Trust

The phone was ringing.

Newton swallowed hard and squeezed his eyes shut, trying to catch his breath, trying to ignore the ringing. There was only one person who ever called him on that phone—the person who got the phone for him in the first place.

Martin.

Newton had been dumb enough to believe him when he’d said the phone was for business, that he had just wanted Newton to have a way to get in touch with him if he needed to.

If he had only known then that Martin would use it as a tracking device, that he would use it to keep tabs on where Newton went and who he was with at all times.

Worse still, Newton was living with Martin now, so there was no escaping the questions, the yelling.

Just like there had been no escaping the occasional innocent touch that was anything but innocent.

Just like there had been no escaping the punches when Newton had dared to object to anything at all.

That had been his life for two long, hellish years.

But not anymore.

Newton opened his eyes and struggled to pick up the suitcase that was stuffed as full as he could get it before finally settling on dragging it across the tiled floor of the foyer and out the door to the rental car he had parked in the driveway.

Even without checking who had called, there was no doubt in his mind it had been Martin.

And there was also no doubt that Martin was nearby. He never went far, but there was a limited window of time every Wednesday that Newton could count on having a few hours to himself.

Normally, he spent those few hours crying, or huddled in bed, pretending the world outside his room didn’t exist.

Today, though, he was putting that time to better use.

Today was the day he would be free, one way or another.

But he knew his window of times would be closing soon if it hadn’t already, and now that he hadn’t answered the phone, he knew that Martin would be hurrying home as fast as he could, no doubt in a rage.

That wasn’t going to be Newton’s problem for much longer, though.

He had spent all of his money to move to San Francisco, to follow his dream of being a professional photographer.

When Martin Cunningham—the Martin Cunningham—had offered him an internship and a place to live, Newton thought his dreams might finally be coming true.

But no.

Instead, his dreams had turned into nightmares, and even the thing he loved the most in life—his photography—couldn’t ease the pain anymore.

If this was what he had to do to follow his dream, it just wasn’t worth it to him anymore. He would find a new dream. Or he would find another photographer to study under—one who wasn’t mean and disgusting and manipulative.

Whatever he did, it wouldn’t be here. It would be as far away from here as he could get.

Maybe someplace back in Ohio.

Wherever.

That part didn’t even matter.

Newton shoved the suitcase in the back seat and shut the door, leaning against it to catch his breath for a second before sliding into the driver’s seat and starting the car.

Wherever he ended up, maybe he’d check out a gym, because holy hell he was out of shape. Maybe if he had exercised more, maybe if he’d had bigger muscles or a more chiseled face, Martin would have thought twice about bullying him.

He looked at the clock on the dashboard. Martin would definitely be here soon, and Newton needed to be as far away as possible by then.

Otherwise, it was going to be bad.

Really bad.

Newton was pretty sure his life might depend on what happened in the next few minutes.

Trying to concentrate on driving—God, it had been so long since he’d driven anywhere, since he’d even had a car—he backed out of the long driveway and onto the quiet residential street.

Nobody would ever guess by looking at the tidy Spanish colonial on the corner that a madman lived there.

Nobody would ever guess the kind of pain Newton had endured at his hands.

And if Newton made it to wherever he was going, nobody would ever find out, either.

As far as he was concerned, Martin would be dead to him, along with the rest of Newton’s past. He had enough money hidden away after a few months of planning to really make a new start in a small town somewhere. It wouldn’t last long, by any means, but it would last a hell of a lot longer somewhere else than it would have in San Francisco.

Newton had made it to the stop sign at the end of the street.

So far, so good.

As he turned the corner onto the busy road, he took a second to look back at the personal hell he was leaving behind. Just as the end of the driveway was about to disappear from his view, he saw Martin’s silver Mercedes sedan pull into it.

Newton’s palms started sweating and his throat closed up. He couldn’t breathe, and for a moment he couldn’t think, either.

Focus, Newton.

He was still driving, and he was going to have to pull it together if he didn’t want to crash. His brain knew there was no way Martin would catch up to him now. By the time he got inside the house and realized Newton was gone, it would already be way too late.

But it had been a close miss.

Too close.

Three blocks later, Newton’s whole body was still shaking, the metallic taste of adrenaline still in the back of his throat.

He had made it out alive, though. Against all odds, he’d made it.

Newton didn’t know where he was going, and he didn’t care. There was really only one thing he knew for sure.

He was never, ever going back to San Francisco.

Gage Michaels couldn’t help but smile as he looked out across the floor of his gym. In the two years he’d been in business, he’d never seen Downtown Body so busy. It was a damn good feeling, and he hoped that it was just the beginning.

“It looks like the whole town has come out for your Get Fit event.” Calvin Berry walked up with his fiancé, Jack, and clapped Gage on the back. “I’m really excited for what you’re going to be doing here. It might even be enough to make me want to work out.”

