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“I’m ridiculous. Are you sure you want to be part of this lunacy?”

Sucking in a sharp breath, I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his ear. “Every day for the entirety of our existence and whatever awaits us in the next. And besides, you, alone, made me realize this life is worth living. For the rest of our days, I will search every minute of forever to give you a gift such as the one you’ve shown me, and it still wouldn’t be enough.”

Neko’s face softened, and he cupped my cheeks. “Despite everything you tell me, you are the sweetest guy in the world. And when you say things like that, you make my insides melt into goo.”

“Later—”

“Presents! Okay, I may have had my fair share of sugar tonight, but I want to get out of here before any flat surface becomes—”

“Okay! Oh, I forgot, I have presents.”

The twins got me a coffee mug when I wasn’t looking, and written in a thick font offset by each letter in a different color, was ‘World’s Best Brother,’ and I almost teared up. Reo and George gifted me a bluetooth turntable and several records, which also led to a promise from me to teach the twins how to dance.

But it was Neko’s gifts given with a shrug and a, “It’s a freeing and creative side of childhood, even if it comes later than expected.”

Included with the elegant boxes were a gift card and an eReader, several three thousand-piece puzzles of famous paintings, a rainy night being my favorite. But when I opened the biggest box, the kid inside me stuttered and then jumped with happiness. I was looking at the Apollo 11 lunar module and rocket Lego kit. Stunned, Neko pushed the next box over to me and it revealed the car of my dreams, an Aston Martin DB5, also in a kit.

“Um…” Neko started.

I jerked my head up and blinked. “Oh, no, this is fabulous. They are the best gifts I’ve ever received. I’m stunned, that’s all. Thank you, sweetheart.”

And my awkward, stuttering answer and a press of our lips together was enough to bring back Neko’s smile.

Our gazes caught and held, and before long, everything fell away until it was the two of us. After the night before, although it seemed a lifetime ago since I’d touched him and loved him, the clawing urgency to claim Neko surged inside me.

“Well, now that we’ve eaten and opened presents, I think it’s about time to head home and get ready for school tomorrow,” Reo interrupted.

Echo groaned. “I need sleep, so no one call me before noon tomorrow.”

“I’ll take Hensley over to the house and get her settled.”

Neko leaned close to my ear and whispered, “I’ll clean up and meet you upstairs.”

I turned and was almost out the door after seeing Reo, George, the girls, and Echo off before I remembered Hensley. She trailed after me, holding her stomach, laughing, and I rolled my eyes. I held my hand out for her keys, knowing she’d have a suitcase or two in the trunk. When she dropped them in my hand, I added her new house key and led the way.

The neighborhood was quiet and although it was the middle of September; I heard the crickets chirping. I snagged the suitcases and then handed her back the keys. She opened the door, and I shut off the alarm, closing the door behind us. I showed her around, making sure she memorized the code, before lugging her bags upstairs into the bedroom.

“Breakfast next door tomorrow morning whenever you wake and if you need anything, call me.”

She dragged me in for a hug, hesitant because of the reluctance I’d shown her in the past. But I laughed before I tugged her close.

“It’s good to see you happy, Graham.”

For a long minute, I studied her face. “Thank you, Hensley. I mean that. Have a good night and call if you need anything, okay?”

With a big smile, she sent me back to Neko, making a big production of locking the door and arming the system.

But on my way back across the yard, I noticed a strange dark sedan parked on the street where it wasn’t earlier, and halted in my tracks. When the driver noticed me staring, they revved the engine and squealed the tires as it took off before switching on the headlights halfway down the block. It was too far away for me to see the license plate.

Acting on instinct, I ran the rest of the way toward the house with my heart pounding in my chest.

Chapter 9

Neko-Ren

I paced backand forth at the foot of the bed, my body buzzed with what was to come. On the other end of that spectrum, nerves swamped me, making me restless and causing my thoughts to swirl around in my head.

Before Graham, I never thought about myself as a sexual being. When I was a teenager, I was all long limbs and a lanky frame, and with my interest in computers and games and, oh, yeah, being gay in a small suburb in Connecticut and knowing it from an early age, I didn’t fit in.