Read Online The Rebuilding Year by Kaje Harper - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Kaje Harper
Ads: Link
score.”
Ryan laughed. “You think?”
John’s bowl was still on the counter. John was between Ryan and the door. His fingers slid to the bowl as he was speaking. “Really we should save the pumpkin seeds and roast them or something.”
“Except the ones in your hair.”
“And the ones in yours.” It was only one long step, really, and the handful of slime made a satisfying squish on Ryan’s head.
Ryan blinked, and brushed a seed off his nose. “You know this means war.”
“Just don’t hurt the pumpkins. They’re non-combatants.”
It turned out that there was enough goo in two pumpkins to liberally coat two men, a counter, a table and half a kitchen floor. John had Ryan pinned on the floor, with a final handful of guts held suspended over his face, before Ryan cried uncle. John was laughing almost too hard to get off him.
“God, that’s disgusting,” he said, trying to dig a seed out of his ear.
“But fun.” Ryan lay back on the floor, grinning. “My brothers and I used to do that all the time, once the pumpkins were carved. That’s one of the reasons to have the biggest pumpkin, you know. More ammunition.”
“Your mother was a saint.”
“She made us wash the kitchen after.”
“And your clothes?”
“My mother was a saint.” Ryan laughed and sat up. “Your pumpkin is freaking fantastic. It will be embarrassed to be seen with mine.”
“I like yours. The spirit of Halloween at its purest.” John stood and pulled his beslimed shirt away from his chest. “I need to shower and change before the kids start ringing the doorbell.”
“Wait!” Ryan held up a hand for a lift off the floor. “I get to go first. I’ll be fast. Promise.”
John clasped his warm, gooey hand and hauled the man upright. They stood chest to chest, smelling of pumpkin and sweat. Ryan wavered, and John shifted his hand to the man’s arm. I hope I wasn’t too rough on his leg. He looked at Ryan’s black hair, falling forward over those emerald eyes. There were seeds in it. John found himself reaching to pick the bits out of Ryan’s bangs. “I could promise to be quick,” he said. His voice was hoarse, for some reason.
“I wouldn’t believe you. You’re not one for a quickie.” Ryan choked. “All right, not the way I meant that to come out. You take longer in the shower than anyone I know. I have no knowledge of…other things.”
John let go of Ryan’s arm as if it burned him. Because the words, the closeness, were reminding him how long it had been since he’d had sex of any kind. Too long, if wrestling on the floor with a guy could make him hard. Damn, he needed that shower.
“Okay, you first,” he said. “I’ll start cleanup here. But you will do your share.”
“Yes, Mother.” Ryan left the kitchen, limping a little more than usual, and headed up the stairs. From the sound of the footsteps, he went into the bathroom without pausing in his own room. He’d be coming out of the bathroom draped in just a towel, skin damp from the shower. As he had sometimes done before. John knew how Ryan’s chest and arms would look, sparse dark curls over hard muscle, rounded biceps and strong forearms, flat lean stomach. John shook his head hard to get rid of the image of a half-naked man upstairs.
Jesus, he needed to get out of the house. Although not tonight. There was a bowl of candy waiting by the door. And he should find candles for inside the pumpkins. He thought there were a couple of tea lights above the stove.
He located the candles and dug out a lighter. The pumpkins weren’t as heavy now that they were scooped out. He set his by the door and Ryan’s by the top of the steps where it would be seen first. It wasn’t really that bad. It had a kind of rakish charm.
John set a candle firmly inside each one and lit them. The sky was losing its color. The youngest trick-or-treaters would be out soon. The candles flickered, casting a homey glow on the yellow paint of the porch. John went
Ryan laughed. “You think?”
John’s bowl was still on the counter. John was between Ryan and the door. His fingers slid to the bowl as he was speaking. “Really we should save the pumpkin seeds and roast them or something.”
“Except the ones in your hair.”
“And the ones in yours.” It was only one long step, really, and the handful of slime made a satisfying squish on Ryan’s head.
Ryan blinked, and brushed a seed off his nose. “You know this means war.”
“Just don’t hurt the pumpkins. They’re non-combatants.”
It turned out that there was enough goo in two pumpkins to liberally coat two men, a counter, a table and half a kitchen floor. John had Ryan pinned on the floor, with a final handful of guts held suspended over his face, before Ryan cried uncle. John was laughing almost too hard to get off him.
“God, that’s disgusting,” he said, trying to dig a seed out of his ear.
“But fun.” Ryan lay back on the floor, grinning. “My brothers and I used to do that all the time, once the pumpkins were carved. That’s one of the reasons to have the biggest pumpkin, you know. More ammunition.”
“Your mother was a saint.”
“She made us wash the kitchen after.”
“And your clothes?”
“My mother was a saint.” Ryan laughed and sat up. “Your pumpkin is freaking fantastic. It will be embarrassed to be seen with mine.”
“I like yours. The spirit of Halloween at its purest.” John stood and pulled his beslimed shirt away from his chest. “I need to shower and change before the kids start ringing the doorbell.”
“Wait!” Ryan held up a hand for a lift off the floor. “I get to go first. I’ll be fast. Promise.”
John clasped his warm, gooey hand and hauled the man upright. They stood chest to chest, smelling of pumpkin and sweat. Ryan wavered, and John shifted his hand to the man’s arm. I hope I wasn’t too rough on his leg. He looked at Ryan’s black hair, falling forward over those emerald eyes. There were seeds in it. John found himself reaching to pick the bits out of Ryan’s bangs. “I could promise to be quick,” he said. His voice was hoarse, for some reason.
“I wouldn’t believe you. You’re not one for a quickie.” Ryan choked. “All right, not the way I meant that to come out. You take longer in the shower than anyone I know. I have no knowledge of…other things.”
John let go of Ryan’s arm as if it burned him. Because the words, the closeness, were reminding him how long it had been since he’d had sex of any kind. Too long, if wrestling on the floor with a guy could make him hard. Damn, he needed that shower.
“Okay, you first,” he said. “I’ll start cleanup here. But you will do your share.”
“Yes, Mother.” Ryan left the kitchen, limping a little more than usual, and headed up the stairs. From the sound of the footsteps, he went into the bathroom without pausing in his own room. He’d be coming out of the bathroom draped in just a towel, skin damp from the shower. As he had sometimes done before. John knew how Ryan’s chest and arms would look, sparse dark curls over hard muscle, rounded biceps and strong forearms, flat lean stomach. John shook his head hard to get rid of the image of a half-naked man upstairs.
Jesus, he needed to get out of the house. Although not tonight. There was a bowl of candy waiting by the door. And he should find candles for inside the pumpkins. He thought there were a couple of tea lights above the stove.
He located the candles and dug out a lighter. The pumpkins weren’t as heavy now that they were scooped out. He set his by the door and Ryan’s by the top of the steps where it would be seen first. It wasn’t really that bad. It had a kind of rakish charm.
John set a candle firmly inside each one and lit them. The sky was losing its color. The youngest trick-or-treaters would be out soon. The candles flickered, casting a homey glow on the yellow paint of the porch. John went
Similar Books
