Plumbing His Depths (The Three Bears Book 3) Read online

  Plumber Ryan Fleming is working hard to get his fledgling business off the ground, harder still when his old boss starts spreading lies about Ryan’s skill and work ethic. When a job offer comes from Colt of JLC Construction, Ryan can’t ignore the potential to grow his company, even if he has a few qualms about working with the man.

  Colt Ferguson hasn’t exactly made it a secret that he wants Ryan. He’s never come out and officially made a pass, but the vibe is there and Ryan senses it. While he ignores the heated glances Colt sends his way, he can’t ignore the confusing feelings those glances cause.

  Ryan is straight. At least he’s fairly sure he is, but when he sees Colt, he’s not so sure about anything. Working one on one with the man will test his desire and when they’re alone on the job, boundaries will be crossed.

  If Ryan can overcome his fears, he might get more than he’s bargained for.

  Plumbing His Depths

  A Twisted Erotic Fairy Tale

  by

  Kelex

  M/M, BONDAGE, SPANKING, SUBMISSION, RIMMING, ANAL SEX, AND ORAL SEX

  Twisted E Publishing, LLC

  www.twistedepublishing.com

  A TWISTED EROTICA PUBLISHING BOOK

  Plumbing His Depths

  A Twisted Erotic Fairy Tale

  Copyright © 2015 by Kelex

  Edited by Marie Medina

  First E-book Publication: March 2015

  Cover design by K Designs

  All cover art and logo copyright © 2015, Twisted Erotica Publishing, LLC.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  DEDICATION

  I’m not quite done with the three bears quite yet… even after Colt got his story.

  Plumbing His Depths

  Chapter One

  “Morning, Ryan.”

  Ryan Fleming looked up from his cell phone to smile at the man offering the greeting. The scent of fresh grounds and muffins baking assailed his nose and made his mouth water. He put his phone down on the counter as he fished out his wallet. “Morning, Carlo. How ‘bout that game last night?”

  “Damn Heat. They made me lose a hundred bucks,” Carlo said as he poured Ryan’s cup. Ryan came every morning and always got the same thing, and Carlo knew the drill. The man set the paper cup before Ryan. “Imma go broke if they keep this up.”

  “You need to stop betting on sports, man. Not good for the bank account.” Ryan chuckled as he threw a few bills on the counter. “Add in one of those muffins—if your mom baked them.”

  “You know she did. You want blueberry or chocolate chip?”

  “Surprise me,” Ryan said as he shoved his wallet back into his pocket and grasped the warm cup.

  Carlo tossed a muffin into a small brown paper bag and handed it over the display case. “Here you go. You know, I gotta sink in the back that’s been leaking something terrible. I tried fixing it myself, and I think I ended up making it worse. You think you got time to take a look? Might could throw in some free coffee and muffins in the morning for a while to sweeten the deal.”

  Ryan smiled. Everyone wanted something for nothing. But since Carlo made the best coffee in town… and his mama could bake things he shouldn’t eat… he couldn’t help but agree. Not like his plumbing business was doing much of anything. “You get your ma to bake me a batch of her chocolate chip cookies and you’re on.”

  Carlo’s smile widened. “You got it, buddy. Free coffee and muffins for two weeks… and a batch of mama’s cookies. Deal?”

  Ryan nodded. “Sure, let me finish making my coffee and grab my tools. I’ll be right back.”

  “Take your time,” Carlo said, just as the bell rung over the door.

  Ryan turned to see who’d entered and locked eyes with Colt Ferguson. After nodding a quick hello, Ryan headed over to the opposite counter to grab cream and sugar. A shiver raced up his spine as he tried to ignore Colt, but the man’s presence wasn’t the type you could ignore. He took up the whole space, filling every inch with a vibe that continued to throw Ryan off.

  It seemed obvious Colt had a thing for Ryan. Ryan had sensed it each and every time he’d encountered the man. But there was a huge problem.

