Standing there enjoying the morning, he reached out to his beloved. Their bond was growing, and their connection should allow him to feel Wyatt and his emotions. It would give him comfort until he could see him once again. Waiting and having to take these slow, agonizing steps was more than he could bear. The sooner he brought Wyatt into the secret and introduced him to the impossible, the better it would be for both of them.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Wyatt entered his father's office and stood there for several minutes while his father adjusted the items in front of him on his desk. Then, he slowly stood and walked over to stand in front of him. Holden was a good four inches taller than Wyatt, and he often used that difference to intimidate, but it didn't have the same effect it usually had. Wyatt didn't feel off balance or worried, which were his go-to reactions whenever his father pulled him in for special scrutiny.

  "Where were you last night?" He finally spoke, and his tone was demanding and condescending.

  "That's not your concern." Wyatt still wasn't sure where his newfound sense of self was coming from, but he certainly liked it. His father leaned over him a little closer, and Wyatt took a step back and looked up at him with that same confidence that filled his words.

  "Don't be insolent with me, Wyatt. It's not attractive or in your best interest." Before Wyatt could respond, the door opened, and Griffen walked in, looking cocky and in control. He went to stand next to Wyatt's father as if they were a team of some sort. It looked ridiculous to Wyatt.

  “He spent the evening with Samuel Cabot at the Cabot estate on Old Mission Peninsula.” He reported and looked Wyatt up and down like he was some vermin.

  "Is that true, Wyatt?" His father turned his attention back to him and began bearing down on him again.

  "That's not your concern," Wyatt repeated his previous response and maintained an air of disinterest, which was having an interesting effect on both his father and Griffen. It was their turn to be off balance.

  "You were telling him everything he wanted to know about our business, you little traitor. Does it make you feel good to betray your father?" Griffen was trying to take the lead.

  "Does it make you feel good to lick his boots?" Wyatt answered, still calm and detached. Griffen reached out for Wyatt, and Holden knocked his hand away, preventing Griffen from touching him.

  "Enough!" He barked. "I can't have this, Wyatt. I won't tolerate you making a fool out of me and this company. You will end this relationship or whatever it is with Cabot, and you will do it immediately. If you so much as speak to him on the phone, I will bust you down to the mailroom. Don't push me, Wyatt; this company means everything to me." His father was a bit red in the face by the time he finished that speech, and again, it did not land the way he probably thought it would.

  "No need to get worked up, father. Your business is safe, and your livelihood is secure. I would not betray you, but with that said, I will not allow you to run my life any longer." Wyatt looked over at Griffen, who was trying to figure out what was happening. He kept staring at Holden in hopes of following his lead. Just a boot licker to the core.

  “Consider this my resignation.” It felt good saying that. “I have accepted a position offered me by Samuel Cabot.”

  "Wait, there's no need to overreact." Holden erupted, clearly not expecting Wyatt to pull the plug. He took out his access card and ID and handed them to Griffen, who took them just long enough for Holden to grab them from his hand. "Get out of here, Humbolt." He yelled, and Griffen took off for the door but didn't look pleased to be kicked out.

  "What do you want? Do you want a promotion?" Holden began to rattle off possibilities.

  “You already busted me to the mailroom, so I think I’ll take Samuel’s offer.”

  “I didn’t mean it; you know I didn’t mean it.” Holden pressed.

  "I've been here a year, and there are no challenges, no trust, and no movement. I'll live and die in a cubicle, being taunted by the people around me. I want more than that, and Samuel has offered me more, and I'm taking it." Wyatt turned toward the door, and Holden grabbed his arm.

  "Who has taunted you? Tell me, and they will be gone before the day is over." Wyatt stared at his father for a solid minute, wondering if he was being truthful and really hadn't noticed the treatment he endured. He couldn't be that dense, could he? "I'll give you an office, a large office, and a secretary. Anything you want, just ask, and it's yours."

