by J. D. Ryan
“Max, I didn’t mind the kiss. It’s fine.” Kit set the salad on the table and pulled the macaroni from the warm oven. “If you want Ebon to join us, you’ll have to go pause the movie and put the remote on top of the bookcase.”
Max chuckled. He turned for the living room, then turned back. “I didn’t plan on kissing you, but I enjoyed doing it. I want you to know that.”
When Max strode into the other room to turn off the movie, Kit wilted against the kitchen counter. His legs didn’t want to hold him up. Max had liked kissing him. Maybe that zing had been something both of them had felt. Maybe Max wasn’t just pretending…or not entirely.
* * * *
Over dinner, they talked about Scouting and school, letting Ebon take center stage in the conversation. As they watched the movie with the boy between them, though, Kit was surprised to feel a strong hand close over his along the back of the couch. He glanced over, and Max actually winked at him.
“Practice,” he whispered.
Kit didn’t care if it was real or not. He felt a surge of heat as the long fingers threaded between his. He wanted nothing more than to lean over and rest his head on Max’s shoulder. How long had it been since he’d actually just held hands? How had he not realized how much his body craved the simple touch of another human being? He felt warm and safe, and Ebon’s bedtime struck all too soon.
“I want Mr. Hill to read me a story, too,” Ebon said with a yawn. “I got The Haunted Library at school. It’s funny.”
Kit sent the boy into the bathroom to shower, put on his pajamas and brush his teeth. “You don’t have to…”
“I don’t mind,” Max said with a smile. “My nephews like me to read to them, too.”
If Kit had felt a surge when the man took his hand, it was nothing to the wave of feeling that struck when he watched Max read to his son. Kit was halfway in love with Max Hill just from seeing him like this. Max was an excellent reader, even doing impressions for each of the various characters in the story. Ebon laughed out loud, but soon drooped back onto his pillow. Max’s voice lowered, and by the time Ebon’s eyes closed, he was nearly whispering. Closing the book, Max tiptoed from the bedroom, Kit close behind him.
“He can sleep through practically anything once he’s out,” Kit told the other man. “Want a cup of coffee?”
They settled on the sofa to watch the rest of the second movie. “You know,” Max said softly, “a real boyfriend would snuggle during a movie.”
Kit held his breath as Max scooted closer, almost afraid he’d dozed off and was dreaming. One muscular arm slipped behind him, resting over the back of the sofa. Max’s wiry body radiated heat, making Kit feel like melting against him.
Max leaned over to breathe in Kit’s ear. “We should get in all the practice we can. You never know when someone might be watching.”
“I do like cuddling.” Kit put his head on Max’s shoulder. Maybe he wasn’t dreaming. He could smell the sharp tang of sweat and the musky scent of Max’s skin. He wanted to curl up like a cat and purr.
“I haven’t cuddled in ages” Max murmured. “Most men just want one thing, and then they’re off.”
“That’s why I’m not on any of the social media sites. I can’t expose Ebon to that sort of life.”
Max squeezed Kit’s shoulder, pulling him closer. “This is nice. I think you’ve done a great job with that kid. He’s sharp as a tack. I really love having him in the Scout group.”
“He loves it, too, so you’re even.”
Max pointed at the TV screen. “You can tell it’s Darth Vader just by listening to the music. If only the characters could hear it, they’d never go inside.”
“You know, he didn’t have that signature tune in the first movie. They wrote that ‘dum-dum-dum, dum-de-dum, dum-de-dum’ for this movie. Then everybody just assumed it was Darth Vader’s theme song and it stuck.”
Max’s brows lowered. “I never noticed. You’re the musician. I’ll bet stuff like that jumps out at you all the time.”
“Pretty much. I’ll bet the next time you watch the first movie, you’ll pick up on it, though.”
“Want to ignore the movie for a bit and try that kiss again?”