  Ryan wasn’t gay.

  Ryan listened to Colt’s deep voice as the guy ordered his coffee and knew instinctively when Colt looked over his shoulder to stare at Ryan’s back. He continued to ignore Colt’s attentions and stirred his coffee before adding a lid to his cup.

  He turned from the counter and came face to face with Colt.

  “Morning,” Colt said, a slight smile to his lips.

  The man towered over Ryan’s five-eleven frame, his massive muscles stretching the fabric of his t-shirt to extremes. Ryan looked back up and saw Colt’s smile widen a little.

  “Morning.”

  “I hear you’ve started a new plumbing company. You left Saunders?”

  “Yeah. He wasn’t paying me nearly enough.” Which was the truth. Saunders was a crook, and he was also destroying any chances Ryan had in gaining any new customers by spreading bullshit lies about Ryan’s work. Saunders did everything half-assed and was a lazy slob. Eventually people would see the truth and hopefully when they did, they’d come calling Ryan.

  If he could manage to keep afloat that long.

  “About time you wizened up. You’re twice the plumber he ever was,” Colt said.

  Ryan appreciated the compliment, but coming from the source it was, he wasn’t sure if it was more a come-on than praise. “Thanks. Hopefully he doesn’t ruin me before I even get started.”

  “Is he running his mouth? Spreading lies?”

  Ryan frowned. “How’d you know?”

  “It’s his M.O. A lot of people in this town know how he is. Just give it time,” Colt said. “Those who don’t know how full of shit that man is will eventually figure it out.”

  “I hope you’re right.”

  “Colt, your order is ready,” Carlo called.

  Colt turned, taking his intense attention away from Ryan. Ryan could finally breathe again. He looked around Colt’s big body and caught Carlo’s stare. “I’ll be right in with my tools, Carlo.”

  Carlo nodded as he lifted a coffee and a package of baked goods toward Colt’s waiting hands. Escaping out the door, Ryan took a deep breath as he headed for his truck. Once inside, he put his coffee in the holder and tossed the muffin into the passenger seat before grabbing his toolbox. As he slammed the door, he spied Colt exiting Carlo’s.

  The man walked with purpose, his strong strides eating up the ground. At first, Ryan thought Colt was heading over, but he turned and rounded his big red pick-up instead. Ryan couldn’t shake the slight sense of disappointment in being wrong.

  Why would I want him to come over here?

  Ryan tried to ignore the sensation and headed back into Carlo’s.

  “Ryan!”

  Ryan turned, his hand on the knob to the bakery. Colt stood beside his truck, one hand in his front pocket. Ryan’s gaze went down automatically, noticing the thick bulge in Colt’s jeans. He quickly averted his eyes and felt heat flood his face. “Yeah?”

  “If we need any plumbing work and Gabe is too busy—I’ll give you a call. Help you out.”

  “That would be appreciated,” Ryan said before heading in and avoiding the man—and the uncomfortable feeling Ryan had in his gut.

  Once the door was closed betwe
en them, Ryan felt better.

  That was—until he saw the mess of pipes in Carlo’s kitchen. He stood there scratching his head, trying to figure out where to begin. Cloths were tied to leaking joints while bowls of various sizes lay under the sink, collecting other drops.

  “Free coffee and muffins for a month, Carlo. A month!” he yelled toward the front.

  Carlo laughed. “You got it, man.”

  * * * *

  “About time we finally saw the bare bones,” Colt said, surveying frame-work of the house. They’d finally demolished the interior and now that the old drywall and fixtures were gone, they were left with a blank slate to create some magic.

  He stood between his best friends in the world, and business partners, Jax and Linc, as they all were silent a moment, gauging the space.

  “So now that we’re done demo, we need to decide what the plan of attack is here,” Jax said.