  Wyatt didn't recognize this man. Where was he when Wyatt asked for access to a company car and was shut down or when he asked for an equipment upgrade and was denied? He requested one of the more private cubicles when it came available, and he was ignored, and the space was given to a new hire.

  "I don't want anything." He said finally. "I've resigned, and I'm leaving, and I believe it will be better for both of us."

  "I wanted you to have the experience of working your way up to be strong and resilient. I never meant to leave you there for so long. I got caught up in myself and the business, and I lost sight of you and your needs. I will correct it, Wyatt. I'll make it right, I promise." Wyatt wanted to believe him, but too much had taken place, and too much time had passed. It was time for him to leave.

  “No, it’s time that I go.” He stated firm but not harsh. “I know my townhouse is owned by the firm, so I’ll be out by the weekend, and I’ll leave the keys at reception.”

  "You don't have to move." His father's face looked pained, but there was nothing Wyatt could do about it. This was necessary. He needed to break away and get a fresh start. He turned away and left the office, not stopping until he reached his car in the lot. He got in and just sat there for a few minutes, thinking and wondering what the future held.

  He drove to the bay and parked, taking some time to gather his thoughts and emotions. He'd studied the list of open positions that Sam had given him last evening and found a position open in marketing that he thought would be a good fit for him.

  He assisted the marketing department from time to time, but his father had refused to give him a position saying it was better if he floated and learned all the aspects of the business before settling down in any one area. All he learned was that floaters were given little respect and garbage, throw away assignments. He tried to tell his father this, but he wasn’t listening he was never listening.

  Sam felt his beloved's charged emotions; they were thick and heavy, and he could sense that Wyatt was working hard to control himself. He couldn't read what was happening, but it was causing an upheaval in his beloved's heart and mind. Wyatt was struggling with his calm but was maintaining a level reaction on the surface. Sam channeled calm and strength to him through their tenuous connection.

  "Come to me, sweetheart," Sam called to him, and he felt Wyatt respond. Whatever was happening, he was suffering, and Sam desperately wanted him nearby. He felt his tension and sadness but also felt a sense of relief that he was trying to push through.

  Sam needed to know what was going on, and he wanted his beloved to be with him. He sent a text and hoped Wyatt was in a position to answer. He focused and pushed his calm out to him, bathing him in confidence and security. "Come to me, sweetheart." He repeated.

  Holden Grey stormed out of his office and over to Wyatt's cubicle. He stood there looking at it, and his face fell. It had all been a waste leaving his son in such a place simply because he was too busy to take his feelings into account or to treat him like any other employee.

  He was the boss's son, so, therefore, he had to suffer. Where in the hell had he gotten such a ridiculous idea. Holden silently chastised himself as he stared down at the revolting little space that his son had occupied for over a year. He looked up and took in the faces of the people around him sitting at their desks and in their cubicles and wondered how many had taken pleasure in torturing his son.

  There were five in the room with their desks close to Wyatt’s and two offices close by. Holden looked around the room with a steely gaze. “You’re all fired, get out.” One of the offices belonged to Griffen Humbolt and he did not have to guess whether he was involved in his son’s humiliation the man had the nerve to do it in front of him.

  "But, sir, what have we done?" One of them stood and tried to question the others had the good sense to just start packing they knew what they did.

  “My son has resigned, he has walked away, he has accepted a job elsewhere because of the treatment he received in this office.” His voice kept rising and getting louder with each word spoken. “Get . . . out!” He yelled and saw Griffen step out of his office with a look of shock on his face.

  Holden pointed a finger at Griffen. “You, you made him quit, you acted like you were better than him. You are nothing and I will see to it that you never work in this town again. Get out you’re fired.” Holden spoke to security before returning to his office and closing and locking the door.

  Security waited while those fired packed their things, and then they walked them out of the building. Griffen maintained a look of disbelief throughout. "I can't believe he's letting us all go because Wyatt got his feelings hurt." He snarled. The man walking him out just shook his head and pointed to the door.

