“Stop looking so worried,” Chad snorted.
“I’m not worried,” Romeo cocked his head.“I’m curious.”
Chad got dressed, undeterred by Romeo’s staring.
He came over to the bed to press a kiss to Romeo’s lips.
He tasted of mint.
“Any chance there’s some apple and blackberry pie downstairs with my name on it?”
Romeo glared.“There is zero percent chance of that.”
“Shame.Beans on toast it is then.”
He dazzled Romeo with another smile, then left the room.
Romeo got ready and joined Chad downstairs, fortunately before he started making beans on toast.Chad had cleaned up the smashed clock without comment, and the shards glinted at Romeo from the bin.
Romeo made pancakes while Chad scraped the pan of ruined apples and blackberries into the bin.Another phone call interrupted them, and Chad left to speak with the caller in the hallway, out of earshot of Romeo.
He returned with a snort.“I thought you liked anticipation.”
“I do.”Romeo replied, flipping a pancake.“Now make yourself useful and squeeze a lemon for me.”
They ate pancakes with lemon and sugar for breakfast.
Chad went outside to refill the bird feeder.He got another phone call, and Romeo watched from the window, studying his expression.It was apologetic, pained almost, but when he caught Romeo watching, he turned his back to him and continued his conversation without Romeo attempting to read his face or his lips.
When he returned, he gave Romeo a pointed look, and said.“Two hours.”
Romeo swallowed hard.His palms were sweating.“Two hours.”
Then Chad passed him, walking through the house, he unhooked the key for the outhouse and went outside.
Romeo paced back and forth like a beast in a cage, briefly pausing to poke his phone to know the time.His heart thundered, his fingers twitched, and a familiar fire filled his veins.
He didn’t interrupt Chad in the outhouse, although he was curious about what he was up to.When Chad returned, he had a folder pinned beneath his armpit.
He paused in the doorway, taking Romeo in.
“You look...”he licked his lips.“Good.”
“Good?”
“Really fucking good.”
Romeo studied Chad right back.His eyes were bright, and his smile reached them, but it wasn’t friendly in the slightest.It had a manic edge to it Romeo hadn’t seen on Chad before.“You look really good too.”
Chad snorted, then gestured with the folder towards the living room.“I just need to set things up in here.”
“In here?”
“Yes, Romeo, in here.”
He pushed into the living room.Romeo blinked after him.
Chad was bringing murder not just into their lives like in the outhouse, but into their home.
