Page 8 of At His Wife’s Behest

“Not always,” Connor murmured, smiling. He frowned at the same time. “I have a rule that I don’t cross the line with parents, so I’m a bit dazed right now. I’m not sure what I should do here.”

“Ahh… that’s why.”

Connor frowned. “That’s why… what?”

Heat filled Kellan’s cheeks. “Oh… um. You mentioned you would’ve said no if you’d known it was me. I assumed that meant you wouldn’t want to be in my company.”

“That’s not it at all.” Connor licked his lips, giving Kellan the once over. “Not at all.”

Kellan swallowed the lump in his throat. “Well, as you said, sex isn’t a requirement for your role, so no line has to be crossed. You’ve already come a very long way. Might as well stay and see Italy while you’re here.”

The smile that spread on Connor’s face nearly brought a moan to his lips. Kellan cleared his throat, attempting to hide the desire slamming into him. “Wh-who hired you?” He lifted a hand. “Never mind. I know who it was.” Kellan sighed. Emma. It had to be. “My wife?”

“Yessir.”

He snuck another glance at Connor’s hard body. “I need to grab my luggage. I left it out front when I couldn’t find the key.”

“Let me,” Connor offered, reaching the front door before him.

He grabbed the bags before Kellan could, muscles bunching.

“Follow me,” Connor called, heading back into the house.

Kellan trailed behind, at a loss for words. Likely due to the perfectly formed ass in a tiny Speedo at eye level. Connor opened the doors to the main bedroom and lowered the suitcases. “I hope you don’t mind. I eyeballed the place before you got here. It’s amazing.”

He glanced around the bedroom. “This was my mother and father-in-law’s bedroom when I was last here.”

“Is it theirs? The house?”

“Was,” Kellan murmured. “My wife’s father recently passed, not long after her mother.

Now my wife owns it—and she plans to sell.

That’s why she asked me here. She was busy and needed someone to discuss things with the agent.

” Was that just a ruse? “Or rather, that was her reason for getting me here.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Connor said. “About your in-laws.”

“I’m not,” Kellan said. His face warmed. “Oh, god, did I just say that out loud?”

Connor smirked, taking a step forward. “You sure did.”

“Let’s just say—they were not nice people. How my wife turned out as well-adjusted as she did, heaven knows.” Nannies? That was his theory.

“I understand that you’re soon divorced?”

Kellan winced, noticing that Connor had moved a bit closer. “Yes.”

“It’s nice that you and she are on such good terms that you’d come here to help her put this place on the market. Not all couples going through a divorce would be so kind.”

“She’s my best friend. Always will be.” Kellan smiled. When he met Connor’s gaze, more came tumbling out. “We married to hide from our families.”

Why did I just say that? Shit.

Connor closed the gap between them, standing only inches away. “Hide what from your families?”

Kellan swallowed the lump in his throat. “I, um—” He took a deep breath. He’d never said the words before to anyone but Emma, and that had been twenty years before. “I’m?—”

He couldn’t get the word out. After twenty years of hiding himself, he simply couldn’t.

“It’s okay,” Connor murmured, inching closer. “You can say it. You’re safe.”

Kellan’s gaze whipped to his. “I’m… gay.”

Connor’s lips curled up at the corners.

“Is that amusing?”

“No,” Connor murmured. “I’m just happy to hear my suspicions were correct.”

“Your suspicions?”

“Have you not noticed me casually flirting when you bring Abigail to school?”

Kellan licked his dry lips. “I thought… you were just being nice.”

Connor moved a fraction of an inch closer. “I wasn’t.”

“I thought you had rules about not crossing lines with parents?” Kellan asked, breathless.

“An early mistake I wish I’d never made. You’re the first one to tempt me since.” Connor lifted a hand and caressed the side of Kellan’s cheek.

Touch deprived, he gasped at first contact. Kellan closed his eyes, lips parting, as he reveled in the man’s touch.

“Have you ever been with a man?” Connor asked, sliding a hand down Kellan’s shoulder.

Kellan barely nodded, unconsciously leaning into the faint caress. When he realized what he’d done, he straightened, face warming. “It’s been a long, long time.”

“That must be hard. Going so long without intimacy.”

Kellan nodded, unable to speak.

Connor whispered a question. “Can I hug you?”

Breath shuddering, Kellan fought tears at the backs of his eyes. “Yes.”

Connor wrapped his arms around Kellan, drawing them closer. He leaned into the man, overcome with emotion. A sob rose in his throat. He tried to hold it back but failed. Another came following it, a tear slipping down his cheek.

“It’s okay,” Connor murmured, sliding one palm along his back. “Let it out.”

Kellan didn’t know where the tears came from, but they came. Silent tears fell as Connor held him tight, gently kissing his forehead.

“I can’t imagine how hard it is to hide who you are,” Connor said, his voice soothing.

Kellan backed away, wiping his eyes. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”

“Why not?”

He wiped more of the wetness away. “Men don’t cry. Or so my father always told me.” Usually right before a beating for being too ‘girly.’

