By His Rules by J. A. Rock Page B

just meet him sometime and—if you had any
    ideas for—Shit.”
    Keaton held up his hand. “Slow down.”
    Hera stood up. “I don’t know what I was thinking.
    This is so inappropriate of me. I just don’t know what to
    do anymore. I’m so worried about him. And when you
    said you had a guest room available… But this so isn’t
    your problem. I’m an idiot.” She tried to smile, her
    cheeks bright red. “I’ll go now.”
    “Hold on. Your friend—is he—I mean, is he
    physically okay?”
    Hera nodded. “He’s healing. Or his body is. He’s
    still pretty jumpy. I mean, his top beat the shit out of him
    and practically raped him—well, I think he did rape him,
    but Aiden won’t—”
    “Aiden? Aiden Cole?”
    “You know him? Aiden said he only saw you at the
    club once, and you guys didn’t talk.”
    It was Keaton’s turn to blush. “I—talked to
    someone who knew him.” Keaton cleared his throat. “I
    also saw him a few weeks ago at Jackson Pier. He didn’t
    look so good.”
    Hera shook her head. “He’s not eating, not
    sleeping. Scott really messed with him. The man is
    fucking evil—sorry. I keep forgetting you’re my teacher.”
    “I think this conversation is already past the
    bounds of appropriate student-teacher interaction.”
    Keaton half smiled. “Where is Aiden living now?”
    “He’s crashing with me. But it’s a little, uh—
    crowded. I have—roommates.”
    Keaton wrote his cell number on a piece of paper.
    “I’d like to meet with Aiden. Tell him to call me and
    we’ll set up lunch or coffee or something. If he needs a
    place to stay, I’m more than happy to provide it. But he
    and I need to talk things through first.”
    “Talk things through?” Hera bit her lip. “You’re a
    top, right?”
    Keaton tried not to blush. “Yes.”
    “He’s not—I don’t want you to think… I don’t think
    Aiden’s looking for anyone right now. You know what I
    mean?”
    Keaton felt a rush of warmth toward Hera. She’d
    done a risky thing, coming here to talk to him about this.
    It was clear that she really cared about Aiden. “I know
    exactly what you mean,” he assured her. “If Aiden comes
    to stay with me, I won’t expect anything from him. I’ll
    give him a place to rest and heal and figure things out,
    and offer what guidance I can. As a friend.”
    Hera looked relieved. “Thank you.” She slipped
    Keaton’s number into her pocket. “I’ll have him call you
    this weekend. Well, assuming he doesn’t freak out when
    I tell him I talked to you.”
    “He doesn’t know you’re here?”
    Hera shook her head. “He’s not very good at asking
    for help.”
    Keaton smiled. “Well, luckily I’m good at giving it.
    Even when it’s not asked for.”

Chapter Eleven
    Aiden reached the doors of the Corner Café and
    almost kept walking—it would have been so much
    easier than going inside. But he made himself stop, heart
    thumping, stomach clenched. He was still pissed at Hera
    for making him do this. He wasn’t interested in Keaton
    Hughes—or any top, anywhere, ever, for that matter.
    And no fucking way was he going to go stay in Keaton’s
    house and mooch off him.
    A vain part of him was ashamed that Keaton would
    see him like this. He’d dressed nicely, but there were still
    bruises fading on one side of his face, and he hadn’t been
    to the gym since the day of the cast party, almost two
    weeks ago.
    Oh well. It was either this or the fucking boarding
    house—or continuing to inconvenience Hera and her
    girlfriends. He took a deep breath and opened the door.
    He saw Keaton right away, sitting at a high table in
    the corner with his notebook out. Aiden watched him for
    a moment, amazed that he could feel the sense of calm,
    of peace radiating from the man even across a crowded
    café. Keaton looked up and spotted Aiden. He smiled.
    For just a second, Aiden felt wonderfully happy, as
    though nothing would ever go wrong for him again.
    Then he remembered why