by Megan Slayer
A buzzer sounded and interrupted the kiss. Shaun broke the connection and rested his forehead on Kevin’s. “That would be dinner. Let me go get it.”
“Take my keys.” Kevin both thanked and cursed the delivery person. He cursed the person because he didn’t want the kiss to end, but thanked God he had a moment to think before he got completely caught up. He wasn’t the type of person to do what he didn’t mean, but he’d almost ripped Shaun’s clothes off.
“Be right back, but you don’t have to worry about me and Leo. I think we’re going to be buds.” Shaun took the keys and put his boots on, then left Kevin alone in the apartment.
Kevin fixed his shirt and hair. When he caught sight of himself in the mirror, he grinned. His cheeks were flushed and his eyes wild. He barely recognized himself.
He composed his thoughts, then crossed the room to the sofa and scratched Leo behind the ears. “Are you being nice to our guest or are you just biding your time until you can rip his face off?” He peered into the cat’s eyes. “You were good?”
Leo snorted, then tucked himself into a ball, ignoring Kevin.
“Well, okay.” Kevin sighed. He’d grown used to the cat’s snippy attitude. It was just part of the quirks of Leo.
He glanced at the coffee table. The notion hadn’t occurred to him to ask what Shaun had ordered and he had no idea what to prepare for—did they need plates and silver? He grabbed napkins and cleared off the space.
Shaun returned a moment later. “Ready?” He held two paper bags. “I went with Chinese. Got a little of everything. Some soup, egg rolls, rice and chicken. I hope it’ll do. I figured Leo’s eaten, so it’s our turn.”
“It is.” He grabbed two bowls. “I haven’t had Chinese in forever. Oh, and don’t expect me to eat with chopsticks. I haven’t mastered them, no matter how much I try—and I’ve tried.” He tended to wear more than he ate when he used the implements.
“I’ve never tried.” Shaun placed the bags on the coffee table, then spread the various boxes and cartons out.
Kevin sat across from him on the floor. The food smelled delicious and he offered a napkin. Leo, roused from his momentary nap, strutted over to them and sat on the sofa, watching Kevin.
“Thank you. Help yourself. Leo, you’ll have to wait until next time.” Shaun dished out rice and chicken. “You’re sure this is good enough, Kevin?”
“It’s perfect.” He waited for Shaun to finish. “I haven’t had decent Chinese food in ages. I’ve suffered through the canned stuff because it was cheaper, but it’s not as good.”
“Not great at all.”
“No.” He dished out a portion of rice and chicken. “Thanks.”
Leo reached forward and batted at the chopsticks. He knocked one packet on the floor. “Thanks, Leo,” Kevin said. “Sorry.”
“He’s not hurting anything.” Shaun held up his bowl. “To us.”
“To us.” A thought occurred to him. Shit. He should get them something to drink. “I’m sorry. What do you want to drink? I have milk, water and a six pack—I think. I had one. I don’t drink much and I can’t remember when I even bought the beer.”
“Water is great.” Shaun remained on the floor. “Thank you.”
Kevin scrambled to his feet and poured two glasses of water. “Here you go.” He returned to the kitchen long enough to retrieve a couple kitty treats for Leo. “And for you.”
“To us.” Shaun held up his glass.
“You’ve said that.” He laughed. “To this beginning.” He placed the treats on the floor and stroked Leo’s back while the cat ate.
“Yes.” Shaun downed some of the water. “So, Kevin Keiser, what is your ultimate date? If you were told you could go on that date, all expenses paid, what would it be?”
“You mean, what does it consist of?” Kevin asked. He continued to pet the cat.
“Yes.” Shaun ate and left the question between them.
“Well…” He had to think about this a bit. “My ultimate date involves me and the guy I’m with, but it’s simple. It’s easy. A bottle of wine, popcorn maybe and a movie. We’d set up a blanket on the grass and watch a movie in the back yard. Just the two of us. We’d watch the film—probably a black and white one—and cuddle, totally engrossed in each other. The movie doesn’t matter because it’s really just noise, but we’d be tangled together and happy.”
