Page 14 of Embracing James

“I’ve seen you around town.”

“Who?” He had to keep the guy talking and get him to disclose details.

“Pauly, don’t lie to me.”

“I work for him,” Paul replied. “Again, how can I help you?”

“Fine,” the man snapped. “You tell him to stay the hell away from my man. James is mine. Get it? All mine. He’ll get bored and he won’t stay with Pauly for long, so just tell him to end it now. James is vain and troubled. He can’t handle relationships, so cut him loose now so you don’t risk getting hurt or outed.”

A threat? Interesting. He noted how the caller believed he was Pauly. He was, but that wasn’t important. “Outed? How? My boss has nothing to hide.” Now that he’d hooked up with James, he didn’t care who saw him with his makeup or his man. Fuck ’em.

“Your boss won’t want people to know he’s a sleaze. He wears more makeup than a drag queen and he can’t be taken seriously with eyeliner. No one wants to do a deal with a freak. Will people want to rent a house from a flake?”

“I guess you’d have to ask him and them,” Paul replied. He refused to back down to this jerk or give him too much information.

“You just tell him to leave my man alone. He’s mine and I don’t share,” the man shouted. “Leave him alone.”

“I’ll pass that information along,” he said, his tone flat.

“You do it. You’re a dick and edging in on my man. I’m sick of it. He’s mine.”

Pushy little man, wasn’t he? Paul’s patience wore thin. “You seem to think I’m the man you’re looking for. I’m not. I work for him and I’ll pass this information along, but before I do, answer me a question. You’re not good at threatening or exerting power. You’re barely good at sounding tough. If you’re so smart and if you’ve convinced James is yours, then why are you getting so angry? If you’re really together and he knows it, then you should trust him. If not, you should move on.”

“You don’t understand.”

“No, I don’t.”

“Then leave him alone. Just do it. He’s not going to stay with you. He’ll come back to me. He always does.” The caller disconnected the call, leaving Paul in silence.

Paul pushed the phone aside and growled.Jesus.He’d just met Craig, no doubt. If that was the way Craig dealt with people, then it was no wonder James wasn’t interested. This kind of pushy was scary.

Paul massaged his temples and propped his feet on his desk. If it took everything he had, he’d prove to James he was a decent, worthy, sexy man and he’d protect him from Craig. He’d show James a relationship was possible, could be healthy and could last.

James was too good to pass up.

Chapter Five

James finished cutting the last of the peppers, then checked the lasagne. He hadn’t asked Paul what he’d like to eat before he began making the dish. He’d just made it.Shoot.He should’ve thought about his guest before he started cooking.

His thoughts turned to Paul. He was lucky to know the man. Paul was sweet, sexy, and he liked how Paul kissed, too. But this was a fake relationship. No strings, just keeping Craig at bay.

Why did it feel like it’d become more?

Because he tended to fall more in love with his partner than his partner did with him and he usually set himself up for failure. Never intentionally, but that was how his life seemed to work out.

God.Getting hurt so many times sucked. He deserved better, but at this rate, he wouldn’t get it.

Maybe with Paul, he’d have a decent chance.

Maybe.

He placed the peppers, lettuce and onions in the salad bowl, then added mushrooms and cherry tomatoes. He swiped his phone with his knuckle to check the time, but the phone buzzed with an incoming call from Duke.

“Hi.” He set the phone to the speaker setting. “How’s things?”

“Did you sex him up?” Duke asked.

“Who?”

---