“He’s a little feverish, and ibuprofen isn’t helping. I’ve been walking him, and bathing him, and he won’t eat.” He closed his eyes and breathed deeply as the frustration swelled again. The scent of chlorine and sun and man filled his nostrils.
“And you’re not too well yourself, are you?” Sympathy drenched the sexy voice, and tears welled in Devyn’s eyes. He wouldn’t cry. Just because he was tired, frustrated and stressed over the lack of response from his lawyer, he couldn’t let a little sympathy send him over the edge.
“I have a migraine.” He admitted, rubbing at his left temple futilely.
“Want to come to me, baby?” Devyn blinked. The migraine, he was so blaming the migraine for the way his heart jumped at that statement. Kail, it seemed, wanted to go to Sully. Sully took him deftly, and Devyn stretched his arms over his head with a sigh of relief. “Go on, man.” Sully waved him away. “Go take a shower, take some meds for the headache. I’ll wait right here with the little guy, and we’ll get to know each other.
Shower. Magic fucking word. He craved that shower. “I’ll be right back.” A last glance at the whimpering Kail and he headed quickly for the shower. He turned the water on to heat while he rummaged in the medicine cabinet for the prescription pills his doctor had ordered. The little buggers hid at the back of the motley contents. Swishing mouthwash and spitting in the sink, he swallowed two tablets quickly then brushed his teeth and hopped in the shower. The hot spray soothed his tired muscles and he soaped himself quickly before rinsing and leaping out.
He paused near the open bathroom door, Kail was crying again, and Sully murmured unintelligibly to him. Hastily he pulled on a pair of board shorts, sans boxers. More relaxed, a pang of guilt sent him scurrying into the outer room. He’d left his son with a stranger. Granted, they’d met, twice, sort of. But still.
CHAPTER 4
Devyn must have the patience of a saint. Sully had held the crying baby for less than twenty minutes, and already he was anxious and ready to drive to the emergency room or call in reinforcements. A slight noise alerted him to Devyn’s’ arrival, and he glanced over, drawing in a sharp breath as he took in the vision that crossed the room toward him. Devyn’s pale inked skin glittered with water droplets from the hair he hadn’t dried, his bare chest boasted a tempting smattering of hairs that arrowed down to disappear beneath the waistband of his red board shorts.
A pulse beat visibly in the tender hollow of his throat and an edge of fear glinted in his eyes. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left him with you.” He sounded so young, so troubled as he reached to take Kail from Sully. Sully’s grip tightened briefly then relaxed. He reluctantly allowed the worried young father to take the baby.
“What have you tried so far?” He cringed at the sharp exasperation in the younger man’s eyes.
“Everything I could think of. I even have half a dozen calls in to my father, but he hasn’t responded.” Fatigue and defeat returned. “I should take him to the emergency room.”
Thoughtfully, Sully considered the situation. The young man didn’t seem to be employed, the apartment was sparsely furnished, and it seemed that money might be hindering his search for medical assistance. Sully reached for the phone on the counter. “May I?” He’d left his own phone upstairs when the noise awakened him, but he knew the perfect person to consult. With six kids of her own, Tallia would be more than happy to help.
Devyn nodded, then wandered away, shoulders slumped. He paused at the open glass door, whispering to the baby.
Tallia picked up on the second ring. “Tallia? Sully. Listen, I’m-"
“Oh my god! Is that a baby crying in the background? Where are you Sully? What’s happened?” Yep. Tally could be counted on to help out, all right. He just had to prevent her from ditching her own kids with Dude and heading right over here to help in the flesh.
“I’m at my neighbors. Listen, Tally… the baby’s not well and,” he lowered his voice, cupping his hand over the receiver, “I don’t think he can afford to take the baby to the clinic. I hoped you’d know some homeopathic remedies that we haven’t tried.”
“Oh, of course you don’t need to go to a clinic. What’s wrong with the little guy? Give me the symptoms, honey.”
“Symptoms, well... he’s feverish.” Sully tried to recall what else Devyn had said. “He’s unhappy. This morning he was laughing and playing. But he’s been crying for the last few hours non-stop. Devyn said he didn’t eat.”