  “If we want to go open floor-plan, we’re going to need to completely switch the kitchen around. Plumbing is going to be a major job on this renovation,” Colt answered. “Then there’s the addition of the powder room and the master bath upstairs. If we decide to add on to the back of the house like the house on Gable, and add a laundry and mud room, then we’ve got that, too. We need to get plumbing mapped out in a hurry and get the pipes in before we do much of anything else.”

  “I thought we were keeping the original layout?” Linc asked. “You know Gabe is busy with that new contract he just took, and he’s about to leave to see his kids in Florida in a week.”

  “How long’s he gone?” Jax asked.

  “Two weeks is what he told me,” Linc said.

  “Then I say we keep the original footprint, Colt,” Jax answered. “There’s nothing wrong with the pipes, for the most part. Gabe can check things over before he goes and make any tweaks. We’ll be good to go.”

  Colt had other plans. “We were really happy with the Gable house and how it turned out. This place is nearly identical in size and floorplan, so I say we go for a similar build.”

  “We’ll be sitting here twiddling our thumbs for two weeks waiting for Gabe to come back. No. The longer we sit on a flip, the more money comes out of our pocket,” Jax said.

  “Who made you president of JLC Construction?” Colt asked. “This is an equal partnership here. All voices heard.”

  “I have to agree with Jax, Colt.” Linc shook his head. “We’re not hurting for money, but no reason to throw it out the window, either. The faster we flip, the faster we sell.”

  “What if I know a good plumber?” Colt asked, hoping they wouldn’t see through him.

  A small smile formed over Jax’s lips as the man looked the other way. Linc’s stare captured Colt’s, a question in the depths.

  “Chip Saunders has been going around saying Ryan was the reason for all his mishaps over the last few years,” Linc said with a frown.

  “Then what’s his excuse for shit work before Ryan came on board? Seems like you heard less about the problems once he took on his journeyman. And there’s no way the state would license Ryan as a master plumber if he was really that bad.” Colt had heard others say Ryan had been saving Saunders’ ass for years. No clue why the guy did it, or for so long.

  “You gonna take responsibility?” Linc asked.

  Colt nodded. Ryan was a good plumber. He was willing to stake his own reputation on it. “I’ll make sure he does the job right. I’ll remain here and keep an eye on him. You two can go start demo on the Jones Street buy while we get the plumbing done here.”

  “And leave you all alone?” Jax said with a grin.

  “Fuck you, man.” Colt shook his head, knowing they saw right through him.

  “Sounds like you’ll be doing the fucking,” Jax said as his smile broadened.

  Colt’s cock tingled with excitement, knowing that was what he hoped. Ryan had been making it clear he wasn’t interested for weeks now, but there were random looks here and there that gave Colt hope.

  Like when Ryan had stared at his cock earlier that morning.

  Thinking of the man’s eyes on him only added to the sensation between his legs. He began to grow harder by the second, but then, who wouldn’t thinking about as man as hot as Ryan? Sandy blond hair and golden green eyes that would look really sexy staring up at him when the man had a mouthful of Colt’s cock in his mouth, as well as a tight, well-defined body had been gracing his wet dreams for some time.

  Weeks of subtle flirting had proven there was some latent homosexual interest in them there hills. And Colt planned to see if he could turn a straight guy gay.

  Wouldn’t be the first time.

  A smile formed on his lips.

  “Fine, I can’t help but say yes when you get that cat who ate the canary smile,” Jax said as he stared at Colt.

  Linc nodded. “Yeah. The Gable house was a nice layout. You stay here and make sure he does it right, to our standards, and I’ll give the thumbs up.”

  Colt fished out his cell phone and dialed up the number.

  “Hey, Ryan. I might have a job for you…”

  Chapter Two

  Ryan examined the kitchen with Colt at his side. “I don’t have an assistant. This might be biting off more than I can chew.” He needed the work desperately. Mentally, he clicked through the list of guys he knew who might be up for the challenge—if they’d work with him at this stage.

  “I can help,” Colt answered.

