight, I threw the pen and pad on the coffee table and crawled into bed behind Alec, pulling his long, lean body into my arms. He came without hesitation, rolling over to bury his face in my neck, his hot breath washing over my skin and putting a smile on my face for the first time in hours.

---