Mr. Rothe

  

  Executive Row 2

  Mr. Rothe

  [Siren Publishing: The Lynn Hagen ManLove Collection: Erotic Romance, Contemporary, ManLove, Alternative, Werewolves, Shape-Shifters, Paranormal, MM, HEA]

  Sometimes life threw you a curveball when you were least expecting it. One night while hanging out with my cousin, I saved a man from being hit by a speeding car. I’d shoved him out of the way with no regard to my own safety. Now he thought it was his job to keep me safe, to try and repay a debt I didn’t want him to repay. True, he was the most gorgeous man I’d ever met, but I soon found out just how scary his world was, and I wanted no part of it.

  But Gabriel Rothe was an insistent man, used to getting his way. Without my knowledge, he had someone watching over me. Worse, I had some stranger stalking me, and I had no clue why. Maybe it was the guy who had tried to kill Gabe that night, but one thing was for certain. No matter how hard I tried, I was unable to resist his charms.

  Length: 30,000 words

  MR. ROTHE

  Executive Row 2

  Lynn Hagen

  

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  Mr. Rothe

  Copyright © 2020 by Lynn Hagen

  ISBN: 978-1-64637-228-7

  First Publication: August 2020

  Cover design by Emma Nicole

  All art and logo copyright © 2020 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  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.

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

  If you find a Siren-BookStrand e-book or print book being sold or shared illegally, please let us know at legal@sirenbookstrand.com

  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Lynn Hagen loves writing about the somewhat flawed, but lovable. She also loves a hero who can see past all the rough edges to find the shining diamond of a beautiful heart.

  You can find her on any given day curled up with her laptop and a cup of hot java, letting the next set of characters tell their story.

  For all titles by Lynn Hagen, please visit

  www.bookstrand.com/Lynn-Hagen

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  MR. ROTHE

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  MR. ROTHE

  Executive Row 2

  LYNN HAGEN

  Copyright © 2020

  Chapter One

  Fitch…

  “Watch out!”

  I wasn’t sure what had come over me as I raced forward and knocked the guy out of the way of the speeding car. We hit the ground with a harsh roll, bruising my elbows and hurting my side.

  When I looked up, the car kept going, as if it hadn’t almost run over a human being. It nearly sideswiped a parked car before barreling around the corner.

  What a freaking idiot.

  “Fitch! Fitch!” My cousin came running out of the noodle place, his eyes wide, his arms held out. “What the hell just happened?”

  “I think I might’ve broken my elbow.” I sat up and winced as I clutched my injured arm. “It really hurts.”

  “I saw what happened,” Emerson said.

  “Then why did you ask me what happened?”

  Emerson helped me to my feet. My arm really did hurt. It was a throbbing, shooting pain that radiated up to my shoulder. I was pretty sure I needed to go to a hospital, but with no health insurance, that wasn’t going to happen.

  “You saved my life.”

  The deep voice behind me reminded me that someone else was there. I’d been so focused on my pain that I’d forgotten about the guy I’d just saved. I needed to get my heart to slow down. It pounded hard against my ribs and made my chest ache. Was I having a heart attack? Mild stroke? I think I was having a heart attack. I fanned myself and hoped I didn’t need an ambulance.

  “You’re the reason my cousin nearly got ran over.” Emerson glared at the stranger.

  “He was on the sidewalk,” I argued. “It was the car’s fault for jumping the curb.”

  I turned to face the stranger and sucked in a deep and quick breath. Sweet mother of mercy. He was in a business suit, a nice-looking one, but it was his face that had me panting and my heart going even faster. Those pretty light brown eyes were heavenly. “I think I’m in lust.”

  “Are you nuts?” Emerald grabbed my shoulders and pulled me farther away from the hunk. “Get your ass back in the restaurant and leave this guy alone.”

  “But I want,” I whimpered. Maybe that shot of saké hadn’t been a good idea. It had made me play hero when I’d come out to feed the meter, and that could’ve cost me my life. It also had me saying things I normally wouldn’t have said out loud. “I saved his life, so I get to grope him.”

  Emerson glared at me. “You seriously can’t hold your liquor, buddy. You can’t go around groping strangers. That’s some kind of rule somewhere. I think it falls under sexual harassment.”

  I pouted because the scenario in my head had the stranger bending me over the nearest car hood. “You’re no fun. I just want to feel his package. I didn’t say I wanted to drop to my knees and suck his dick.”

  Emerson slapped a hand over his face. “You did not just say that.”

  I would have totally sucked his dick if he’d asked. Lord Jesus, I wasn’t a slut, but how often did I save a hot guy’s life?

  The guy reached into the inner pocket of his suit jacket and pulled out a card. “You have to let me repay you for what you did for me.”

  I could think of several naughty ways he could repay me. For fuck’s sake. I needed to leave that saké alone. It had my brain all fuddled.

