Barging In (4 page)

He had no doubt she’d be able to turn the whole community against him if she wanted.

Chapter Three

Robin stood across the street from the White Hart, trying to get a feel for the place. The Georgian building was typical for Bath. Honey-coloured limestone and tall windows with heritage-green trim gave it an elegant appearance. It rubbed shoulders with the Theatre Royal and looked like somewhere his parents would drink—not his kind of place at all. He was going to look like a proper bit of rough in a fancy pub like that. There wasn’t even a whisper of a rainbow flag about the place. Maybe Mel had been wrong. He could always head back to one of the other, more obviously gay bars—but no, he’d been told that this place was definitely queer.

And besides, he didn’t want to go into one of those other places. He’d already walked past the Hussars and seen far too many skinny blokes with hungry eyes hanging about smoking by the front doors.

Blokes who reminded him of Jamie.

It was bad enough having Dan-fuckwit-Taylor stir up this old appetite again with his freckles and dimples and cute little arse. He really didn’t need to find someone who reminded him of his worst mistake ever.

Robin took a deep breath, glanced around to make sure no one he recognised was around to see him, then pushed open the heavy oak door.

It was quiet inside. And all the drinkers were men.

The well-dressed patrons looked like a theatre-going crowd, but as the play had already started, they couldn’t be here for that. Robin glanced over the quietly chattering groups in the booths and the couple of older guys perched on stools at the bar. He didn’t have to worry about letting his gaze linger in here, did he? Even if it did make what he’d come here for blindingly obvious. But even after a longer inspection of the room, it was painfully clear that the barman was the most attractive man there, by a long shot.

Smiling—not too ravenously, he hoped—he ordered a pint of bitter and settled down with his elbows on the bar, about halfway between the two other barflies.

“Here you are, sir,” the young man purred, handing over Robin’s beer with a cute smirk. Shame about the manicured goatee and overly slicked hair, but he had beautiful brown eyes. He might not know where his next lot of cash was coming from, but bugger the cost, Robin had to offer.

“And one for yourself?” he said, handing over all his worldly riches.

“I’d love one, sweetheart, but not while I’m working. The landlord would whip my arse if he found out.” There was something knowing in the barman’s smile that made Robin feel like he’d been left out of the big joke.

As the barman sashayed over to the cash register, the white-haired man at the end of the bar piped up. “You’re wasting your time with him, darling. What the little flirt’s not telling you is that he’s married to the landlord.”

Married? But of course. Just because civil partnerships weren’t the kind of thing Jamie and his friends had been into, didn’t mean that there weren’t plenty of happily married gay couples out there. Looking round the room, he wondered how many of the respectable-looking couples were in civil partnerships themselves. Did this mean he was going to have to start paying attention to ring fingers? With a sudden pang, he remembered Jamie’s slender fingers. Would it have made any difference to the way things turned out if they’d been married back then? But there wasn’t any point in thinking that way. He couldn’t change anything now.

“Don’t pout, darling. He’s really not worth it, although he likes to think he is,” the barfly said. The cute barman stuck out his tongue and flounced off to collect empty glasses from the tables.

“Charles Wentworth is the name, my dear. I don’t think we’ve had the pleasure of your company here before, have we? It’s always so pleasant to see a fresh face. And where have you been hiding yourself away?”

Robin took a closer look at Charles as he shook the proffered hand. Silver-haired and ruddy-cheeked, the man reminded him of his dad. It was disconcerting to see the lustful gleam in his eyes. He wore a tweed suit with a bright yellow cravat and probably wouldn’t have looked out of place when the building was new.

“Robin Hamilton. I’ve just come in on my boat. On the canal.” It was one of those titbits he’d discovered would either fascinate or kill a conversation dead.

“Oh, you’re one of those strapping boaters, are you? How delightful! And what kind of vessel are you the skipper of, my dear?”

Robin smiled despite his misgivings. He could talk about
Serendipity
all day. “She’s a beauty. Fifty-five foot, narrow-beam, traditional stern. Lister SR2 engine. Handles like a dream.”

“Marvellous, I just adore the traditional narrowboats. Do tell me more. Where was she built?”

