Coming Soon... Studs & Steel #9....

A brand new Studs and Steel story about Colby.

Colby is a police officer and usually works with Harrison.

Harrison is on paternity leave, his wife having just had their second baby, leaving Colby to his own devices...

I needed to talk to my buddy. He might be on paternity leave, but I needed a sounding board – and he was always going to be my confidante and therefore, my first port of call in a crisis.

I rang the doorbell of Harrison's house and waited a little nervously for him to answer the door.

After a couple of minutes, he came to the door, looking tired and slightly harassed. I grinned, “hey dude,” I said, “How’s it hanging?”

He narrowed his eyes slightly at me, judging whether I was simply asking after him, or if I was referring to his dick which, I’m not gonna lie, was impressive but I’d never fancied him so the point was moot. I did, however, want a man eventually who was as impressive in the trouser department if you know what I mean and that guy last night – phewee! He had a very impressive package, thanks very much...

“Thank God you're here,” Harrison said with feeling, handing me his eldest child, Lucy, who immediately snuggled into me and closed her eyes. I’d always been kind of gifted at getting the babies to sleep and Harrison’s children were no different to those of my siblings. They all loved their Uncle Colby.

I frowned in confusion at his hairless state, “Where’s Carly?” I asked, looking around for a sign of his beautiful and very patient, caring wife.

Harrison rolled his eyes, “Her gran’s ill so she’s shot off with her mother, leaving me with the babies on my own. Like I know what I’m doing,” he looked at me as if she’d left him with a boa constrictor to wrestle, “bleeding typical.” He grumbled, “You know what women are like...” 

I looked at him with slightly raised eyebrows. I guess I knew what my sister was like – and my mother, but other than that, actually, no, I really didn’t. They were a total mystery to me and I was pretty comfortable with that.

He grinned, “Come on in, mate. I’ll stick the kettle on. Are you off today or is it a late start?”

I explained that I’d slept through my alarm and that I’d had to swap a shift with Smithson and James.

He frowned, “That’s not like you,” he commented, eyeing me suspiciously, “late night, was it?”

I nodded, “Uh, something like that.” I hedged.

Lucy was well and truly asleep in my arms, which I can’t deny, was beginning to give me a bit of backache. I sat down in one of the chairs around the table and settled myself back into a comfy position while Harrison got the cups out and started making us a brew.

“Something like that?” he grinned and raised an eyebrow, “What? You met a guy?”

I nodded, “Yeah, it was a really shitty day...” I started to explain...

“You did what?” Harrison exclaimed, looking at me in horror, “You took the dude for a drink? Are you crazy?”

I frowned at him. I’d had a shitty day. He’d clearly had a shitty day. I thought the best thing all round was to go and sink a couple of pints... “No,” I said a little defensively, “why?”

He rolled his eyes at me. Something he did at work about a hundred times an hour... “How the hell do you know that he didn’t just climb straight up there again after you left him and jumped anyway?”

I felt the colour rising in my cheeks. The reason I knew he hadn’t done that last night, was because I spent the entire night with him, having rampant sex and enjoying his flesh in the same way as he enjoyed mine but I didn’t really think Harrison wanted to know about that... “Ummm.”

His jaw dropped as realisation dawned on him about what had transpired between myself and the suicidal guy on the building, “Oh, my God. You shagged him, didn’t you?” he asked.

I shrugged, “Well, technically, I guess you’d have to say that he shagged me, but yeah.” And it had been the best lay I’d had in ages – ever, even…

He shook his head, “You should have got him to A&E!”

I frowned, “But he didn’t do anything to hurt himself.” I argued. Jeez, he was only sat on the edge of the building. He wasn’t actually threatening to jump when I found him, either. He just started telling me about the producer guy that was involved in the new TV show he was in, who needed his face rearranging with my fist...

He closed his eyes and I could tell he was counting to ten in his head. I swear he thought I was stupid sometimes – but to be fair, sometimes I was... Chief often said I was the Joey Essex of the force and I don’t think he was talking about my looks... “You should have got him to A&E so they could watch him. They have people properly trained to deal with suicidal people. It doesn’t just go away, you know – the feeling of being worthless and that no one will miss them once they’re gone. Your boy is suicidal. That means he’s very depressed – about something or about lots of different things. He needed help,Colby, not a quick shag with a cute guy.”

