Kyle’s orgasm seemed to go on impossibly long, his hot load shooting down Bran’s throat in burst after burst that Bran couldn’t suck down fast enough. When he finally relaxed, Kyle seemed to collapse beneath him. Bran licked the few drops of come that had escaped him from Kyle’s heated skin and let his gaze travel up Kyle’s gorgeous, lean body. When he saw Kyle’s face, his skin slightly ashen, Bran’s stomach clenched. He grabbed the covers from the floor where he’d tossed them, and pulled them over Kyle’s body as he moved to share the pillow beneath Kyle’s head.
“Are you feeling okay?”
Kyle moaned softly, and slowly his mouth turned up in a sleepy smile. “More than okay.” He turned his head toward Bran and seemed to be struggling to open his eyes. “Why?”
“Your color is a little off.” Bran caressed Kyle’s cheek, which was hot like he had a fever. “Are you in pain? Please tell me if you are.”
Kyle shook his head. Barely, but enough so Bran could tell that he had. And then he fell asleep.
Brandon surprised himself by gathering Kyle into his arms and holding him while he slept—hoping he wouldn’t wake too soon. He even let himself think about cuddling when they were both awake. So far he hadn’t blown it, so he didn’t think it would be too dangerous to entertain the thought. He knew he would be in trouble if Kyle didn’t share his feelings, if this evening hadn’t meant as much to him as it had to Bran. Because Bran knew he had fallen. As impossible as it sounded, he knew he wanted to hold Kyle tightly and never let him go, to see his beautiful dark eyes and exquisite mouth on a regular basis.
What’s a little fear compared to feeling like this?
It was only about half an hour before Kyle’s breathing changed, and a minute or two after that he woke. Bran braced himself, but Kyle didn’t get up—he turned toward Bran, slipped one leg over his, and pulled him closer.
“Sorry about that.”
“What do you mean?”
“Falling asleep on you. I didn’t see that coming.”
“It’s okay. I didn’t think we were done here.”
Kyle made a sound like he’d just tasted something delicious. “No… not done. Give me a few minutes?”
“Take as long as you need.” Bran caressed the smooth skin of Kyle’s shoulder and arm, delighting in the firm muscles beneath. All that lean muscle was a huge turn-on, which surprised Bran—a shameless muscle queen, he usually went for bulk and definition, and the more the better.
“I didn’t realize I was so tired. It’s not easy keeping up with guys half my age.”
Bran’s hand stopped. His mood went from lazy to tense with a side of self-loathing in the time it took Kyle to finish that sentence—which was the reason Kyle was able to bounce up onto his elbow and look down into Bran’s face. If the picture of Kyle enjoying nubile young things hadn’t immediately flooded into his mind, Bran would not have allowed it to happen. Kyle held Bran’s jaw in the palm of his hand and tried to turn his head to face him, but Bran wouldn’t budge.
He’s already seen too much as it is.
“Bran?”
Before Bran could talk himself out of being a weepy drama queen, Kyle slipped his hand up into Bran’s hair. Kyle lightly massaged his temple, turning Bran’s face toward him. Finally, when he couldn’t stand it any longer, Bran allowed himself to look into Kyle’s dark, soulful eyes. What he saw there stole his breath.
How can I feel so much for this man I hardly know?
“I’m in school. Not all of my classmates are half my age, but most of them are. But none of them makes me want to do this.” Kyle did that scalp-massaging thing again, then drew his hand down the side of Bran’s face and did it again along his jaw. Just when Bran thought he couldn’t stand it any longer and was about to raise his head to steal a kiss, Kyle traced his bottom lip with his fingertip. Bran’s eyes fell closed, and he shivered when Kyle nibbled softly where his finger had just been. He moaned when Kyle spoke between nibbles. “Your mouth is so lovely. And talented. Delicious.”
Before Bran could wrap his mind around what was happening, Kyle slid down the bed and wrapped his mouth around Bran’s dick. Slowly, he sucked it into his exquisite mouth, his tongue flicking around the crown and teasing the slit, his gaze locked on Bran’s. After a few moments, Kyle went a little crazy, his head bobbing so fast it would have been frightening if it hadn’t felt so wonderful.
