Page 22 of The Haunting Crush (Mesa Boys #4)

One Year Later

Kai, dressed in a thin, gray sweater and black jeans, sat at a low-top table for four on a patio, looking out over the red rock cliffs of Sedona, the setting sun making changing patterns in the crags. He picked up his white wine and sipped it, then smiled at Conner. “One year, huh?”

“Yeah, we came here one year ago today.” Conner, wearing a white fleece and jeans, grinned, then bit his lip. “So, did you get the scholarship applications done before we left?”

He lifted his chin at Conner. “Yes. Don’t worry.” He glanced down at his now empty plate of food and the bill Conner had paid. Conner was such a nag when he wanted something.

“And so, did you decide what you wanted to study?” Conner drank his wine.

Kai placed his fingers on his chin. “I was thinking something with chemistry, I don’t know, maybe biochemistry or chemical engineering. Not sure which.” He’d stick with what he knew he was good at.

Conner set his hand on Kai’s thigh. “You have time. I’m just happy you finally decided to go to college. ”

“I know. If I didn’t, I’d never hear the end of it.” Kai rolled his eyes. Conner had started in on him shortly after he’d moved into his apartment. Ten months of nagging was enough.

“You know, you don’t have to worry about money, Kai. If you need to work less hours at the bar, you can.” Conner squeezed his thigh.

“I know...” He let a smile creep over his face. Conner had insisted on supporting him through all of this. If it were up to Conner, he’d quit working completely. That was not going to happen.

Conner came close to Kai. “So, you remember what happened a year ago, right in the hallway back there?” He pointed into the restaurant, toward the bar area.

Heat flushed Kai’s face. “Yeah.” Conner would never let him forget it. Not that he wanted to.

Conner took his hand. “You told me you loved me.” He chewed his lip, taking Kai in. “I want you to know that I love you more now than I ever thought possible.”

Kai’s heart swelled with emotion. “Conner, I never thought I’d ever be with you like this. Back in high school, I figured you could only be my crush.” He freed a short chuckle. “Hell, even when you moved back to Fountain Hills, I thought the same thing. I was pissed at myself for still having a crush on you after all those years. But I did. It took a while for me to realize that I wasn’t dreaming the whole time when we were first together.”

Conner placed a hand on Kai’s cheek and kissed his lips. “You’re not dreaming. This is real. And we’re going to go to that bar back there and order dirty martinis.” He kissed Kai again.

“Are we now.” Kai smirked. “You like reliving things, don’t you?”

“Yeah, you could say that. If something was good once, it’s even better the second time.” Conner stood up. “Come on, let’s go to the bar.”

Kai rose from the table. “What about the rest of the wine?” Damn, he hated to leave good wine like that go to waste .

Conner lifted his wine glass to his lips and gulped the rest down. “There.”

Kai snickered and did the same. “No blowjob involved this time?”

“Oh, there will be blowjobs, be certain of that.” Conner licked his lips, then adjusted his jeans. “Damn it, Kai, why did you have to bring that up?”

Kai glanced at Conner’s groin, then whispered in his ear. “You getting hard for me?” It was still so easy to get Conner going.

“When am I not?” Conner offered him a coy grin. “Come on.” He tugged Kai’s hand and guided him through the restaurant of gold walls lined with brown booths, then took a seat at the wrap-around bar in wood with the blue light glowing underneath.

Kai sat down and looked over the liquor bottles on a wood shelf on the back wall. “So, dirty martini, right?”

A male bartender stepped to them, wearing black. “Dirty martini? Preference on vodka?”

“Tito’s, please, and make one for both of us.” Kai smiled at the bartender. This bartender was on it. He liked that.

“Sure thing.” The bartender made their drinks and set them down. “Here you go.”

Conner picked up his drink and sipped it. “That’s good, thanks.” He scanned the area. “Not many people in the bar yet. Guess we won’t get hit on.”

Kai gave his head a shake. “Who’s going to hit on us when we’re obviously a couple? You’ve been holding my hand and kissing me all night.” Apparently, Conner was doing his best to reenact the entire night.

“Oh yeah, right.” Conner lifted their still entwined hands and set them on the table. “No need to hide it anymore.”

Kai sipped his drink. “No, thank God.” He looked him over, his stunning face, the ice-blue eyes, and the scar on his cheek. With a grin, he kissed his scar .

Conner narrowed his eyes. “Why do you always kiss me there?”

“It’s, I don’t know, sexy. It’s a part of you that makes you unique.” Kai shrugged his shoulders. “You took a bad sack that day. I remember it. I was in the stands, watching.”

Conner lifted his brows. “Yeah, no shit. I got a cleat to my face. Five stitches. My mom was not happy.”

Kai smirked. “Why, her baby Conner got a boo-boo?” He burst out a belly laugh.

“You shut up.” Conner shook his head, biting his lip, then focused on Kai. “You’re a real fucker sometimes, you know that?”