I beamed at him, “You think I’m cute?” I asked delightedly, “aw, thanks buddy.”

He gave me a look that made me wonder if he sometimes felt violent towards me, “Call him.” he commanded me, “You did get his number?”

At my subtle nod, he rolled his eyes, “Right, and then you go and find him – and you get him the help he needs. Before he’s found dead with your DNA all over him.”

Oh, hell...

Did you know Boys Next Door, Studs and Steel and Riverside were all linked?

I ordered my drink and sat back in the bar stool watching the bubbles rising to the top of the glass. I rarely drank. Rarely got a day off if I’m honest – but you don’t turn twenty-one every day and so I’d gotten a whole weekend off.
My attention was caught by one of the barmen. He was talking about one of the dancers but then the guy he was talking to mentioned a name...
“Did you know Leo could dance like that?” I heard the guy next to me at the bar ask his co-worker and a tingling sensation went through me from my head to my toes, “Would you look at that. I thought he was training to be a chef at that fancy restaurant in Stoney Croft – not to be a pole-dancer.”
“Oh, wow.” The other one breathed, “I thought he was into motor sport, I had no idea he could move like that.” He was quite clearly admiring what he was seeing. 
I frowned. Leo? Okay so there had to be more than one Leo on the planet, but put together with the rest – being a chef at the only restaurant in Stoney Croft? And being into motorsport? Well, it was just too much of a coincidence. I turned around slowly and followed the line of sight that the guys behind the bar were looking – with their tongues hanging out of their mouths.
My stomach nearly dropped through my arse, “Oh, holy hell.” I breathed as I took in the writhing sexy body wrapped around the pole on the central podium, “Leo...”
Brad leaned across and whispered in my ear, “So, what about him?” he nodded towards Leo, “wanna spend the night dancing with him?” he asked.
I didn’t have to even think about it, “Definitely.” I said, “I don’t want anyone else.” I never have...

I could hear someone singing softly on the next aisle from where I was stood. He seemed to only be singing the verses to the song – as if he wanted someone to chime in with the chorus... well, I was happy to oblige. I waited until he came to the end of the next line and then I started to softly sing the chorus. I stopped and waited to see if he’d continue the song.
He did. This was kind of fun. I pulled out a book and peered through the bookshelf. My eyes almost popped out of my head when I found myself eye-to-eye with Jules....
Mum always reckoned that if she could stop singing and someone carried on the song – they were totally in tune with you – like you had a connection... and I was pretty damned sure I had a connection with Jules...
Making him see that while he was still nursing a broken heart was gonna be a challenge... I could see that but I was also willing to give it a go...
I still wasn’t sure if I was in love with Jules – or in love with the idea of being in love with Jules – and I guess I was never gonna find out unless I took the bull by the horns and asked him out.
“Hi,” I said, “What are you doing in here?”
He raised an eyebrow, “Why shouldn’t I be in here?’ he asked, “I like poetry.”
It was my turn to raise an eyebrow, “Poetry?”
He nodded, “Why, what’s on your side?”
I looked at the shelves. I hadn’t really been taking much notice – I’d followed the sound of his beautiful voice if I was gonna be completely honest. “Motorcross and uh, BMXing.”
He nodded, “Wow, Chas,” He said, “I didn't know you were into that?”
I swallowed hard and shook my head, “I'm not really.” I admitted with my heart slamming against my ribs painfully, “But I’m into you.”

“Please don’t leave me.” Sam whispered, breaking my heart and making me wonder just what the hell I thought I was doing.
But I knew I was doing the right thing – there was only one way forward for us – and that was for me to go crawling back to Dad – then I’d have money. I could make something of myself and then I’d go back and find Sam – and I’d get him out of that awful place and I’d look after him…
“I have to, Sam – but don’t give up on me – I’ll come back for you – I promise.” 
I broke that promise – not on purpose – I went back and he’d gone and I had no idea where to find him… 
Peyton is the owner of the swanky new nightclub, Studs and Steel. He's already been involved in a hit and run and was lucky to come away from that with nothing more than a broken leg. 
Now he's been shot at point blank range and is recovering in hospital. 
He's got an ex-girlfriend and a son who could also be in danger, an ex-boyfriend that he's desperate to find and now to complicate matters even more, he's got a hotter than hot bodyguard watching his every move...

Check out my Operation Boyfriend Series...