“Devyn, hmm? Sounds familiar. Anyway, Sully, is the baby tugging on his ear?”
Sully peered across the room where Devyn stood with Kail, restarting the CD player. He’d be dreaming Sergeant Pepper if he ever got to sleep tonight. Yep, sure enough, the baby was tugging on his left ear. “Yes, he is. What does that mean?”
“It means he has an ear infection. Not good, but not the worst thing that could happen either. You got garlic there? Or at your place?”
“Hang on.” Holding the phone by his side, he called out to Devyn. “You got garlic here?”
Devyn cast him a quizzical glance as he paced back to the door again. “Yeah, I have garlic in the basket over there. Why?”
“Not sure, but I’m going to find out. Yeah, sis. We have garlic.”
“Okay, then Sully, here’s what you and your friend do. You take a clove of that garlic and crush it into a teaspoon of vegetable or olive oil. Warm it up on the stove. Don’t get it too hot. You don’t want to burn the inner ear. Moisten a q-tip with that oil when it's warm and rub the oil inside the baby’s ear. It’ll work. Trust me.”
“Sounds easy enough, sis. Hey, I’ll call you back if it doesn’t work.” Half threat, half begging for support.
“It’ll work. And, hey yourself. Bring your friend and the baby to dinner some night, okay?”
“Not that kind of friend, Tally. Thanks anyway.”
“Maybe not yet. But I know you, brother. I can tell by your voice this one is different. Bring him.” The call disconnected on that order.
Devyn was watching him, eyes brimming with hope.
“Okay. Simple. Q-tips, olive oil, and garlic. I got this, if you want to get the Q-tips?”
CHAPTER 5
Devyn came slowly awake, refreshed and surprised that no cries had awakened him during the night. He stretched his arms above his head and turned to check the crib on the other side of the room. His eye fell on his sleeping son next to him on the big bed, and he cringed. What if Kail had rolled over and fallen off the bed during the night?
Seconds later the memory of Sully returned, and he raised his gaze slightly from the sleeping baby to land on his rescuer of the night before. Sully’s sister’s remedy had worked, but not before his migraine meds had kicked in. Sully had tucked both him and Kail into bed, and apparently all three had drifted into exhausted, but blessedly pain free slumber together.
Sully asleep was gorgeous. His head rested on one arm as he lay on his side facing Kail. The firm tempting lips that had haunted him after their meeting at the pool were parted in silent invitation. The body he’d been unable to keep his eyes from while the man slept at the poolside lay relaxed and supple, curled slightly inward. One large, strong hand rested on Kail’s tummy protectively.
Safe. He’d felt a strange safety in Sully’s presence. The man exuded confidence and capability. Turning to him for help with Kail, a shoulder to lean on, had felt very right. Giving in to temptation, Devyn braced his arm on the bed and leaned forward to caress those lips with his own. He knew after the incident at the pool gate yesterday, that Sully was interested in him. Yesterday he hadn’t been sure he could trust anyone. Today, after the night they’d spent, the tender care Sully had lavished on his son, Devyn knew he wanted to at least try. It had been a long time since he’d had the luxury of touching, of liking, another man. Married at nineteen, a father at twenty-two, he’d had to stifle this side of himself.
Warm, firm lips, sweet hot breath, he shivered as Sully murmured sleepily. He pressed gently,
half-hoping, half-fearing Sully would wake. He should have known better. Kail gave an indignant coo, and flailed his hands in protest at being trapped between the two men. The little hand with its sharp nails caught him square in the eye before finding Sully’s nose and grabbing it tightly.
Sully came awake with a start of surprise. He carefully peeled the baby from his nose and licked his lips, never breaking eye contact with Devyn, who felt the heat of a blush spread across his cheekbones.
“Devyn.” His voice was husky with sleep, a sultry caress. “You kissed me?”
Shit. Could he pass it off as a dream? Even as the thought slid through his brain, he was nodding. The blur of movement from the corner of his eye caught him by surprise, and he flinched before he had time to brace himself for the blow that never came. Instead, a caressing palm cupped his cheek, a rough thumb rubbed over his bottom lip.
