TAKE ME HOME (5 page)

Don’t you fucking hurt him.

Evan turned toward Kyle. He smiled again. His blue eyes lit up. “I just want a shot. Some experience so people will take me seriously when I pitch my own stuff.”

“They will. You’ll see.”

20

Sloan Parker

Evan looked like he wanted to say something else, but he didn’t. He grabbed his fork and took a bite of an enchilada. “So what’s up with you? If I recall, Ricky is one of your rare repeat fuck buddies.”

“Nothing’s up.” Kyle cringed. Bad choice of words. Something was definitely making its way up. Watching Evan eat did that. Those full lips sliding over the fork. His tongue sneaking out to catch a drop of sauce on his lower lip. His throat working as he swallowed.

Evan took another bite and set his fork on the edge of the plate. “Come on. How am I supposed to live vicariously through your sexual escapades if you’re not out there?” He waved an arm through the air. Indicating what? Did he think Kyle just had to step outside the door and he’d find someone to fuck?

Why wouldn’t Evan think that about him? Hell, today’s delivery proved he didn’t even have to leave the apartment.

Kyle shrugged. Just tell him. It’s because I’d rather be home fucking you.

Evan was biting his bottom lip. Kyle had to look away before he swiped his tongue over that same lip.

Quieter, Evan added, “You don’t have to stay in and keep me company every night. Go out and live your life.”

Kyle focused on his laptop screen again. He held his breath, too scared of what he’d do if he moved. He hadn’t gone for the plate of food yet.

“Hey.” Evan sounded excited. “Were you writing?”

“Trying to.”

“Still nothing?”

“I don’t know what the fuck is wrong with me.”

Evan leaned in like he wanted to get a look at the laptop screen. God, he smelled amazing.

Like the usual musky scent of his cologne and a hint of something more…Miguel’s signature black bean and beer soup. He wanted to lick Evan’s neck to see if he tasted like the soup.

Below all that was another scent. If Kyle hadn’t known Evan had come from work, he would’ve sworn he’d just been jerking off. Was he imagining it or had Evan stopped off somewhere? That thought did not help take his mind off sex.

“Uh,” Evan said, “it would help if you open a document.” Kyle laughed. “I suppose.” Evan was so close, his lips mere inches away. He should just do it. It wasn’t like he hadn’t kissed him before.

After all the years since that motel room in Iowa, he still remembered the way Evan had felt in his arms. The way Evan had touched him. The way they’d kissed. How they’d stopped kissing and stared at each other, the room silent except for their deep breaths. Then they’d kissed with more heat and intensity, their bodies plastered together, legs and arms wrapped around each other so tightly one or both of them might have feared they’d fall off the edge of the world if they let go. No one had ever been as passionate, as sensual as Evan. No one had ever turned Kyle on so damn fast the way Evan did. Then or now.

But before they’d gotten their clothes off, Kyle had pulled back. He hadn’t meant to be a jerk about it, but there was no doubt what the look on Evan’s face had meant. To this day, it still stung to know he’d been just another asshole on the list of guys who’d hurt Evan.

Take Me Home

21

A month later, Evan had met someone. It was supposed to be a fling, a college affair with an older man. It had lasted ten years, until six months ago when Dickhead, aka Dennis, had broken Evan’s heart. Evan had just won the National Screenwriters Competition, which was how he’d gotten the chance to pitch to the network, and Dickhead thought it was the right time to screw him over. It should’ve been the happiest time of Evan’s life. He shouldn’t have been sleeping in Kyle’s spare room, watching old black-and-white movies every night, looking like he’d lost his whole world.

And now…

It had been so much easier for Kyle to push aside his lust when Evan had been serious with someone. Well, it wasn’t exactly easy, but he’d done it. Out of respect for Evan’s relationship.

Now here Evan was, staying in his apartment and completely unattached.

If he reached out, pulled Evan in for a kiss, they’d be in his bed and fucking the night away. He never got turned down.

This wasn’t the same, though. He usually came on to strangers, barely asking them for a name first. He’d never asked a guy for more than a quick fuck or a long blowjob.

This wasn’t just some guy.

Evan smiled. “I’ve got an idea.”

