Page 24 of Camping with the Boss

“I should have, but…it’s safe. I know my limits. It’s just I can’t—” He chokes on his words and glances around as if he’s asking for something.

I have no idea what. But Ander gives him a sympathetic look. “Of course. I’m so sorry, Canyon.” My brother glances at me. “A panic attack feels like a heart attack.”

“Yes,” Canyon says, sounding relieved. “I thought I was dying.”

I smooth his hair back from his face. “But you’re okay?” I ignore the looks from my brother. Not dealing with that right now.

“Yeah.” He laughs. “Mortified. But okay.”

The urge to wrap my arms around him and protect him from everything and everyone is overwhelming. So I do what I do best. Take charge. “Canyon is staying here with us.” I don’t say tonight because I mean all week, and I don’t want him to argue with me.

“Cool,” Ander says with a smile. “You can bunk with me.”

“Okay…”

“No.” They all look at me, but I don’t back down. “I’m sorry I wasn’t clear. Canyon will be staying in my room. With me.”

“This is just like you—” Ander begins, but Jared touches his back, cutting off his words. Since when are they on the same page on anything?

“Wade, I know you’re worried about Canyon,” Jared says carefully. “But it’s his choice.”

I’m done with this conversation. “If Canyon wants to sleep somewhere else tomorrow, he can choose to do so. Tonight, I need to make sure he’s okay. Do you understand, Canyon?” He nods, but his eyes are on the floor. He sways, and I grab his arm. He’s exhausted. I tip his chin. “There’s only one choice you need to make tonight, sweetheart.” I ignore my brother’s gasp and focus on the man staring at me with trust in his green eyes. I can’t tear my gaze away. My thumb brushes the stubble on his chin. “Top or bottom?”

His eyes widen with shock…and is that heat in his eyes? He blinks. “What?”

“Wade? Can I talk to you for a minute?” Jared asks in a hard voice.

“I need to get Canyon settled.”

Ander steps closer. “I’ll take him—Jesus, Wade—it’s like three feet away.”

Canyon gives me a look that’s supposed to be reassuring. It’s not. “I’ll be fine.”

I smile because none of this is his fault. Once he and my brother are in the other room, I turn to my best friend. “What?”

“Do you remember why we’re here?”

“I don’t have time for this, Jared.” I glance at the door to my room. Canyon will be fine with Ander, right? I don’t exactly trust my brother, but he seems genuinely concerned.

Jared steps in front of me, blocking my view. “Why are we here, Wade?”

I scrub a hand over my face. It’s been a long fucking day. “I get it, okay?”

“Do you? Because it looks to me like you’re about to make the same mistake again.”

Thumping and soft laughter come from the bedroom. The walls are thin. And for some reason, that makes my face heat. I focus on Jared and keep my voice low. “He’s my employee. Temporarily. I’m not going to sleep with him. I just want to—” Take care of him. Hold him. Never let him go. But I stop because the feelings behind my thoughts surprise me. And I can’t say any of that to Jared.

“Remember Tim?”

“Fuck you, Jared.” The rage is swift and overwhelming. “This is nothing like that. Tim was a manipulative, scheming—” I can barely talk, but punching a wall will forfeit our deposit. And prove Jared right. I can control myself, dammit. “Canyon is hurting. I’m just trying to help him.”

“He’s vulnerable—” He holds out his hands. “Not that you would purposefully take advantage of him. But…you like him.”

I scoff. “I’ve known him for less than a day.”

“Just being honest here, so don’t shoot the messenger.” He pauses, moving his head slightly like he’s sifting through his words. If I yell at him to get on with it, I’ll just be proving his point. “I’ve never seen you like this. You don’t date?—”

“Not true.”

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