“You know, I’ve been thinking…”

I lifted my head off the cushion. I was all nestled up on and looked across at my best bud and confidante, “What?” I asked.

Dallas looked up from his task. He was painting my toenails for me – bright red – and yes, they looked absolutely fantastic. His beautiful hazel eyes danced and the corners of his mouth were curved up in a cheeky grin, “It’s really quite a plan,” he said gleefully, “I’m very proud of myself for thinking up such a fine plan.” He paused for effect. Seeing that I was completely intrigued his grin broadened, “Well, to be honest,” he shrugged modestly, “it’s a total no-brainer really. You just have to make him jealous.” He was referring to my very recent break-up with my boyfriend Danny Tanganelli. A very good-looking but very untrustworthy guy that I’d fallen head over heels in love with during the first couple of weeks of starting uni. He’d been really attentive to start with, but as the weeks passed he seemed to spend less and less time with me and more and more time with other girls – one girl in particular… Dallas put the brush back in the bottle and screwed the lid shut. He held up my foot and blew lightly across his handiwork to aid the drying. It felt nice.

“Jealous?” I looked at him doubtfully. “Danny slept with someone else, Dal, so I’m not sure jealousy is going to rate very highly in his range of emotions towards me – and I clearly wasn’t good enough for him to wait for,” I blushed as I spoke; it wasn’t easy talking about my total lack of sexual experience – even to Dallas, who was about the most understanding person I knew – and have ever known come to that, “what on earth could Ido to make him want me back?”

Dallas shrugged, “He just needs to see what he’s missing,” he grinned confidently and leaned forward slightly to grab my other leg so he could make a start on the next foot. His enthusiasm was catching. I found myself grinning back at him as he planted a little kiss on my ankle.

I loved it when he really grinned. It was the only time the dimple in his right cheek was obvious – and I’d always loved that dimple…

I raised an eyebrow, “Go on then,” I said with a laugh, “I’m listening.”

He leaned in towards me conspiratorially and lowered his voice to just above a whisper, “If you’ve got a newboyfriend. One that loves and adores you – one that positively worships the ground you walk on and tells everyonehow absolutely fantastic you are – he’s gonna want you back, like that.” Dallas snapped his fingers. The snap was very impressive.

I looked at him bemused; his plan sounded pretty good but how the hell was it gonna work? “Well, okay – that’s as maybe,” I agreed, “but where am I gonna findmyself such a perfect boyfriend?” I looked at him perplexed.

My jaw dropped as he pushed my leg off his lap, stood up and swept a bow. “Look no further,” he said looking up at me, “I’m right here.” He sat back down and pulled my leg back onto his lap. He picked up the bottle of nail polish and gave it a little shake. Unscrewing the lid, he very precisely got rid of the excess and carefully started applying the bright red polish to my big toe, a big sappy grin on his face.

I gaped at him; Dallas and I had been friends for a long time and between you and me, I’d always suspected he was gay – well, he waspainting my toenails like it was an every-day activity for him – and he was incredibly good at it too… My toes looked almost as good as his finger nails which were a perpetual shade of high gloss black…

We met during the first few hours of fresher’s week at uni. We literally ran into each and we’ve been really good friends ever since. I really liked him – the idea of us being ‘together’ together, however, was frankly absurd and not something I’d ever considered. I grant you he already had a girlfriend when we met – or so he’d said but I honestly thought she was just a cover... Like me, he was single right now; I guess that was why he was spending so much time with me, since they’d apparently finished a couple of months ago, but even then, it never occurred to me to think about him in that way. We were just mates – and I rather thought things were pretty much perfect the way they were between us. No one would believe it if we suddenly announced that we were ‘together’ together… most people thought he was my gay best friend – although in all fairness that was probably because it was the way I described him to everyone, but still… “You?” I asked doubtfully.

He nodded, “Me.” He said looking totally smug. He screwed the cap down on the bottle and blew my toenails again on my other foot, making a shiver go up my leg. There was no denying it – gay or not, he was a sensual guy… “Are you up for ‘Operation Boyfriend’ or what? Because I promise you. I’ll be the bestboyfriend you’ve ever had.”

Well, that I could believe since I only had one other guy to compare him to and that was Danny the cheater. I couldn’t help it, I grinned back at him, “Hell, yeah.” I said. This might actually be kind of fun… 

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