Kit swallowed hard. Maybe he was dreaming after all. Cuddling—and now more kissing. This was turning into his ideal date. He tipped his face up to meet Max’s. That zing hadn’t been his imagination the first time. The minute their lips met, he felt it again. Slow heat blossomed within him as the kiss went on and on. Kit put both arms around Max’s neck and pulled him even closer. They explored one another’s mouths as the movie droned on in the background.
Max tugged Kit into his lap until Kit straddled his wiry hips. His strong hands roamed over Kit’s chest, creating waves of sensation that threatened to overpower Kit completely. He squirmed with need. Max only pulled him closer and plumbed the depths of his mouth. He slid one hand around to cup Kit’s backside, holding Kit in place as he took what he wanted.
Kit forgot about the movie, forgot about work the next day, forgot everything except the feeling of Max’s lips on his, Max’s hands on his body. He gave himself over to his feelings and let Max take charge.
Chapter 10: Tuesday at the Pub
Kit turned up the heat in the shower and stepped inside. What he really needed was a cold shower after that hot kissing session. He and Max had ended up stretched out on the sofa, entwined like a couple of vines. They hadn’t ended up having sex, but it had taken a hell of a lot of self-control on Kit’s part to keep from begging for it. He thought Max had felt the same, based on the man’s stiff-legged walk once they managed to get back on their feet again.
Now, Kit leaned against the tiles and ducked his head beneath the warm spray, staring morosely at the evidence of his interest in Max Hill. He certainly couldn’t get any sleep with that throbbing like a bass drum. Closing his eyes, he relived the past couple of hours in his mind while he took care of his needs. Max was the best kisser he’d ever met. He just seemed to know what felt good, what would drive his partner to the very edge. Kit had found himself on the verge of climax without a hand touching his most sensitive areas. In fact, if they’d continued their session, he might have come in his pants like a teenager.
He stayed in the shower until the hot water ran out, then lay in bed and tried to get to sleep. All he could think of were Max’s lips on his, Max’s hands roaming over his body. Why did the man have to be so damn good at kissing? And he loved to cuddle. How was Kit going to keep his distance in this pretend relationship with a man like that?
* * * *
Monday morning came all too early. Kit could barely keep his eyes open as he got Ebon off to school. He managed to take a short nap before work, but was still dragging as he waited tables. When he saw his boss approaching with an odd expression on his face, he was certain he was in for a lecture, but Sam just told him to go into the break room. As he threaded his way between tables, he caught his fellow waiters and waitresses staring at him as well. What the hell was going on? Was something wrong at the school? Had Ebon gotten into trouble?
With a heavy heart, he pushed open the door to the break room, only to see the last thing he’d expected. A bouquet of colorful flowers sat in the middle of the table, topped by a balloon with a cheerful yellow smiley face. The envelope had his name on it. He took a step into the room, feeling the heat from several bodies crowding into the doorway behind him.
“Somebody got lucky,” he heard from the hallway as he opened the envelope.
Tuesday at O’Malley’s Pub? I’ll bet I can beat you at pool.
The card was signed Max, but with an X beneath the signature—for a kiss? Kit stared at the flowers for a moment, then pulled out his phone. Sam was good enough to allow him to keep it with him during work, though of course, it had to be on silent mode. That way if the school called him, he’d be able to respond immediately.
O’Malley’s at noon, he texted. I’ll bet you can’t.
Kit endured the good
-natured ribbing from the rest of the staff that afternoon, feeling a little more energetic because of the gift. It was thoughtful of Max to send flowers, especially for a pretend romance. But maybe he was pulling out all the stops because it was pretend—making sure he made all the right romantic moves so their families would take note (and hopefully learn their lessons). Nevertheless, it was an ego boost to carry the bouquet home with him.
* * * *
Ebon was fascinated with the flowers and balloon, toying with the string while he was supposed to be doing his homework.
“Is Mr. Hill in love with you?”
Kit winced. There was no way he could explain this pretense to a seven-year-old, even if he did trust Ebon to keep the secret from his Aunt Val. “How would you feel about that?” he asked, stalling for time.
