Companion Required by Brian Lancaster

Author:Brian Lancaster [Lancaster, Brian]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: LGBT Romance Fiction
Publisher: Pride Publishing
Published: 2020-11-16T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter Nineteen

Kennedy

The sudden loss of warmth from Kieran’s body took Kennedy by surprise. During the kiss—from a supposedly straight man, no less—something strange had happened inside him. A simple truth had come to light, something that had been so obvious, so fundamental, that he had been blind to it all these years.

“We need to talk,” came the voice of his ex-lover.

Nine years, to be precise. He had spent nine years of his life with the man in front of him. Pretty much all of his thirties. And in all that time, they had never been in love. Not really, if they were both going to be honest. Maybe they had loved each other once, in a brotherly kind of way. Kennedy had provided a financial security blanket while Patrick had brought domesticity and continuity. But they’d been nothing more than a partnership of convenience.

“Kennedy! Are you listening to me?”

“Yes, Patrick,” he replied calmly, peering up at Patrick instead of looking through him. No doubt about it, his ex still looked good—a little heavier of frame perhaps, but still handsome and in good shape. Over Patrick’s shoulder, he noticed Joey rush into the bar, but on seeing them together, he moved to one side of the room, a few metres away.

“First of all, what’s with snogging the rent boy? Was that show put on just for me?”

“Okay, enough, Patrick. Let’s put a few things straight, shall we?”

“Straight? Fine. Let me start. In case you didn’t know, your boy’s got a girlfriend back in England.”

“Yes, I know he had a girlfriend. Just like you and I had girlfriends back in university.”

“You don’t get it, do you? Just like the last one, this little cocksucker moron’s taking you for a ride—”

“No!” said Kennedy, standing and meeting Patrick’s gaze. “You do not get to slag off Kieran! Have a pop at me all you want, but leave Kieran alone. He’s been nothing short of heroic for standing by me and putting up with this whole stupid charade. Yes, Richmond told me in no uncertain terms what everyone thinks of me, but Kieran deserves none of it. Only one man on this ship has defended me through all of this, and that’s Kieran.”

“Yeah, because you’re paying him to.”

“Not true. I’m paying him to be a companion, not a defender. The lot of you managed to turn Ewan against me last year, and I was paying him, too. But unlike the rest of you evil bastards, Kieran has a good heart. And he’s the first person who has ever got me. Understands why I do what I do, what I’ve achieved despite everything and everyone. Someone who sees the things I’ve accomplished without being jealous or judgmental.”

“Like me, you mean?”

“If we’re going for honesty, then, yes.”

“Fucking unbelievable,” Patrick spat out, turning his head away. “Still reinventing history much? You always did put your work before us. Never put any time aside for me. You alone were the one responsible for ruining us.”

“No. It takes two, Patrick. I admit I spent a lot of time getting one deal after another off the ground.

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