Page 11 of Alpha & Omega (Alpha's Rejects #4)

When I walked into the house, Hudson was still awake, talking to his friends on Snapchat , sitting on the couch. His long hair was pulled back into a ponytail, as usual, and he was wearing sweats and a T-shirt. He looked ready for bed.

“Waiting up for me?” I asked, bending over to kiss the top of his head.

He leaned his head back on the back of the sofa to look up at me, smirking. “Someone has to. Can’t have you breaking curfew.”

“You gave me a curfew?”

“Yep.”

“In other words, you’re being a busybody and want to know how my date went.”

Hudson turned off his phone, set it on the coffee table, and turned to face me when I sat down next to him. “You caught me.”

“It’s nearly midnight, Hud.”

“I’ll be fine. It’s not like I don’t stay up ’til two in the morning playing games, anyway. Besides, it’s summer. Let me have my fun.” He grabbed a throw pillow and hugged it against him. “So, are you and Kingston still hitting it off? Are you two going to get serious?”

I chuckled. “It’s too early to tell, but I really like him. We’ve got a lot in common, and our dates have been very smooth.”

“What does he look like?”

“Well, he’s got dark blond hair, long on top and cropped on the sides and back. His eyes are… so blue, like Caribbean Ocean blue.”

Hudson snorted. “You must be into him if you’re turning his eyes into metaphors.”

I smiled, letting him have his fun. “They are pretty. He has lots of tattoos and is just a couple of inches taller than me. What I like most about him, though, is his commitment to a bunch of young men and one young lady, taking them under his wing when they had no one else, giving them jobs, safety, and someone they can lean on and trust. They’re also all queer.”

Hudson picked at the pillow and didn’t look at me. I sensed a flash of insecurity, something he was good at dealing with, but once in a while, it surfaced, even with extensive therapy, no thanks to his mother. “Do you think he’ll… like me?”

I tugged on his hand and held it, making him look at me. “He’s going to love you. No doubt.”

He smiled shyly. “When do I get to meet this perfect man of yours?”

“Not sure yet. Give us some time to get to know each other better and see if we can establish something serious. I just want to make sure Kingston and I are on the same page before we get into attachments.”

“Okay.”

“Now I’m off to bed. And you should, too, since your first day at the restaurant is tomorrow. It’ll be busy. ”

“Yes, boss.”

I shook my head and smiled as he got up from the couch, kissed my head as I had done to him earlier, and padded upstairs. “Night,” he called down from the top of the stairs.

“Night.”

After three weeks of dating, our relationship, or whatever you wanted to call it, bloomed. We’d had sex again only twice, but I loved where this was going. Kingston and I hadn’t discussed the direction of our relationship yet, letting things simply fall naturally, but I really wanted to commit to him. Maybe it was a good time to do that. Then an idea suddenly hit me.

As I lay in bed, I pulled out my phone and texted him.

Me: What are you doing Sunday morning?

Kingston: Sleeping?

Me: Sleep when you’re dead. Come with me to the farmers’ market,

and I’ll make you a nice lunch before we have to head to work.

Meet me at my place at eight in the morning.

Kingston: Bribing with food now?

Me: I could send you a dick pic instead. Or throw in a BJ for dessert.

Kingston: I’ll take the dick pic and the BJ, but I’ll be there,

regardless.

I smiled at my phone, closing the screen. Kingston and I bantered and chatted so easily. Even better, I got to see him before Wednesday, the only day we’ve made time for ourselves, though we chatted often throughout the week. It was nice to find little moments in time we could spend together.

Ten minutes later, I received a text from him, and as I read it, I barked a laugh.

Kingston: I’m waiting on my dick pic.

Me: Seriously ?

Kingston: I’m always serious about dicks.

I couldn’t tell if he was joking, debating if I should really send him one.

Kingston: I’m waiting…

God, this was so unlike me. Here went nothing. I opened my sweats, pulled them down with my underwear, and stroked myself until I got hard. I took a quick photo and sent it, which turned my face into literal flames. I could be bold in bed, but I wasn’t one of those guys who sent dick pics to random people in their DMs, not that Kingston was a random person. Plus, I was still familiarizing myself with being with a man.

Kingston: That’s what I’m talkin’ about. It will keep me happy

during those times we can’t see each other.

Me: I’m so embarrassed right now.

Kingston: It’s hot. Don’t be. You have a gorgeous cock.

Me: Next time you send me one.

A minute later, the text came through with an image of Kingston’s dick. Any embarrassment I had vaporized into laughter and arousal.

Me: Now I’m going to have to rub one out.

Kingston: God, I wish I had time to watch. Next time, shoot me

a vid.

Me: Deal.

Since my pants were down and I still sported a chubby, I quickly stroked myself to the image of Kingston’s dick. It didn’t take long since I felt like a teen again around him.

Hudson was still asleep when Kingston knocked on my door at eight a.m. His blue eyes were rimmed with red from his late night, and he yawned, but he wore a sleepy smile.

“Three hours, Harley. That’s all the sleep I’ve gotten. I’m not sure if this is going to work between us if you keep getting me up early,” he said jokingly.

I thrust a disposable cup of coffee into his hand and stepped outside, locking the door behind me. “I ground the beans myself. It’s a new roast I’m trying out. It’s dark and rich. You’ll thank me later.”

“Lunch better be worth it.”