  Emerson swiped the card and shoved it into the back pocket of his jeans. “Fitch didn’t see anything, and he doesn’t know nothing,” Emerson said. “He’s not a witness, got that?”

  We were on the east side of town, a neighborhood that wasn’t particular nice. It was where we lived and housed the shops we loved, but one had to always watch his back. The Malkovich gang ran the east side, and sometimes it got bloody.

  But what were residents supposed to do, hide in their homes? It wasn’t crazy-crazy, but nighttime wasn’t a particularly good time to be out. But I’d wanted something to eat and had talked Emerson into joining me.

  He’d picked me up from my house, and we’d had dinner. It had been harmless enough, and I’d wanted to get away from my family for at least an hour. If you’d met them, you’d know why.

  Even so, what if the driver was part of the gang and the near-miss had been an attempt to kill this guy? Nope, I hadn’t seen anything, and I wasn’t opening my big mouth.

  I was like those three monkeys. Blind, deaf, and damn it, what was the other one? Oh yeah, mute.

  The stranger was alive, unharmed, so I had done my duty as a human being. No further steps were needed. Mind your own and move along.

  But I grabbed the card from Emerson’s pocket and looked it over. Sue me. I
was wildly curious to know who this stud was. I needed a name to go along with the fantasies I would have later tonight.

  Gabriel Rothe. He worked at Russo and Associates. It was a law firm that even I had heard of. The building was located in the downtown area, pretty sleek, which meant this lawyer was pricey and rich.

  He was also gorgeous as hell. The kind of guy a gay man wouldn’t mind licking to an orgasm. My tongue was raring to go, but Emerson was the biggest damn cockblocker.

  “Let’s go back inside.” Emerson tried to tug at me, and I let out a high-pitched cry. My freaking elbow.

  Gabriel moved a step closer. “You should get that looked at.”

  “I can’t. I don’t have insurance.” Fuck, it hurt, badly. I wanted to pull my arm off just to stop the pain. Too bad limbs weren’t detachable. I’d take my arm off and hand it over to the sexy stud and tell him to have it serviced and I’d pick it up later.

  God, that saké really was going to my head.

  “Since you saved me from a speeding car, I’ll take care of the hospital bill,” Gabe offered.

  “You can’t trust him,” Emerson argued. “Just because he’s wearing a fancy suit doesn’t mean he has money. He’ll stick you with the bill that you can’t afford.”

  Gabriel looked down at me, and god, I was a sucker for pretty eyes, especially ones that had thick lashes surrounding them. “Go to the hospital. Your bill will be taken care of. You have my word.”

  He was a complete stranger, yet there was something in the way he looked at me, something in his deep, smooth voice that made me want to trust him. Maybe while I was at the hospital I’d have my head examined.

  I suspected it was also the saké. But I couldn’t go home in this much pain. I wasn’t sure even ice would help. “If you stick me with the bill, I know where you work.”

  With a dip of his head, Gabriel turned and walked away. God, even his walk was sexy. You see all those hot Hollywood stars on the big screen or on television, but how many good-looking guys does someone run into in real life?

  For me, zero. All the hunks had to live in California, but there was one right here in Ridgeview, and I’d just saved his life. I wasn’t what one would consider sexy. I was an average Joe, a four on the looks scale. I had a little extra weight around my stomach, love handles as they were called, and unruly curly black hair.

  So, when a ten on the looks scale paid me attention, and even talked to me, I was putty in his hands. Pathetic, right? Tell me you wouldn’t have been awestruck if some gorgeous guy had spoken to you.

  “I know that dreamy look,” Emerson said. “Don’t even think about it. You know I love you, but I have to be honest, he’s way out of your league.”

  “You think I don’t know that?” I still had my arm cradled to my chest, and it was still throbbing badly. “But a guy can fantasize.”

  “Let’s get our meals boxed and then head over to the hospital.” Emerson walked back into the noodle place, but I lingered outside, looking down the street, although Gabe was no longer in sight.

  I sighed heavily. “What a man.”

  Gabe had left his card, and even after a doctor patched me up, I planned on using that card. I just had to think of a good enough excuse to call him.

  * * * *

  For two days since the incident outside the noodle restaurant and after I’d gone to the hospital—my arm was now in a sling because my elbow had been bruised, not broken, thank fuck—I felt as if I was being watched.

  I hadn’t seen any suspicious-looking people, but the hairs on my neck were constantly on end. It was just that spooky feeling that came over someone, some kind of intuition.

  Of course, I could be totally full of shit and just being paranoid after what had happened the other night. I have been known to be flaky at times.

  Make fun of me all you want, but everyone was a bit flaky in one aspect or another. Like my Uncle Glen, who always wore a tinfoil hat because he was convinced the government was listening to his thoughts or my mom who refused to leave an electronic footprint because she thought being online would involve her in some government conspiracy.

  Come to think of it, my family had a huge paranoia of the government. Why hadn’t I realized that before now?

