by Jaime Reese
With his hands washed, apron tied, and a fresh pair of gloves on, he cut the cake into smaller squares and loaded up the sample cups. After filling the two trays with samples and one small plate with a thin slice, he started working the crowd.
“Here you go, Ms. Tuesday and Thursday,” he said, serving the small plate with the thin slice to the woman patiently waiting for him at the corner table. “As promised.”
He walked down the line, offering smiles and short jokes with each sample, hoping to lighten the mood and lessen the crowd. Most people grabbed their sample and walked away, others lingered, eating their bite of cake as they looked through the display of pastries. He walked outside and continued working the line. After reloading the trays a third time, he could finally see things were manageable, and his sister less stressed handling the dozen remaining customers in line to buy her pastries. The smile on her face was huge enough to disguise the exhaustion he was certain strained her.
Cutting the last few pieces into enough samples to finish off the line, he prepped the last tray and set it on the counter, inviting the remaining few people in line to help themselves. With things finally under control, he excused himself and escaped to the back room.
Stepping into the back area, he kept out of sight, mesmerized by the muscles flexing in Ben’s arms as he vigorously mixed the contents in the bowl. Maybe it was the stress and exertion from keeping up with the rush and his need to never disappoint, but likely it was the heat from the ovens causing the hairs at the back of Ben’s neck to stick to his skin. He was focused on his task, determined, and gorgeous as all hell.
Knowing Ben, the pressure of satisfying Natalie and the waiting crowd overshadowed the excitement of the opportunity to bake. After things settled up front, he had to pull his sister aside. This hadn’t been fair to Ben. And if this was something she was going to do more often, she damn sure needed a better strategy to keep them both sane.
As if sensing his presence, Ben glanced over his shoulder.
“Hi.” He was quickly rewarded with Ben’s tired smile. “Rush is over,” he signed.
Ben nodded, his entire body heaved with the exhale. That teasing smile begged to break free. He wiped his hands on the rag and signed. “Were you checking me out?”
Bull shrugged, no sense hiding it.
Ben turned to finish mixing the batter. Bull swore the man flexed a little more with each slower stir of the spoon. He played along, remaining on his perch by the doorway, enjoying the private show. After pouring the batter into a pan and sliding it into the oven, Ben wiped down the table as Bull washed the mixing bowl and utensils.
While drying the last of the bowls, Bull smiled when arms slid around his waist and the weight of Ben’s head rested on his back. He could get used to this. Too damn easily. He dried his hands and turned in the embrace, finally wrapping his arms around Ben and holding him close. Ben inched back from the hug and stared up at him, his gaze absently straying toward Bull’s lips. Bull pressed his mouth to those waiting lips, moaning when Ben took the initiative and deepened the kiss.
Bull was at the mercy of the firm grip at the back of his hair almost as much as the tongue exploring his mouth. He splayed one hand high across Ben’s back. A warm hand touched the side of his neck, pulling a groan from deep within. He loved it when Ben did that…when Ben wanted to feel the sounds he pulled from him. Bull tugged him closer, wanting him to feel exactly what his touch and kisses did to him.
“Break it up. He’s working.”
Bull tore himself from the kiss, almost snarling at his sister for interrupting. Ben rested his head on Bull’s shoulder but didn’t move, thankfully shielding Bull’s hard-on from his sister’s view.
“He’s taking a break after you worked him to the bone for the last few hours. Don’t you have customers up front?” He wrapped his arms protectively around Ben and held him close, relishing the embrace and the cover while his body settled.
“Everyone’s taken care of.”
Not everyone.
“You need a better plan if you want to do that again.”
“I know.” Nat sighed and crossed her arms, leaning against the wall. “I need your help with that because I obviously suck at it.” She silently watched them together.
“You’re creeping me out,” Bull said. “Walk away or say something.”
Ben turned in his arms to face Nat but didn’t move away.
“You did amazing today,” she signed to Ben. “I have six cake orders and a customer requesting a specialty cake. I asked her to come by later to discuss the details of what she wants. I want to make sure it’s something you feel confident doing before we commit to anything.”
Ben nodded, leaning back against him.
He sure as hell wasn’t complaining.
“I asked you to test a few recipes but then blindsided you with my brilliant idea to offer cake samples to the lunch rush. I’m sorry about that. It wasn’t fair to work you that hard without a plan.” She glanced up at her brother, then back at Ben. “Forgive me?”
Ben screwed his features and looked upward, as if debating an answer. “Only if I can take my lunch break now with your brother.” He was far too polite to add alone to his request, but the message was clear.
Natalie slowly raised one eyebrow. “You two are disgustingly perfect for each other. Fine. I’ll do you one better. I’m going to lock up the front while I walk to the food truck down the street and grab you a cheeseburger and fries. Does that work?”
Without question, his sister knew Ben’s weakness.
Ben raised two fingers.
“Fine, two. You drive a hard bargain.” She gave Bull a firm glare. “And I’ll be the grateful sister and grab you one too.”
“Thank you,” Bull said.
“I’m leaving now,” she said and then turned to walk away. “No fucking on the table. Health inspectors don’t appreciate that.”