God, that smile was sexy. Those dimples…

When the hell did he notice something like a guy’s dimples? Or his smile? Or the color of his eyes, for that matter?

“What kind of idea?” he asked.

“More like a surprise,” Evan said. “Sue Ann needs to read it soon, yeah?”

“She called last night. She wants it by New Year’s.”

Evan’s eyes widened. “The whole book?”

“No. Thank God. The first five chapters. I can work on it over the holiday. And the flight there and back.”

“But she still thinks you’re finished with it?”

“Yeah. She thinks I’m polishing, being a perfectionist.”

“Why don’t you tell her?”

“They’ve already set the date, scheduled the promo. What the fuck am I supposed to say? I can’t write one goddamn word?”

“You can write. You just need to relax. That’s where the surprise comes in. Wait here. I left them in the kitchen.” Evan jumped off the couch, animated in a way Kyle hadn’t seen in a long time. He really was doing better. Evan stopped short of the kitchen and pointed to Kyle’s plate. “Eat.”

Like he should talk. He’d barely touched his food. Same as the night before. Kyle had just started noticing it and hadn’t figured out what was up. In the last year or two, Evan had put on a few extra pounds, not much anyone who didn’t know him well would notice. He’d already lost that, and then some.

Evan turned away, and Kyle got a view of his ass. No extra pounds there. Just round, hard muscle. He adjusted the hard-on forming in his pants and pictured the seats on the plane, the two 22

Sloan Parker

of them sitting so close for several hours with nowhere to go. Who was he kidding? He wasn’t going to get any writing done.

It was going to be one hell of a long flight home.

Take Me Home

23

Evan stepped into the kitchen and picked up the envelope he’d left on the counter with the bag from the restaurant. He pulled out the tickets and hesitated. One room. Three days and two nights each way. Was this a good idea?

Kyle was a flirt, always goofing with Evan. He’d been comfortable with his sexuality since Evan had first met him. Kyle simply was who he was and made no apologies, no excuses. But lately, his casual flirty ways had become something more. Kyle was determined, focused.

Serious in a way he’d never been before.

Or had Evan been seeing what he wanted to?

Over the last two months, the dreams of Dennis had disappeared, and every night Evan dreamed of Kyle, of the two of them together in Kyle’s bed. Of the way Kyle would look lying on his back with Evan straddling him, watching that mouth take him in. The way his cock would feel sliding between Kyle’s lips. How it would taste to sample his own cum from Kyle’s mouth like he wanted to do with the frosting earlier.

After Kyle had left the party at Castillo’s, Evan had come up with all sorts of things he could do with frosting that had nothing to do with decorating a cake. His favorite so far was to slather his dick in it, fuck Kyle, then lick the frosting from Kyle’s ass when they were done. Of course that had him pondering the lack of effectiveness of frosting as lube.

The frosting-filled fantasy surprised him. He’d never been much of a top. Dennis hadn’t liked anal sex, but he’d switch once in a while, telling Evan he wanted to give him everything he craved. It had felt forced, though. A part of Evan had held back, knowing it wasn’t Dennis’s favorite thing. He’d never let go like he’d been doing in his dreams with Kyle.

More surprising than that…he was left trying to figure out when the hell his fantasies had gotten so kinky. He’d always thought he’d been happy with his sex life, but it wasn’t anything wild. Certainly nothing involving licking frosting from someone’s asshole.

It had been hell concentrating during his shift at the restaurant. He’d carried the wrong plates to four tables before Miguel finally called him into the back for a break. Over the next half hour, they’d worked in silence as he’d helped Miguel unpack a delivery in the store room. The quiet had been nice. He hadn’t wanted to answer questions about the visit from Hastings or what else had been distracting him.

Evan was going to miss the easy way he could be himself around Miguel. Unlike how he’d felt around Dennis, which was an odd realization considering he’d been with him for ten years, six of those living together. He had a lingering unease that too much had been forced between them. Something he’d never noticed until he’d moved in with Kyle. Until the dreams of Kyle had started.

On the drive to the apartment from Castillo’s, Evan had to talk himself out of stopping off at the market for tubs of premade cake frosting.

