Page 32 of A Quiet Man

"No, not like that. You were smiling a second ago. Look at me," Auden instructed as he held up his phone, concentrating on it, tongue between his teeth. He looked adorable. Then he grinned at whatever he saw on the phone and took a snap. "Perfect."

So are you, thought Tomas. He wondered if he should feel foolish, but he didn't.

Auden took another, then one more as Tomas posed, and finally slid his phone away, satisfied as a cat with cream. "Don't worry. They're just for me. No social media bragging about my hot boyfriend cooking for me."

Tomas hadn't even thought of that. Auden seemed more concerned about not outing him than he was about not outing himself. But then, Auden had dated before, and he had more experience with such things. No doubt it was awful to be exposed to the world before you were ready to announce yourself.

Sometimes, Tomas didn't want to wait at all. He didn't want to take things slowly and figure it all out; he wanted to shout it from the rooftops. And that was nuts, so he held back. He would be careful and sensible in this area of his life, as he was in all the other parts — even if he didn't want to be sometimes.

He walked over impulsively and embraced and kissed his boyfriend while onions sizzled behind them. When he drew back, Auden was smiling even brighter. He regarded Tomas with proud affection, holding on to him gently. "Are you sure there isn't something I should do to help? I like watching, but I'm willing to try."

"If you want to. But I really can do it all myself, and I don't mind if you just watch." Tomas moved back to the onions, gave them a stir, and started assembling the ingredients for the white sauce. "You know, I like cooking, but I'd never want to do it as a job. I'd probably grow to hate it — or at least stop enjoying it so much." There was something wonderful about cooking because you wanted to, making exactly what you were hungry for, or cooking for someone you cared about.

Food could be so wonderfully comforting, and everything he avoided during the work day — big meals, anything that would take too long to eat or slow him down — he could let down his hair and enjoy in the evening or on his days off. He could stand living on soup and coffee during the work day if he could come home and make a delicious stew, or braised beef and beets, or chicken and olive rice like his grandmother's.

He enjoyed making standard American foods, sometimes with a twist, sometimes not, as well as the traditional dishes his grandmother and mother cooked (although they would never, and could never, be as good as his grandmother's actual cooking), and experimenting in other cultural cuisines: light vegetable-heavy stir fries, clear soups, French desserts, eye-watering curries. He only tried new recipes when he had the time and felt adventurous, and he'd learned some amazing things that way — as well as making some catastrophic disasters.

Thinking of this, he grinned and decided to share. "One time, I was making a molten chocolate cake, and it went literally molten — started smoking in the oven. I'd made a mistake with the cooking time. Riley and I were still rooming together back then, and he was so alarmed — first worried that the house would burn down, then, when nothing was actually wrong, that I'd be hurt and upset about ruining a dessert. He ended up eating most of it, even though it was burnt. That guy has an iron stomach."

Auden's smile was gentle. "I think it's wonderful you two can be so close. He seems really special. I was scared that first time I saw him, but only till I actually met him. He's just sonice."

"Yeah," Tomas agreed, smiling. He always felt proud when people recognized Riley's awesomeness. "He really is." He hesitated, then decided that Riley wouldn't mind him sharing, and that it wasn't a work-sensitive subject. "Did I tell you about the time he befriended somebody who was sent to kill him?"

"What?" Auden hopped off the table and walked over to him. "No, I think I would remember that. Don't just smile mysteriously. Tell me!" He wrapped his arms around Tomas's middle as if he couldn't resist hugging him even in the midst of a conversation.

Tomas turned off the burner beneath the onions with an expert flick of the wrist, feeling sophisticated and perfectly timed. "Well, he used to work for some gangsters..."

The kitchen was warm and friendly, filled with delicious cooking smells, soon to be filled with food to share with the man he loved. He sketched the story out, making it as cinematic as he could: the moving day, when Riley would leave Tomas to move in with his mate. The skulking assassin who'd been blackmailed and wanted out. Tomas and Justin bickering as they worked on the moving process, entering Riley's new kitchen together to see Riley and a stranger and a gun, Riley oddly in the midst of comforting him. It was a good story, and he could see by Auden's wide, appreciative gaze that he was getting everything out of it that he should.

"He's kind of magic, isn't he?" Auden said at last.

"He has an instinct about people."

"Was it weird when you were training? I mean, when you knew a wolf had to pick you or you'd go home alone? That sounds hard."

Tomas nodded. "I felt pretty outclassed by the competition — ex-Marines and triple decorated things-and-thats. But the wolves were friendly."

He paused, not sure if he should admit this or not, as he started cheese prep. "Actually, after the first couple of days — I was a late arrival added when the course was partway complete — I didn't worry about not being chosen. I guess it sounds horrible to say this, like I'm bragging, but wolves like me. I never had to approach anyone to try to talk to them, and it was never a challenge to find a partner for an obstacle run or a practice assignment. Sometimes, a couple of wolves wanted to work with me at the same time. But Riley was my favorite, always." He grinned, remembering. "He was such a big, shy, sweet guy, and he tried so hard. He had zero confidence back then, but he was still amazing. He waskind."

Auden grinned and snatched a bit of the cheese Tomas was grating. "So, you're like the Holy Grail of partners for wolves? Or did they like you because you just weren't so loud and obnoxious?"

"Ha-ha. I think I showed to advantage by coming in late, after they'd been around all the go-getters for a while first. I don't think wolves like feeling chased or pursued. I — and the other late arrivals — were much more relaxed about the whole thing. It was actually Justin who got me into the course. Did I ever mention that?" He laughed awkwardly. "I thought it was amazing luck till I found out later that Justin had pulled some strings because Riley needed more choices — especially people who might not bowl him over with strong personalities." He paused. "That was kind of humbling. But I'm grateful for my partner all the same, even if I have Justin to thank."

"Riley still picked you. Justin didn't choose for him, right?" Auden looked a little worried at the thought. He'd only heard about Justin secondhand, hadn't actually met the man yet, but the idea of an overly pushy husband for the wolf shifter didn't sit well with him.

"Oh, of course. It was definitely up to Riles. Justin might get on my nerves, but he's actually pretty great about respecting Riley's boundaries and wishes. Justin can be a pushy jerk, but not with Riley."

"That's good." Auden relaxed subtly, then laughed self-consciously. "Isn't it weird? I've only met him once, and I feel protective of him."

"That's a good thing. It would be awful if you found him annoying. A lot of people at the precinct do, because they won't take the time to get to know him. They judge him on outward things, like his shyness and how big he is." Everyone should only judge Riley by his heart, and then the whole world would appreciate him. "It would be awful if you didn't like my partner." He grinned. "He likes you too, by the way."

Auden ducked his head, smiling. "I'm glad. There would clearly be no chance for me if he didn't."

"He doesn't make my decisions for me. But I guess I do trust his gut instincts about people most of the time." Tomas thought about that for a minute. "It's weird how he was taken in by bad people for so long when he has an amazingly spot-on gut instinct. I guess he earned it the hard way — that, and he was groomed and brainwashed into staying with them."

"That's so sad. I'm glad he's got you now. And Justin, of course."

"Yeah, Justin won't let anyone push him around in his personal life, and he's got me for the professional side. It's good now. But he actually has gotten a lot more confident since I met him, so he wouldn't be as easy to push around anymore, either."