La Famiglia

by Deanna Wadsworth

  Not sure where the darkness in his eyes came from, Forrester joked, “If you want brothers, mine are all up for sale, and I’m willing to sell cheap.”

  Kyle smiled. “You have a big family?”

  Forrester let out a laugh. “I have a huge, obnoxious family. Brothers, so many cousins I can barely keep track. Aunts, uncles. You name it and I have a dozen of each.”

  “Sounds great. I’ve always wanted a big family.”

  “You can have some of mine. But I’ll warn ya, they’re all loud know-it-all Italians. Ma’s like a walking stereotype, just like her mom, my nonna. Cleans your face with spit, pinches your cheeks. Asks you embarrassing questions in front of everybody. When I was a kid, Ma, Nonna, and my zia would make pasta and dry it all over the kitchen. On the chairs, the tables. Nonna would give us the evil eye if we touched it.”

  “Evil eye?”

  “Yeah, it’s, like, a crazy Sicilian thing,” he explained. “When you get it, you know. Nobody crosses my nonna’s evil eye if they know what’s good for them.” Feeling stupid for oversharing, he cleared his throat. The evil eye? Really, Forrester? “Well, enough about me. C’mon, I’ll introduce you to Scott.”

  Kyle moved his book to the chair and followed.

  “Um, excuse me,” Forrester said to Scott and Phin. “Can I introduce you to, um… my friend?”

  Why did you have to make it weird? Friend was a generic term people used all the time.

  But Kyle didn’t seem to notice as he extended a hand. “Hi, I’m Kyle Benson, big fan of your books. I was so glad you did a fourth Shi Knight book.”

  “Really?” Scott seemed skeptical, pleased, and awkward all at once.

  “Yeah,” Kyle assured him. “It was great.”

  “Told ya.” Phin had a box of small canning jars with Visitor in the Wood tags.

  “What are those?” Forrester wanted to know.

  “Mint jelly,” Phin replied. “Giveaways for his fans, to go with the book.”

  “My husband’s idea of humor,” Scott said with an amused shake of his head. “Green aliens, green jelly because, you know….” He made a quick jerk-off gesture.

  Forrester laughed.

  “Oh man,” Kyle said. “That’s fabulous.”

  Phin held out two jars, still grinning at his cleverness.

  “Thanks.” Kyle took one.

  The jars were the same kind Ma used for canning. So not store-bought jelly. “Did you make this?”

  “Sure did,” the big man said. “Even grew the mint myself.”

  “That’s cool,” Forrester said, impressed. “My mom cans tomatoes. I’m thinking of growing some on the patio out back for her.”

  “If you need plants, lemme know,” Phin offered. “I always start too many.”

  “Thanks, I just might take you up on that.”

  When Phin held out the second jar of green alien jelly, Forrester shook his head, getting his thoughts back on work. “No, thanks. Save them for the customers.”

  Phin put the jelly back on the table, and Scott smiled. “Alien jelly. You’re such a goof, Phin.”

  “I think it’s a great idea,” Kyle said. “That story was great too. I just told Forrester he should read it.”

  Forrester flushed hot but managed to smile and look directly at Kyle so there would be no doubt, no chance that part of his statement might get lost in the clamor of customers. “Yes, we should read it together.”

  That counts as asking him out, right?

  “Careful reading it in public,” Phin warned, looking back and forth between the two of them. Did he think they were a couple?

  “That’s why I’m reading from my new book, not Visitor,” Scott said with an embarrassed smile.

  “Would you like a microphone for the reading?” Forrester asked. “There’s some audio equipment left over from the last tenant.” If Scott was an awkward or quiet reader, Forrester didn’t want Kyle to miss out.

  Scott glanced around. “Um, no, I should be okay. Thanks.”

  “I miss ol’ River Rats,” Phin said wistfully, then glanced down at Scott. “Used to come in here with your grandma. Too bad Cliff passed away. He was too young for cancer.” A sudden melancholy air consumed the big man, and Scott placed a hand on his arm.

  “What did you say?” Kyle asked, shaking his head. “River rats?”

  “That was the bar that was here before I opened,” Forrester explained.