24

Sloan Parker

He’d managed not to stop. Instead, he’d jerked off sitting in the car not ten feet from the stairs leading to Kyle’s apartment, where anyone could’ve seen him. He’d used the McDonald’s napkins from the glove compartment to wipe the cum from his hand and the steering wheel right as Mrs. Longley had walked by with her toy poodle in her arms. She’d waved at Evan. He’d waved back and waited in the car until she’d turned the corner at the end of the driveway, still carrying the small dog. Only then did he get out and race up to the apartment before the takeout from Castillo’s got any colder, trying not to think about how he could’ve been arrested had Mrs.

Longley seen him with his dick hanging out of his pants.

Never had he done something so stupid. He was losing it. Good thing he and Kyle were leaving the next day. Forty-eight hours on the train and they’d no longer be alone together.

They’d be in Ohio with their families, where he could get a little perspective.

He was just lonely. Horny. He’d be an idiot to do anything with Kyle again.

He’d made a big enough fool of himself the first time around.

He crushed the takeout bag into a ball and shoved it into the garbage can under the sink. It slid off the pile of used coffee filters. He gave a hard punch with his fist to keep the bag from falling. When it stayed put, he punched again for good measure. Or maybe to make himself feel better.

Kyle didn’t need the hassle of Evan coming on to him like some kid in love. Like Evan had probably looked when he’d first met Kyle. Of course, back then he had thought Kyle was straight.

He’d never forget that first day in their English class. Kyle had walked in, looking so confident, not like a guy who’d just transferred to a new school on the first day of their senior year. He looked at ease in his skin, his dark hair stuck up in a way that said he used product to purposely get that just-fucked look.

So damn sexy.

The way his jeans hung from his hips, the way his hands were tucked in his pockets to give him a casual, take-it-or-leave-it look as he smiled at Candace Grey, captain of the cheerleading squad. Just what Evan needed. To fall for another straight guy. Then their teacher had made a point of mentioning Kyle wanted to write mysteries. A guy who was into writing? That had Evan staring again.

Once Kyle had found out they were neighbors and that they both were into writing, they’d hung out every day after his football practice. It was two months before Kyle told Evan he was gay. Talk about shocking the shit out of someone. Evan could do nothing but stare and blink and stare some more.

Kyle had laughed and continued browsing the collection of vintage movie posters in Evan’s bedroom.

When Evan could speak again, he’d asked if Kyle was seeing someone. Of course, Kyle hadn’t been. He didn’t do that, but he’d been going to a gay bar in Toledo for over a year. It was closer to where he used to live, near his grandpa’s farm, but they could still make the drive on weekends. Kyle had insisted the bar was the perfect place for Evan’s virgin ass to meet someone.

Evan had met someone. Several someones. A string of loser boyfriends who had used him and thrown him aside.

He wasn’t that same naive kid anymore. He wasn’t going to let anyone use him again. Not even Kyle. Because that would be the end of things—the end of their friendship.

Take Me Home

25

He put the tickets back in the envelope and headed into the living room. Kyle was still staring at his computer screen.

Yeah, Evan had made the right call. It couldn’t be easy knowing so many people were waiting for the final book in his debut series. The first book had been an overnight success, a runaway hit which resulted in a deal with a major studio for the film rights. The second book had brought Kyle even more readers. Now everyone was anxiously awaiting the final book that would reveal who the leading character, a gay amateur sleuth named Mac, was going to choose as a lover: his oldest friend who he’d slept with for the first time in book one, or the hot, leather-wearing cop he’d met at the start of the series and who had saved his life more than once.

Evan tried not to bug Kyle about it, but he was dying to know who Mac would end up with. He sat on the couch and handed over the envelope. “Surprise.” Kyle stared at Evan for a moment, then opened the envelope. “Train tickets?”

“Yeah.” Evan showed him the brochure he’d picked up at the train station and pointed to the route marked with a meandering red line from San Francisco to Chicago. The major stops along the route were indicated with white dots and the names of each city. “See, the train makes a lot of stops. You’ll have three days there and three days back to write.”

“You got these for me? For our trip home?”

“Yeah.” Although Evan was looking forward to it too. He’d been feeling down about his first Christmas without Dennis. The idea of taking the train with Kyle had him excited about the holiday again. It wasn’t like he’d be alone. He never really was. Not since his senior year of high school.