Ebon chewed the eraser end of his pencil for a moment. “I suppose it would be okay. Kind of like Mrs. Lopez helping out at the bake sales and stuff.”
“Sometimes people send each other flowers when they’re not in love, though. Maybe he just wanted to say he enjoyed our dinner and movie night.”
“Nobody ever sent you flowers before.”
“No, they didn’t.” Kit wasn’t certain how to respond. Ebon certainly was focusing on the bouquet. Maybe he ought to move them to the bedroom and make his son finish the homework.
“I like them,” Ebon finally said, bending over his paper. “Maybe you ought to get Mr. Hill some flowers next time.”
Kit finished cooking in silence. How’d he lucked out with such a good kid anyhow? He could only hope that Ebon wouldn’t be hurt when he found out about the pretend relationship. Maybe Kit could just say he and Max decided not to be boyfriends any longer, not actually tell him it was all a sham. He’d never lied to his son before. It left a bad taste in his mouth for sure.
“Are you going to have lunch with Mr. Hill tomorrow?” Ebon asked over his grilled cheese sandwich. “You could let me stay home from school and come, too. I always wanted to learn how to play pool.”
“Nice try, kid. I’ll teach you one day when you’re old enough to get into a real pub.”
“You and Aunt Val always say that about anything fun. I’m going to be an old man before I get to do anything.”
Kit showed up early at O’Malley’s, thinking they might have trouble getting a table right at noon. He wasn’t the only one with that idea though, and by the time they called his name, Max had shown up in the doorway. Kit waved and Max fell into step and followed the waitress to a tiny pub table in the back corner, close to the pool tables.
O’Malley’s touted itself as a traditional Irish pub, and was decorated as such, with old wooden beams and wainscoting, lots of green paint, and what must have been Irish football team flags festooning the walls.
“Good thinking, getting your name on the waiting list,” Max said as they studied the menu. “I’m so used to ordering from Grub Hub that I forget how crowded everything around here gets at lunchtime. Sometimes I just eat a sandwich at my desk.”
“I usually fix something at home, or pick up the discount meals at the restaurant.”
“Makes sense. You’ve got to feed two on your salary. Why don’t you let me pick up the tab today? It’s what a real boyfriend would do, you know.”
Kit considered it. He didn’t like the idea of charity, but if he’d been invited on a real date. Wouldn’t the other man pay? He just didn’t know what he should do for a pretend date.
Max leaned across the table and put his hand atop Kit’s. “This was my idea so let me pay for it. You can pay for the next time if you really want to. I didn’t think about prices when I invited you out.”
“It’s okay.”
“No, I’m not used to thinking about having to make ends meet. It’s not fair of me to make you spend extra money.” Max squeezed Kit’s hand once, then leaned back to allow the waitress to place their drinks on the table. “I’ll pay for this one.”
“I suppose I should say yes.” Kit glanced at the menu and swallowed. Not as pricy as his own employer’s place, but certainly more than he usually spent for a meal.
Max took one look at his face and nodded. “Don’t even think about arguing this time. Now, what shall we have for lunch?”
Kit felt a little guilty, but he was relieved that Max was willing to take care of the bill. He tried to order the cheapest thing on the menu, but Max glared at him and ordered him to pick something he really wanted. He settled on the mid-range fish and chips, and Max had the shepherd’s pie.
The meal was tasty, and their conversation even more so. Kit had been halfway afraid they’d run out of things to talk about, but they chatted about everything from science fiction to Ebon’s latest homework assignment, a report on famous women in history. Max seemed just as interested in the topic as Kit had found himself. He even suggested a couple of African American women that Kit hadn’t thought of.
“I’ll tell Ebon this afternoon,” Kit said with a smile. “He’s been waffling about who to write about.”
“Without Catherine Johnson, we might not have made it to the moon and back. There’s your real Star Wars.” Max dabbed his lips with a napkin. “Now, about that pool game…”
Chapter 11: Pool and Burgers
Kit let Max break first, since he’d paid for the meal. If Max was as good as he seemed to think he was, he might run the table, but Kit was betting that the man wasn’t a pool shark. This proved true when Max missed his second shot, banking the ball too early and hitting to the left of the pocket. He even left the cue ball in an excellent place for Kit’s first move.
