Free Just a Bit Twisted by Alessandra Hazard Page B

for them.
    Shawn stared out the window for most of the drive, feigning interest in the scenery passing by. The twins were doing all the talking. He didn’t look at Rutledge, but the tension in the air between them was palpable, and the sheer amount of anger and frustration was overwhelming. Shawn wasn’t even sure why. It wasn’t like Rutledge was his ex or something; it wasn’t like they had been dating; there was no reason this should affect him. He had sucked his professor’s dick for a few weeks(granted, not something he was proud of), had been dragged along to annoy Joseph Rutledge and got paid handsomely for it. He was finally done whoring himself out, and now he had a few months to find a better job without worrying about the bills every day. So everything was fine. Great. Fantastic, actually.
    Yet it was such a relief when the car finally stopped in front of his building.
    It took Shawn a few minutes to get the girls out of the car. Rutledge already had Shawn’s suitcase out.
    “Thanks, I’ll take it now,” Shawn said, without looking at him.
    “Don’t be silly,” Rutledge said, walking toward the building. “You don’t have three hands.”
    “The girls don’t need me to carry them. They’re old enough to walk.”
    Rutledge ignored him, of course. Of course.
    “We can walk,” Emily confirmed.
    “But I wanna be carried,” Bee said.
    Shawn glared at Rutledge’s back and picked up the girls. “You don’t even know where you’re going.”
    “I know your address. I’m capable of figuring out where your apartment is.”
    Scowling, Shawn could only follow him, albeit reluctantly.
    When they reached his apartment, Shawn hesitated. He didn’t want Rutledge to see it. It wasn’t that he was embarrassed of it—fine, maybe he was embarrassed of it.
    He opened the door and ushered the girls inside before closing it and turning to Rutledge.
    Rutledge set the suitcase down, his expression stony.
    “I…” Shawn said, shifting slightly on his feet. “I’ll see you around, I guess.”
    Rutledge nodded curtly. But he didn’t move.
    Shawn cleared his throat, hooking his thumbs in his hip pockets and rocking back on his heels. “Thanks, by the way.”
    “For what?”
    “For helping me figure out I’m not straight.”
    “What?” Rutledge said, almost without inflection.
    “Yeah. In case you couldn’t tell, I liked having sex with a man.” Shawn smiled faintly. “I didn’t expect it, but I did. A lot. So… I have more options now. I guess I should thank you for that.”
    “Options,” Rutledge said.
    “Yep.” Shawn rubbed the back of his neck. “I can date guys too now.”
    Something changed in Rutledge’s expression, but it was gone before Shawn could figure out what it was.
    “You can,” Rutledge agreed, pushing his hands into the pockets of his jacket.
    Damn. Why was it so weird, and awkward—and whatever the hell it was?
    Shawn was sure he wasn’t imagining the tension, the frustration in the air, yet Rutledge’s face betrayed nothing. And it pissed Shawn off. He wanted to shake him. He wanted to shock him.
    So he said, “You know, I actually can’t wait to find out if sex with other guys will be different. It’s all new and very exciting.”
    Rutledge looked aside for a moment before a smile formed on his face. “Are you trying to make me jealous, Wyatt? I don’t do jealousy. Jealousy is for insecure men with small dicks and low self-esteem. And you have to care to be jealous. I don’t.”
    Shawn bristled at the implications. “Why would I want to make you jealous? I don’t like you. Your family is horrible, you’re an ass, you’re beyond fucked up, and you’re a commitment-phobe. And you don’t like children—which is obviously a big deal for me. You’re everything I don’t want.”
    “Good.” Rutledge glared at him.
    Their gazes clashed and a rush of carnal hunger slammed into Shawn with a force that stole his breath.
    His fingers trembling, Shawn found the