Shaun’s odd grin returned. He placed his fork on the bowl. “You’re serious?”
Fuck. The tips of his ears burned again. “Yes?” He tamped down his embarrassment. He’d answered wrong. “Why are you looking at me like I’ve grown horns? It’s a simple date idea, but it’s too simple for you, isn’t it?” He paused. “Are you weirded out by the cat? He’s harmless. Snobby, but harmless.”
“Marry me,” Shaun said. His eyes widened. “Whoa.”
“Wait. What?” He must’ve heard Shaun wrong. “Did you say…?”
“I did.” Shaun blushed, then covered his face with his hands. “That slipped out.”
“Oh.” He hadn’t meant what he’d said. Okay. Kevin wished he had. He wanted to find the man he’d marry and start their relationship instead of wasting time.
“Let me clarify,” Shaun said. “It was a total slip.”
He should’ve guessed. So much for hoping Shaun might be the one.
“But what I said wasn’t entirely wrong.” Shaun reached across the table and held Kevin’s hand. “If I were planning my ultimate date, it’s almost a carbon copy of yours. We’d have the movie showing from a projector or one of those fancy projection things, but shown on a sheet. We’d have a little fire, too.” He chuckled. “No one ever came close to having the same kind of ultimate date.”
“I said I’m simple.” And he liked the way Shaun thought. “I have a clingy cat and I’m not handsome like some guys.”
“Your simple is sexy.” Shaun rubbed the top of Kevin’s hand. “You keep intriguing me. You say the right things, even when you think you’re wrong. In doing that, you seem to know what I like and you’re my kind of man. I even like the cat, and until today, I wouldn’t have considered myself a cat person. I guess Leo’s winning me over.”
“And that’s what made you make the statement about marriage?” Kevin stared at him. He liked the honesty and homey feeling between them. Like we could be a couple.
“Sort of,” Shaun said. “I told my friend Cheryl that when I found the guy whose idea of the ultimate date meshed with mine—it consisted of being together and not about spending disgusting amounts of money—I’d marry him.”
“And you know after one date with my cat monitoring everything, one botched date where my ridiculous ex showed up, and my description, that I’m the one?” Kevin smiled, but the idea of marrying Shaun wasn’t far-fetched. A little fast, but not impossible. He could see forever in Shaun’s eyes.
“Yeah.”
Kevin held Shaun’s hand tighter. “We need time to let this—us—happen. To grow. You can’t know I’m the one that fast.”
“Why not?” Shaun’s smile widened. “I could know. I’ve got friends who fell in love quite fast and knew within days. It’s possible.”
“But we’ve both thought we were in love before and got it wrong. What if this time is no different? What if…” He could come up with a hundred excuses.
“What if we make it?”
The idea both scared and intrigued him. “Yeah.”
“I didn’t say we were riding off into the sunset together with Leo tonight,” Shaun said. “I can’t even stay over tonight. I’m due at the newspaper office at seven. If I stay tonight, no one will get any sleep and I won’t make it to work on time. Leo might not appreciate having to stay up all night listening to us, either.”
Holy hell. Shaun was thinking along the lines he’d arrived at, too. “Leo won’t care.”
Shaun ate in silence, but his smile remained. Kevin finished his dinner, but wasn’t sure what to say. The confession and Shaun’s proclamation hung heavy in the ai
r.
Shaun balled up his napkin. “I know I keep rushing the situation and I’m overly excited. I want this to work, and if you want us to take time to get to know each other, then that’s what we’ll do, because I agree.”
Kevin liked the way he thought.
“But I have a few…rules? That’s not the right word, but I can’t come up with the correct one.”
“Conditions?” Kevin asked. “Like getting rid of Leo? That’s a non-starter.”
“Nothing like that.” Shaun laced his fingers together and propped his chin on his knuckles. “Do you want to be a couple?”
“With you?” He’d blurted the wrong thing. Damn it.
“With me.”