“Yeah, but I’m a lovable fucker.” Kai placed a long kiss on his lips. It was time for something a bit more intimate. “Let’s drink up and go back to our couch on the porch and bourbon before the sun sets all the way.”

“Yeah, all right.” Conner drank his martini.

Kai sat on the wicker couch on the porch of their cabin overlooking the creek, the water gurgling over rocks and clashing with boulders. He looked up at the colorful leaves swinging in a gentle breeze on the cottonwood trees lining the shore. How did he ever get here? His life had changed so much in the last year. He had so much to look forward to. He wasn’t just living day to day anymore.

Conner sat down next to him and set two low-ball glasses on the glass and wicker table along with a clear, rounded bourbon bottle. He poured the bourbon, then handed it to Kai. “Here, baby.”

Kai’s heart skipped. He was almost getting used to being called baby by Conner. He held up his glass to Conner. “Toast.”

Conner held his glass up, chewing his lip. “To what?”

“To you, bringing me here.” Kai creased his brows. “To you, giving me closure with my father. To you, showing me how to love instead of just crush on someone. To you, teaching me how to handle my mother. To you, loving me enough to come out.” He blinked. Did I really say all that? This place must be getting to me.

Conner’s eyes glistened in the setting sunlight. “Damn, Kai, you’re going to make me cry.” He swiped his eyes and sniffled. “But you forgot something.”

“What’s that?” I think I pretty much covered it. Kai lowered his glass.

Conner set his glass on the table, then shifted back, fishing something out of his front pocket.

“What are you doing? I’m trying to toast.” He furrowed his brows, studying Conner.

Conner knelt on the porch on one knee and held up his hand, his finger and thumb pinched together, an object glittering between his fingers. He creased his forehead, tears welling up in his eyes.

Kai’s heart thumped in his ears. He widened his eyes. “What are you doing?” A lump formed in his throat. “Conner?”

With a thick voice, Conner said, “I love you, Kai. I want to spend the rest of my life loving you. Will you marry me?”

Kai blinked and hot tears tumbled down his cheeks. “Holy shit.” His voice wavered. Did he hear him right? The porch spun around him. He focused on Conner, gazing deeply into his blue eyes, then swallowed hard.

“Kai?” Conner sniffled and a tear broke free to race down his cheek.

Conner asked me to marry him! “Fuck, yeah. Yes.” He released a held breath.

“Yes?” Conner rose to sit next to Kai, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “Yes?”

Kai wiped his face. “I said yes already.” He peeked at Conner. There was so much to say, but damned if he could speak.

Conner devoured him in an intense kiss, winding both arms around him, then broke the kiss and placed his forehead on Kai’s, smiling from ear to ear. “I’m so fucking happy right now.”

Kai’s heart ached with love and hope. “Me, too.” He kissed Conner’s scar, then held out his hand.

Conner straightened and placed a thin gold band around Kai’s left ring finger. “I hope this fits.”

“It does.” He looked at his finger. “Holy shit, Conner.” I’m engaged to Conner fucking Mitchell. Not Paige, not anyone else. Me. His attention flew to Conner’s stunning face. He would have his whole life to admire that face.

Conner let a quick smirk curl his lips. “No one is going to hit on you at the bar anymore.”

Kai huffed. “That better not be the only reason you’re doing this.”

“Of course not.” Conner snickered and pulled out a second ring from his front pocket. “Here, put this one on me.” He handed it to him.

Kai held the thin, gold band up, looking it over. “These are great, not too much, but just enough and very traditional with the gold.” As he smiled at Conner, he slid the ring up his finger. “There.”

Conner bit his lower lip. “I have something else to tell you.”

“What?” He wasn’t sure his heart could take much more. Kai drew a deep inhale, steadying himself.

“My mother has an engagement party all planned out for next weekend.” Conner’s gaze darted over his face.

Kai furrowed his brows. “How long have you been planning this?” He thought back on all the secret phone calls Conner had shared with his mother. Now he knew what they’d been doing.

“A few months.” Conner stole a peek at him, then grabbed up his bourbon and took a gulp.

“What if I’d said no?”

He scoffed. “Fuck, you wouldn’t say no.” He sniggered.

Kai thought about it and let a wide grin spread over his face. “ Yeah, there’s no fucking way I’d have said no. I’m not stupid.” He laughed.

“No, you are not.” Conner picked up Kai’s bourbon and handed it to him. “Okay, for that toast...”

“Yeah?” Kai held up his glass to Conner. Now he could speak again. “I’ll add, to you, the love of my life and my husband to be.”

“To you, the one who gave me the strength to be myself.” Conner tapped his glass against Kai’s, then sipped it.

Kai sipped his bourbon. “Damn, have I told you how much I love you?”

“All the time.” Conner placed a tender kiss on his lips. “Keep it up.”

Want to know what led to the graduation party hookup from Conner’s point of view? Grab the prequel now!