Home and Away

by Ariel Tachna

  Chapter Seven

  I GUESS it is a date.

  Kit’s lips were soft against his, offering rather than taking, and Linc fell into the kiss ass over teakettle. He wrapped his arms around Kit’s waist to lift him onto his toes, supporting his weight easily. Kit gasped into the kiss, a puff of air against his lips rather than a sound that reached Linc’s ears. If anything, it added to the intimacy of the moment. Only Linc knew how Kit had reacted.

  What else might could get that reaction again? Only one way to find out.

  Linc splayed his fingers across Kit’s ass, squeezing gently as he traced his tongue along the seam of Kit’s lips. Kit opened them immediately, another puff of air accompanying the action.

  Oh yeah, that’ll do it.

  A bright flash of light broke the moment, plunging Linc back into reality. He looked around and didn’t see anyone paying attention to them, but that could change at any second, and Kit hadn’t signed up for that. He leaned down so his mouth was against Kit’s ear. “Not here, okay? Too many people watching. I want you all to myself.”

  Kit shivered in his arms and ground against Linc’s leg again. Damn, he’d tempt a saint, and Linc had never claimed to be one, but they had some things to talk about first, like the fact that being with Linc would put Kit in the spotlight almost as much as Linc was. And that would only get worse if Linc was drafted, the way he hoped he would be.

  When the song ended, Kit took half a step back and caught Linc’s hand in his. Linc followed as Kit led them out of the room toward the area where people were getting drinks and then through a swinging door to a much quieter kitchen. “Fewer people,” Kit said with the bright grin Linc was already coming to crave. He kept a tight hold on Kit’s hand as he sat at the table and pushed back a seat for Kit with his foot. Kit just grinned even more and sat on Linc’s lap.

  “The chair’s too far away.”

  Linc barked out a laugh. “Only you would say two feet is too far.”

  Kit sitting on his lap put Kit’s mouth the slightest bit above Linc’s, so he had to look up to meet his gaze. He had only a moment to marvel at the novel sensation before Kit kissed him again. This time, with no audience to worry about, Linc dropped his guard and savored the moment. Kit smelled faintly of mint and something that reminded him of the woods near home. He was lithe in Linc’s arms, a warm weight on his thighs.

  A floorboard creaking in the hall was the only warning before the kitchen door swung open and Logan came in. “Really, Parkins? This is the quiet corner you find?”

  “Fuck off,” Kit said without even looking in Logan’s direction.

  “Yeah, yeah, if you’d move in here like the rest of us, you’d have your own room when you want to hook up during a party.”

  Kit rolled his eyes but left it at that. Linc held his silence until Logan had left. “You make a habit of hooking up during parties?”

  “No.” Kit’s eyes widened as he spoke. “I swear, Linc. It’s an ongoing thing between Logan and any of the brothers who don’t live here. There’s space for more people in the house this year, and he feels like that’s a reflection on him. It’s not, or at least not in my case, but he takes every excuse he can to poke at those of us who live elsewhere. I should have thought about it and told you ahead of time.”

  It was just as well Kit hadn’t or Linc wasn’t sure he would’ve come to the party. The frat had been good about making him feel welcome without making him feel like he was on the hot seat, but that was about as far as Linc’s comfort zone extended right now. “There’s something else we should probably talk about.”

  Kit’s gaze shuttered. “Is this where you tell me you can’t afford to focus on anything except school and basketball? Because you don’t have to let me down easy. Just tell me you aren’t interested and we’ll forget the whole thing.”

  Linc tightened his grip on Kit. “That isn’t what I was going to say. I was going to ask if you’d really thought about what being with me could mean. I’m not exactly the average guy. I deal with the notoriety and invasion of privacy because it’s the price that comes with being a basketball player on the national stage, but that doesn’t mean you signed up for that kind of tomfoolery.”

  “It’s not like I’m in the closet,” Kit said. “Christ, I belong to a gay fraternity. Nobody cares who I’m dating. Well, Uncle Thane and Uncle Blake care, but not in the way you mean. And I already told them about you, so it wouldn’t even come as a surprise to them if someone took a picture of us and it got around.”

