Read Online The Reluctant Dom by Tymber Dalton - Free Book Online Page B

nightmare or something. No offense, hon.”
    He wished he'd kept his fucking mouth shut, because she looked sad again.
    Kaden's dying.
    She nodded. “I know,” she whispered. “Me too. No offense.”
    They both froze, then nervously laughed. He stood and held out his arms. She went to him and he hugged her. For once his cock decided to behave.
    “You know,” he said, “after a month you might get sick of me and toss me out on my ass.”
    She pressed tighter against him. “No. Never. We'd never get sick of you, Seth. I'll never get sick of you.”
    He retook his seat while she returned to the stove. “So what does one wear to a dungeon?”
    She laughed. “You'd be surprised. Jeans are okay if you want, for tonight. Black jeans if you have them. I don't think Kade's will fit you.”
    “Don't feel like wearing clam diggers, even if I thought I could pull them over my gut.”
    “Hey, no short jokes. I can't help it you have long legs like a freak of nature.” Kaden rounded the corner and clapped Seth on the back. “Sleep okay?”
    He nodded.
    Kaden crossed the kitchen and wrapped his arms around Leah from behind, kissed the back of her neck. “Good morning, angel.”
    “Good morning, handsome.”
    Seth felt a little uncomfortable and tried not to watch but couldn't help it.
    He also couldn't help the thought that both sickened and excited him, that maybe she'd say something like that to him one day.
    kaden'sdying
    Crap.
    * * * *
    Seth tried to focus on what Kaden was saying and not on watching Leah at the stove. Even with the long T-shirt, he still made out the sweet curve of her ass beneath the fabric. Kaden reached into his shorts and handed Seth a set of keys.
    “For the house, cars, everything. You need a set.”
    Seth hefted them. He currently had two keys, one for his car and one for his brother's house. It felt weird having a multitude of keys again. “Thanks.”
    “The playroom code is also 1218.”
    “I'm not ready to tackle that yet.”
    “You need to know it anyway.”
    They ate in relative silence. When they finished, Leah automatically cleared their plates and gently refused Seth's offer to help. She grabbed a personal organizer and pen from her purse. “What's your class schedule?”
    Twenty minutes later, she had all the information she needed from him. Seth had to get moving to make it to class. He hugged Leah goodbye. Kaden walked him out to his car.
    He looked aged, even from the day before. It saddened Seth to realize he wasn't going to grow old with this man, sharing stories about kids and grandkids on a front porch somewhere while they put mileage on their respective rockers. Somehow, the thought that Kaden wouldn't be around had never, before this, crossed his mind. If anything, he thought he would be the one dying first, strong and steady Kaden always there like the moon in the sky.
    “What time do you think you'll be back?” Kaden asked.
    “My class is over at one. I'll go back to Ben's and start packing.” He snorted in disgust. “Won't take long. I don't have very much.”
    Kaden nodded at the Ridgeline. He'd bought it a couple of months earlier. “Why don't you take my truck? Make it easier on you.”
    Seth started to protest, then snapped his mouth shut.
    Kaden's grey eyes met his and that fucking mental heart beat—
    kaden'sdyingkaden'sdying
    —threatened to take him over and drive him to his knees.
    “Okay,” Seth said.
    “We'll have dinner before we go. We'll leave around eight for the club.”
    Seth nodded.
    Then Kaden hugged him. He tried not to listen to the haggard, choked sound of his friend's breathing because Seth knew it would send him over the edge.
    After a long moment, Kaden stepped back and wiped his eyes. “Thanks, man,” he hoarsely said. “Seriously.”
    Seth looked at the ground. “I've got to tell you, I'm not comfortable with some of this. I mean ... Okay, yes, she's beautiful. But she's your wife.”
    “Not anymore,” he whispered.
    Seth dumbly