  But I wasn’t like them. I was normal. I didn’t think Big Brother was out to get me, but someone was following me.

  Maybe.

  Fuck, I wasn’t sure, but I quickly made my way to Emerson’s apartment, unwilling to take any chances. My paranoia had to stem from that car trying to run Gabe over.

  Now I was damn near trotting down the street, making my steps quick as I shoved a hand into my jacket pocket. A bus rumbled by, stopping at the bus shelter to pick passengers up and to drop off a few. When the bus passed, I noticed a guy across the street. He just stood there, staring my way.

  It could’ve been nothing, or it could’ve been the guy I thought was following me. My suspicions were confirmed when he dipped his head in a nod as one side of his mouth curved upward. That smirk sent chills down my spine, even if the stranger was gorgeous. The guy had on a leather jacket, jeans, and boots, and a patch of brown hair fell over one eye.

  Shit. I quickly looked away and nearly ran into someone. I should’ve never gotten involved, but what was I supposed to have done, let Gabe get run over?

  I had also lied that night. I had seen the car, seen that it was a dark burgundy color and the first three letters of the license plate had been FCA. I remembered that because the first thing that had popped into my head was Fucking Careless Asshole.

  When I looked back across the street, the stranger was gone. I had only two blocks to go before I reached Emerson’s apartment, but now I felt like I was in a race for my life.

  Only I wasn’t racing because, I had to face the fact, I was out of shape and moving any faster than I already was had a stich working across my side.

  Whoever it was would just have to kill me because I needed to slow down. I couldn’t keep up the pace. Now I was not only paranoid but sweating and in dire need of something to drink to help with my dry throat.

  I seriously needed to lay off the fast food. It might’ve been delicious and cheap, but it played havoc with my body. Then again, I’d always been a pudgy kid, and that hadn’t changed throughout my adult life. The only real skinny person in the family was Emerson.

  Good genes from his father’s side.

  I rounded the corner and came up short. Three guys were hanging in front of a dry cleaner shop, blocking the sidewalk. I tried to move around them, but the biggest of the three stepped in front of me.

  “What’s the hurry?” He had a toothpick hanging from his mouth, unkind brown eyes, and he had to be at least five inches taller than me, because he blocked out the sun that had been half blinding me. He looked me over like he was considering making me his next sexual meal.

  Gross. Gag. He wasn’t even cute. He had a bulbous nose, no upper lip, and when he smiled, I saw he had gapped teeth. That might’ve looked cute for some people, but not him. His hair stuck up in odd spikes that went in every direction. Had he purposely done that to his hair? Who in their right mind would style it that way?

  “Excuse me,” I said. “I’m in a bit of a hurry.”

  “I asked what the rush is.” He pulled the toothpick out and tossed it aside. I hated litterbugs.

  “Technically you asked what’s the hurry.” I curled my lips in. I shouldn’t have said that. He already looked like a big, dumb oaf. I was willing to bet he had more pride than brains and wouldn’t like being corrected.

  The other two guys laughed, and Toothpick narrowed his eyes. I really hated the east side, but I lived with my parents and had no other choice. I would kill to live on the west side of town, where houses were nice and the neighborhood didn’t have idiots like this hanging out and harassing people.

  Once again I tried to step around Toothpick, but he grabbed my upper arm—thankfully my good arm and not the one in a sling—and stopped me from walking past
him.

  “You think you’re better than me, smarter?” His voice was a deep growl that said I was in trouble if I didn’t smooth over this situation.

  I opened my mouth, ready to tell this jerk anything he wanted to hear, when a sleek black car pulled to the curb. My heart thundered, and I feared it was my gorgeous stalker coming after me.

  “I have to go.” I tried tugging my arm free, but Toothpick had a tight grip. I wouldn’t have been above biting him if I had to in order to get away. What Toothpick planned on doing to me would be mild in comparison to what Stalker probably had in store for me.

  I wasn’t sure, but why stick around to find out? I was a certified chicken heart and had run from many fights that proved that. Too bad I couldn’t run from this one, but jackass wouldn’t let me go.

  The back door of the car opened, and I wanted to piss myself. I was willing to bet that someone from the Malkovich gang was there to make sure I never spoke to anyone about the other night.

  I was so screwed.

  But it wasn’t a thug.

  Gabe? What on earth was he doing here? He stepped out of the backseat in a crisp dark suit and damn if he didn’t look like a million bucks.

  He narrowed his light brown eyes as he glared at Toothpick. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

  “Just having a bit of fun, Mr. Rothe.”

  They knew each other? I wasn’t sure if I was relieved or ten times more terrified. Gabe stepped onto the sidewalk in his highly polished shoes while buttoning his jacket.

  “Let him go.”

  Toothpick instantly released me. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize he belonged to you.”

  I didn’t belong to anyone but was wise enough to keep my trap shut. I knew I should’ve kept my ass at home. Now I had no clue what was going on or how this would play out.