coffee looked tan. By the time he swirled the spoon in the liquid, Aaron was back. Concerned muddled his brow.
“What did you find out?” Ian asked.
“Her mother said Mike wasn’t there, but then neither was Sara. She didn’t seem the least bit worried.”
Ian closed the distance, handing him the mug of hot coffee. “I’ll stay here. I have all the papers I need to grade in my bag. When you get home from work, we can reassess.”
“I can’t ask you to do that,” Aaron protested. “He’s probably just blowing off steam.”
“Remember what I said last night? I’m offering. You didn’t have to ask. Think of me as another big brother,” Ian offered with a grin.
Aaron’s look slipped over him in disbelief. “I can’t think of you like a brother.”
Damn, he was adorable. It would be so easy to kiss that pretty mouth until Aaron’s gaze turned heated. He mentally shook himself. That’s not why he was there. It wouldn’t be fair to give the poor guy another thing to think about.
“Then I’m your fairy godmother,” Ian joked lightheartedly. “Go get ready for work, unless your bosses are a lot more lenient than you led me to believe.”
“Are you sure you want to stay? I could call in,” Aaron suggested.
“I’m sure.” He put his mug down, turned Aaron toward the kitchen door and gave him a gentle shove. “Go, before I find ways to occupy your mind that have nothing to do with being responsible.”
“I’ll go, but you need to follow up on that later.”
“I promise,” Ian murmured. “Hurry, before I change my mind.”
Aaron left him there. It was the time he needed to compose himself. He made toast for Aaron to take to work, then cleaned up the kitchen. A quick trip out to his car and he set up the opposite side of the dining room table as a work space. His laptop booted up silently.
“I thought you might need these.” Aaron, freshly showered, hopped off the last step toward him and held out what looked like towels and some clothes. “There’s a new toothbrush beside the sink up there. You’re taller than me and leaner than my dad was, but if you belt the jeans tighter, they should do. I grabbed one of my law school shirts. It’s a bit big for me anyway.”
“Thanks. There’s toast on the kitchen table for you.”
“Thanks.”
Aaron stood for another several seconds looking like he wanted to say something. Ian waited. The silence became filled with hot looks that couldn’t be answered adequately in the time frame they had.
“Okay, well, make yourself at home. I’ll be back around noon,” Aaron said instead.
“I’ll be here.”
* * * *
Like he promised, Ian was still there when Aaron got home. But Mikey wasn’t, and Aaron was beginning to worry. He glanced at the clock. He had to wait a few more hours before he could call the local police station.
Aaron tried to study. Ian sitting across from him made a welcome distraction both from legalese and worry. Unfortunately, it did nothing to dampen the hunger that had been growing out of proportion since Ian had come back into his life.
God, had Ian always been this in control? He sat across him, calmly grading papers as though nothing had gone on between them the night before. Meanwhile, Aaron could barely keep his mind off sex with him. His brain had two paths today. Mike and Ian.
Ian looked up, catching Aaron watching him.
The older man smiled warmly. “You doing okay?” he asked.
No. He wasn’t okay. His family was in shambles. His little brother had gone missing after storming out from seeing Aaron in full-on gay mode. And now the object of his teenage wetdreams had taken up temporary residence in Aaron’s home, and there was nothing wrong with him. Not a thing . He was even good at sex. Sex seemed to be the rollercoaster of thought Aaron had latched onto. But there must be something wrong with Ian. He couldn’t be perfect.
“Do you snore?” Aaron asked suddenly.
“What?”
“Talk in your sleep? Snuffle? Snort? Fart?”
“I
“What did you find out?” Ian asked.
“Her mother said Mike wasn’t there, but then neither was Sara. She didn’t seem the least bit worried.”
Ian closed the distance, handing him the mug of hot coffee. “I’ll stay here. I have all the papers I need to grade in my bag. When you get home from work, we can reassess.”
“I can’t ask you to do that,” Aaron protested. “He’s probably just blowing off steam.”
“Remember what I said last night? I’m offering. You didn’t have to ask. Think of me as another big brother,” Ian offered with a grin.
Aaron’s look slipped over him in disbelief. “I can’t think of you like a brother.”
Damn, he was adorable. It would be so easy to kiss that pretty mouth until Aaron’s gaze turned heated. He mentally shook himself. That’s not why he was there. It wouldn’t be fair to give the poor guy another thing to think about.
“Then I’m your fairy godmother,” Ian joked lightheartedly. “Go get ready for work, unless your bosses are a lot more lenient than you led me to believe.”
“Are you sure you want to stay? I could call in,” Aaron suggested.
“I’m sure.” He put his mug down, turned Aaron toward the kitchen door and gave him a gentle shove. “Go, before I find ways to occupy your mind that have nothing to do with being responsible.”
“I’ll go, but you need to follow up on that later.”
“I promise,” Ian murmured. “Hurry, before I change my mind.”
Aaron left him there. It was the time he needed to compose himself. He made toast for Aaron to take to work, then cleaned up the kitchen. A quick trip out to his car and he set up the opposite side of the dining room table as a work space. His laptop booted up silently.
“I thought you might need these.” Aaron, freshly showered, hopped off the last step toward him and held out what looked like towels and some clothes. “There’s a new toothbrush beside the sink up there. You’re taller than me and leaner than my dad was, but if you belt the jeans tighter, they should do. I grabbed one of my law school shirts. It’s a bit big for me anyway.”
“Thanks. There’s toast on the kitchen table for you.”
“Thanks.”
Aaron stood for another several seconds looking like he wanted to say something. Ian waited. The silence became filled with hot looks that couldn’t be answered adequately in the time frame they had.
“Okay, well, make yourself at home. I’ll be back around noon,” Aaron said instead.
“I’ll be here.”
* * * *
Like he promised, Ian was still there when Aaron got home. But Mikey wasn’t, and Aaron was beginning to worry. He glanced at the clock. He had to wait a few more hours before he could call the local police station.
Aaron tried to study. Ian sitting across from him made a welcome distraction both from legalese and worry. Unfortunately, it did nothing to dampen the hunger that had been growing out of proportion since Ian had come back into his life.
God, had Ian always been this in control? He sat across him, calmly grading papers as though nothing had gone on between them the night before. Meanwhile, Aaron could barely keep his mind off sex with him. His brain had two paths today. Mike and Ian.
Ian looked up, catching Aaron watching him.
The older man smiled warmly. “You doing okay?” he asked.
No. He wasn’t okay. His family was in shambles. His little brother had gone missing after storming out from seeing Aaron in full-on gay mode. And now the object of his teenage wetdreams had taken up temporary residence in Aaron’s home, and there was nothing wrong with him. Not a thing . He was even good at sex. Sex seemed to be the rollercoaster of thought Aaron had latched onto. But there must be something wrong with Ian. He couldn’t be perfect.
“Do you snore?” Aaron asked suddenly.
“What?”
“Talk in your sleep? Snuffle? Snort? Fart?”
“I
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