  “It might could be more than that,” Linc warned. “Probably not on campus, but when we’re traveling, I’ve had people camp outside the hotel trying to get a picture of me or get my attention or whatever. Sometimes even in town. They’ll come up wanting an autograph, even if it’s not a public appearance.”

  Kit shrugged. “So you’ll give them an autograph. Or you’ll tell them you’re on a date and tell them when your next public appearance is. I’m not going to be upset because someone else has no tact. As long as you aren’t courting their attention when it’s supposed to be just us, I’ll be fine.”

  Linc admired Kit’s casual acceptance of the situation, but he’d had enough experience to know it wasn’t as easy as Kit made it sound. Cross that bridge when you come to it. You’ve got other fish to fry in the meantime.

  “Come on.” Kit rose to his feet. “Let’s dance some more. I was supposed to be helping you unwind before the game tomorrow, not adding to your worries.”

  Linc accepted the change of subject and took Kit’s outstretched hand. He’d warned Kit. At least if the worst happened, Kit couldn’t say he hadn’t known. All Linc could do now was take things one day at a time.

  “I HAD a really good time tonight,” Linc said as the party wound down. “Are you free tomorrow night?”

  “No, I’m going to be watching the game,” Kit replied with a wink.

  “I meant after the game,” Linc said. “I was thinking we could go somewhere afterwards. Get a drink or something.”

  “I’d love to.” Kit’s smile lit up the whole room. Linc wanted to lean down and kiss him again, but with the lights on and people milling around, he held back.

  “Maybe Tolly-Ho?” Linc suggested.

  “Isn’t that where the whole team usually goes after the game? It’ll be swamped with people wanting to shake your hand or get your autograph.”

  Linc hadn’t considered that aspect, only that the prices were reasonable and it was close to campus. “Yeah, I suppose you’re right.”

  “Two Keys Tavern won’t be any better,” Kit mused aloud. “We could go away from campus, up Jefferson Street. There’s a couple of places I know in that direction. I spent a summer in high school renovating a bookstore there, and my uncles like several of the bars and restaurants in that area. Leave it to me?”

  Linc had hoped to plan their second date since Kit had proposed their first, although Linc had asked, even if Kit chose where they were going, so maybe that was okay. He’d been so caught up in basketball that he hadn’t really dated much in high school, and even now, he struggled with those awkward first few dates. “Sure. Since you’re from here, you know more places than I do.”

  “Especially places away from campus where we have a better chance of a little privacy.” Kit’s grin promised all sorts of mischief, if Linc was up for it. It was a damn good thing Linc was already out, because Kit had no shame. Linc loved it already.

  Kit walked down the sidewalk with Linc as far as the street, as reluctant to part as Linc was. But Kit didn’t have a coat on, and snowflakes were starting to fall, just a dusting to add to what was already on the ground and to leave specks of white in Kit’s dark curls. It wouldn’t take long before those specks melted on his head and shoulders, leaving him damp and cold. The last thing Linc wanted was Kit getting sick. “Go on back inside. You’ll catch your death out here with no coat on.”

  “Yes, Dad,” Kit joked with that same wide grin.

  Linc wanted desper
ately to lean down and kiss it, but they were outside, and anyone could see. He’d tried to explain the risks to Kit, but he didn’t think Kit had really understood. Instead of bending down, Linc gave Kit’s hand a quick squeeze and a little push toward the door. “Go on. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Good night.” Kit walked backward up the sidewalk, holding Linc’s gaze until his heel hit the bottom step of the frat house. Only then did he look away. Linc lingered until Kit went back inside, and if that gave him a parting view of Kit’s backside, well, no one else had to know.

  What? Kit was an attractive man, and Linc was only human. Appreciating Kit as a person didn’t mean he couldn’t also appreciate his physical attributes. Shaking his head at his own thoughts, he walked back toward his dorm, a smile on his face.

