Page 58

Shooting off an email on my phone to one of my marketing teams as I walk into the kitchen, I find Rory leaning over the counter, immersed in a crossword puzzle. I will never see the appeal of those brain teasers that have no purpose other than entertainment. They still seem a fitting distraction, however, for a man who loves riddles.

“Don’t you look handsome,” he purrs, sneaking a glance at me.

I’m in jeans and an old hoodie. He’s ridiculous, but I still find my mouth curving up at the corner as I move to the coffeepot.

“Are you ready?”

“Babe, I’m always ready,” he drawls, filling in an answer on his puzzle.

Eyeing the line of his back, I follow the slope of his spine down. His long-sleeved Henley is stretched tight across his arms and shoulders. Left untucked at his waist, it’s short enough that I get snared on the curve of his ass and how the denim of his jeans is molded to it. No one should look that good in casual attire. I savor the drink he is, and then drag my gaze away. The ideas it gives me are not the kind of ideas I need right now.

Sipping my coffee, I can feel my pulse skitter in my neck. Maybe caffeine isn’t a great idea either. Checking the clock onthe wall, I can see we still have plenty of time to get to my brother Miles’ house, but the visit feels too imminent. Taking my coffee to the sink, I dump the contents of my mug down the drain and let out a calming breath.

Arms slink around my waist from behind, and just the presence of Rory’s warm cheek against mine quells the butterflies in my stomach. “Anxious?” he asks, pressing his lips to the underside of my jaw.

“I’m fine.” I shrug. “Just…not exactly looking forward to this. You’ve met my brothers.”

“They were charming. Not as charming as you, but I think it went well last time.”

His little kisses on my neck are meant to be a distraction, I know. They’re almost working.Almost.

“Miles and Brett were okay, but they still stared at us the entire time. But Shane? Well, he was a total dick.”

“Mm. Good old Shane,” he laments playfully, although I don’t see how anything about this is amusing. “He was probably jealous.”

Rolling my eyes, I turn around to counter his nonsense, but find his arms back around me. That’s fine. They can stay. Tracing the seam of his collar with my thumb, I focus on his throat. How can someone’s throat be so attractive?

“He’s not jealous. He’s a homophobic asshole. He has been since high school, and it only got worse when he was in college. He, my dad, and those dickhead friends of his. He’ll never be cool with us, Rory. I hope you know that.”

I hate the thought of getting disgusted looks at every family event for the rest of our lives. Rory’s parents and his brother Teagan were so accepting when he introduced me to them, I was floored. Our sexuality wasn’t even a topic of conversation. I never imagined being welcomed by another man’s family was a possibility. It certainly helped with my decision to tell mybrothers four months ago. I knew it wasn’t going to be as easy, though. Fucking Shane.

“I can’t believe you,” he had muttered under his breath, when we both found ourselves in Miles’ kitchen at one point. Shaking his head as he grabbed another beer from the fridge, he added, “Why are you doing this? Don’t you care what people think?”

Why am I seeing a man? Like it was a conscious choice. He’s spent too much time with my father, a man whose child-rearing methods were to make his sons hard asses. Thank fuck Miles and Brett saw the light and decided to stay with Mom after the divorce.

“Are you breaking up with me?”

The question catches me so off-guard, my head rears back, and my gaze snaps to Rory’s.

“What? No!”

He smiles and hugs me closer, dropping a kiss to the corner of my mouth. “Then I’m not worried about it.”

Scoffing, I watch him, stunned. How can he be so nonchalant about all of this? “You don’t care that my own flesh and blood is a complete prick and will probably be repeatedly offensive to you for as long as we’re together?”

“I’m only worried if he gets in here, Charlie,” he says, tapping my temple with his fingertip. “Because if he gets too deep in here and breaksthis,” he adds, running his other hand over my heart, “then he’s going to have a problem with me that he’ll regret.”

The organ his hand is above of wallops inside my chest, and I feel tears in my eyes. Sliding my arms around his shoulders, I bury my face in his neck. “I’m sorry. I just…”

Fucking hate that my own brother can’t be happy for me? That he’ll eventually take digs at the man I’m in love with?

“I just hate that I can’t give you the same type of welcoming into my family that yours did to me.”

“If it makes you feel better, Teagan will probably never be fully comfortable understanding my sexuality. He just has manners and loves me.”

Manners and love are all I’m asking for, I want to tell him. When he leans his weight against me and steals a kiss, I feel my cage press into my groin, making me hold back a moan.

“Hm…what’s this?” he asks, bringing his hand down and cupping over the barrier behind my fly.