“You want to try that again while I’m awake to enjoy it?” Though Sully made no comment about his foolish shrinking, his shrewd eyes indicated he’d noted it, and filed it away for future reference.
Emboldened by the teasing, Devyn scooped Kail up and headed for the changing station. “Maybe. Want coffee?”
“Coffee, God, yes, I want coffee.”
Devyn watched, fascinated, as Sully absently picked up the key that hung from a chain around his neck and nibbled it. Plump red lips closing on the shiny metal key, and his groin pulsed in sympathy for the metal. He licked his own lips, dragged his attention back to diapering Kail, and offered in a husky voice. “In the kitchen. Do you mind making it?”
He ignored the rustle of sheets, forcing his gaze to stay on the wipes and the diaper in hand, but oh, how badly he wanted to peer around and see that long sleek body climbing out of his bed.
He started in surprise as a hard hand brushed his hair aside and a moist hot kiss landed on the nape of his neck. He shivered as muffled footsteps wandered to the door. “No problem. I can make the coffee. You want breakfast too?”
Only if breakfast is you. Please God let me not have said that out loud. He had a sinking feeling it had been when Sully’s chuckles drifted back from the open plan living area.
CHAPTER 6
Sully discretely adjusted himself as he padded barefoot out to the living area. In the kitchen, he checked the fridge and freezer but couldn’t find any coffee beans. Frowning, he started opening cabinets, staring in horror at a can of pre-ground, store brand coffee.Is there enough time to run up to my place for real coffee? More to the point, once outside that door, will Devyn let you back in?
Reluctantly he grabbed the can from the shelf and set it on the cabinet next to the coffee pot. Okay, he was a coffee snob. A case of bottled water sat on the floor next to the fridge, and he pulled three of them from the plastic wrap. He filled the water reservoir on the pot and started searching the cabinets for spices. Cinnamon, salt and pepper seemed the limit of Devyn’s spice collection.We are so sleeping at my place next time.
A dash of cinnamon and a quarter cup of sugar in the basket with the inferior coffee grounds and his eye fell on a bowl of citrus fruit. Shrugging, he grabbed an orange and started searching for a zester. Too much to hope for from a man who only had three spices. Laughing, he bit into the bitter peel and pulled a few small pieces from the orange. He dropped those into the grounds as well and set the pot to go.
Absently his hand went to the key on a chain around his neck, and he drew it to his mouth, the faintly metallic taste of the key burst across his tongue, and he stared out the sliding glass doors to the patio as he waited for his hosts to make their appearance.
Devyn strolled into the room with Kail in his arms, the little boy peering curiously around. When his dark eyes found Sully, he crowed and clapped his little hands together, reaching out to be held. Sully smiled in return, dropping the key.
“And a good morning to you, too, baby Kail.” He stepped out from behind the counter and accepted the baby’s embrace, brushing off Devyn’s polite ‘you don’t have to’. “I told you. I’m used to kids. I’ve missed this, actually.” He confided, settling on one of the barstools with the baby in his arms. “I used to live over my sister’s garage. She has six kids. Last month I moved out, and the quiet has been slowly driving me insane when I’m not at work.”
Devyn’s smile of acceptance sent his pulse beating harder, and the erection that had begun to subside was back with a vengeance. The other man was puttering around in the kitchen, doing something with little jars and heating a bowl in the microwave.
“I’ll feed him if you want to shower, or make breakfast.” He added hastily as the image of Devyn from last night, wet and relaxed from the hot shower came back to haunt him.
“I’m good, shower=wise. We’ll go down to the pool in a bit, and then I’ll shower after that. Fruit and cereal good for breakfast for you?” Devyn’s happy smile and acceptance of his presence made something in Sully’s chest melt.
He gazed at Kail, spooning bites into the little mouth like a mother bird, swallowing hard to get the sudden tension to leave his throat. What the fuck? This should be a feel good moment. This connection shouldn’t be so gut wrenching. “Yeah. Is that coffee done?” He winced himself at the harshness of his voice, and Kail frowned at him while Devyn just stared.
“Shit, I’m sorry Devyn. I’m just... I need coffee. I have oral issues. If there’s nothing in my mouth crap just spills out of it.”
