by Andi James
He pulled him into the living room and looked around again. He could see them making this place their own. A vision of him working in the kitchen while Daniel had his books spread out across the dining room table ran through his head.
This was definitely the place.
“Let’s take it.”
Daniel looked at him with wide eyes. “Really?”
Oliver nodded. “It’s pretty perfect for us, the neighborhood seems decent, good location… yeah. I’m in if you are.”
Daniel wrapped his arms around Oliver’s neck. “I was in the second I saw your face when you walked into the kitchen. I want you to have somewhere you can cook comfortably.”
Oliver’s heart melted a little at that.
“But before we sign any papers, I have to ask...” Daniel said somewhat hesitantly. “Are you absolutely sure you want to live in Easton? I know we’ve talked about it, but I need final confirmation.”
The decision to move back and give up his job in New York hadn’t been an easy one to make. Oliver had spent many nights tossing around in bed, trying to decide if he could deal with being here, what his best option was career-wise, and if he could really leave his mom again.
In the end, he realized he had everything he wanted in Easton. Being away from his job at the restaurant had shown him he could slow down a smidge, that he had plenty of time to accomplish his goal of opening a restaurant of his own one day. Plus, he’d done some research into the market in Easton and reluctantly concluded the costs were far easier to manage than in a bigger city. If he did it right, he could be successful here.
He also had friends here now, or something resembling friends. The crew at Cinnamen had turned out to be great guys, just like Daniel had said they were. Between spending time with them at Cakes and hanging out in the dressing room at the club, he’d gotten to know a couple of them pretty well.
Most important of all was the man standing in front of him. He looked into Daniel’s warm, brown eyes and couldn’t imagine not having him in his life. For years, any guy he’d been involved with had been only on the surface, and never lasted long. He’d thought it would always be that way for him. Then came Daniel and his stubborn refusal to be persuaded by any of Oliver’s attempts to turn the guy away. Once he’d opened himself up to the possibility of more, they’d quickly grown close. It wasn’t like he was an entirely new person — he still had to make an effort around customers and often found sarcastic remarks slipping out at inappropriate times — but he felt so much more comfortable with who he was now. The fact that Daniel shrugged off his grouchiness had some sort of weird way of calming him down. He didn’t think he’d ever find another man like him, and he had no interest in ever trying.
“Daniel, I am absolutely sure I want to live here, in Easton, in this apartment, with the man I love.”
The gorgeous man in his arms inhaled sharply. “Oliver Douglass. You love me?”
He leaned in for a soft kiss. “So much.” He’d never said the words out loud to Daniel before, but he hoped it had been at least a little obvious how he felt. “And it’s Ollie. It’s just weird now to hear you call me Oliver.”
Daniel’s face broke into a huge smile. “I love you too, Ollie. I have for a while. I wasn’t sure you were ready to hear it, so I haven’t told you. I can’t believe you beat me to it.”
He chuckled. “I can see why you might have thought that. But you continually surprise me just by being you. I’m glad I get to surprise you for once.”
“I want to make out with you so hard right now. But I also want to go sign the papers before anyone else dares to try and take this place.”
Oliver gave him a couple more quick kisses. “Papers first, celebratory make out session later. At your place. Where we can have privacy, because you know it’s going to be more than making out.”
“Deal. And yeah, it better be.”
He stared into those eyes a few seconds longer, then pulled Daniel in for a tight hug. “Thank you for putting up with me,” he whispered into his ear. “It’s not the only reason I love you, but it’s a big one.”
Daniel squeezed him and kissed his temple. “Totally worth it. You make my favorite cinnamon rolls.”
They laughed and headed downstairs to find their new landlord.
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THE END
Thanks
Many thanks to our beta readers Leslie, Melinda, Sam, Tanya, and Sadie for taking the time to provide your valuable feedback.
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Susie, thanks for helping our words make sense, and for being your awesome self!
Also by Andi James & Lila Wilde
Teddy & His Bear
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At twenty-four, Teddy should be used to feeling abandoned and unwanted. After all, he’s been dealing with it most of his life. But a recent breakup takes him completely by surprise and now he’s on his own again. Nursing new and old hurts, he leans on his makeshift family and finds solace in a growing and unexpected friendship with an older man.
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Forty-two-year-old Barrett has successfully ignored his biggest need for years. His last boy left him questioning everything he knew, and he is determined to lead a vanilla life, no matter how much his friends try to convince him to be true to himself. When he learns his favorite barista needs a new place to stay, he offers a solution that leads to spending more time with the younger man.
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A change in circumstances brings both men together and their buried feelings to light. Teddy knows he’s attracted to Barrett but isn’t sure if he’s ready to risk his heart again, and Barrett is losing the struggle against his dominant nature. Will learning Barrett’s sexy secret be too much for Teddy, or is it just the thing he never knew he needed?
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Teddy & His Bear is a 90K word slow-burn, May/December, Daddy kink MM romance featuring one hot Daddy, his sweet new boy, coffee, and unicorns.
Click here to find it on Amazon! Also available in Kindle Unlimited.
About Andi
Andi James has been in love with books and words her entire life. She writes about people finding things — themselves, happiness, love — and edits all kinds of stories. Her two dogs and three cats are her favorite co-workers, and they share a house with her and her husband. She adores coffee, the night sky, and horror movies.
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Email: [email protected]
https://www.facebook.com/authorandijames
https://www.instagram.com/authorandijames
https://authorandijames.com
About Lila
Lila Wilde writes books about people who fall in love with other people. She has one dog, one cat, and one husband and she is obsessed with unicorns and glitter and cupcakes.
https://www.facebook.com/lilawildebooks
https://www.instagram.com/lilawildebooks
https://www.lilawilde.com/
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