“Yes.” He had no hesitation—once he got clarification. He’d started falling for Shaun the moment they’d discussed the date. “Do you?”
“Yes,” Shaun said. “Next one. Since we’re doing this, we aren’t doing anyone else. Does that make sense?”
“It does. You’re saying you want to be exclusive.”
“I know it sounds shitty, but if you’re with me, then we’re with each other. No one else,” Shaun said. “I’m too old to play games.”
Kevin snorted. “You’re not old. You’re, what, thirty-four? That’s not old.”
“I’m forty-two.”
“You don’t look it.” He’d aged quite well.
“And you?”
“I’m forty.” Oh God. “I think I’m careening headlong into old man mode with my cat and my solitude.”
“No, you’re not, and neither of us looks our age.” Shaun exhaled. “Whoa.”
“Are you okay? You said that before.” Kevin inched around the coffee table and sat beside Shaun. “Shaun?” The cat curled on the couch cushion, ignoring him and Shaun. “Leo’s leaving us alone.”
“No, I’m…it’s…” Shaun frowned. “I don’t want to mess this up. I like you and I want to be with you, but I guess I’m clumsy at relationships. I dove in too fast and I’m worried you’re going to put the brakes on, since I can’t. As for Leo, he’s fine.”
Kevin scooted closer and bumped knees with Shaun. “I’m a fumbler and you are, too, so we fumble through this together. It won’t be easy all the time, but I don’t want to go through this journey alone.” He kissed Shaun. “You’re the one I want with me.”
Shaun kissed him hard. “I so want to stay over.”
“I’ve got to work, too,” Kevin said. “But this gives us time. When are you free to get together next?”
“Mondays are my long days. We have to set up the ad pages for the week all at once.” Shaun crawled onto Kevin’s lap and straddled him. “Tuesday?”
“I’ve got inventory tomorrow,” Kevin said. “There’s a game on Tuesday, too.” He patted Shaun’s ass. “Up. I need to clean up the mess.” Not that he didn’t want Shaun to stay put. He did. “If I don’t toss this stuff, the cat will get into it, and we don’t want to clean that up.”
“No, we don’t.” Shaun helped collect the garbage and dispose of it. “I’m done at noon on Wednesday. I could meet you. After work?”
“How about lunch? The food trucks in town are dangerously good.” Kevin wiped his hands on a towel. “Then we can sit in the park in the center of town.” He liked going there and watching the people move around the square.
“I love it.”
Kevin pinned Shaun to the cabinets in the kitchen and kissed him. He and Shaun were at the beginning of something fantastic. He couldn’t wait for their next date. He’d found a guy who didn’t mind the cat, had manners and was freaking sexy. “We’re doing this?”
“We are.” Shaun brushed his nose along Kevin’s and sighed. “We so are.”
Kevin held his boyfriend tight. His life was finally going in the right direction. Thank you, God.
Chapter Four
Shaun practically skipped through his day on Monday. His heart was light and his spirits soared. He had a boyfriend and was happy. For the first time in a long while, he knew where he stood with his man and had no worries. Granted, he wished he could’ve stayed with Kevin and explored every inch of his sexy body, but he appreciated Kevin’s desire to slow down.
God. He needed to rein himself in. When he looked at Kevin, he wanted to strip him and fuck him until they couldn’t walk.
Good thing that Kevin was thinking straight for the both of them.
Shaun forced himself to focus on his work. He adjusted the copy on Thursday’s ad page, then stood back to admire his work.
“Looks good.” Remy Nicholas stood beside him. “You’re a whiz with this stuff. I write, but I can’t arrange for shit. Ask Bobby. He’ll tell you I made a mess of the photo collage he had on the wall in the den. He had to fix it.”
“Thanks.” He liked arranging and placing the ads. Plus, he had proper spacing for everything. “I read your editorials. They’re good.”
“Yeah? I never feel they’re done.” Remy adjusted two of the boxes of advertising. “I’m going to put you on the pet story, by the way.”
