by Lynn Stark
“It sounds like they have everything covered.”
Neville nodded. “It’s a wonder I don’t weigh four hundred pounds. It seemed like I was always being fed by someone.”
Deacon forced himself to get to his feet. “Well, it was a delicious meal. Thanks for making the effort. Don’t tell Vinnie I said this, but it was a lot better than one of his pizzas, and those are incredible.”
The glow of pleasure on Neville’s face was something Deacon found himself wanting to see there a lot more in the future. He didn’t quite know what that meant. He suspected he wanted to make Neville a permanent part of his life. It was a thought that had passed through his mind before, but it was beginning to slow down, trying to take root.
“Thanks. I like cooking. I suppose it’s part of the whole creating thing my brain enjoys so much.”
“Or it could be that you want to eat something that doesn’t taste like turpentine and tar paper, which is what this meal would have tasted like, if I had made it.”
Neville waved a small hand in the air. “I’m sure you’re exaggerating. You can’t possibly be that bad of a cook.”
“I could prove it, but I wouldn’t want to be responsible for making you sick.” Deacon laughed as he picked up the dishes and carried them to the sink. He put the plug in and began filling it with water. “You might have noticed that most of the stuff I bought are things I don’t have to do more than heat up. Steaks are easy. I just grill them. And I can cook vegetables. Beyond that, watch out.”
“Okay, I’ll be careful if you do more than open a can of stew. Now, why don’t you dry while I wash?”
They talked while they worked. Neville told Deacon about his day, including his dislike of having someone follow him around. He liked Dragon and Snake, but having them with him all day made him feel as if he’d done something wrong, not the other way around.
“We’ll catch those asshole brothers soon. There are too many people looking for them now.” After rinsing the sink, Deacon dried his hands. Then he was stretching and yawning. “I hope you don’t mind, but I think I’m going to hit the sack.”
“Hey, you worked hard today.”
Deacon chuckled. “Yeah, keeping the seat warm for a dozen hours while I drove around. If you want to watch TV, don’t worry, it won’t keep me awake. And thank you for supper. It was delicious.” He bent to press a kiss to Neville’s soft lips. “Good night, sweetheart.”
“Uh, good night.”
He left Neville standing there with a stunned expression on his adorable face. He didn’t know why he appeared so shocked. Neville had to know Deacon was attracted to him. A grin stretched across his face as he checked that the doors and windows were locked, before he went to his room. He closed the bedroom door behind him. He would give Neville a taste of what it would be like to share a life together, something he wanted more with each passing second.
Deacon settled into the bed and closed his eyes. He knew it wouldn’t take long to fall asleep. Neville moved around the house. The noises he was making were faint. Deacon heard him walk to his bedroom and close the door. A moment later he heard the sound of a guitar being played softly. It was a gentle melody and helped him to relax further. A smile was on his lips as he felt himself drift off into sleep.
Neville was his future. The man just didn’t know it yet.
Neville stood back and stared at the painting. It was missing something, that one thing that would make it stand out. Neville’s work relied upon subtlety. He rarely went bold and in-your-face to make a statement. The times he had done so were when instinct told him to do so. Many people had told him he had what it took to be recognized now and far into the future for his skills. The thought of that was both pleasing and amusing. It humbled him to think that someday someone could compare him with Vincent van Gogh or Monet. It wasn’t likely to happen, but it was fun to think about.
A giggle escaped him even as his eyes narrowed. He stared for a moment, and then he dipped the tip of the brush he held in the gold ochre and applied it carefully to the canvas. Although he was always trying to improve his skills, he was basically very satisfied with his abilities. The beauty he could create made him feel incredible.
He let out a deep breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding. The painting was finished. That last touch of color had done it all.
There was a knock on the door. Neville set aside the palette and brush. He picked up a cloth to wipe his hands off with as he walked to the door to answer it. It was Marley, the owner of the gallery on the ground floor. She was a beautiful woman, both inside and out. When Neville looked at her, he always saw so many things other than her appearance. There was depth to Marley.
“Hey, Neville. Am I disturbing you?”
“No. All finished. What can I do for you?”
“I wanted to let you know that you could move into the upstairs apartment whenever you wanted to. It’s empty now. The tenant left last Friday. I had one of Bailey’s crews come in to clean it from top to bottom. Everything is ready for you.”
A frown dipped his brows. “But I haven’t gotten all of the money yet.”
“Sweetie, you don’t have to worry about that.” Marley smiled. There was a sparkle in her eyes. She was obviously very happy to be able to give him this news. “When the foundation learned that you wanted the apartment so you could paint all of the time, they paid the first month’s rent and will pay half of the rent each month for the next year.”
Stunned, Neville could only stare at her. “Seriously?” he whispered, afraid to believe.
He had known the foundation made it possible for people to have second chances in life was generous, but this was more than he had ever expected. It would be terrific if he could work whenever the mood struck him. He was grateful for the apartment he had been provided, even though he wasn’t staying there. It had been two weeks since he had moved in with Deacon. They got along great, but he was beginning to feel as if should make more of an effort to move out. It would be too easy to keep things as they were. Deacon didn’t seem to mind having a roommate. Neville didn’t mind being his roommate, except that he wished they actually shared a room, and the bed in that room.