Robin allowed himself to be drawn into conversation. Charles was pleasant enough company, even if it wasn’t quite what he’d been looking for tonight. He spoke a bit about the work he’d done on
Serendipity
as he drained his pint, Charles hanging on his every word. The man didn’t even notice when Robin’s breath caught on seeing Dan walk into the pub and take up position at the far end of the bar. Shit, oh shit. What was he doing here?

“I’m buying a house backing onto the canal in Bathampton,” Charles continued. “I thought it would be a lovely place to retire and watch the boats go by. You simply must come and visit once I’m settled in.”

With this pronouncement, Charles grabbed hold of Robin’s hand. His grip was tight, and it was hard to resist the urge to pull away, but Robin’s manners won out.

“Thanks, but, ummm, I’ll have to be moving on soon. Can’t stay in one spot for longer than a fortnight. British Waterways’s rules.”

“Oh, how utterly ghastly!” Charles’s face was a pantomime of distress. Robin would have laughed it off if his hand wasn’t being squeezed quite so firmly. And, oh God, Charles had started stroking his arm while he spoke.

“But of course!” Charles brightened like a pile of kindling catching light. “You can moor up at the end of my garden. Oh, do say you will. I get awfully lonely, and I’m sure a strong young man like you could make himself useful about the place in return. You look like you’d be good with your hands.”

Was Charles proposing what Robin thought he was? He didn’t know whether to be grateful or offended. The very idea of being a kept man made his head spin.

“It’s a kind offer. I’ll have to think about it.” His gaze flickered across to Dan, who was watching them with what seemed to be amusement. Robin flushed.

“I’m not letting go of you until we have a definite arrangement, my darling Robin.”

Robin stared into Charles’s bloodshot eyes. The whiskey fumes on his breath made him want to cough. What was it going to take to get out of this one without causing a scene? The man might be a lech but seemed genuinely kind, and it was nice to meet someone respectable who didn’t consider him a threat. Besides, he didn’t like the idea of offending someone who reminded him of his dad. He could say yes, then just quietly leave the area without ever seeing the man again. He could even get a shag out of Charles first. He’d been hoping for someone younger, someone more like Dan—although not Dan himself, obviously—but perhaps there was something to be said for the experience of age, and despite having the broken veins of a heavy drinker, Charles wasn’t bad looking. Maybe if Robin went along with it, he’d even get his hand back without having to wrench it from the guy’s grasp.

“Come along, my dear. Let me show you what a real man can do for you.”

Robin felt his resistance cracking under Charles’s determined onslaught. Try as he might, he couldn’t come up with a totally convincing reason as to why he shouldn’t give in.

“Robin, sweetheart, is this man bothering you?”

The voice startled both of them. Robin turned and found himself staring into a pair of twinkling hazel eyes. Oh God, he never would have imagined feeling this happy to see Dan.

“I think you’d better let go of my boyfriend, now,” Dan said, placing a hand on Robin’s shoulder as Charles reluctantly loosened his grip.

“I’m so sorry, my dears. I didn’t realise Robin was already spoken for. Please accept my heartfelt apologies.”

Dan smiled breezily, seemingly oblivious to Robin’s confusion. “That’s all right. I know what a temptation he is, aren’t you, gorgeous?”

Robin caught Dan’s eye, and it was like he’d been captured by the current, pulled in against his will. It wasn’t fair. Someone like Dan shouldn’t have eyes that beautiful. He was mesmerised by the flecks of green and amber and that band of ginger freckles sprinkled across the bridge of his nose.

And then, before Robin could say anything else, Dan pulled him into a kiss. His lips pressed hot and soft against Robin’s. Perhaps it was the effect of the pint he’d just had on an empty stomach; perhaps it was the sweet, musky scent rising from Dan’s body; or perhaps it was simply the relief of being saved from Charles’s advances. Whatever it was, against his better judgment Robin sank into the kiss, parting his lips and clutching Dan to him with greedy arms.

Chapter Four

Dan slid his tongue into Robin’s mouth and made a delightful discovery. Not only did Robin have rings through his nipples, but there was a barbell through his tongue as well. Dan moaned as the metal ball made contact with his palate, his tongue. There was a tiny click every time it clashed against his teeth. God, he wanted that hot mouth around his dick so fucking badly. It had been a while since he’d had head from a bloke with a pierced tongue. Wonder if he had piercings anywhere more intimate?