Devyn burst into laughter as he set a mug of coffee with a dancing Snoopy on it on the counter nearby but far enough away that Kail couldn’t get to it. “Okay. Let me take him and dress him, and you can take your foot out of your mouth and fill it with coffee.”
“I’d rather fill it with you, but I see that’s not on the menu, so coffee will do.” Willing himself not to blush was probably foolish, but he raised his coffee to his lips and kept his gaze locked on Devyn’s startled one as he gulped the hot nectar.
Well, it was a stretch to call this swill nectar, but it was laden with caffeine, and it would do. A few sips later, he felt he’d got his mouth, and his libido, under control enough to put down the mug. “So, Tally invited us over today. You want to go meet the gal who saved our night’s sleep? She and Dude are good people, have six kids, the youngest just a little older than Kail, here. They have a pool too, so we won’t have to miss our swim.”
He could see the hesitation on Devyn’s face, and forged ahead. “It’ll be fun. Dude makes a mean barbeque and Tally is the original homeopathic mom. She has remedies for everything that will everything that befalls Kail. You can pick her brains while you sunbathe. And thank her in person for the earache cure.”
Steamrolling on ahead, he swooped over and scooped up Kail. “Come on. I’ll get the baby dressed and ready to go while you change then we’ll head up to my apartment and I’ll change. Oh, and hey, let’s stop at Starbucks and get some real coffee, okay?”
CHAPTER 7
I’m driving him to his sister’s house, where we’re going to have a barbeque and play with the kids. How the hell did this happen?He checked on Kail in his car seat in the back seat, and then flicked a quick glance at the hunk of tanned man sprawled in the passenger seat next to him. Sully had switched his pajama pants for a pair of hibiscus print board shorts in teal and blue and a simple white tank top. He’d allowed the flip flops to drop from his feet as soon as he’d gotten into the car, and somehow, unfairly, even his feet were sexy and turned Devyn on.
Was he really so starved for masculine company that he fell for the first man to smile at him? No. He wasn’t that kind of guy. Sully was special, a man to be counted on. Maybe, eventually, a man to be trusted. The timing sucked, but he couldn’t regret the advent of Sully into his life. If only his Dad would call back with news from the lawyers about his urgent plea for an emergency custody hearing!
It turned out that Tally and Dude lived in one of the coastal towns, but not on the beach itself. It was a quiet little family neighborhood and a pretty big house and lot by California s
tandards. The palm of Sully’s hand in the small of his back reassured him and it didn’t occur to him until the door swung open how the posture would appear to Sully’s sister, who greeted him with a beaming smile and an exuberant hug.
He tried to hang back, but Sully drew him forward, introducing Devyn and Kail to a herd of children and a tall blond man with knowing blue eyes. The food was good, the conversation was fun, and Kail clearly loved the attention and was fascinated by the Rawlings’ baby girl. Devyn relaxed over the course of the afternoon.
He sat on a lounger watching Kail playing with little Amber in an inflated kiddie pool when Sully strolled over and perched on the edge of the chair next to him. He flicked a glance out the corner of his eye, and gulped iced tea from his glass when he saw that Sully had that damn key in his mouth again. Damn. Has he got any idea how sexy that is?
Sully played with the key for a moment or two, eyeing Devyn. “So.”
“What?” He bolted upright nervously. His heart pounded in earnest now, but from fear not arousal. Had Sully discovered his secret?
“I’m not sure about how you’re going to feel about this, so I’m going to come right out and say it.” Sully dropped the key and pulled his sunglasses down from his hair. He tapped his lower lip with the earpiece, and Devyn licked his own lips, remembering Sully sucking the earpiece by the pool the day before. What had he said? He had oral issues? Damn.
“You’re going to come right out and say something, go ahead.” He couldn’t help the belligerence that echoed in his voice, and the responsive spark of interest in Sully’s eyes intrigued him. Arousal, fear, anger, pleasure that such an attractive, clean cut man found him, with his piercings and tats attractive, the emotions swirled through him.
Sully shoved the glasses on, concealing the flames in his dark eyes, effectively hiding how he felt. Devyn regretted that. At least when he looked into Sully’s eyes he knew he wasn’t the only one bewildered by this connection between them.
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