Still, he couldn’t live there forever. “That is so cool!”
Marley nodded. “It is. I also wanted to ask if you would be interested in exhibiting your work next July, during the Summer Nights Festival. You will have two walls in the gallery and a booth on the green. How does that sound?”
It sounded like he might be able to get his work seen and make some money. He would have to call his parents. They would be as excited as he was, because they always wanted the best for their only child.
This day was turning out to be too good to be true. He needed someone to pinch him. “Okay.” The single word was a squeak of sound.
Neville watched as Marley held out her hand. Two keys dangled from her fingers. “I had the lock changed, so you can feel confident that the previous occupant can’t get back in. I’ll be changing the entry code downstairs to help with the security.”
“Thank you, Marley. I really appreciate that you kept the apartment for me. You didn’t have to do that.”
“You’re right, I didn’t, but it was the right thing to do. I knew how much you wanted the apartment. I try to keep the rent low enough to be affordable. Many on the square have been converted to luxury apartments the past few years and aren’t available for everyone.”
He had known that. The charming town, the home of many millionaires and billionaires, also attracted the same kind of people to visit for the skiing and other activities during all four seasons. There was even four-season glamping, which was fancy camping, for those same rich people wanting to “rough” it and have a tale to tell their friends.
His fingers wrapped around the keys. His heart pounded. “Well, I appreciate it more than you will ever know. Can I move in today?”
The thought of telling Deacon that he was moving out was not going to be easy. The man had
been generous and welcoming. The move could begin with his supplies and his work that were in the studio. After that, he could share the good news with Deacon.
“Yes. It’s all ready.” Marley moved close to hug him tight. “I have a good feeling about this,” she told him as she released him and stepped back. “If you need anything, just let me know.”
“Thank you, Marley.”
“You’re welcome, Neville.”
Another big change was about to take place in his life. Just the thought was enough to send him into the dream zone. A smile curved his lips…
Then there was a knock on the door. Drat.
Chapter Five
Neville frowned as his moment of fantasy popped. He opened the door to find Pitbull on the other side. His bodyguard had decided to give Neville his space as he worked, and had sat on a chair in the hallway. Neville had tried to coax him inside, but it had proven impossible.
Once he had begun to work, Neville had forgotten about the other man. Hopefully this wouldn’t have to go on too much longer. It was beginning to look like Steve and Ted Bellum had finally decided that Silver was too hot for them to sell their drugs and had moved on elsewhere. Although he knew he couldn’t have his life back just yet, Neville would continue to go with the flow. It was easier than arguing with Deacon. The man was a force to be reckoned with. There was a part of Neville that really, really liked when Deacon took charge. Naughty thoughts sometimes popped into his head. Just the thought of being put across Deacon’s powerful thighs to receive a spanking was his most popular one.
“Earth to Neville.”
Neville blinked and blushed as he looked up at Pitbull. There was an amused expression on his face, as if he knew what was going on in Neville’s brain. “I hope you weren’t thinking about me naked.”
“Uh, no.” He had been the one naked in his fantasy. Deacon had been fully clothed, which seemed to make the fantasy a wee bit naughtier. There hadn’t been any sign of Pitbull, thank goodness. “Did you hear that I get to move in upstairs?”
Pitbull smiled. “Yes, Marley shared that with me while I frisked her for weapons.”
Gasping, Neville stared, horrified. “You didn’t!”
“Of course I didn’t, brat. Now, why don’t we go over to your apartment and get your things? We can use my truck.”
“I don’t have much.” What he did have left there probably wouldn’t fill a medium-size box. It was what it was. Although he had been in Silver for a few months, he had saved his money by not buying things that weren’t necessary. That could come later. Then there was the fact that his apartment hadn’t inspired him to splurge on anything. “Cleaning will take longer. I don’t want to leave the place grungy.”
Neville was something of a nut about cleaning. When they arrived at the apartment, he took the boxes from the closet, taped the bottoms, and then packed everything from dishes to toilet paper. He left one roll as a courtesy, but everything else in the bathroom was placed in a box. Once he was finished with packing, he saw that he had more than he thought he had. It didn’t matter. Everything he did own served a purpose.
When Neville was sweeping the room with the built-in vacuum system, there was a loud pounding on the door. “Hey, moron, quiet the fuck down in there!”
There was no mystery about who was on the other side of the door. He paused as he turned off the sweeper. Pitbull must have noticed, because he said smoothly, “I’ve got this.” Neville snickered. Good old Dougy boy was about to wet his pants. Pitbull opened the door. “Do you need something other than manners?”
“Uh, no.”
Pitbull moved forward, forcing the smaller man to back up until he was against the opposite wall. Pitbull was well over six feet tall. He made Doug appear as if he was Neville’s size at five feet six, instead of closer to five feet ten or eleven. Pitbull’s muscles were definitely bigger. Doug was muscly, but he had a thick layer of fat. The only things that were truly big on him were his attitude and his mouth.
