Chapter One

Kendrick Templeton was thirteen minutes older than his twin brother Basil.

They looked as alike today at twenty three as they had when they were first born, any differences and there were a few, were intimate and hidden from view. They were both 5'11", both slender, bodies muscled in exactly the same wiry, understated way.

They kept their hair in the same cut, at the moment it was short and spiked out all over the place, blond except for the roots which were dark. Those were dyed, too. Only he and Bay knew what color their hair really was and they weren't sharing.

They even both had the same bright green eyes, though they wore colored contacts as often as not. Today's were this really cool aquamarine blue and it was making him hard whenever Bay looked at him, because the color was really sexy.

Anne, the woman who ran the household for their father, had left a message asking for them to meet in her office at ten am.

Ken glanced at the grandfather clock as they drifted from their rooms down to the main floor where Anne held domain over the house from her little office with its big desk and enormous filing cabinet.

10:23.

Not bad.

Not bad at all for him and Bay and it was a testament to Anne herself that they were as early as they were.

It was a good thing she worked out of the house, too.

Bay was dressed in a pink muscle shirt and orange with white flowers swim trunks. Ken’s trunks were gold with silver shot through them and he'd forgone the shirt in favor of showing off the new nipple ring. He hoped Anne would tattle on him to the old man.

They were going to go swimming after she shared whatever new decree was coming down from on high. It was the only time she formally asked for them to meet her, otherwise she'd just search them out and talk to them.

Ken was already picturing Bay without the shirt, the swim shorts clinging to his ass, so he was a little taken aback when they walked into Anne's office to find the room full of people.

All right, two plus Anne was hardly a lot of people, but with him and Bay and those imposing filing cabinets? It seemed pretty damned full.

Bay stepped up close, their arms brushing.

"Hey, Anne."

Anne smiled over, pale eyes fond and amused. "Good morning, boys. Going to the pool?"

Two new pairs of eyes met theirs -- one black as pitch, the other a bright, clear blue-green.

"Looks like," Bay answered, sharing a look with him. Who were these guys and, though they weren't bad looking, why did they also look like trouble?

"What's up?" he asked, turning his attention back to Anne as if the new guys weren't even in the room.

"This is Mr. O'Neal and Mr. Patterson." She pointed to the stocky little carrot-top and then tall, dark and stunning. "They have been employed by your father to be your personal protection."

He looked at Bay and then at the two guys and then back at Anne. "Our what?" Surely he hadn't heard right. The old man had tried this when they'd turned fifteen and the last nanny had fled in terror. The bodyguard Jonas Templeton had hired wasn't that far behind her.

"Personal protection. As in, they are your new shadows." Anne gave the two asshole guys a smile. "Mr. O'Neal, Mr. Patterson -- this is Basil and Kendrick Templeton."

Bay went tight next to him and Ken came to his twin’s rescue. Nobody called Bay Basil except him.

"Name's Bay. And we don't need shadows. Thanks for coming, I hope it wasn't too much trouble, good-bye now." He and Bay turned as one and headed out the door. Fuck this shit.

The little red-head? Could move.

The door was shut, a solid body before it. "You two got nowhere to go 'til the Missus finishes her spiel, boys."

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Bay demanded.

Continued in First Section