“This is delicious.” Ty all but purred.
“Glad you like it.” Kell smiled. On the inside he beamed. Ty’s approval meant so much. And he knew why. He loved this man. Loved everything about him. There’d been times he’d wanted to pinch himself in disbelief. Ty didn’t always seem real, the way he catered to Kell’s every need and want. If they were deciding on dinner and he wanted Chinese but Ty wanted seafood… they ate Chinese.
“I do. I love banana pancakes.” Ty grinned with pretty white teeth.
“I know.” Kell remembered Ty mentioning that a couple of weeks ago to Dana in idle chitchat. He was glad he’d been able to work on the recipe in the mornings.
“You up in my head like that already, shorty?” Ty winked, leaning back in his chair, making his chest strain against that fancy dress shirt.
Kell’s balls ached. His partner was doing it to him again. When Ty flipped on that off-the-block slang and gave him some street attitude a part of Kell wanted to get street right back at him.
“I’m glad you came,” Kell said. He was in Ty’s head. He’d done nothing but study him from the moment they’d met.
“Me too.” Ty took his napkin and wiped some syrup from the corner of his mouth. Kell had to fight to focus on the words coming from those lips and not what was on them.
Sweet, warm syrup. Kell’s eyes fell. He licked his lips.
“Kellam.” Ty’s deep voice penetrated his lust.
Oh God.
Ty’s knowing smirk said he knew exactly where he’d gone. “I said your hair looks nice today.”
Kell tucked one side behind his ear. He was glad those extra twenty minutes of conditioner wasn’t for nothing. “Thank you. You look very nice. I’m sorry but are we going to same place this morning? Because I’m going to do work as a bounty hunter, you, you must be going to the Ebony Man Festival.”
Ty’s laugh was so explosive and robust he surprised even himself. He appeared almost embarrassed, glancing down at his fresh ensemble. “Nice one. Wasn’t expecting that,” Ty said fondly as his laughter died down. His look turned to affection. “Thank you for the hella’ compliment.”
“You do look very sexy,” Kell said softly. “What’s the occasion?”
“You.”
Kell frowned in confusion, “Come again?”
“I have something to ask you and it needed to be done in private.” Ty stood from the table and took Kell’s hand. Leaving their empty plates, they went and sat in the living room.
Ty was so serious Kell suddenly felt nervous. Ty turned toward him and took his hands in his. He just stared at them for a long moment, intertwining their fingers and rubbing his thumb along the sensitive skin on Kell’s wrist. The silence stretched on for a long time but he refused to rush Ty if he had something heavy on his mind.
Then Ty looked into his eyes and said in the smoothest, most sensual tone he’d ever heard him use, “I’m in love with you, Kellam Knight.”
Kell almost slid off the couch and rolled flat onto his back on the floor. Could he possibly have heard right? He’d never expected Ty to tell him like that. He expected for them to continue to take it so slow that he almost went insane. He appreciated Ty being a gentleman and not wanting to throw him in the sack after only a few weeks, but he felt his partner had been more than noble. It was time.
“You do?” Kell asked breathily. He couldn’t believe his prayers had been answered. Thank you, Jesus.
“Yes. Very much. I’m sure of it.”
Kell closed his eyes and took a deep breath then spoke his heart’s truest confession, “I’m in love with you too, Tyrell Jenkins. I have been for a while.”
“I know.” Ty whispered. “I felt it, every day. Did you feel mine?”
Kell nodded, holding Ty’s hand tightly.
“I have something for you.” Ty reached over and took his nice coat from where he’d draped it over the couch and pulled a black rectangular box from the inside pocket.
Kell sucked in an inaudible breath. He just managed to stay calm. It wasn’t a ring box, but the way Ty held it, it was obvious there was something very special and very valuable inside. Ty flipped the top open and this time Kell’s shocked breath escaped his gaping mouth. Inside the box was the shiniest, most gorgeous piece of jewelry he’d ever seen.
“Ty.” He gasped. “This is—”
“For you,” Ty interrupted. He turned the box around for Kell to see. “My father gave me this on my birthday. The year I became a man. A proposal gift for my first wife.”
Kell’s smile began to fade.
Ty nervously chuckled. “Let me explain that.”
Please do.
“I told you my father was from Kenya. Well my grandfather was the tribal king in Makuyu. Islam was their belief and their way of life. They lived by those laws and practices. Polygamy is a common one. My grandfather instituted a lot of traditions, and bestowing gifts upon your son for his wives was one of them. When I became a man, we lived in America, so my father knew I’d never have multiple wives. However, it was a tradition my father was not willing to abandon when he started a family. Each milestone in my manhood he’d give me a gift for my wife. Sometimes he’d say for my ‘soulmate’, or ‘my spouse’ or ‘my one and only’.”