Bull was thankful his sister had turned away before yelling that little jab. He didn’t want to risk scaring off Ben or have him hold back from taking the initiative again.
He brushed the hair away from Ben’s face when he turned in the embrace, smiling as those big green eyes stared at him. “Did you talk with Nat this morning about the job?”
Ben nodded, his eyes holding back a wealth of emotions. Bull hadn’t wanted to let on that his sister had already filled him in on wanting Ben to be more than an employee.
“Are you happy?”
Ben nodded again and buried his face at the crook of Bull’s neck.
Bull wrapped his arms around Ben and pulled him close. Slowly but surely, things were coming together for Ben as he settled into everyday life again. Bull had noticed the changes since their first encounter. Ben was growing more confident in his skills and himself. And he no longer hesitated to say no when necessary.
A sense of peace enveloped Bull with the simple intimacy of just holding each other close. Pressing a kiss to Ben’s hair, he took a deep breath and asked himself the same question, knowing the answer was crystal clear.
Yes, I’m happy too.
Early April—final week at Halfway House
Ben sat at the kitchen table, arms crossed with his chin on his wrists.
The last three weeks since their date had been great. Gabriel now spent most of his time at the shop, helping at the front while Ben and Natalie baked items for the catering orders. Ben certainly wasn’t complaining. Having Gabriel near and stealing kisses during breaks was a heck of a lot better than a late-night video chat with a small screen display. And the customers seemed to love Gabriel’s charisma and smile almost as much as Ben did.
“With his tight T-shirts and your cakes, I’m totally fine feeding a mob of pervy customers with a sweet tooth,” Natalie had said with a smile.
What she lacked in cake-baking talents she more than made up for with innuendo aimed at them. Ben smiled with each of her remarks, but Gabriel would respond, fueling that sibling-sparring glint in her eye. She loved havin
g more time with her brother. And the thought that Ben had somehow played a small part in bringing them closer made his heart swell.
He straightened and leaned back in the chair with a sigh. He was anxious for the end of the week to arrive when his time would be up at Halfway House and his sentence complete. He loved the guys in the house, but with the full-time job waiting for him, he wanted the freedom to spend more time at the bakery without the work program schedule restrictions.
But there was one big bump in the road…
Finding a place to stay had been the thorn in his side and was stressing him out. His list of budget-reasonable places had consisted of run-down locations and small rooms built out in garages. But that morning, he had finally found a one-bedroom condo within his budget. He wasn’t thrilled about the twenty-minute walking commute into work so early in the morning, or the fact that it didn’t really feel like a home, but it was a trade-off he would tolerate if he had a roof over his head he could afford.
The property owner had smiled the entire time during the visit. Everything had been fine until that dreaded question on the rental application.
Have you ever been convicted of a crime?
He blew out a deep breath. His mistakes had earned him a record that would haunt him for the rest of his life. Just another instance where being the nice guy to someone else hadn’t been the right decision for himself.
Julian pulled out the chair across from him and stared him down. “You don’t know that your reply to that one question was the reason they went with the other applicant. Don’t dwell on it,” Julian said. “Shit happens.”
Ben scoffed. That about summed things up, but it didn’t give him peace of mind in finding a solution. Especially not after three weeks of apartment hunting.
“C’mon, we’ve got another appointment.”
He frowned up at Julian. He could have sworn that place this morning had been the last stop on his list for the day.
Tired and resigned, he wondered if it was worth getting his hopes up to find a place just to have that hope stripped away every time that damn question came up. Julian raised a finger. “We agreed… No pity parties. Now get your ass up. You don’t want to be late.”
Reluctantly, he rose from his seat and pouted all the way to the truck.
Thirty minutes later, Julian made a left onto a road of beachside buildings. Ben straightened in the seat as he looked out every window of Julian’s truck. He grabbed on to Julian’s forearm and pointed to the side of the road, urging him to stop.
“What’s up?”
“Why are we here? These look like hotels?”
“This is the address I have.”
“I can’t afford this.” He swept his hand to point at the cluster of tall buildings but couldn’t deny his gaze wistfully strayed to the beach peeking between the structures.
“We agreed. No pity parties.” Julian pulled back out onto the road.
Ben crossed his arms and scowled. With the other listings, at least he had felt as if there had been a chance. Here, he imagined the door would hit his nose the moment it opened.
After a few more turns, they stopped in front of one of the taller buildings on a cul-de-sac. He peered out through the front window, staring up at the building that looked like a giant mirrored penis erected toward the sky.
A touch to his shoulder drew his attention. “Go up there so you’re not late.”
“You’re not coming with me?”
He stilled when Julian gave him a piece of paper with an address and room number. “You wanted to do this stuff alone. Walk in there and go to the front desk. Let them know you have an appointment. Put your game face on. You’ve got this.”
Ben unclipped his seat belt and fisted the scrap of paper in his hand. He did want to do this stuff on his own, but he wanted to have a fighting chance. He stood in front of the building and stared up. He took a deep breath, tapping into his reservoir of inner strength. Things had never been easy, but he always found a way to push through.
