RR-CDA by Christine D'Abo Page A

yielding to his head and neck as he stretched out. Oh this was good, it fit him in a way most furniture didn’t. He’d close his eyes for a moment, just until Cole came out with the things, and then he’d help with the decorations . . .
    “Owen?”
    He jumped and nearly bashed his face against Cole’s. “Shit. What’s wrong?”
    “Nothing. You fell asleep.”
    Blinking, he looked around and saw that Cole had not only found the box of decorations, but he’d put the tree in the stand and had already strung lights on it. “How long was I out?”
    “Half an hour or so.” Cole stepped back, his hands on his hips. “I would have let you sleep longer, but your phone was ringing in your coat. Thought it might be important.”
    The only people who normally called his cell number were his parents and Jane from the bar. “I better check that.”
    “Stay there, I’ll grab it.” Before he could protest, Cole was already gone.
    “The tree looks good.” It was nice to know that his sexual sacrifice had been worth it.
    “It’s the best one I’ve ever had. Here you go.”
    The message light was flashing, and Jane’s number was in the list. “This is work. I better check it.”
    Cole stepped away and continued decorating the tree as Owen typed in his password. The second he heard Jane’s voice he knew there was a problem.
    “Hey, boss. Sorry to bug you on your day off but we have a . . . situation. Your dad is here and . . . I can’t get a hold of your mom. If you can come in as soon as you’re able, that would be good. Thanks.”
    The message hadn’t finished playing and he was on his feet and moving toward the door.
    “Owen?”
    He stopped and spun around. “Cole. Damn it. I’m so sorry, but I have to head over to the bar. There’s a problem.”
    “Anything I can help with?” Cole still held a small red Christmas bulb in his hand as he closed the distance between them. “You don’t look very steady on your feet and I’m good at dealing with drunks now.”
    At the mention of the drunk, Owen’s gaze flicked to the now-yellow bruise on Cole’s face. The last thing he wanted to do was unload on him; Cole didn’t need that after everything else he’d been dealing with. Owen certainly didn’t want to inflict his dad on him, especially if he was in one of his moods. “I’ll be good. It’s a short walk and you have a tree to decorate.”
    Cole nodded and smiled. It didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Be careful, then. And thank you for helping with the tree. It’s perfect.”
    God, he didn’t want to leave. It was strange how at ease he’d become in Cole’s company. Stress he hadn’t realized was weighing him down always dissipated the moment he saw Cole. The time they spent together was never long enough, and left him wanting more.
    Ignoring the ache in his head, he kissed Cole hard. Like it had back at the tree lot, everything slotted into place for him. They fit together. He’d never had this level of comfort with another man before. It had always been about sex, hot and fast. The passion had been limited to physical attraction and nothing more.
    With Cole, things were different.
    Owen pulled back, knowing if he let the kiss go on too long he’d never leave the condo. “I’ll give you a call later?”
    “Looking forward to it.”
    The moment he left the safety of Cole’s place, the urgency surrounding Jane’s phone call and his father’s presence at the bar hit him. Ignoring his head, he ran to the bar as quickly as he could manage on the slippery sidewalk. McGregor’s Closed sign was still flipped around, but the door was unlocked. Jane and Moe would be setting up for the night, and wouldn’t have unlocked it.
    His dad had a key, though.
    Opening the door, he was greeted with the sound of a glass smashing.
    “How dare you try and give dirty dishes to my customers!”
    Shit.
    His dad was standing behind the bar, red-faced. Moe stood in the doorway to the back, arms stretched out as if to