Break My Shell, page 7
He wasn’t even sure if the slamming of the bathroom door and the argument had been Max’s way of signalling that they were breaking up. Maybe Max had already vacated their room and decided to leave the hotel despite barely having any money? Max was a proud guy, this much Dayton knew, and what if the rejections Dayton kept sending his way were too much, and it was Max, not Dayton, who ended up homeless?
Dayton forced himself to get up. He couldn’t allow that. He’d been in that position before, and he wouldn’t have Max suffer that kind of fate. He would sort out his finances, get paid by Vanessa, and even if they’d really broken up he’d be able to lend Max some money and help him on his feet.
When he was finally prepared to face Max, he walked back to his room. He was not ready, but when would he ever be? Some unpleasantries simply needed to be dealt with, and if he could put up with Greg all those years, he could look Max in the eyes.
Dayton was wary before opening the door and stood outside it for several minutes, but when he finally pressed on the handle, he found the room empty. Panic dove into his veins before he finally spotted Max on the floor by the window.
Sound asleep, wrapped up in the throw and with Cinnamon at his feet, he didn’t seem all that threatening anymore. Even the corkboard was still there, propped up against the wall above the desk. With the tiny hooks pulled out along with some of the plaster, Max hadn’t been able to hang it back up, but the effort was clearly there.
Dayton swallowed hard, watching the curled-up form. Max looked so vulnerable now, in spite of his size, that Dayton wanted to lie down next to him and apologize. Even though he was not the one who’d pushed too hard.
The bed seemed so big and empty now, and with all the covers still in place, Dayton realized all Max had taken to cover himself was the throw, a thin thing that couldn’t possibly keep him warm so close to the window.
He hesitated, listening for any signs of Max waking up, but in the end he entered and softly locked the door behind him. Still, Max didn’t even flinch.
Dayton was so tired he could barely think, and he was grateful that he’d already taken a shower, so all that remained was to slide under the comforter and try to fall asleep. But he couldn’t with Max possibly getting ill from the cold at that very moment.
He had two warm things to cover with, and one was an old sleeping bag he’d kept since leaving home. Then there was the large comforter supplied by the hotel. It was much bigger and would surely accommodate Max’s size with more ease.
After a short battle in his own head, Dayton folded the comforter in two and slowly approached Max’s makeshift bed. He lowered it slowly, to not awaken Max when he needed to get up so early in the morning to help with the prep in the kitchen. In the end, the whole comforter was securely tucked around Max.
Dayton watched him for several moments, still stricken by disbelief that he had Max here. And—that he needed to admit to himself—despite the rocky conversations, despite the anger and stress, Dayton was glad to have finally met him.
Chapter 6
Dayton hated everything. Even though he really tried to keep positive about his life, about his job... hell, even about Max, nothing seemed to be right. Fortunately, Vanessa never mentioned the encounter in the cold room in great detail again, but she refused to pay Dayton the money she’d promised, until she ‘could be certain of his goodwill’. It was such a load of crap even Dayton couldn’t excuse her anymore, but he still did the one thing that he believed could appease her—volunteered to redecorate the honeymoon suite based on several pictures from an interior decoration magazine. She believed that “as a gay man” he’d do the best job out of all the staff.
Maybe this would prove his goodwill clearly enough to compel Vanessa to pay him his own money. So he took the cans of white paint stored in the cellar, and had Vanessa buy some in a more interesting color, for a statement wall behind the bed, and got on with it.
Today, he’d been up since 6 am despite it technically being his day off and already he felt tired as if it was late in the evening.
He’d have asked Max for help with moving the furniture to the middle of the room, but they hardly spoke, and Dayton didn’t dare approach him.
His arm was beginning to ache from moving the roller up and down the wall, but once the room was done, with its new en-suite bathroom and the balcony with a stunning view over the river, it was bound to fetch a great price which would in turn help the inn make more money. Vanessa kept saying that once business picked up, she’d be able to pay him for all that overtime. He could then leave and make a new life for himself. He just needed to be patient and deal with the honeymoon suite first.