“Pet story?” Shaun froze. He wasn’t a reporter. “What are you talking about?”
“You’re going to interview Stone McCartney for a feature on the animal shelter and you’ll get photos of the animals. You’ll be in charge of working with him to pick the pet of the week.” Remy folded his arms. “You’ll be great at it.”
“I’m advertising, not copy writing.” He hadn’t written a proper story in forever. “I’ll screw it up.”
“I doubt that.” Remy widened his stance. “We’re in the black, but I see more for you and I think you’re up for this. You’re good. This, arranging and writing up ads, is easy. You could do it in your sleep.”
Maybe.
“And you’re doing well with publishing for the paper. I liked your idea of putting a small feature section in for the stories about the baseball team. Daron’s idea to create a special free paper to distribute at the park is good, too,” Remy said. “I want both meshed so we can entice people at the stadium to become subscribers.”
He’d forgotten all about the feature thing he’d suggested.
“I’m putting Daron on interviewing the players,” Remy said. “He’ll be contacting a Kyle Beglin. You know him, right?”
“Too well.” And not in a good way.
“You’re seeing him?” Remy narrowed his eyes.
“No.” Gross. “I’m seeing Kevin Keiser. It’s new, but we’re in a good place.”
“Nice. I believe he went to school with Bobby,” Remy said. “Might not have been in the same graduating class.”
He had no idea, but he wasn’t about to argue.
“Anyway, if you can connect Daron with Kyle, that would be great. It’ll jumpstart the interview process,” Remy said. “And will get him off my back. Daron wants to work with the team and I have the feeling he’s trying to get a job with them.”
“Might be.” He didn’t listen to the gossip around the office and had no idea. But, if he could get Daron and Kyle together and redirect Kyle’s attention from Kevin, then great. “Anything else?”
“Nope.” Remy clapped him on the shoulder. “Are you happy here? In Cedarwood?”
He nodded. “I thought I wouldn’t be, but it’s gotten better. I met Kevin and we’re trying a relationship, so there’s that,” Shaun said. “It’s nice to have someone and we’re serious enough that we’re exclusive, but still meeting for dates. I like knowing we’re on the same page and I even met his cat. We’re chummy.” Well, as chummy as he could be with a feline after one meeting. “Plus, I feel like I belong.”
“You do.” Remy started away from him, then stopped short. “Hey. We’re a sponsor for the upcoming 5k race. I know you run and I’ve seen Kevin run on the trails at the Metropark. Would you be interested in running the race and wearing a Tribune shirt to be a moving advertisement?”
“I signed up for it.” He should ask Kevin if he wanted to run it, too. “When is the deadline? I don’t remember.”
“He might, but he might feel conflicted, too—if he wants to run it.” He should ask Kevin and not expect he’d comply.
“True.” Remy nodded. “Well, ask him if he’d like to do it and I’ll ensure everyone is registered. Thanks. Team Tribune!”
Shaun snorted. Team Tribune? The name sounded silly, but also kind of cool. He belonged and now he had Kevin, too.
Right now, he needed to get back to work. He finished the mock-ups and sent them to the printer for the final checks.
Plus, he wanted a break for supper. He headed to his office and closed the door. He picked up his cell phone and typed a text to send to Kevin.
Hey you. Hope work is going okay. On dinner break and wanted to say hi. Miss you.
He hit Send before he could second-guess himself. He rather liked the pace the relationship was going and Kevin’s need to slow down. With most other relationships, Shaun jumped right into bed and the fire spiraled out of control—usually on a fast course to dying out. Not so with Kevin. They had time to figure out what they wanted and keep the fire stoked.
His phone buzzed. He checked the ID screen. Kevin calling. His heart hammered as he answered. “Hi.”
“Hi,” Kevin said. “I’m on a break, so instead of texting, I thought I’d call. How’s work?”
“Good. We finalized most of the ads and we’ll check the print versions after dinner, but it’s good,” he said. The 5k came to mind. “We’re sponsoring the race in September. Just found out.”