  Wyatt sat there in silence and suddenly experienced a calm much like he had during the run in with his father and Griffen. It encompassed him warming his heart and easing the tension that was building in his mind and body. He had the feeling that Sam was close by even though he was completely alone sitting in his car staring out at the bay.

  The need to see Sam came over him even more powerfully than before. It was almost a compulsion, and he wondered if it was too early or if he would be seen as clingy or needy. Wyatt wanted to go to him, tell him his woes, and feel the man's strong arms around him but hesitated for fear it wouldn't be well received. They'd only known each other a short time. They were intimate, and many things were said, but did that warrant running to him for comfort.

  Wyatt didn't want to ruin a good thing, and Sam was definitely a very good thing. He sat there weighing the pros and cons while feeling the pull to go to him when he received a text. It was brief but said everything that Wyatt needed to hear.

  “My love, please come to me. I can feel your upset let me help you.” Wyatt didn’t respond but rather started his car and headed to the Cabot building. He didn’t know how Sam had known he needed him, but it was touching, and he wasn’t going to question the reality of the bond that they have.

  He put everything except getting to Sam out of his mind his father, his job, the changes and challenges all were pushed aside. Thoughts of Sam filled him with hope and anticipation and that was all he needed right now.

  Wyatt parked in the lot across from the Cabot building and started to run. The need to get to Sam kept building until it was raging through him. It made no sense, but it also made perfect sense. Sam was everything he ever wanted, and Sam wanted him. He sought him out and pursued him.

  He saw Wyatt really saw him and he stayed he didn’t back away or change his mind or choose someone else. Sam chose him and Wyatt wasn’t going to risk or lose the feeling he got whenever Sam was close and whenever he looked at him like he was the center of his world.

  Cooler, leveler heads might argue that it’s not real and it won’t last or that it is a fantasy. But with that said Wyatt was ready to accept whatever Sam was prepared to give. He wasn’t desperate or pathetic he simply knew what he wanted and there was no crime in that.

  He rushed into the lobby, and standing there waiting for him was Sam, looking every bit as handsome and welcoming as he remembered. Wyatt didn't stop and rushed right into Sam's waiting arms. He buried his face in Sam's chest and held on, taking one deep breath after another. A sense of security and peace washed over him.

  “I have you my love don’t worry everything will be okay.” Sam soothed him and held him as he directed him toward the elevator. There were people in the lobby, but Sam seemed to not care that they were making a public display. He gave Wyatt what he needed without question and Wyatt loved him for that.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Sam was beside himself with relief now that Wyatt was there in his arms, and he could take care of him. The tension that had engulfed Wyatt was slowly draining away. He held him and they walked to the elevators. Sam wanted to have privacy with his beloved so they were going to his apartment on the top floor.

  He spoke to the receptionist and told her to clear his schedule for the day. He was staying with Wyatt, and they were going to get to know one another and secrets would be shared and expectations presented. He couldn't wait to have his beloved by his side and fully aware of the sanctity and the importance of their relationship. It was fast, but Wyatt was in a head space to listen, and Sam was not going to squander the opportunity.

  Once they were in his apartment, Sam lifted Wyatt's face up so he could look at the gorgeous blue eyes. "What happened, my love. I felt your upset and sadness." Sam asked and brushed the hair out of Wyatt's eyes. "Talk to me, sweetheart."

  Wyatt shared what had taken place with his father and Griffen. “I quit, I walked out, and I wasn't scared until I got to my car and began to think." He gripped Sam's sides and dropped his gaze. “I should have thought it through and given two weeks.”

  “You did what you had to do what should have been done months ago. You gave him plenty of opportunities to treat you better to treat you equitably, and he failed. This is in no way your fault. You have a job here but give yourself a few days to relax and get settled.” Sam dropped a quick kiss on his cheek.

  “I have to move by the weekend.”

  "You'll move in here with me," Sam stated, but it was not a suggestion.

  "I can't ask you to do that; you hardly know me," Wyatt said, although those eyes were asking to stay.