He put the roller on the tray that was already filled with paint and moved it over the plastic bumps to get rid of excess liquid. The angry fuchsia, which Vanessa put here in the first place because she considered it a ‘romantic’ shade, was peeking through the initial layer of paint that Dayton had covered the walls with the night before.
He was so tired, and the thick, unpleasant atmosphere in his own room got under his skin more every day. It was almost nice to do physical labor, as it kept his mind from ruminating too much. Max was civil, but he avoided Dayton, his advances long forgotten. The situation felt like living with a jar of candy on your desk yet never being able to eat any of it.
Just as Dayton channelled his fury into rolling the paint onto the wall faster, he heard a familiar voice behind him.
“Didn’t you say it was your day off?”
Dayton flinched, surprised by the pleasant, masculine tone that caused shivers to trickle down his spine. He squeezed his hands on the pole and looked back, both happy and annoyed to have his space invaded yet again. “Oh... yes. But if this suite is usable, the hotel could finally bring a decent profit, and then Vanessa would pay me.”
“Are you shitting me? She still hasn’t paid you?” Max walked into the room covered in sheets of plastic. “Wait. Are you saying she’s not paying you for all this work either?”
Put like this, Dayton’s situation seemed even more hopeless than he’d considered it before. Dayton cleared his throat and finally moved the roller over the wall once more. “Oh... I volunteered, because if we could organize weddings here, it would... be profitable,” he said flatly.
It certainly would be for Vanessa.
“So you volunteered to do this for free, on your day off, so that she can make more money despite you not getting paid in the last two months?” Max’s frown deepened and his lip curled up as if it were Dayton he was angry with, when this whole thing wasn’t Dayton’s fault at all.
It was actually way more than two months of missing wages, but Dayton didn’t mention it, to not look like even more of a loser in Max’s eyes. A few days into their real-life acquaintance, was probably a wake-up call for Max, and he must have realized Dayton was nothing like the cool, sexy guy Max had corresponded with for the last three years. It would hurt way less if Max had the money to leave and start a new life for himself.
“Who else is going to do it?”
Max stepped closer and grabbed the roller out of Dayton’s hand. “How about she does it, huh? All I see her do is walk around the hotel aimlessly, enjoy wine-o-clock every now and then, and mourn her cat while eating cheesecake.”
Dayton scowled. “Did you see this room before? She’s useless at this. She thought that painting everything black and fuchsia would make it sexy,” hissed Dayton, rolling his eyes. “She got the money for the inn from her parents, or something, and she has no idea about anything related to this business.”
“Christ! Why don’t you stand up to her? She has to pay you. It’s her job to make it happen. Why do you undervalue your work so much?” Max wouldn’t let Dayton reach the roller.
Dayton opened and closed his mouth, thrown off guard by the question. “I... don’t have any particular skills. Anyone could do what I do,” he said in the end.
Max licked his lips, making Dayton’s mind drift off to the memory of how they tasted, and how Max’s beard tickled his skin. “Haven’t you been working here for over five years? You’ve got lots of experience. You could be a receptionist in a high-end hotel, not this dump. I’ve seen you handle unhappy customers a few times, and Vanessa is lucky to have you.”
Dayton took a deep breath, surprised by the praise. Did Max honestly think so, or did he just want to make Dayton feel better? “I don’t know. I haven’t really been out of town much.”
Max grabbed his shoulder and shook him gently. The touch send a million sparks through his body. Dayton was so not over his crush on Max, if even a touch like this was getting him flustered.
“Come on, Day. You told me you were thinking of moving to Florida. Maybe you could apply for jobs there online?”
Dayton shuddered. “No... that’s not a good idea. I can’t afford to go to Florida, and what if they hated me on my first day? I’d have nowhere to go. I’d... have to sleep in the park, where someone could attack me.” At least in Florida there was low probability of freezing to death, even in winter.
