Painted On My Heart

“I don’t need hell. I need my Vera Wang and you. If he comes by tonight and sees the van gone, but this here, he’ll know something’s up,” Arik explained.

“Arik, this is all too much,” Kellus argued, throwing a hand back to Gage and Trent, then extending it to the car. “I need to pay for this.”

“No, it’s not too much, and that right there is exactly why I stopped asking. Why do we have to fight over the small things all the time?” Arik asked seriously, changing the subject.

“You ready?” Trent asked Gage.

“Yup. We gotta go. The kids get up early for school,” Gage added as he stuck his hand between Arik’s and Kellus’s bodies to shake Kel’s hand, frustratingly drawing his man’s attention away from him right at the pivotal point in the disagreement.

“Thank you for coming over. It would have taken me hours and hours to do what you did so quickly,” Kellus said, turning fully away from Arik.

“Not a problem. I’ll have someone out here tomorrow to finish those lights. I’ll coordinate with security just in case they need us on the upgrade, but I checked the panel. It should hold whatever they’re putting in,” Trent said more to Arik than Kellus. The truck was parked in the driveway and Trent lifted a hand in a wave as he jumped into the driver’s seat.

Gage laughed at his husband’s choice of words and lifted a hand to Arik and Kellus as he went to the passenger side. “He knows his way around a panel box.”

“I think that’s sexual harassment,” Trent called out.

“I’m sorry to put you out,” Kellus apologized, between the good-hearted banter.

“You aren’t at all. This is what we do,” Trent called back and shut the door.

“Goodnight.” Arik lifted his hand, making sure they knew he felt ignored.

“See you Saturday. Don’t bail, or else,” Gage warned, before he disappeared inside the cab of the truck. The roar of the diesel sounded, and Arik waited until they got down the road before he spoke again.

“Are you seriously going to make me fight you to come home? I don’t have to be at the office until nine thirty. We have time to get you back here,” Arik reasoned, loosely wrapping his arms around Kellus’s waist.

“So you’re wanting me to stay there every night now? I have my house back.”

“I could stay here. I just really like my bed. We could get one for here. It would be easier if we planned it, so I could leave here and go straight in to work in the morning.”

Kellus bit his lip and stared intensely at him.

“At least let me follow you,” Kellus offered, causing Arik’s eyes to narrow. Why had he just given in so easily? Right when he was going to ask that very question, another bigger thought took center stage. Kellus had agreed to go home with him. He’d just been given a gift; he didn’t want to blow it. Arik changed course.

“In this.” He reached out to pat the trunk of the new BMW. “Leave the van here, so if he drives by, he thinks you’re home.”

“Arik, I’m not accepting th—” Kellus started.

“I’m not taking it back, so give it to your neighbor who keeps looking out the window at us,” Arik said, pointing to Mrs. Johnson who still stood in that front window even as they looked over at her. “Are we locking up?”

“Yeah, give me a second. I’ll pack my bag.” Kellus started to move away, but Arik reached out, grabbing his wrist to stop his retreat.

“Just bring some clothes to leave at my place. It’ll make it easier,” Arik suggested, then released his arm, watching Kellus’s gorgeous ass fade in the distance. Damn, that boy had the best ass he’d ever seen. He bit his bottom lip and groaned as his dick started to come to life. Arik couldn’t wait to get Kel home and make love to him. He stood there, horny and frustrated, as he watched Kellus walk away. Pivoting on his heels, he went for his car.

Chapter 18

Kellus stopped to take a deep breath as he and Arik walked up to the front steps to Gage and Trent’s new home. He thought his heart might actually beat out of his chest.

“I’m nervous.”

He stepped backward to glance up at the large, beautiful home, and then looked at the fifteen or so cars parked up and down the driveway and out along the street. From every angle, the house was lit up, both inside and out, and from what he could see through the front windows, Laynes filled the entire living room, all here for Gage and Trent’s housewarming party.

Yeah, nervous was an understatement. He didn’t fit in here. The place was too large, and everyone inside was like Arik—too sophisticated. Kellus looked down at his new H&M clothing, feeling inadequately dressed in his trendy but clearance-rack slacks and inexpensive sweater that he had chosen to wear tonight. His hair frustratingly fell in his face when he looked down.