try never to state the obvious.”
“I noticed,” Jade growled, blowing smoke in his direction in more ways than one. “Yeah, you’re the good boy and I’m the—” “You’re Jade,” Alec interrupted her, as if not even she was allowed to insult herself.
“Just remember, I didn’t need to be rescued.” It was important to point that out, if only for pride’s sake. But pride was a lot, for Jade. It had sometimes been all she had.
Alec only smiled, deflecting her annoyance. “Sure, Jade.”
F
RESHLY showered and dressed, Kell’s eyes hungrily tracked Noah as the slighter man followed him out to his truck.
“Sorry about the movie. Lawman’s hours.” Kell scrubbed his face, feeling the rasp of his growing beard. “I was going to rejoin the search party still lookin’ for Morley but I want to swing by and talk to Jade Moreton and see what she remembers. Might give me some ideas on what I’m dealing with.”
“I’m glad that girl will be okay,” Noah said soberly. “Tell her whenever she feels up to it, we’d appreciate it if she put in some hours at our house. I heard she lost her job over at the Anderson’s.”
Kell nodded.
“Kell….” Noah hesitated but finally continued, “Do you think it’s safe here?” Noah looked at the towering trees rising by his driveway. “I admit that I’m a little uneasy; it wasn’t the housewarming I’d expected, looked forward to all these months.”
Kell didn’t know what to say. “I don’t have all the facts but so far the only people that have gone missing or been hurt have been in the woods. Just stay out of them and you and Josh should be okay.”
Noah took off his glasses, his ash-blond hair mussed. In that moment, he looked as boyish as Josh, which roused Kell’s protective instincts. “Thank you for that. I’m glad you didn’t try to scare the city boy.”
“I think I’ve scared you enough,” Kell said, a little disappointed. Damn, Noah had ducked any chance for a second kiss, and Kell sure wanted one.
“I didn’t appreciate how you used Josh to try to twist me into a date,” Noah stated, eyes igniting like the blue flame of a lighter. “I’ve never had the chance to talk to him about… things.”
“Things? You mean the fact you’re gay,” Kell said flatly, giving Noah a direct look, daring him to deny it.
“Yes,” Noah confessed softly. “Yes, I’ve always had these feelings but when I got Margaret pregnant with Josh at a drunken college party, I tried to put it aside, be a good husband.”
Kell’s jaw tightened. “It wasn’t easy for me in the army. Finally had to leave because I couldn’t be who I am. And this town… you’d think people would never have voted for me, but folks seemed to like the job I did as a deputy in the area, so….”
“Sounds like there are some smart folks out here in the boonies,” Noah said. “They see you for who you are, not where you like to spill your sperm.” He lifted a brow as he teased Kell with his own words.
“Some,” Kell agreed. He leaned against his truck and let his head fall back. “Although I admit that I’ll use any edge I can, just to get to you; I just really wanted to take you and Josh out.”
“Josh as well?” Noah looked skeptical. “People have tried to date me by kissing up to my son before.”
“People? Sounds like you mean someone in particular,” Kell noted.
Noah looked away, mouth tight.
After a telling pause, Kell continued, “Do you think I’m the kind of man for that sort of fancy-ass play?” He regarded Noah calmly.
“No,” Noah said. “But you didn’t ask before you kissed me.” Kell shrugged. “I’m not sorry, baby.”
“What kind of relationship do you see between us?” Kell blinked. “ Relationship? Uh….”
“What kind of men do you usually date?” Noah looked like he was enjoying getting his claws into Kell. Kell decided he liked it too. Tiger, just wait until we get close.
“I don’t date. I drive two
“I noticed,” Jade growled, blowing smoke in his direction in more ways than one. “Yeah, you’re the good boy and I’m the—” “You’re Jade,” Alec interrupted her, as if not even she was allowed to insult herself.
“Just remember, I didn’t need to be rescued.” It was important to point that out, if only for pride’s sake. But pride was a lot, for Jade. It had sometimes been all she had.
Alec only smiled, deflecting her annoyance. “Sure, Jade.”
F
RESHLY showered and dressed, Kell’s eyes hungrily tracked Noah as the slighter man followed him out to his truck.
“Sorry about the movie. Lawman’s hours.” Kell scrubbed his face, feeling the rasp of his growing beard. “I was going to rejoin the search party still lookin’ for Morley but I want to swing by and talk to Jade Moreton and see what she remembers. Might give me some ideas on what I’m dealing with.”
“I’m glad that girl will be okay,” Noah said soberly. “Tell her whenever she feels up to it, we’d appreciate it if she put in some hours at our house. I heard she lost her job over at the Anderson’s.”
Kell nodded.
“Kell….” Noah hesitated but finally continued, “Do you think it’s safe here?” Noah looked at the towering trees rising by his driveway. “I admit that I’m a little uneasy; it wasn’t the housewarming I’d expected, looked forward to all these months.”
Kell didn’t know what to say. “I don’t have all the facts but so far the only people that have gone missing or been hurt have been in the woods. Just stay out of them and you and Josh should be okay.”
Noah took off his glasses, his ash-blond hair mussed. In that moment, he looked as boyish as Josh, which roused Kell’s protective instincts. “Thank you for that. I’m glad you didn’t try to scare the city boy.”
“I think I’ve scared you enough,” Kell said, a little disappointed. Damn, Noah had ducked any chance for a second kiss, and Kell sure wanted one.
“I didn’t appreciate how you used Josh to try to twist me into a date,” Noah stated, eyes igniting like the blue flame of a lighter. “I’ve never had the chance to talk to him about… things.”
“Things? You mean the fact you’re gay,” Kell said flatly, giving Noah a direct look, daring him to deny it.
“Yes,” Noah confessed softly. “Yes, I’ve always had these feelings but when I got Margaret pregnant with Josh at a drunken college party, I tried to put it aside, be a good husband.”
Kell’s jaw tightened. “It wasn’t easy for me in the army. Finally had to leave because I couldn’t be who I am. And this town… you’d think people would never have voted for me, but folks seemed to like the job I did as a deputy in the area, so….”
“Sounds like there are some smart folks out here in the boonies,” Noah said. “They see you for who you are, not where you like to spill your sperm.” He lifted a brow as he teased Kell with his own words.
“Some,” Kell agreed. He leaned against his truck and let his head fall back. “Although I admit that I’ll use any edge I can, just to get to you; I just really wanted to take you and Josh out.”
“Josh as well?” Noah looked skeptical. “People have tried to date me by kissing up to my son before.”
“People? Sounds like you mean someone in particular,” Kell noted.
Noah looked away, mouth tight.
After a telling pause, Kell continued, “Do you think I’m the kind of man for that sort of fancy-ass play?” He regarded Noah calmly.
“No,” Noah said. “But you didn’t ask before you kissed me.” Kell shrugged. “I’m not sorry, baby.”
“What kind of relationship do you see between us?” Kell blinked. “ Relationship? Uh….”
“What kind of men do you usually date?” Noah looked like he was enjoying getting his claws into Kell. Kell decided he liked it too. Tiger, just wait until we get close.
“I don’t date. I drive two
Similar Books