Sooner than he expected, Bran felt a luscious warmth gathering in his body, spreading until it erupted into Kyle’s mouth. Kyle moaned as he swallowed, and Bran saw stars behind his closed eyelids.
Bran wasn’t surprised when he realized Kyle had wrapped himself around him again. He probably would have been surprised if he hadn’t lost a moment or two after getting off so hard. Kyle seemed to be completely relaxed and comfortable, with his head pillowed on Bran’s shoulder.
I could get used to this.
Kyle rubbed his cheek against Bran’s shoulder and made a humming sound. “What was that you said about retiring?”
“What?” Bran groaned. He didn’t really want to talk, not yet. They had time for that when they weren’t able to be alone. Sure, that’s what bothers you about that question. “Yes, I’m too old for you. I know.”
Kyle laughed. A beautiful sound, rich with joy and genuine amusement. “How old do you think I am?”
“No way.”
“Come on. Just one guess. I won’t be insulted.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Yeah, it’s mean of me to ask you to guess. I’m forty-seven.”
“No, you aren’t.”
Kyle laughed again and squeezed Bran in his arms. “Yes, I am. Look it up later—you’ll see. Or you could card me.”
Bran pulled back far enough to frown into Kyle’s eyes. “I would never look up your personal information. That’s an unlawful use of resources.”
“Okay.” Kyle frowned right back, but he didn’t really seem angry. “You used resources to scare Eric’s brother.”
“Yes.” Bran squirmed, wondering what Kyle’s point was. “But I might not have if I didn’t feel like I owed it to Tim.” Bran lay back down and pulled Kyle close. He smiled, his eyes falling closed as Kyle snuggled against him. “For the record, we’ve buried the hatchet, so I won’t be extending him more special favors to make up for what I did.”
“Speaking of which…. Are you comfortable with being out, being with me in public?”
“Of course. Why do you ask? Did you think I would be ashamed? Want to hide that I’m with the sexiest man on the central coast?”
“Just checking.”
The idea was to sleep awhile and then go get breakfast, putting off dealing with the fallout for leaving Minnie as long as possible. It said a lot that Bran could barely think past Kyle to worry about leaving her at the camp, but he was practically oblivious in that moment. Still, he couldn’t turn off his brain. Or his libido. If it wasn’t Kyle tracing his muscles, it was him running his fingers through Kyle’s silky, long hair or kissing his tantalizing lips. Eventually, though, the night began to give way to day, and the moment when they would have to get up and rejoin the rest of the world approached. Neither of them had been able to do much below the waist for hours, but that didn’t mean Bran was ready to move on just yet.
Kyle’s body grew very still, and Bran felt the atmosphere turn from sexy and playful to something more serious. When Kyle took a slow, careful breath, Bran felt the urge to talk over him, afraid Kyle would say something he didn’t want to hear.
“I think we should talk about this, so nobody misunderstands and gets hurt feelings and ends up closing a door in anyone’s face again.”
Brandon felt Kyle’s smile against his chest and squeezed him tightly.
“Okay, I guess I’ll start.” Kyle kissed his chest, and Bran’s muscles all loosened. “Since I wish I hadn’t shut that door in your face. Especially considering what you said after I did.”
“You heard that?”
“Not hard to he
ar through a door when your forehead is pressed against the other side.”
Bran considered jumping in but decided to let Kyle go ahead and start. He’d brought it up, and Bran thought he’d be making up for a while. Especially since he had complicated everything when he’d left that first night.
Kyle sighed. It almost sounded amused. “I want to see you. To start something with the hope that it will go somewhere.”
“I want that too.”
“Nope—sorry, but you’ll have to say it.”
“Sounds fair. I want to be in a relationship with you. With the hope that it’ll last.”
“Okay.”
“You sound surprised.”
“That you said all that? Yeah, I am a little.”
“Why? Do I seem that staid to you?”
“Not when you use words like ‘staid,’ you don’t.” Kyle’s voice sounded more like when he was talking dirty than the voice he used for normal conversations.