Max took a deep breath, and Dayton shrank a little when the large hand slipped off his shoulder. Instead of answering, Max rested the roller against the wall and proceeded to take off his T-shirt, which instantly sent Dayton’s senses into overload. What the hell was this spontaneous striptease about? How was Dayton to ever focus on work when all of Max’s skin and tattoos were on show?
He must have been staring a bit too much, because Max frowned at him. “What? I’m not getting paint on my T-shirt, I’ve only got three.” He picked up the roller and started coating the wall in quick, efficient moves.
Dayton rubbed his face, surprised and embarrassed at the same time. “Oh... Max, you don’t have to do that. If Vanessa sees you working, she’ll hold you accountable if we do anything wrong.”
“Well, we won’t, will we? I know I don’t have to, but I’m so pissed off you’re doing this on your own. You shouldn’t have to, and I think it’s a stupid idea to give in to her demands, but I’m not leaving you with this.”
Dayton spun this in his brain, and finally a warm sensation trickled down his chest. He smiled. Max didn’t hate him after all. It was more of a relief than he’d dared to think. “Thank you. That’s... wow, you are so generous.”
Max shook his head, but the expression on his face softened. “Said the guy who lets me sleep in his room and lent me his last twenty bucks.”
Dayton grinned, flushing with heat. “No, maybe you’re right. But still. Thank you. No one ever helps me out.”
Max looked back at him, pausing for a second. He ruffled Dayton’s hair. “That’s shit. You’re a great guy. You deserve it.”
The words made Dayton melt away into a world where everything wasn’t on his shoulders and where Max was there to support him when things got tough. It was a strange thought, because he’d always put Max in the infatuation category, where Max would fulfil his sexual fantasies and emotional needs. He never really thought much about how day to day life with a guy like him would be like, but Max was pretty amazing and caring underneath his rough exterior.
Dayton licked his lips, glancing at Max over and over while his palms sweated so hard he’d create a river soon. “I guess I’m sorry about not... giving you the attention you deserve,” he said in the end.
Max glanced back at him, but continued the work. “What?”
Oh, God, why did Max have to always be so direct?
Dayton stumbled on the way to a box filled with brushes. “Oh, well, you know what I mean.”
Max glanced over his shoulder with a cocky smile. “No I don’t. What kind of attention do I deserve?” And just like that, it seemed that the games had begun all over again, and Dayton was surely prey this hunting season.
Only this time, he felt a tiny bit less skittish than he used to be. “You know, a warm bed for starters. You didn’t come all the way here to sleep on the floor.”
Max moved the roller slower over the wall, not taking his eyes off Dayton. “Didn’t I? I guess it’s what I get for wrecking your stuff.”
Dayton’s mouth twitched. “Oh, don’t worry, it’s all glued back together. Can’t lose my favorite photos, can I?”
Max was holding back a smile but his lips stretched slightly. “You can’t. Who would you think about at night otherwise?”
Dayton smiled at him, even if shyness was still pulling him down and urging him on to run while Max’s hands were full. “Jason Momoa?” he tried.
Max burst out laughing. “You little shit!” He slapped Dayton’s arm.
Dayton pushed back at his chest, sensing static forming between them when he stepped forward slightly. “It’s not like I know anyone of interest in this town...”
“Yeah, I guess. You’re surrounded by broke losers.” Max shook his head and turned back to the wall, but the amusement was clear in his voice.
Dayton licked his lips, watching Max’s shoulder blades shift underneath his delicious skin. He looked so, so good in real life. There was power in Max’s body, and it was apparent even when he wasn’t doing anything that involved strength. “At least some of them are willing to help me out with interior decoration.”
“That’s what you do? Lure them in with sweet, dirty promises, so that they can do your job for you?”
Dayton chuckled and stepped toward Max to see his handsome profile. Being so close to him made Dayton’s skin tingle, and he swallowed, mesmerized by the way Max’s biceps tensed right in front of him. “What other currency do I have other than my words?”
Max looked him up and down in that skin-licking way. “I can see a lot of untapped potential for making some cash.”