  Kyle chuckled. “Are there rats in your store, Forrester?”

  The slight drawl, the faint slur of the Rs when Kyle said his name made Forrester hot all the way to his toes. He longed to hear it whispered in his ear while they were wrapped up in each other’s arms.

  Naked and spent after hours of hot, sweaty sex.

  “Locals call themselves river rats because of the blue herons out in the Shiloh,” Phin said, drawing Forrester’s thoughts back to where they should be. “They tend to be a nuisance. So they got the nickname river rats.”

  “Oh, I think the herons are beautiful,” Kyle said. “One of my favorite things about living in Gilead is the river and all the wildlife. I work in Shiloh, but every time I cross the bridge and see the water, it’s like I’m instantly relaxed. It just feels like home even though I’ve only lived here three months.”

  “Yeah, this little town has a way of doing that to you,” Forrester agreed. Since high school, he loved visiting his best friend Lucas, who lived here with his moms. Forrester never would’ve dreamed of opening his store anywhere else.

  “The other day I even saw a bald eagle,” Kyle said, looking right at Forrester.

  “Yeah, I heard there’s a nesting pair somewhere upriver,” Forrester told him. “You can’t get that in just any old town.”

  “Gilead can lure you in, no doubt,” Phin agreed, draping an arm around his husband with such casual ease it made Forrester’s throat tighten. “When Mouse came down here, he wasn’t sure he’d like it, but now he’s hooked on the place.”

  Forrester looked at the two men smiling with genuine love, and he was absolutely and totally jealous. He’d dreamed about someone loving him that hard. But even more, he’d longed for the days when he’d been away at college, free to put his arm around a lover in public without having to look over his shoulder.

  Fat chance of that now.

  La famiglia was everywhere.

  When he’d gone to Ohio State on a partial baseball scholarship, Forrester had been excited to be away from his family’s prying eyes, except when they came to visit for games. For the first time, he’d been able to let people know the truth, to date, to have boyfriends. Of course, a few fistfights with some guys on the team to solidify his place as the only gay player had sucked. But all in all, college had been a liberating experience, even if he did waste most of his time being a player and not forming anything meaningful.

  Then two months before graduation, Dad had his first heart attack.

  A month later another one took his life.

  Forrester’s family had needed him.

  So he moved back home.

  He finished his exams online, traveling back and forth to Columbus when he couldn’t. His diploma came in the mail, and Ma made lasagna to celebrate—a rather anticlimactic end to a good run.

  Tamping down that sad truth, he looked at Kyle, startled to find the man staring at him.

  Forrester’s heart pounded. Not vain by any stretch of the imagination—how could he be, with a wardrobe consisting solely of jerseys, slogan T-shirts, hoodies, and flip-flops?—Forrester knew his brown eyes were his best feature. As a kid, he’d hated how adults, women especially, would carry on how his thick black eyelashes created the illusion of eyeliner. But with Kyle staring up at him, Forrester hoped he noticed.

  Kyle’s mouth quirked into a smile, and Forrester’s entire body sizzled with excitement. The erotic notion of reading a sexy book together sent a shiver through him. He flushed and licked his lips.

  The chuckles from his guests snapped them out of t
he moment—did we just have a moment?

  Kyle coughed and looked at his feet. Embarrassed too, maybe?

  “Well, it was nice to meet you, Scott,” Kyle said. “Once you’re all set up, I’ll stop back and get your latest book and have you sign it.”

  “Great, thanks.”

  Kyle turned and walked away. Forrester wanted to follow him, but Phin asked him to help carry the rest of the books in. Duty called. Time to concentrate on work, making his first official guest-author visit as wonderful as he could.

  Chapter Two

  THE AFTERNOON went by in a blur. Scott and Phin were so gracious—Scott signing and answering questions for longer than he’d agreed to stay. But things got awkward when Forrester caught Kyle’s gaze during the reading.

  “…and he pressed a languid kiss against my mouth, nipping my lower lip and making me shudder. Then he tasted my jaw and trailed his moist tongue down to where my pulse pounded….”