“I hear you’re a lot of trouble in this building. I’ll be putting in a report on you. I don’t know how many chances you’ve had, but I suggest you learn to conduct yourself with a lot less anger and a lot more compassion. You’ll get a lot further in this world, if you do.”
Doug nodded vigorously. He was as white as a sheet. “I’ll do that. It sounds like good advice.”
“It is. Now get back in your apartment.”
Doug went, but not before throwing Neville a glance that promised a lot. It would have been nice if Pitbull had seen it, but he had already turned to walk back into the apartment.
Neville put his soon-to-be-former neighbor out of his mind as he returned to sweeping the entire apartment. He mopped the floors in the kitchen and bathroom and wiped down on the surfaces with disinfectant in both rooms. He even remembered to wipe out the microwave. The apartment was sparkling and fresh-smelling when they left. Neville carried one box while Pitbull carried two stacked on top of each other. They loaded them into the backseat of the man’s truck and climbed into the front. It was more of an effort for Neville, and he laughed at how it was like climbing a rock wall or something.
“Making it higher wasn’t my idea,” Pitbull told him and then grinned. “My husband, Dustin, thought it would look cool.”
“Well, it is cool,” he agreed. “You might want to install some drop-down steps for those of us with short legs,” he added jokingly.
It didn’t take long to get to the center of Silver. Pitbull parked on the side street, near the rear entrance. He punched in the code for the electronic lock, then stepped back to let Neville walk in ahead of him. They walked up to the top floor. Excitement caused his fingers to tremble as he tried to insert the key in the lock.
As he finally got it in there, his phone rang. It continued to do so until he got into the apartment and placed the box he carried on the kitchen counter. Opening the phone, he saw that it was his parents. A smile curved his mouth. He couldn’t wait to share his good news. Then he would have to go to Deacon’s house and share the news with him, but only after making something tasty for supper.
With that thought in mind, Neville didn’t do more than glance around the spacious, two-bedroom loft. It took up the entire top floor, with plenty of room for both living and working there.
Pitbull whistled as he looked around. “Wow, nice place.”
“Yeah, I lucked out, didn’t I?
“You did. Hey, there are two skylights, too. And do those stairs go to the roof?” There was a set of black, iron steps set against the brick wall, leading to a loft. Neville could just make out a door at the back of the loft. “Let’s go check it out. Then I can take you back to Deacon’s place.”
Neville was curious, too. He hadn’t known he had access to the roof. It would be fun, if he did so. The view was likely spectacular. While most of his work depicted people, he loved to venture out into landscapes, and, occasionally, the abstract. Silver was centered in some of the most beautiful wilderness Neville had ever seen. It would be a waste of his talent if he didn’t depict some of it on canvas.
“Okay, I can possibly enjoy this space.”
Pitbull laughed. “If you can’t, something’s wrong with you.”
The rooftop was finished. There was an area for entertaining. There were also green spaces, shrubbery, small trees, and planters of different sizes and shapes. It was probably a very beautiful place during the warmer months. What Neville had now was a 360-degree view of the world around him. He could even see over many of the huge trees that lined the streets and filled yards. Neville took a few photos with his phone so he could send them to his parents.
“You and Dustin will have to come over for a party, when it gets warmer,” Neville told the other man. Shivering violently, he headed for the door. “Now, I have to get off this roof because that wind is freezing my bits and pieces.”
Once he returned downstairs, he took more photos. He sent them before he called his parents. It was a good conversation.
Talking to them was always a highlight, although they hadn’t understood how he could possibly be gay when he came out. It took a while for them to adjust from their preconceived thoughts, like a daughter-in-law and grandchildren, but once they were past that, they committed fully to supporting their child. The adjustment hadn’t really taken that long, but there had been some terribly personal questions involved.
After finishing the call with his parents, Pitbull drove Neville to Deacon’s house. Neville was surprised to see that Deacon’s truck was already in the driveway. That was new. Deacon usually worked a twelve-to fourteen-hour shift. Neville thanked Pitbull for the help and headed inside as the man drove away.
As he went inside, Neville deeply inhaled the scent of fried chicken. His mouth watered. He walked into the kitchen and saw that Deacon had the table set and was in the process of removing pieces of golden chicken from a Dutch oven that was on the stove. Deacon looked his way and smiled.
Fuck, if he wasn’t absolutely gorgeous, Neville thought, temporarily forgetting about chicken and his empty stomach. Then Deacon turned his attention back to the chicken, breaking the spell.
“I thought you’d be here soon. You’re nothing if not prompt.” Deacon’s words were teasing.
“You make me sound boring and predictable.”
“Not at all. So, how did your day go?”
Thinking about his new apartment, he felt a surge of pleasure. “It went very well. How did yours go?”
Deacon carried the platter of chicken the few feet to the table and set it down in the center. “Well, we might have a break in locating the brothers. We busted one of their known distributors. Although he lawyered up, we were told he might be willing to make a deal.” Broad shoulders shrugged. “We’ll have to see what the prosecutor’s office has to say. Since everything went so well, I decided to get off work early and come home to take a turn making supper.”
A timer dinged and Deacon went to the counter to open a small fryer. He turned it off and lifted what appeared to be fresh-cut fries.