Chapter One
THE BAR WAS so busy that Archer Hiscock had to maneuver his way past a group of people just to get through the doorway. Rolling his eyes, he eased past them, before somehow, finding an empty seat at the bar.
Sighing, he sat down on the stool and caught the bartender’s eye as he served the steady stream of customers, getting a nod in return.
When the man was finally able to reach him, he ordered the local beer and waited for it to arrive. Within a minute, he held the cold glass in his hand and licked his lips. He’d been waiting for this all day; in fact, he’d been craving one throughout his flight here.
Paying, Archer lifted the glass and took a mouthful, sighing as the cool liquid eased his parched throat. Damn, it was hot. Hotter than he’d expected but, thankfully, nothing he couldn’t handle.
He put the glass down and scanned the bar, eyeing some of the men who’d caught his attention but weren’t pinging his gaydar. He’d only been at the beach resort for a few hours, and so far, hadn’t seen anyone who he thought would be worth the effort to keep him company for night or two. Still, he had fourteen days left, so who knew what could happen during that time.
Maybe it was his age. He was thirty-two, and it seemed he had become more picky with age. He’d done the club scene, the dark corner encounters that included hand jobs or blow jobs, and the occasional one-night-stand, but he’d grown tired of it all and wanted more; he needed a connection.
He thought he’d had that with Jersey, but after trying for a year, six months of which were really shitty, he’d finally ended the relationship and walked away. A year later, he’d tried again with Colt, but that hadn’t lasted either.
So, here he was, alone in a bar, staring into his drink and wondering what he was going to do with himself. Thirty-two was still young, but he wanted to settle down and have a family of his own. He wanted a husband, someone to come home to every night and talk about his day.
Maybe he should stop being so damn picky.
Looking up from the glass, he glanced around the bar again, and then his eyes darted back in the direction they’d skimmed over. There, in the corner, was someone who had him looking twice. Hell, more than twice. Even in the dim lighting, he could tell the man had dark hair, but from where he was sitting, there was very little else Archer could tell about him.
He looked up once more, and their eyes caught and held, before he smiled at Archer, making his heart jump in his chest and his stomach flip over. Wow...what a smile. He smiled back and nodded his head, inviting the man to come over and join him. As he sauntered over, Archer swallowed.
The man was dressed like everyone else around him, in a shirt and shorts, but the way he filled them out was just perfect in Archer’s opinion. He was nicely built, not too bulky, but with good muscle definition and long legs that ate up the ground as he walked over.
Archer licked his lips, his eyes checking out the other man’s package, and his mouth watered at the thought of being able to get a taste.
When the other man reached him, Archer held out his hand in greeting. “I’m Archer.”
“Cain.” They shook hands, and Cain leaned against the bar, smiling again. Archer watched, lost for words until Cain chuckled. “When did you get here?”
English, with a bit of a twang. He loved that accent, and his dick hardened. Discreetly nudging it, he answered, “A few hours ago actually. You?”
“Yesterday, and man, do I need this vacation.”
“Job or relationship?”
“Both?” Cain shook his head, and his pale green eyes stared into Archer’s own blue. “I broke up with someone recently, and I’m in the middle of transferring back home.”
“To England?” So, he was single, but was he gay?
“I’m as American as you,” Cain said, chuckling. “I’ve lived in London for work for the last five years. Guess I’ve picked up some of the accent.”
“Where do you call home?”
“A place called Warburton, Montana. Well, I have a place just outside really.”
Archer’s eyebrows popped up. “I live there too.”
“Do you...what are the odds?” Cain smiled. “I miss home. I’ve loved living and working in London, but home is home, you know.”
“It certainly is. So, when are you transferring back? What do you do?”
“I’ll be back in the next month or so. I’m an engineer, and I was setting up the London arm of the company. Took a little longer than I anticipated, but we got there in the end.” Cain nodded toward Archer. “What about you?”
“I’m a vet and am commiserating over my single status.”
Cain winced. “Have you just broken up with someone too?”
“No,” Archer said with a shake of his head. “It was a few months ago, but he said I wasn’t ‘present,’ whatever that means.” Archer furrowed his brow. “How could I not be present when I was with him all the time?”
“Maybe deep down you knew it wasn’t going to last.” Cain shrugged. “When I realized I was going back home, I ended mine. It wouldn’t have been fair to try a long-distance relationship. It was after I’d ended things that I found out my credit cards had been used. A lot.” Cain shrugged. “Lesson learned.”
“Ouch. So, it appears we both have shitty taste then.”
Cain arched a brow but nodded. “Seems we do.” Licking his lips, Archer watched Cain’s eyes travel over his body and grinned when their eyes met. Cain quickly glanced away, then back again. “What plans do you have while you’re here?”
“Rest and relaxation and maybe more,” he shrugged, watching as Cain’s pupils dilated, and Archer grinned at him. Yeah, Cain knew exactly what he meant and seemed on board with the idea too. He watched Cain swallow and look away again.
“Have you been here before?”
“No,” Archer bit his bottom lip and watched Cain’s eyes stare at it. “You?”
“No, I haven’t. I wanted to treat myself before I handed things over to my replacement and got involved arranging travel and setting up a place to live when I got back home.”
“You don’t realize what’s involved when you move countries.”
“That’s for damn sure. I’m lucky that the company I work for has done most of the work for me and that my family have found a place for me. They sent me pictures of the house, but it’s hard to get a feel for the place when I’m not actually there and haven’t stood in the rooms.”
“I saw so many houses before I was able to decide. You do need to walk around the place, see each room and figure out if it fits. Sounds stupid when you say it out loud, but I went to one house, and I knew as soon as I walked in that I wasn’t going to buy it. The vibe was all wrong. It just felt...dark so I didn’t buy it. I live above the surgery now. Easier for work.”
Cain nodded and sipped in beer. “Nah, I get it. So...it seems we live in the same state.”
“Yeah. I lived in New York when I was doing my degree, and I loved my four years there, but like you said, home is home.”
“I can’t wait to get back there. London is a fantastic place to be. So many different cultures to immerse yourself in, but it’s always busy.” Cain laughed. “Like New York, I guess.”