  The audience had been enraptured. Sitting in the front row, Kyle had given Forrester a sly smile that left him flushed. He immediately hurried into the back room to compose himself. He returned to the reading before it finished, his mind and body under control, pretending he’d left to get a bottle of water for Scott.

  Holly didn’t buy the subterfuge and raised her brows knowingly. When no one was watching, he flipped her a quick one-fingered Italian hello, and she just laughed.

  After Scott packed up, Forrester got lost checking out customers and was startled when Kyle stood before him, books in hand.

  “Oh, you’re still here.”

  “Stayed for the whole thing.” Along with the new S.D. Howe book, he placed a hardcover on the counter. One of Forrester’s favorites—Kevin Anderson’s fourth book in The Saga of the Seven Suns.

  “Excellent series.”

  “Thanks for turning me on to it.”

  You’re turning me on…. He cleared his throat. “No problem.”

  “Not that I need any more books,” Kyle said with an awkward laugh. “When I finished unpacking, I found a lot of duplicates.”

  “You do know this is a used bookstore and we take trade-ins?”

  “You’d probably love to get your hands on my books,” he teased.

  The double entendre warmed Forrester clear to the middle, but he managed to flirt back. “You know I would.”

  Jeez, my voice sounds so rough!

  Shorter than Forrester, maybe five ten in his motorcycle boots, Kyle gave him a grin. “And I have everything you could possibly want.”

  I want you….

  “So, Forrester.” Kyle said his name in a way that never ceased to send shockwaves down his back and straight to his cock. “How does one go about trading in books around here?”

  He pressed his groin closer to the back of the checkout counter, not wanting his thin khakis to reveal what Kyle’s voice did to him. He knew it wasn’t an accent anymore, but the soft way Kyle spoke lured him in like a siren’s song.

  Since no one else waited to check out, Forrester took a moment to soak in those gorgeous hazel eyes, then smiled impishly. “First you have to bring them in.”

  “That would be helpful.” Kyle’s generous mouth cracked a grin.

  He tried his damnedest not to picture those downright kissable lips wrapped around his cock while he ran his fingers through Kyle’s sun-streaked hair.

  He’d always had a thing for blonds.

  He plucked up one of the flyers from the counter. Somehow he managed to sound professional, educated even, when he handed it over. “Our policy is we only take gently used books.”

  “Mine are in great shape.”

  “I bet they are,” Forrester drawled.

  “They’re like new,” he insisted. “No folded corners, never dropped one in a tub either.”

  “Good to hear. I hate it when people ruin a good book.” Dammit, now I’m picturing Kyle in a bathtub!

  “Me too.” Kyle folded the flyer and tucked it into his pocket.

  “For every book you trade in, we give 15 percent off the purchase of a new book or 25 percent off a used one. And for every three books, you get a free used book or half off a new one.”

  Kyle flashed those pearly whites, making his eyes crinkle and his dimples deepen so much Forrester longed to flick his tongue inside them. “Guess I got some free books coming.”

  “I guess you do,” he quipped. “Do you want to buy these today or wait till you do the trade?”

  Kyle withdrew his card. “Nah, I’ll buy them now. I’ve been dying to see what happens since you got me hooked on this series. And Scott already signed this one.”

  Forrester offered him a sideways smile. “I’ll just give you 15 percent off on good faith.”

  “Gosh, you don’t have to do that.”

  Good Lord, the guy said gosh. Could he be more adorable?

  When Forrester noticed Holly watching them, he resisted the urge to stick his tongue out at her. Instead, he shrugged off Kyle’s modesty and entered the discount into his computer. “No problem. Just make sure you bring me some good stuff, capisci?”

  “Will do. Thanks a lot.”

  Forrester swiped his card, then offered Kyle another inviting smile. The one Ma called his suck-up smile. “Can I get you anything else? Answer any more of your questions?”

  Kyle kept smiling. “No. You’ve been pretty thorough, as usual.”

  “You sure?” he prompted, unable to stop flirting so shamelessly. “You don’t need to know anything else? What’s on the bestseller list? Today’s weather? The meaning of life?”

  “Forty-two.”

  Official report: Forrester was in love with Kyle Benson.

  Or at least in serious lust.