“Really? Words like that turn you on?”
Slowly Kyle’s fingertips traced the hills and valleys of Bran’s obliques.
“Not all words, and not said by just anyone….” Kyle slid beneath the sheets—they didn’t smell at all musty anymore, or at least Bran couldn’t detect anything behind the spicy musk of sex and Kyle—and used his mouth for better things than talking.
Chapter Fourteen
THE LAST thing Kyle wanted to do was get up—get out of bed, that is—but the light streaming through the curtainless windows said he would have to. Sooner rather than later, too, if he had any hope of getting through the weekend with both of his fledgling relationships intact. In all fairness, he’d known his father for forty-seven years—but being Kenzou Shimoda’s son had only become enjoyable enough that Kyle would worry about changing it over the last few weeks. Fair was fair, but honestly, Kyle was still waiting for a shoe to drop, for something beyond the forced retirement to be revealed as the real reason for his father’s change of heart.
Kyle knew Bran had woken some time ago, maybe even before he had, but apparently he wasn’t in any hurry to get out of bed either. Someone has to be the grown-up here.
“We should get up.”
And that’s the extent of my contribution to adulthood for the day.
Bran sighed and slid his fingers through Kyle’s hair. “Don’t want to.”
“Neither do I, but unless you’re planning to bring me breakfast….”
A puff of air lifted Kyle’s hair from his face when Bran laughed. He slipped a fingertip under a lock that still lay across Kyle’s cheek and then used that finger to turn his face up. Kyle had never wanted to be taken care of by a man, but the tenderness Bran was showing gave him a reason to rethink that stance. That tenderness almost took the sting out of not getting a morning rush below the waist. It had been a long time since Kyle had spent the night getting off, but he’d expected at least a little morning hello from down there.
Maybe next time.
“Since we can’t live on this—” Bran touched his lips to Kyle’s, nibbled softly, and then pulled back only enough to speak. “—I guess it’s time to get up and rejoin the real world.”
“Don’t get too real on me. I plan to bring this feeling along and keep it going as long as possible.”
After a few more kisses, they left the warmth and comfort of bed. Bran told Kyle to take the first shower. When he returned, Bran had put his clothes on and changed the sheets, and was tucking a fresh blanket under the pillows.
“I guess we’re stopping at your place?”
Bran stiffened, noticeably uncomfortable.
“Is there a problem?”
“Not really.” Bran’s unfocused gaze trained on the window, but Kyle wouldn’t have believed it if he’d said he was actually looking outside. “I told Mom I was leaving, but also that I expected to be back. She’s perfectly capable of getting herself home, but if she’s still at Buchanan House, I really shouldn’t show up in yesterday’s clothes.” He turned and grinned. “Smelling like I had a great night.”
“Yeah, I’m a little worried about how my father will react when we get there. He’s been mellow lately, but he’s still the same man who didn’t want me to wear running shoes to school.”
“No kidding?”
“Khakis and oxfords. So the teachers would take me seriously.” Kyle shook his head. Bran’s smile had a little too much “aww, how cute” for his taste, so Kyle turned to look for his left shoe.
Bran’s apartment wasn’t far, and even though Kyle guessed he’d rather go up alone, he got out of the car and followed Bran upstairs. He had to see it—the place where Bran lived, where he slept at night. He wasn’t sure what to expect, but the nearly spartan room wasn’t it. Bran had a few family photos and a bookshelf mostly filled with what appeared to be twenty-year-old textbooks, but otherwise the room could have belonged to anyone. It made his chest a little tight to picture Bran in this room alone. Kyle spent the short time while Bran showered and changed wondering about his roommates, but neither of them showed.
Kyle slid into the passenger seat of Bran’s car and watched as he rounded the front and got in. Sexy man. Bran surprised Kyle by leaning across the console and kissing him.
“Thank you. For letting me go up to your place, not for the kiss.”
“Do I need to do better? I can kiss you again.”
Kyle leaned toward him, chuckling softly. “You did fine. But who am I to say no to an offer like that?”
They spent a few minutes longer barely restraining themselves from full-on making out right there in full daylight and then headed for Buchanan House.