  Ryan glanced Colt’s way, sensing there was more in the offer to help. It was time to put his cards on the table, especially if he was going to take the job. “You know I’m not gay, right?”

  Colt’s eyebrow rose. “I don’t recall asking.”

  “I just… thought…” Had Ryan gotten it all wrong? Of course not. It’s been subtle, but not that subtle.

  “What did you think?”

  “I’ve heard the rumors. About you, Jax, and Linc’s… appetites.” Ryan felt ashamed saying the words, but the need to defend his statement was making him chatty. “And I thought… you’ve been coming on to me.”

  “Our appetites?” Colt questioned with a laugh. “I asked you here because we need a plumber and our guy has his hands full—not to get into your pants. Do you want the job or not?”

  Ryan hesitated a moment. The job could help him get his fledgling business on track and add some green to his bank account. If he did a good job, the guys could potentially use him on occasion, and they flipped a lot of houses. Ryan really couldn’t say no, even if he felt like running and hiding after opening his trap. He went through his mental rolodex again, but wasn’t feeling too hopeful. The thought of Colt helping him made him uneasy. “I can find someone to help me out, I’m sure.”

  “I said I’d help,” Colt said. “We have certain standards and being that this is your first job with us, I want to make sure we’re good. Me staying was the only way I got Jax and Colt on board to give you a try.”

  “They heard what Saunders has been spouting?”

  “Maybe. I don’t know and don’t really care. They both know Saunders and wouldn’t touch the man with a ten foot pole. He does half-assed work and doesn’t care. More than likely, that’s why Jax and Linc are leery. They don’t want shoddy work in one of our houses.”

  “I spent years cleaning up his messes and trying to bring his work up to par. I wasn’t at every job.”

  “So I heard. Like I said, you’ll prove yourself.” Colt crossed his large arms over an even larger chest. “I’m staying to help, period. You want the job or not?”

  Ryan nodded. “I’m not in a position to say no.”

  Colt’s frown slowly ebbed into a sly smile. “When can you start?”

  “Now’s as good a time as any,” Ryan said, pulling out his notepad and pencil. “Where are the plans?”

  Colt grinned and pointed one finger at his head. “Up here.”

  “You don’t have printed plans?”

  “We just walked the house this morning and made deci
sions on where things are going to be located, but I didn’t expect you to be able to start now. I can walk you through every room and tell you where everything will be located to give you an idea what we want.”

  Ryan pulled off the measuring tape he wore on his belt loop. “Let’s get started.”

  Colt moved in close to point out where everything would be located. Too close for comfort, Ryan shied away as he measured the space, needing to get away from the man.

  I told him I’m not gay.

  “Yeah, sure, so why’s your dick getting hard?” his inner voice asked, in answer.

  * * * *

  Colt inhaled Ryan’s masculine scent as he watched the man scribble on his notepad. Aftershave, body wash, and one more lingering aroma that was Ryan himself. Colt gnashed his teeth, trying to push back the need threatening to get him in trouble.

  Ryan looked over his shoulder and caught Colt staring. Red filled his handsome face as his lips opened a little. When his tongue peeked out and ran over his full bottom lip nervously, Colt nearly groaned.

  “You know, I’ll have plans for you tomorrow or the next day, at the latest. You don’t have to measure everything right now.”

  “I want to go ahead and pick up some basic supplies to get started with. It’ll save time if I can jump in.”

  Colt smiled at the man’s enthusiasm. He couldn’t fault Ryan with lack of drive.

  Ryan looked about the room. “Are you putting an island in?”

  “Yep. A huge one that will connect the kitchen into the family room.”

  “Do you want a smaller bar sink in the island or no plumbing there?”

  Colt considered the man’s question. He glanced down at the hardwood. “I really didn’t want to tear up the floors. It’s original and from the looks of it, we can sand and seal with no problem.”

  “We could take out only the boards we need and put them right back in, if it’s what you wanted. Or go through the crawl space if we needed to.”