He stretched on his toes to deepen the kiss, wound his arms around Robin’s neck and pressed against him, body to body. Robin must be able to feel how much he wanted him, what with the way his prick was starting to harden and rub against Robin’s thigh. He rocked his hips to emphasise the point.

Robin froze and started to pull back from the kiss.

Dan thought fast. He couldn’t lose his advantage now. Not when he had Robin exactly where he wanted him. He sank back onto his heels, gave his sultriest smile and took one of Robin’s unresisting hands, lacing their fingers together.

“Come on, gorgeous, we’re running late.” He tugged Robin after him and headed for the door, turning to call back to the old geezer with the Robin fixation. “Thanks for looking after him for me. He gets into all sorts of trouble when I’m not there to keep an eye on him.”

The pub door swung shut behind them. Dan led Robin around the corner and found a large pillar in the shadows outside a closed shop to push him up against. Robin was still dazed, his eyes hooded and his jaw slack. Yeah, that had been a great kiss. Guys were always telling him he had a talented tongue, and seeing what it had done to Robin made him swell with pride. He dropped his hands to Robin’s hips and purred seductively.

“Now, where were we?”

Robin made an alarmed sound in his throat and pulled back slightly, his body trembling. Dan gave a delighted smile. Surely the big guy wasn’t out of his depth, was he? But yes, fear lurked in his eyes.

“No need to worry, you’re in safe hands. I’ve done this plenty of times before.”

It was as if the words broke the spell his kiss had cast. Robin’s eyes widened, and his body stiffened, but not in the place Dan wanted it to.

“How many times?”

“What?”

“How many times have you done
this
before?” Robin snarled, pushing Dan away with a shove to his chest. “You make a habit of picking up strange men, do you?”

Oh God, it was back to Mr. Shouty again, was it? “You’re not that strange. I even know your surname, which is more than I do with some guys.” He’d been aiming for light banter, but the disgust on Robin’s face made him realise he’d misjudged. Dan backpedalled. “I dunno, you just seemed like you needed a hand, and I knew I owed you one, and then I couldn’t help myself, you looked so delicious.”

“Yeah, well… I was doing fine by myself, thank you very much.”

“Didn’t look like it from where I was standing. You looked like you were struggling with how to let the guy down without being rude. That’s always a recipe for disaster. Best to be honest and get it all out in the open.” Dan grinned, but it didn’t seem to make an impression on his quarry.

“What makes you think I wasn’t interested in him? I suppose someone like you wouldn’t shag an old queen like him if he were the last man on earth, although you’d quite happily work your way through every sleazy little whore at a place like the Hussars.” Robin’s lip curled up in a sneer.

“Look, I’m not a one-man kind of bloke, and I don’t see why I should be ashamed of that.” Dan stuck out his chin. He was buggered if he was going to let Robin take the moral high ground here. “I’m a player.”

“You’re a slut, you mean.”

“Fuck you.”

“Not a chance. I’ve got a girlfriend anyway. Mel. You remember?” There was no mistaking the challenge in Robin’s eyes. It was that defensiveness that fundamentally honest people always betrayed when they were lying through their teeth. “I’d better get going. I’m supposed to be meeting her at the Hat and Feather.”

Dan wasn’t going to let him get away that easily. “Funny that, I figured you were gay, the way you kissed me back in the pub. The
gay
pub, where you were having a drink with a
gay
man.” Bloody hell, if that wasn’t a blush spreading across Robin’s cheeks and making him look even more edible.

“I’m bi, but that’s nobody’s fucking business but my own, okay? Not that it matters, anyway, because I’m off to see my girlfriend. Good-bye, Dan.” His voice was sharp enough to make Dan wince, and it deterred him from following after Robin as he stalked away.

“See you soon, Robin,” he called.

Robin didn’t turn back.

Sighing heavily, Dan wrapped his jacket closer around his body and headed off towards the Hussars. Robin was right; that probably was more his kind of place, and there was no point wasting the evening. There’d be plenty of opportunity to get to work on Robin before he had to go back to London. He’d have him by the time his trip was over.

A smirk tugged at his lips.

Robin wouldn’t know what had hit him. Dan was going to rock his world.