Dayton took a deep breath, for a moment taken aback and unsure whether he should feel offended or praised, but the smile tugged on his mouth nevertheless. That appreciative gaze was back to licking him up like a lollipop, and only then he realized just how much he’d missed it.
But this was good. Just normal flirting, with no rapey undertones. Max was behaving like a real gentleman should, and that, Dayton could take. “I don’t understand what you mean,” he teased.
“Take off your T-shirt, and I’ll show you.” Max smirked.
Dayton licked his lips. “I can’t do that. I’m at work, Max. You are acting so strange today. First you undressed, and now this?” Dayton asked and lifted the hem of his old shirt, just enough to flash Max his navel.
Max bit his lip, not even blinking, and it was a revelation to see just how much of an effect Dayton could have on a guy like Max. Sure, he knew he wasn’t ugly, and he watched what he was eating most of the time to keep lean, but he never considered himself particularly ‘sexy’. Attractive, maybe. Sensual? Not really. And yet the way Max was drawn to him awoke new levels of confidence Dayton never knew he had in him.
It’d been almost a week, and instead of being disappointed with what he’d found at River Inn, Max had not only stuck around but seemed more than interested in Dayton. If it were only about sex, Max could have easily gone on Grindr and found himself a new hook-up every night, even in this tiny town.
But he didn’t.
“Can’t blame a guy for tryin’.” Max flashed him a grin.
Dayton cleared his throat and slid his gaze down Max’s body, to the waistband of the pale jeans, which hung low on Max’s hips. The treasure trail of hair led Dayton right back to the fly at the front, and just thinking of the way Max’s cock had felt inside his mouth had him salivating.
He would have proposed Max undressed completely, so as not to stain any of his good clothes, but that would have been a bit too much. Even so, there were few things Dayton wanted more than putting his hands to Max’s thighs. “You’ll ruin your jeans,” he said in a voice so raspy he cleared his throat right away. “Maybe I should make overalls for you.”
Max put away the roller and wiggled his eyebrows. “Are you saying you want me to take my jeans off?”
Dayton coughed and walked up to a pile of old newspapers. “I would never suggest anything like that,” he said and picked up several sheets of paper from the stack.
“Yeah, that would have been inappropriate, wouldn’t it?”
“Very,” agreed Dayton, approaching Max with the paper and tape. Max was tense now, like a tiger ready to leap and consume his prey, but Dayton was there to tame him.
Max raised his arms and spread his legs. “You’re gonna tape newspapers to my pants? I don’t think I’ve ever seen that in DIY mags.”
“It’s my own idea,” said Dayton, stopping so close to Max he could sense his fragrance even over the damp aroma of paint. He hesitated for a moment but then got to his knees, feeling heat rise in his head already. This was such a suggestive position, and yet he’d gone into it of his own accord!
He was so crazy.
“It could fetch a prize. At a third grader science fair.” Max snorted, but stood still, watching Dayton’s every move. Dayton had no doubt that Max was also getting great pleasure from the position they were in.
Breathing in the woody scent clinging to the denim, Dayton tried to focus on the task at hand, even if his eyes kept straying between Max’s legs, to that monumental cock hiding inside Max’s fly like the forbidden fruit.
He put the paper against Max’s thigh and circled the tape dispenser around it, attaching the thin sheets to the thick fabric. He practically hugged Max’s leg in the process, and the sudden silence filled him with excitement instead of anxiety. Maybe he should at least invite Max back into his bed? It couldn’t hurt, and after the things they’ve already done with each other, it shouldn’t be awkward either. There was nothing wrong in a cuddle after all. Especially if that cuddle involved Max’s morning wood rubbing against his—
“You all right down there?” Max chuckled, and only then Dayton realized he’d drifted off.
Dayton sucked his lips into his mouth and nodded, covering both of Max’s thighs. His head floated on the waves of memory and scent, and the lightness in his brain made a push, trying to send him face-first into just the kind of situation he wanted to avoid.