Gage laughed. He knew good and well that his friend would much rather curl up with a book than do bicep curls, but it was nice of him to pretend. It wasn’t by chance that Calvin owned the only bookstore in town—it had become a necessity to feed his reading addiction. Luckily for Calvin, his fiancé seemed to have an endless supply of ideas on how to market the bookstore to new customers, even in a town as small as Silver Lake. Otherwise, Gage was pretty sure there might be days when Calvin would lock the doors to customers just so he could stay there reading all by himself.

“Even if Calvin won’t be here,” Jack said, shooting his fiancé a knowing grin. “Then I definitely will be. I’ve been meaning to start working out again ever since I moved back, but time just keeps getting away from me.”

“You know you have a lifetime membership waiting anytime you want to use it,” Gage answered, smiling at his friends. “Both of you. If it wasn’t for the two of you, I probably would have just kept things going like they were forever, never really considering how much more I could be doing.”

It was true, too. Gage might have come up with the actual idea for the event, but he’d never really looked at his gym as anything more than a weight room where he and his friends could work out. It had always felt like a bonus that he made money doing it.

Now, though, he could see that his business was just as important to Silver Lake as any other. He had taken an interest in getting as many people as he could through the doors and helping them discover how great a little bit of exercise could be.

Well, that was the dream, anyway.

And it was mostly thanks to Calvin and Jack.

“I really don’t see how they could possibly justify repealing the big business ordinance when the time comes,” Calvin said. “Especially if more businesses in town learn from your example. The busier we all are, the better off the town is.”

“That’s right,” Jack said, nodding. “A rising tide lifts all the boats. And I think it’s clear we’re starting to see what a rising tide looks like. I think even Trenton has been seeing an uptick in business.”

Gage tried and failed to stifle a groan. Trenton Lewis had never really been on any of their radars other than the fact that he owned one of the two coffee shops on Main Street. But ever since he tried to get the town council to repeal the ordinance that kept big corporations out in favor of smaller, local businesses, Gage had become wary of anything the man said or did.

As much as it didn’t feel right to be pitted against another business owner in town, it seemed like Trenton was determined to prove that his way—repealing the ordinance and letting big businesses take over—was the only way Silver Lake was going to survive.

Gage was going to do his best to prove Trenton and his buddies on the council wrong.

“Well I’ll be damned,” Jack muttered, pulling Gage from his thoughts. “You even managed to get the new photographer in here?” He nodded toward the door where one of the cutest guys Gage had ever seen had just walked in.

“Photographer?” Gage asked. “Like… professional?”

“Oh, is that the guy you were telling me about?” Calvin asked, following Jack’s gaze. “That was a couple of weeks ago, and I haven’t seen him at all before today.”

“Nobody has,” Jack said, shrugging. “He was nice enough when I stopped by his studio to say hi and introduce myself, but… he sure wasn’t much of a talker.”

“This is the guy who leased that old building on the corner of Main and Vine? Where Mr. Wilson used to have an ice cream shop back when we were kids?” Gage was still trying to keep up with the conversation even though his eyes hadn’t left the mysterious redhead standing at his front desk. “Man, I hope he’s getting a membership.”

“That’s the one,” Jack said. “Newton… something. I can’t remember his last name. But the old soda fountain counter is still there and everything. It’s pretty cool the way he has it set up.”

Calvin waved a dismissive hand. “That’s not the important part, though. The real question is—is this Newton guy single? Gay? Looking?” He reached out and poked Gabe in the ribs. “You need to be over there talking to him right now. Don’t just leave it to Michelle to get the details. She’ll never ask all the important questions.”

“Oh jeez,” Gage laughed. “And you think I should go ask him all those things? I’m pretty sure that’s not the best way to get new members to the gym, Calvin.”

“It could be the way to get a date, though,” Calvin replied, waggling his eyebrows as a big grin spread across his face. “Go over there. Talk to him. Get the scoop.” He waited a moment, then poked Gage in the ribs again. “Go.”

“Okay, okay,” Gage jumped and gave his friend a mock-glare as he took a few steps toward the front desk. “I’m going…”

Gage was normally pretty outgoing, and meeting new people was a part of his job that he looked forward to, but this guy already felt a little mysterious just from the way Jack had described him. Now that Gage was closer, he could hear the man’s voice—deep, but quiet. Reserved, just above a whisper, kind of like he was in a library rather than a busy gym.

Which was… fine. Not everyone had to be an extrovert.

Especially when he had a shock of red hair and oh-my-God the bluest eyes Gage had ever seen. It was enough to make Gage stop in his tracks when the man looked up at him.

“I, uh… hi?” the man said, taking a half-step back as he looked Gage up and down.

“Hi,” Gage replied, doing his best to smile and to hopefully look a little less intimidating as he offered his hand to shake. At nearly six and a half feet tall, though, Gage towered over the guy—as he did with most people. It was hard to fault him if he was a little overwhelmed. “I’m Gage Michaels—the owner here. I was just coming over to welcome you to town.”

The man’s brow furrowed as he shook Gage’s hand. “I’m Newton,” he said. “Newton Allen. But, uh… how did you know I’m new?”

Because my friends and I were just ogling you from across the room.