  It had been a date, and he had another one tomorrow with a nice, attractive, intelligent man who seemed to enjoy his company without any ulterior motives. He didn’t know how he’d gotten so lucky, but he wasn’t going to squander the chance. Momma didn’t raise no dummy, as she was fond of reminding all her children.

  A couple of people called his name or spoke to him as they passed on his walk back to the dorm, but for the most part, people left him alone with his thoughts, which was good because he wouldn’t have had much patience with anyone demanding his attention tonight. His attention was still firmly fixed on Kit and the evening they’d just spent together. Kit had felt so good against him as they danced, strong and masculine without being overly bulky and tall enough that Linc didn’t have to bend in half to kiss him.

  And then the way Kit had fit on his lap. Linc would be reliving that moment in his dreams for sure. Linc had caught just a hint of sweat from dancing beneath the light cologne Kit wore, and that had only made it better. More real. Linc lived in a world of athletes and exercise and sweat. Colognes, sweet, spicy or otherwise, were an afterthought, not a constant.

  He let himself into the dorm and checked his phone out of habit. He’d turned off notifications during the party, not wanting anything to disturb his time with Kit, so he’d missed a text from his mother.

  We won’t bother you tomorrow before the game, but we’ll be thinking about you and cheering you on. Call us on Sunday when you have time. Love you.

  He let out a sigh. His mother would want to know where he’d been and who he’d been with when he called on Sunday, because she was interested, not because she was nosy, but he’d have to tell her about Kit and then convince her things weren’t serious enough to bring Kit down to Hodgenville just yet. The game schedule through the end of the season would make going down for the day difficult anyway, and they’d have to see if he and Kit were still dating when the season ended. One date, even with the promise of a second one the next night, didn’t guarantee anything.

  Linc sure hoped so, though, because he’d had more fun with Kit tonight than he could remember having with anyone off the basketball court in years. That sounded pathetic, but basketball didn’t give him a lot of time for a social life away from the team, and he hadn’t gotten where he was by messing around. He’d have to hope Kit understood that too, or their relationship would be dead as a doorpost before they ever got started.

  Don’t borrow trouble. Trouble comes enough on its own.

  He smiled at the admonishment in his mother’s voice. She always knew best. Now he just had to follow her advice.

  KIT came home with a huge grin on his face. He and Linc had danced for hours, even if they hadn’t kissed again after Logan interrupted them in the kitchen. It didn’t matter. They had kissed. And they’d made plans to meet after the game the next night. Away from campus.

  Just the two of them.

  He had a second date with Linc.

  Now he had to decide where to go. Grey Goose, Green Lantern, Chase Tap Room… they all had their merits, depending on whether they wanted food or something to drink, whether they wanted to dance or hang out. He’d see how he felt tomorrow and decide then.

  He closed the door as quietly as he could and toed off his shoes. Phillip and Ephah hadn’t mentioned working on Saturday, but since they worked at least as many Saturdays as they had off, he didn’t want to disturb them if they’d already gone to bed.

  “I wasn’t sure you’d make it home tonight,” Phillip said when Kit walked into the living room, lit only by the flickering of the TV. Kit could hear his mother yelling at them about hurting their eyes. The thought made him smile sadly. He missed her voice, even her scolding voice, as much now as he had the day she died.

  He flipped Phillip the bird as he went into the kitchen for a glass of water. He’d been too busy dancing with Linc to drink much beer, but he also hadn’t taken breaks for water, and he was thirsty.

  Phillip was still sitting there when Kit came back into the living room. “What?” Kit demanded.

  “You came home.”

  “Where else was I supposed to go, dumbass?” Kit asked, even though he knew what Phillip was going to say.

  “I don’t know. One of the empty rooms in the frat house? Linc’s place? You did wear your fuck-me shirt.”

  “First, it’s not a fuck-me shirt. It’s just a shirt. And second, even if it were—it’s not, no matter what you say—that doesn’t mean I’m going to get laid.”

  “His loss if he can’t see what an awesome boyfriend you’d make,” Phillip said.