  His grin widened so big he swore his face might crack. “A Hitchhiker fan. I should’ve known.” He tore off the receipt and slid it forward for Kyle to sign.

  “Hells yeah.” Kyle laughed.

  Forrester bagged the books. “Receipt with you or in the bag?”

  “Bag’s fine.” He accepted his purchases, then cleared his throat and fiddled with the bag. “All right, um, thank you, Forrester. Always a pleasure.” He extended a hand and Forrester took it, electric jolts running through his blood at the feel of those lightly calloused fingers.

  “No problem,” he managed, not letting go.

  Kyle kept his gaze locked on Forrester, blinking and glancing from his eyes to his mouth. Warming, Forrester ran his thumb across the back of his hand. He couldn’t believe his forwardness, but Kyle had some kind of tractor beam sucking him in. Powerless against its pull, he stroked the soft skin once more with a nervous, light touch, pulses of heat and desire stirring inside him.

  Forrester let go and cleared his throat. “Um, Kyle?”

  “Yeah?”

  The phone rang, shattering the moment.

  Sighing, he snagged it on the third ring. “Thank you for calling A Novel Idea. This is Forrester, how may I help you?”

  “Hey, it’s me.”

  Only real friends or family could answer a phone with an “it’s me.” Lucas Beale was the former. Though totally weird, and he hated sports of all kinds, Lucas was Forrester’s “boy best friend”—Holly having the honor of being his “girl best friend.” He didn’t know what he would do without either of them.

  “Hey, Lucas, what’s up?” He tried not to sound annoyed at the telephone cockblock.

  Kyle waved goodbye. “I guess I’ll see ya later, Forrester.”

  “Can’t wait.”

  “Can’t wait for what?” Lucas asked in confusion.

  He covered the receiver, hoping he didn’t sound lame to Kyle. “I mean… uh, I can’t wait to read that book together?” His entire body froze in one breath of anticipation.

  Kyle cocked his head to the side, then smiled. “Absolutely.”

  Still grinning, Kyle turned and walked away.

  Ignoring Lucas as he started talking again, Forrester watched Kyle’s spectacular ass as he headed to the door.
A woman was coming in and, like a perfect gentleman, Kyle held the door for her. Outside, Kyle slid on and strapped his helmet. Then he threw his leg over and straddled the chrome-and-black Sportster parked out front.

  I got something he can straddle and ride…. Forrester’s skin flushed all the way to his toes. Was Kyle a top or a bottom? Being versatile, he really didn’t care. As long as there was manly skin touching his, lots of kissing, and he got to come, Forrester was a happy camper. But the prospect of finding out what Kyle liked made his entire body warm.

  He watched Kyle put his bike into gear and walk it back out of the space. As it did every time Kyle left, a deep ache settled in his stomach.

  God, I just need to marry him.

  “Forrester!” Lucas shouted from the phone.

  Shaking his head at his silly thoughts, Forrester said, “Sorry, what did you say, Lucas?”

  “I asked if you have a game tonight.”

  Forrester played on a baseball team for Smitty’s Pizzeria, a favorite joint back home in Shiloh. He glanced out the front of his store, where long gray shadows had swallowed sunny afternoon. “Not sure. It’s supposed to rain pretty bad tonight, so if there’s lightning at the rec, then no.”

  “You wanna go to the Flames?”

  Forrester frowned. “Not really. We just went out.”

  “We only went to Reverends,” Lucas argued.

  “What’s wrong with that?” Until six months ago, the only gay-friendly joint within a two-hour radius of Gilead had been the tiny bar, Reverends. Dad pointed it out once when they drove by as kids, warning Forrester and his brothers the owner had AIDS and to never get lured in there.

  Yeah, like gay guys were setting traps to lure straight boys into bars.

  Reverends was a hole-in-the-wall, and the owner didn’t have HIV. He was just an old biker dude from the seventies who didn’t care if people in conservative Shiloh didn’t like that he was gay. The bar had been there as long as Forrester remembered and never had a problem with guys like Forrester coming in the back door.

  “I wanna go to the Flames, get loaded, dance, and find some dude with a ten-inch dick to fuck me till I can’t walk straight,” Lucas was saying. “Preferably in that order.”