Because you’re cuter than any of the other guys in town.

Because those eyes make me want to skip all of this pointless small-talk and just…

“I’ve lived here all my life,” Gage said, giving a little shrug. “I know just about everyone in Silver Lake.”

Newton was still looking at Gage like he’d sprouted horns, but his shoulders seemed to relax a little at Gage’s explanation. “I was just talking to uh… Michelle?” Newton glanced over at the receptionist who had already moved on to talk to another potential new member. “And she was telling me about the special you’re running right now.” He looked down a little self-consciously. “I’ve never really worked out in a gym before, but I, uh… I think it might help me with some things.”

Gage had so many questions. Where was he from? What made him suddenly want to sign up for a gym membership, especially since he was clearly uncomfortable and out of his element? What things did he need help with?

“I’d be happy to show you around, if you have time,” Gage said, shoving all of those other questions to the back of his mind. “It’s a little crowded today, but we should be able to at least hit the high points.”

Newton gave a forced smile and shook his head. “I really should be going. I have a shoot in twenty minutes that I need to get set up for… I honestly just stopped in to have a peek and get a little information, but… maybe another time? For the tour, I mean. I do need to follow through and actually start working out this time. Maybe even take some self-defense classes if you offer them.”

Gage opened his mouth to speak but stopped short. Self-defense? What had this guy been through? Or was Gage just reading too much into his words, into the guarded, cautious look in his eyes?

It was hard to tell, but it had been enough to pique Gage’s curiosity.

“Part of the reason behind today’s event is to find out what kinds of classes people would like me to offer, so self-defense is definitely going on the list. And… I’m sorry, but did you say you own the photography studio down the street? Where the old ice cream shop used to be?”

Newton’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t remember saying all of that… but yeah, that’s where my studio is. Why do you ask?”

“No reason,” Gage shrugged. “But I could use some quality shots of this place once I get it cleaned up—for advertising and whatnot, you know? Is that something you could do?”

“Maybe…” Newton scanned the room before looking back to Gage. “I mean, I don’t think it would be a problem.” He reached into his pocket and fished out a crisp business card. “I just got these printed up and honestly wasn’t sure if I’d ever even use them, but I guess you get to be my first—” He paused as he held out the card. “My first, uh…”

Gage’s hand had nearly closed around Newton’s as he took the card—not on purpose, it was just that Gage had been distracted looking into Newton’s eyes. But now that he felt the man’s soft, warm skin, and the way his hand trembled slightly when Gage made contact?

Yeah, he almost couldn’t make himself let go.

Except Newton was looking up at him like a deer in headlights and Gage really did need to let go before it became awkward.

Or more awkward.

“Maybe we can work out a trade,” Gage said, his voice sounding low and distracted, even to his own ear. “A gym membership for a photo consultation?”

Newton nodded and swallowed hard. “Y-yeah… maybe we could do that. Just, uh… call me? And we’ll set something up.”

“I will definitely call,” Gage took a deep breath and finally took his hand away, shoving it in his pocket to resist the temptation to reach out and touch Newton again. “We’ll set something up for sure.”

“Great,” Newton said, already edging back toward the door. “I’ll, uh… I’ll see you later, then.”

“You will.” Gage smiled and wished they had just a few more minutes to talk. The more he found out about Newton, the more he wanted to know. “And Newton?”

“Y-yeah?” Newton was already halfway out the door when he paused to look back over his shoulder.

“I’m glad you came in today. I’m looking forward to getting to know you a little better.”

Newton’s eyes went wide, and Gage could see his throat bob as he swallowed hard again. “Sure. Thanks… bye.”

He was out the door before Gage could say anything else, and Gage couldn’t stop his legs from carrying him over to the floor-to-ceiling window, so he could watch Newton leave.

What was it about the guy? He was super cute, but totally not Gage’s type—meaning he probably wasn’t a complete asshole who would just be interested in having a little fun and then moving on in a couple of weeks. At least Newton didn’t look like that type.

Hell, Gage didn’t even know if he was gay.

Still, there had been something in the man’s eyes. Especially when their hands had touched.

Of course, it could have been nothing. Gage might have just been imagining things, or just seeing what he wanted to see.

But he hadn’t imagined the way those bright blue eyes had sparkled and danced. He hadn’t imagined the warmth of Newton’s touch or the way he hadn’t immediately jerked away when Gage had accidentally wrapped his fingers around the man’s whole hand.

Gage hadn’t imagined the way his own body had responded, either. Or the fact that all he could think about now was getting a chance to see Newton again.

He looked down at the small card in his hand and traced over Newton’s name with his thumb. At least Gage had his number now. That would definitely make Calvin proud.

Gage grinned. He was pretty proud of himself, actually.

He’d gone and talked to a cute guy who might or might not be straight. He’d set up another meeting—not necessarily a date, but it was something.

And something was better than nothing, right? Something might lead to a real date. Or maybe just a friend.

Either way, Gage knew one thing for sure.

He really, really wanted to know more about Newton Allen.