  Kit smiled despite himself at Phillip’s defense of him. Nobody but Phillip and Ephah was allowed to insult Kit and get away with it. “More like neither of us is one to jump into bed on a first date. Linc’s not a random hookup, and I don’t think he sees me that way either. We danced all night, except for a couple of times my asshole frat brothers cut in, but I cut back in as fast as I could. I’ve got a lab to finish tomorrow for P-chem, plus laundry and stuff to do, so I’m free for the game and for dinner on Sunday, but we’re going to get drinks after the game tomorrow night. I don’t know what will happen, but I want to see where it goes.”

  “You should bring him to dinner on Sunday,” Phillip said.

  “Yeah, right. Family dinner less than a week after we met. That’s a surefire way to scare him off,” Kit retorted. “I’ll save that for later. At least until I have a chance to explain what passes for family on Sundays. And maybe until things are serious enough to risk it.”

  “Anyone who can’t deal with the family—”

  “Don’t even say it,” Kit interrupted. “I couldn’t ever be with anyone who couldn’t accept our family. That isn’t in question. But bringing someone home before I know how serious things are is just asking for trouble. You remember what happened when Preston brought that woman home and then stopped seeing her a week later. It took another six weeks before everyone stopped asking if he was okay, if he was going to get back together with her, if he was seeing anyone new to get over the breakup. I know they mean well, but there’s no reason to open myself up to that until I think there’s a chance it’ll last.”

  “Okay, not Sunday dinner, but bring him by here. Introduce Ephah and me. We won’t give you much shit about it, and then he’ll know someone besides you when you do bring him to dinner.”

  “You sound awfully sure that’ll happen.” As much as he was protesting, Kit wanted it. He wanted Linc at Sunday dinner and here in his apartment and hanging out with Phillip and Ephah and everywhere else he could have him. He pushed the thought aside. He couldn’t fall this hard, this fast. It never ended well.

  “Like I said, if he’s too blind or stupid to keep you, he’s not worth your time.”

  Kit smiled. No matter what happened with Linc or anyone else, Phillip would always have his back.

  “I’m going to bed,” Kit said. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Phillip smirked at him. “Sleep well. Pleasant dreams.”

  Kit rolled his eyes again at the long-running joke. One of their friends in Louisville—someone they’d long since lost contact with—had started using pleasant dreams as a euphemism for wet dreams, and it had
stuck. If only he had better luck with friends sticking than he had with jokes sticking.

  He went into his room and stripped down to his boxers before pulling on a long-sleeve T-shirt and a pair of sleep pants. Even inside, it was too cold to sleep in less without someone to keep him warm. As nice as the thought was, it was too soon, and Kit didn’t want to reduce something potentially really good to the purely physical. Not that he’d complain if things got physical. Linc hit all of Kit’s buttons.

  Is he kind? Is he smart enough to keep up with you? Is he attractive enough you want to sleep with him? Uncle Thane’s words drifted back through his head. For all of their bluntness, they had a certain wisdom to them. Best of all, Kit could answer yes to all three questions. By Uncle Thane’s criteria, Kit had found the perfect man.

  Now he just had to keep him. Graduation was only a semester away, and he’d said goodbye to enough frat brothers to know how easily that could be the end.

  Chapter Eight

  LINC stood with his teammates in the staging area before the game, energy buzzing beneath his skin as he waited for game time. He’d slept soundly last night and woke up late this morning. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt this good, not just about the game but in general. He had Kit to thank for that, and he would, when the game was over. For now, though, he had baskets to score, rebounds to steal, free throws to sink, and a game to win. He couldn’t wait.

  Music blasted through the sound system at Rupp, firing up the fans. Linc had played in arenas around the country and around the world, but nothing compared to the roar of the Wildcats at a home game. He didn’t have to see to know that every seat was full, packed to official capacity and beyond with people crowded into the student section and the upper bleachers regardless of numbered seats. The sea of blue and white washed out any other color—Tennessee orange tonight.