“Fuck him,” Connor spat. “Emotions are genderless. We all have them. And if you can’t express them, you’ll explode.”

“Thirty-six years of programming is hard to undo.”

“Thirty-six? I thought you were younger.”

He chuckled. “Should I take that as a compliment?”

“Take it however you want.” Connor eyed his luggage. “You have a swimsuit in there?”

“No. I checked the weather and didn’t anticipate swimming.”

“The pool is heated,” Connor said, waggling his eyebrows. “Why don’t you strip down to your skivvies and come swim with me?”

Kellan hesitated. Sure, he ran a few times a week, but his body wasn’t in perfect shape—not like Connor’s. He’d expected muscles, but not a perfectly sculpted physique. Connor would put the statues in Italy to shame.

“It felt great after that long flight. Your body will love it.”

Kellan hesitated.

“Unwind a little. Relax.”

“Yeah, sure,” Kellan replied, unable to say no with the anticipation he witnessed on Connor’s face. “I’ll… I’ll meet you down there.”

“Don’t dawdle.” Connor grinned before walking toward the door. He paused in the threshold, turning toward Kellan. “And thank you.”

“For?”

“Trusting me enough to tell me your truth. And for letting me be there for you.” He smiled. “That was a brave thing to do.”

“It didn’t feel very brave.”

“It was.” Connor offered a gentle smile before closing the door behind him.

Kellan collapsed on the bed, exhausted. Between the long flight, the surprise of an unexpected guest, and then losing his cool, he was ready for bed. He reached for his phone and dialed Emma again. It went through on the second attempt.

“Hey, babe! Did you arrive safely?” she asked.

“I did.” He kicked off his shoes. “I wish you’d warned me about my guest instead of surprising me.”

“As if you’d have gone.” Silence hung on the other end for a few heartbeats. “Is he cute?”

Kellan sighed, undoing his button-down. “Why, Emma? Why did you do this?”

“I didn’t want you there all by yourself.”

“I’m a big boy. I can handle being alone.”

“You shouldn’t have to be alone,” Emma shot back. “Just for your knowledge, he’s been vetted and has signed an NDA. You’re far from home and free to be you, for once.”

His father’s reach was wide. He wasn’t so sure he was all that free.

“He’s not an escort, by the way, so he’s not paid to have sex with you.”

“I’m aware.” He peeled off his pants and laid them over the bed.

“I asked the caretaker to ensure there was a box of condoms and a bottle of lube in the main bedroom nightstands, just in case something did happen.”

Heat burned his face. “You did not.”

“I did. Safe sex, Kel. It’s important.”

He dragged the drawer open and found two boxes of condoms and a large tube of lube. “Aren’t the caretakers ancient?”

“They were young once. I’m sure they’ve used them before.”

“Oh, dear god,” Kellan said. “I’m not going to survive this trip.”

“Well, in that case, make sure he bends you in half and wrecks that hole. You can die happy.”

Kellan closed his eyes, shaking his head. “Appreciated, wife.”

“Anytime, husband,” she said, giggling.

“You assume I’m a bottom, hmm?”

“Aren’t you?”

Duh. “None of your business.”

“I had to climb on top of you the night we made Abby.”

Kellan frowned. “I thought you didn’t remember anything from that night?” He didn’t. Well, a few flashes, but not much more.

“Most of it, no. I do recall being the initiator, though. You can blame me for Abby.”

Kellan wondered if Emma remembered more than she was willing to admit. “No blaming anyone for her. She was a gift. Speaking of, how is she?”

“You just wished her a good morning a little while ago. I swear she’s fine.”

“Really?” Emma was a wonderful mother, but he’d gladly taken on more of the responsibilities when it came to their daughter, stepping up more during Marshall’s illness and Emma being thrust into her new role. Abigail wasn’t used to him not being there.

Emma sighed. “Misses you, but she’ll be fine. It’s good for the two of you to have some time apart every now and then. Makes you appreciate each other more.”

“Can I talk to her?”

“She’s in the pool getting her first swimming lesson.”

“I forgot that was this week! Why didn’t you tell me when I called earlier?” Abigail had been half asleep when he’d talked to her earlier. She’d likely forgotten herself.

“I didn’t expect you to call again so soon.”

Kellan scoffed. “You sent a man for me and didn’t expect a call?”

“Call back later. She’ll likely talk your ear off about her lesson.”

“Will do.”

“Hey, babe?” Emma asked.

“Yeah?”

“You never said if he was cute or not?”

Kellan almost told her who it was but thought better of it. It was Mr. Quaid’s business what he did during his off hours. “Yes, very cute.”

“Like, how cute?”

Kellan sighed. “Not telling.”

“Cruel!” Emma cried.

“Hey, that’s what you get for surprising me. Payback’s a bitch.”

Emma’s laughter brought a smile to his face. “You’d better be glad I love you.”

Kellan’s chest tightened. “I love you, too.”

“Have fun, Kel. You deserve it. Talk to you soon!”

The call cut out, and Kellan turned off his phone. After a deep inhale, he eyed himself in the mirror across the bedroom, wincing. This is as good as it gets.