Bondage by Chris Owen, Jodi Payne Read Free Book Online Page B

asleep fast. Hungry?"
    Noah pulled his gun out and separated it from the clip, putting both into Tobias' hand and then adding his pager on top. "Not quite yet." He tugged off his tie and loosened the top button on his shirt, showing off his collar. "Should I put my bag in the bedroom?"
    "Yes. I'll put these away in the desk." He leaned forward and kissed Noah yet again. "Love you."
    Noah let Tobias get a few steps away before he answered. "I love you, too," he said with a smile, then he hefted his duffel and disappeared into the bedroom.
    The doorbell rang moments later.
    Tobias swore, putting the weapon and pager away quickly and hurrying to the door. He hadn't even managed to get coffee into Noah yet. He pulled the door open and smiled at Bradford, who had Phan at his heel, eyes down.
    "Come on in," Tobias said. "There's coffee on, and Noah's getting changed. At least, I think he is."
    Bradford nodded and stepped inside, shrugging his coat off and handing it to Phan. "Phan's had a nice long nap, he should be fairly alert this evening. I can't say the same for you, though; you look exhausted. Coffee is probably a good idea." He followed Tobias into the kitchen. "How is he?"
    Noah walked in just then, but he didn't answer the question himself. Instead, he lingered just inside the doorway neatly in his display position. He was barefoot, wearing jeans that sat more on his hips than his waist and a black T-shirt that hugged every muscle in his shoulders and chest. His collar stood out prominently against the black fabric.
    Bradford looked him over critically.
    "He's tired," Tobias said shortly. "I worried him all night and owe him an apology for it. He turned immediately to Noah and said, "I am sorry, Noah. It was inconsiderate of me, and I regret not phoning you to let you know what was going on."
    Noah managed to smile for him, "I understand, sir. But thank you, and I accept."
    Tobias nodded and glanced at Phan, who was still at Bradford's heel, a duffle bag in one hand. He looked a little better than he had that morning, but Tobias was well aware of the dark circles under his eyes. "Phan, help Noah with your things, please. I have no idea where you'll eventually end up, but for tonight you'll be in the guest room, unless we decide differently as we talk."
    "Yes, sir," Phan said softly. He walked toward Noah with a measured pace, clearly unsure if Noah was still as welcoming as he'd been earlier in the day. His shoulders were tense, his back so tight it had to be aching.
    Noah reached out and took the bag from Phan, looping the strap over his own shoulder instead, and then slipped his hand into Phan's. "Relax. I've been looking forward to seeing you," he told Phan quietly, and led him from the room.
    Tobias felt his shoulders sag. "Thank God for that," he said under his breath. He turned to Bradford and asked, "So. What do you think?" as he reached for four mugs and the coffee pot.
    "I think one of us, or both of us, has greatly underestimated your boy. And provided that you can give him the right balance of alone time, I think this could work out very well indeed. But I won't say you don't have your work cut out for you; I don't envy you these first few weeks. If you need help, or just need to blow off steam, you know you can come to me."
    Bradford slid an envelope across the kitchen table toward Tobias. "This is my contract with Phan. It's very mechanical and clunky, but we drew it up quickly and without much foresight. It's up to you whether we should keep it in place for now or shred it. You'll be discussing some kind of arrangement this evening that you'll put in writing, I assume, even if it's not a contract? I would advise it."
    Tobias poured the coffee and nodded. "We have to set a lot of guidelines tonight, get certain things settled right away so everyone knows where they stand, yes. I think writing it down is essential, if only because there's so much to cover. Would you like to stay and listen?"
    Bradford considered