  “I knew you the moment I touched your scarf.” He said and then added. “I’ll send a crew to your place to sort it out. Bring whatever you want, and we’ll store the rest.” Sam was moving fast, and he knew it, but he didn’t want Wyatt to backslide or decide to live elsewhere. He belonged with Sam in their apartment.

  "You might decide you don't like living with me, and it could become awkward." Wyatt was talking like they were acquaintances. Sam cupped the sides of his face in the palms of his hands and turned Wyatt's face up to his. He simply stared down into those beautiful eyes for a few seconds, letting Wyatt connect and feel his emotions before speaking his thoughts.

  “Look into my eyes and tell me what you see.” He stated. “Do I look indecisive; do I look like I don’t know what I want? I’ve never shared my space with anyone before, but I want to share with you. I see in you everything that I desire in a partner, a lover, a friend. We are a Fated match.” Sam started to put the truth out there and to see if he caught on.

  "I trust you, Sam, and I don't trust anyone. I look into your eyes, and I see sincerity and integrity, and I see want. Your confidence and surety make me feel like this is a good idea. I don't know if the feeling is yours or mine. Maybe I want this so badly to be real that I'm making it real." Wyatt was almost there and then veered off the road at the last minute.

  “Trust yourself Wyatt, feel me in your heart and in your mind I am there.” Sam made reference to their connection to see if he understood what was happening.

  "I did feel you in my mind, and you calmed me in my father's office and again in the car at the bay. It felt like you were there with me, and you spoke to me." Wyatt held him and searched his face for the answer.

  "Come to me, Wyatt. I told you to come to me."

  "I heard you, and I came." Wyatt looked confused. "What's happening, Sam? What is this?" He paused for a second. "You knew me the moment you touched my scarf." He repeated Sam's words with wonder. Sam bent and took his lips in a kiss that chased every other thought away. He gathered him into his arms, crushing their bodies together. Wyatt opened for him, welcoming the embrace.

  Sam intended to talk for a while to discuss their Fated connection but in the heat of the moment his vampire took over. The need to comfort and claim was all consuming and unstoppable. Sam picked him up into his arms without breaking the kiss and carried him to the bedroom. Wyatt held on and reciprocated the eager desire Sam was presenting.

  In the back of Sam's mind, he knew that the discussion should come first, but the longing that unleashed a craving so deep he could not pull back made it clear that all discussions would come later. Sam sat him down on his feet but did not release him, so he slowly brought the kiss to an end. "I need you, Wyatt." He said with breathless intensity. Then, kisses began to rain down his neck and across his shoulder.

  Sam untied Wyatt's tie and loosened his shirt collar before removing his jacket. He moved with determination but left room for Wyatt to slow down if he chose to. Wyatt did not slow down. Instead, he began pulling at Sam's clothes in an effort to get them off. With a satisfied chuckle, Sam stepped back and began to strip. “I need to see you, Wyatt." He said after a few seconds of Wyatt just watching and not moving.

  “You are gorgeous.” Wyatt said in long drug out syllables. Sam couldn’t help but puff a bit at the compliment from his beloved.

  “Not as gorgeous as you, my love.” Wyatt flashed that megawatt smile and stripped in record time while never taking his eyes off Sam. Sam discovered that his love for this man was growing by the minute and he saw no limit in sight. He would treasure and protect honor and adore to his dying day. Wyatt was coming out and showing his true self his confidence and his character and he was amazing.

  Once the clothes were dealt with, Sam took Wyatt by the waist and picked him up depositing him gently onto the bed. “I love the way you pick me up and the way you hold me.” He whispered. “You make me feel so safe when I’m with you.”

  "You're always safe with me, my love." Sam stretched out beside him on the large bed and pulled him into his arms for another breathtaking kiss. He wrapped his leg around Wyatt and gently moved over him, seating himself between Wyatt's soft thighs. His beloved's body was a wonder to behold and was passionately pressed against him. Their bodies were meant for such contact and perfect intimacy. Wyatt was made for him, and he was made for Wyatt.