When one door closed, another would open. And this was no different.
Glancing over his shoulder, he gave Julian one final look before walking into the building. The lobby was bustling with people arriving and leaving. There was a large space to his left with couches and tables where people lounged. To his right, was the front desk check-in area. He absently shook his head. None of this made sense. He pulled out his phone from his back pocket and called up his note app as he walked up to the desk clerk.
“Good evening, sir. How may I help you?” The desk clerk’s lips were easy to read, or maybe he had just expected the standard greeting.
He glanced to each side, spotting the small desk with a security guard watching several monitors. Returning his attention to the clerk, he turned his phone’s display toward her, waiting for the woman to read his note. “Mr. Reynolds, it’s great to finally meet you.”
Maybe those lips weren’t so easy to read. He must have read the wrong words.
The clerk called over to one of the bellhops and exchanged a few words. “Please follow him,” the clerk directed, smiling a little more than he suspected a clerk should.
The only reason he followed was simple: Julian wouldn’t drop him off unless there was a reason. No pity parties.
Ben followed the man to the bank of elevators until one of the doors slid open. He stepped into the elevator as the bellhop swiped his card on the reader by the panel and then pressed the top-floor button.
Yup, definitely getting my nose smacked by this door.
“The elevator will take you up. Once you’re on the floor, you can’t miss it.” Another big smile from a stranger. He was probably overanalyzing things.
He nodded as the doors slid shut. He waited for the nervous flutter of butterflies to hit his stomach, but none came. Maybe it was the knowledge there was zero chance he would ever be able to stay in a place like this, so there was nothing to lose. He shrugged off his own thoughts.
Stepping off the elevator he glanced to each side, surprised there was only one room number on the floor. After double-checking the number scribbled on the paper, he shoved it into his pocket and knocked on the door.
Within seconds, the door swung open.
The swarm of butterflies erupted in his belly as Gabriel smiled back at him.
“Hello, Mr. No. You’re right on time.”
“You live here?” Ben signed.
Gabriel nodded as he signed his reply. “Hopefully, you will too.”
“You said you had a second bedroom available.”
“I do.”
“You never mentioned living in a hotel.”
“I don’t think anyone brags about living in a hotel.”
He closed his eyes when Gabriel pressed their lips together, calming any nerves that had appeared. He moaned at the large, warm palm pressed against his cheek and the thumb rubbing his chin. Finally opening his eyes, he licked his lips, savoring the tenderness of the gesture and sealing away another memory piece he would likely recall later.
“You said you’d think about my offer. Julian mentioned you had a few appointments today. So I asked him to schedule my place for last. Let me give you the tour.”
Ben stepped inside, then stilled. The unobstructed view of the water was breathtaking perfection. To his right was a large open kitchen with a counter and set of barstools that doubled as the eating space. Farther into the room was a larger open space with an oversized table, one chair, and a treadmill.
He lowered his brow and pointed to the table by the window, glancing at Gabriel for an answer.
“That’s usually where I analyze plans or spread out my research. There’s a gym on the seventh floor but this is easier when I’m stuck on something and need to clear my head.”
Ben absently nodded as he stepped farther into the space. Glancing to the left, he spotted the living room. One long couch and a big television housed inside a cabinet with shelves that seemed to come from within the wall. Even the place he
had once shared with six others as a teen hadn’t been this spacious. Come to think of it, that place could fit in Gabriel’s living room.
Gabriel’s hand on the small of his back nudged him forward, toward the right and into a hallway.
They stopped at a door. “At the end of the hall is the laundry room,” Gabriel signed, pointing to his right.
With a sweeping motion, Gabriel opened the door. The bedroom was large with an en suite bathroom for added privacy and its own window with a beautiful view of the ocean. The furniture was basic, but stylish in its simplicity. Everything looked polished and smelled clean and fresh, almost as if it had never been used but had been prepared just for him.
A touch to his shoulder drew his attention. “This is the second bedroom. It’s yours if you want it, no strings attached. I know living together is a big jump and it might freak you out—”
Ben silenced Gabriel’s ramblings with a kiss. With the butterflies now calm in his belly and an overwhelming peace soothing him, freaking out was definitely not what he was feeling. He pulled away from the kiss.
“Show me your room,” he signed. He slid his hand into Gabriel’s and followed him down the hallway and through the living room toward the other side of the space into another hallway with a single door.
Gabriel opened the door and stepped back, encouraging Ben to explore on his own. He stepped inside the spacious room, easily more than twice the size of the other bedroom. It was comfortable, welcoming, and the most lived-in area of the entire space. A smile played on his lips as he took a deep breath. The room smelled like Gabriel’s shampoo with a hint of his cologne. Glancing to the corner, he spotted a small desk and the familiar two-toned wall and chair rail molding, likely where Gabriel sat during some of their video chats. Smack in the middle of the room was a bed big enough to house Gabriel’s large frame with a headboard just as wide. The same headboard that had filled the background during several chats.
Seeing familiar sections made him feel as if he had been here before even though he had never set foot in the room.