A few cars were sitting in the lot, enough so Kyle didn’t bother looking for his father’s. “Do you have to work today?”
“No.”
Bran tensed, and Kyle ran his hand down Bran’s arm. The way his chest hitched and his next breath sounded husky made Kyle a little hard. Now. Of course. Now that I can’t do anything with it for a while. “You’re coming in, right?”
“If you…. Sure.”
“Good. Let everyone be happy for us.”
They walked across the parking lot, the backs of their hands brushing lightly, until Kyle realized Bran was doing it intentionally. At the bottom of the front steps, Kyle took Brandon’s hand and laced their fingers together. He turned his head, and Bran focused his gaze on their locked hands.
Kyle squeezed a little and Bran looked up at him. “Okay?”
“Okay.” His smile might have been a little nervous, but that would fade.
They made it into the dining room before anyone noticed them. About half of the tables were full of guests lingering over coffee and the remains of what had obviously been a delicious brunch. Kyle had started to wonder where everyone else was—and when they would be fed—when Paulie burst out the kitchen doors, closely followed by Derek, Nathan, and Eric.
“There you are! And don’t you look happy!” Paulie hugged them both together and kissed their cheeks.
For a few seconds, Kyle and Bran were surrounded by their friends, getting hugs and kisses and congratulations. Most of the diners had turned to watch, and Kyle looked for his father. Finally he can stop bemoaning my perpetual bachelorhood.
“Where’s my dad? Is he still up in the room?”
Nobody spoke for a long moment. Eric looked like he wanted to run back into the kitchen or maybe sink into the floor. When Kyle turned to Derek, he actually did go back into the kitchen.
“Paulie?”
“When you didn’t come back… he accepted an invitation.”
“An invi—what? Are you telling me my dad hooked up last night?”
“No.” Paulie glanced away. Toward Bran. “No. I am definitely not saying that.”
“Who did he leave with?” Kyle asked. He almost didn’t want to ask, because Paulie’s careful tone told him before he said a word. But it couldn’t be….
Paulie turned toward Brandon and might have looked a bit afraid. “He left with Mi
nnie.”
Bran turned and strode toward the front doors as though someone needed to be saved. Or to be arrested. Kyle’s legs were longer, but he still had to jog to catch up before Bran reached his car. He drove in silence, a little over the speed limit, which Kyle didn’t think was an unimportant detail. Bran gripped the steering wheel so hard his arms shook.
Kyle tried to think of something to say to reassure him but came up empty. Probably because part of him wanted to bail and run in the opposite direction. Bran angry—or upset, or whatever he was—was a scary sight. If he hadn’t been halfway in love with the man, he might not have been able to stay in the car. Maybe for his dad, but maybe not. Kyle didn’t want to think about what that said about him, so he concentrated on breathing and trying to project a calm he did not feel.
Bran parked on top of a hill in front of a cute little cottage that faced east with a beautiful, natural view. He surged out of the car and growled softly when he saw the dark blue BMW in the driveway. Kyle wouldn’t have been surprised if Bran had started calling out for his mom, but he strode toward the side of the house without a word.
“Bran, wait.” Kyle caught up and took his arm, and Bran whirled to face him. Something deep inside Kyle quaked, but he didn’t back down. “Take it easy.”
“That’s my mom in there.”
“And my dad. Nothing happened that she didn’t want to happen.” Before he had the chance to ask why they didn’t just go inside and say good morning, Minnie peeked around the corner of the house.
“And just what do you think happened here last night?”
Bran took a step closer to his mom but stopped when Kyle’s hand tightened around his arm. “Mom, are you all right?”
“Of course I’m all right. Come inside before you give Betty too much of a show. I love that woman, but she does love to talk.”
Kyle let Bran’s arm go as he followed his mother. He kept pace but didn’t miss the lovely rosebushes, nor the chic yet cozy furniture on the back porch. Ken was standing just outside the back door wearing a slightly amused—or is that bemused?—expression. Kyle wished he could tell him to tone it down without saying the words aloud. Whatever that expression is, it isn’t helping.
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