They ended up playing best of three. Kit was a little rusty, as he’d hardly ever had time to practice since college, but he’d been pretty good once. Max had a natural talent, but didn’t take the time he needed to line up the right shot. He tended to snap off a shot, trusting to sheer power to bounce something into a pocket. They each won a game, but Kit was determined to win the battle.
Max broke again, this time lining up his shot more carefully to make three shots before he flubbed a tricky bank shot. Kit managed to pocket all but one of his balls before he ran out of options. He left the cue in a horrible position for Max, who cursed him soundly as he tried to figure out how to get out of the corner without scratching. In the end, he could do nothing except slap the cue ball around the table a bit, leaving a clear shot for Kit.
“I’m going to quit playing with you if you keep winning,” Max complained as they returned to the street.
“It’s not my fault you suck at pool. Pick something you’re really good at and I’ll lose gracefully.”
“Dinner at my place next? I’ll grill us up some burgers on the balcony.”
“Sounds good.” Kit headed off to pick Ebon up at school. “And you come by Sunday night for spaghetti. I make a mean sauce.”
“I’ll bring some tiramisu.”
When Kit broke the news to Val, however, he knew he was in for an argument. “I don’t see why I can’t come around like always,” she said in an irritated tone. “Or you two pick another night to have dinner together if you’re determined to keep him from meeting me.”
“It’s not like that, Val. And Thursdays are really the only weeknights he’s got off. He works just as much as I do.”
“So have dinner Sunday night instead.”
“We are.”
Val was silent for a moment. “You’re seeing each other twice a week and you don’t want to introduce your date to your family? What’s wrong with the man?”
“There’s nothing wrong.” Kit could feel the sweat starting to pool on his forehead. How was he going to get out of this? “We just want to make sure it’s going to work out before we meet each other’s families. That’s all it is.”
“Does Ebon like him? Does he treat your son properly?”
“He’s great with Ebon. Plus, he’s got nieces and nephews of his own. There’s nothing to worry about there.”
Val let out a deep sigh. “I just can’t b
elieve you’re ruining our family dinners for a man you just met.”
Time for a low blow. “It was your idea for me to have a social life.”
“I didn’t mean instead of your family life. It just seems like you’re trying to hide something.”
“I’ll talk to Max this week, okay? Maybe we can set something up soon.”
Val wasn’t happy, but she muttered “Love you” when he did, and didn’t protest ending the call. Kit wiped the sweat off his face and went in to make sure Ebon had finished his homework. The flowers had been relegated to a place on the counter, but Kit had allowed Ebon to tie the balloon to the back of his chair, contingent on his not playing with it when he was supposed to be working. Judging from the completed work sheets piled up on the table, Ebon had kept his part of the bargain.
“Sloppy Joes tonight,” Kit said, pulling out the hamburger meat. “You want fries or chips?”
“Krinkle fries! You know that lady Mr. Hill was talking about? She was really smart. There’s a whole website about her.”
Kit let Ebon drone on about his report while he pulled dinner together. It was good to see the kid interested in school again. Max sure had some good ideas. Wouldn’t it be something if Kit could find someone like that for a real romance? Somebody who’d care for Ebon as much as Kit did, who’d take as much interest in the boy’s welfare?
Maybe this pretend romance could turn out to be a little more than pretend. Kit didn’t really want to get his hopes up, but surely those kisses meant something. There was a real chemistry between the two of them. If only Max would notice that chemistry and act on it. Imagine having him around, not just on the odd night for dinner, but every day. Having a second parent for Ebon, somebody else for him to look up to.
Not to mention being able to cuddle with Max Hill any time he wanted. And the kissing—Kit didn’t even want to imagine anything further along those lines. If he’d gotten that worked up just over a little kissing session, imagine what sex with Max would be like. He might not survive something like that.