“The meals I make depend on what’s available at the market. Hudson and I usually do this together on Sundays, but I thought you and I could go this time. We spend time picking out fruits, vegetables, and meats for lunch and dinner. Then I try to figure out what to make with it.”

“That sounds amazing,” he said, looking wistful while taking a sip of his coffee. “Wow, that is good. Love the dark, almost chocolatey flavor.”

“See?”

“I wish I had a parent like you growing up, doing bonding things. Something like this would’ve been amazing to do when I was a kid. Then again, I’m looking at this from an adult perspective. I might’ve hated it as a kid,” he chuckled.

“I’m sorry, King.”

Kingston put on his sunglasses as we started walking toward the outdoor market, which wasn’t far from where I lived. I was close to everything in the city, which was why I loved living here so much.

“It is what it is.”

“It shouldn’t be. My son is openly gay. He came out to me last year, trusting me enough. I would never have dreamed of kicking him out or even getting upset. My love for him is unconditional.”

He sighed and took another sip. “I can’t help but feel envious. Not in a jealous way, because I’m grateful some kids have parents like you. It’s also why I like you so much.”

I gently bumped his shoulder. “How much do you like me?”

His smile turned crooked. “You’re growing on me.”

“Would more dick pics help? ”

He barked out a laugh. “Definitely. I’m a simple man, Harley.”

Kingston dipped back his head to finish his coffee and tossed the cup into a trash bin on the street before lighting up a smoke. As we continued to walk, he threaded our fingers together.

The summer day quickly grew hot as we explored vendor stalls, picking out ingredients as the recipes filled my mind.

I walked over to the cucumbers, found the biggest one I could find, and held it up as I waggled my brows. “I can think of so many things to do with this.”

Kingston fisted it while giving it a good stroke. “Maybe with some extra ‘ olive oil ,’ it could work.”

The woman vendor eyed us suspiciously as we laughed. “I’ll take two,” I told her.

Kingston walked over to the next stall and lifted a huge gourd. “How about this one?”

I pretend to squirm. “I’m not sure that will be… quite right for what I had in mind. Looks painful.”

He set it down, shrugged, and walked off. “Suit yourself. Your loss.”

Next, he hefted a large watermelon.

“No!” I immediately said. “Put it back, King.”

He scoffed at me. “You’ve got a dirty mind, Harl . Seriously, I love this stuff. It was a cheap treat we often got while living in foster care.”

“Then I’ll make us a tasty watermelon and spinach salad, but you’ve got to carry the beast.”

He frowned and put it back, picking out a smaller one, making me laugh.

I grabbed a small pack of pepitas roasted with Tajín , along with a bundle of spinach and arugula, for the salad. After I paid for them, I tossed them into my reusable bag.

“I’ve decided on lemon garlic shrimp and grits, along with your watermelon salad. How’s that sound?”

“It sounds like knowing you is going to get me fat.”

I chuckled. “It’s all fresh and homemade. Nothing overly fattening in my house. Besides…” I leaned into his ear. “…we can fuck off the calories.”

“A man after my own heart—delicious food and sex.”

“I told you I was a romantic.”

We filled my bags with all the ingredients I would need for lunch and dinner tonight with Hudson. I also bought a nice scratch loaf of sourdough bread, some cheeses, and a bundle of flowering chives for a decorative centerpiece.

“Is Hudson eating with us?” Kingston asked when we walked inside my home.

“He texted that he’s hanging out with his best friend Oliver until later. I’m just seeing how it goes between us a bit longer before I introduce you two, if you don’t mind.”

“Not at all. It makes sense. I like that you’re protective of him.”

We unpacked the groceries, and I pulled out all the tools I needed to cook.

“What do you need me to do?” he asked.

“If you could wash the fruits and veggies while I make the salad dressing, that would be really helpful. There’s some homemade veggie wash under the sink, and you can use the strainer sitting on the counter.”

Kingston set to wash everything as I grated garlic, some ginger root, and zested a lime into a small mason jar. I combined that with some olive oil, white wine vinegar, some salt and pepper, along with a touch of honey. I closed the jar and shook it until it was all emulsified before setting it aside.

“All washed. Now what?”

“Let’s chop.”

Together, we cored the watermelon and diced it into bite-sized chunks, tore up the spinach and arugula, and sliced cucumber. Kingston mixed it all into a bowl as I finely chopped some parsley and cilantro.

“Wow, that looks… healthy.”

I chuckled. “That’s the plan. My son gripes at me for not making him enough junk food.”

“I get that. Sometimes all you need is some cold pizza from the night before.”

My jaw dropped, feigning shock and horror. “I would never …”

He laughed and leaned forward to kiss me. “I wouldn’t torture you like that.”

I rolled my eyes. “You’re too kind. ”

While Kingston helped me make lunch, I wasn’t sure how we managed to stay out of each other’s way, stealing kisses and talking about everything under the sun.

When our meals were ready, we sat at the kitchen table and dug in.

“Oh, shit… this salad is amazing. I had no idea watermelon went so well with vinaigrette and Tajín . It’s like a sweet and sour thing. I never would’ve thought of such a dish.”

“Exactly, and it pairs well with the arugula.”

I leaned forward to get another kiss. “You know what else pairs well with watermelon?” Kingston raised a brow and shook his head. “Delicious Kingston skin. It would be especially tasty being dragged—”

He covered my mouth with his hand. “Nope. I need to enjoy this meal without sporting a chubby. We can talk about compatible fruits and skin later.”

“Deal,” I chuckled.