Secrets and High Spirits: Secrets, Book 4 by Lou Harper Read Free Book Online

We should be able to divide up the responsibilities equably.”
    “You’re the art director, and I’m the stage manager.” Bruce had no idea why this analogy came to his mind—he hadn’t done theatre since high school.
    Teag seemed perplexed too for a second. “I… Yes, something like that.”
    “You have spent considerable thought on this, haven’t you?”
    “Of course. Haven’t you?”
    “Not like this. Don’t worry, you can be the boss, I’ll be your faithful minion.” Bruce was happy to see a flicker of amusement on Teag’s face. “I have my own condition.”
    “Oh?” Teag’s expression stiffened warily.
    “I must have six consecutive weekends in the summer free.”
    “For Ren Faire?”
    “You got it. It’s a deal-breaker,” Bruce said echoing Teag’s earlier words, only half joking.
    Teag relaxed and almost smiled. “I accept—I’ll make sure it’s in the contract.”
    Bruce stood and held out his hand. “It’s a deal, then… Boss.” The last word floated on the surface like Bacardi in a B-52 shot, but just as combustible. As they shook hands, their eyes locked. There was definitely a spark.
    Teag had no idea how he’d managed to drive his Vespa home without killing himself. Thank God for the nearly empty night streets past Hollywood. His head swam with a bewildering blend of thoughts and emotions. He’d thought when he settled to make his offer to Bruce that meeting the man would clear his conflicting feelings, but the result was quite the contrary.
    He’d arrived anticipating a battle but had found a welcome party instead. Okay, so Bruce had made the first offer and Teag should’ve expected a spirit of cooperation, but still, it was too easy. And that bit about Ren Faire—so nerdy, so out of step with the image of Bruce he’d painted in his mind.
    But the most unsettling moment came as Bruce had called him “boss”. Not so much the word, or even the drop of Bruce’s voice, but the posture. The big, powerful man in front of him, head bowed—it had done funny things to his insides.
    Even now, alone in the darkness of his room, all he could think of was what it would be like to succumb to his deepest urges and truly show the man who the boss was. It would be wrong for so many reasons, not the least because getting involved with a business partner was a recipe for disaster. Yet he couldn’t stop his thoughts or even turn them in a different direction. He pushed his hand into his shorts and took his painfully hard cock into his hand.
    Despite everyone’s willingness, it took almost two months to get to the point where they could actually say they owned the building and could get started on the renovation. The intervening time was spent with building inspectors, lawyers, real estate agents, making plans, applying for permissions. Lots of paperwork.
    Teag had to meet Bruce several times, but he always made sure it happened at public places and they weren’t alone. If it wasn’t Ella, the inspector or Uncle Fester, then his sister.
    Helen and Bruce got along annoyingly well. She adored his tattoos and, unlike Teag, fondled them all over. “Why not on your chest?” she asked with all the brazenness Teag hadn’t allowed himself, on the one occasion when they were supposed to be making decisions regarding bar furnishings.
    “Too hairy,” Bruce confessed merrily, not the least offended. “What’s the point of having a piece of expensive art on your body if nobody can see it for the fur? And chest shaving is not my thing.”
    “Teag waxes his,” Helen quipped, oblivious to Teag’s mortification. “But he doesn’t have much to begin with.”
    “Can we please get back to business?” Teag growled.
    They did for a while, but eventually, the conversation strayed back to body art. Helen had tons of questions. Teag silently wished he’d brought Uncle Fester with him instead. At long last, they hammered out an agreement, and they parted ways.
    “Are you sure there isn’t