“Oh yeah?” Carter leaned over and gave him a quick kiss. “I get feelings about you too, but they aren’t the kind I can show you in the back seat of a cab. Or anywhere in public for that matter.”
“Oh, brother. Who knew you were so cheesy?” Reed rolled his eyes, but Carter caught his smile.
“I’ll remember that the next time we go out dancing.” Carter folded his arms and watched a fiery red blush stain Reed’s cheeks and his breathing quicken.
“I thought so.” He quirked a brow, and Reed shifted in his seat. Carter saw the heavy outline of Reed’s cock in his jeans, and giving him no warning, leaned over and gave him an open-mouthed kiss while squeezing his erection.
“Jesus, Carter.” Reed gasped out loud against his mouth but made no move to get away.
“Hope you didn’t think that was toocheesyeither.”
“Idiot.” But Reed grasped him by the nape of his neck and kissed him back, their lips clinging together until the cab turned the corner to Michelle and Evan’s block. They broke apart, but each remained smiling as they got out of the cab and walked up the front steps.
By now it was midday, and Carter suspected Michelle would appreciate the kids being picked up even though she’d waved her hand in the air and answered him, “Anytime, don’t worry,” when he’d dropped Jacks off Saturday afternoon. One ten-year-old boy was hard enough; Carter couldn’t imagine having four at once.
That’s why he was surprised when Michelle answered the door and said the boys weren’t home yet, that Evan had taken them out for burgers, but he and Reed could come in and wait.
“They shouldn’t be too much longer. The others are coming around one. We can have some coffee and sit and chat for a while.”
Great. Trapped with the Question Queen of Brooklyn for who knows how long. Carter gave her a wary smile and braced himself for Michelle’s inevitable nosiness.
“So Reed, how long have you two been dating?”
Carter groaned inwardly. He should’ve known she’d start in on Reed; he radiated goodness. Maybe that’s what attracted Carter to him from the start.
“We’ve known each other over six months now.”
“And what do you do? Are you in public relations like Carter, is that how you met?”
Reed stretched his legs out in front of him, and Carter caught a glimpse of a smile on Reed’s lips and relaxed, knowing Reed had Michelle figured out.
“I work in a bar and go to grad school for hotel management.”
Idly, Carter wondered if he could help Reed with all his contacts and made a mental note to talk to Jerry Paulson, one of his clients who owned a boutique hotel in Tribeca. Much as Reed loved working at the bar, Carter suspected he did so out of familiarity. Knowing now about his anxiety issues and his ADHD, it made sense. Stay in your comfort zone, do what you know works. But Carter, trusting his instincts, could see Reed needed to challenge himself and shouldn’t be afraid to step outside his boundaries—color outside the lines like he told Jacks to do.
“You must meet a lot of interesting characters,” said Michelle with a smile, handing Reed a cup of coffee.
“You don’t know the half of it.” Reed’s lips curved around his coffee mug as he took a sip, and Carter bit back his own grin. He still had memories of their first kiss in the bar. From that moment on he’d unknowingly become hooked on Reed.
Leave it to Michelle, obviously experienced enough in ferreting out unspoken signals between people; her eyes lit up and a delighted grin broke across her face.
“Oh, is that how you two met? That’s so cute. It’s like a real New York City love story.”
“You make us sound like high-school kids. Cute.” Carter scowled into his own mug. He hated having his personal life discussed; this was the reason he kept away from most people. They annoyed the hell out of him.
“I meant it as a compliment. You two look sweet together.”
Reed set his mug down on the table by his side. “Well, we’re grown men; I hardly consider us cute. People think because we’re gay that our relationships aren’t as serious as straight peoples are or that we’re only about looking perfect. That we aren’t interested in commitment or building lives together that may face bumps in the road.”
Carter couldn’t believe Reed was saying this. It was everything he’d wanted to say and more. He sat quiet and listened, his admiration and love for Reed intensifying.
“We’ve fought so long and hard for basic rights that mostly everyone takes for granted, and it’s frustrating to think people judge us and our relationships simply by outward appearances.”
“I wasn’t doing that, Reed. I’m sorry if you thought I was being flippant. And I understand your frustration. My brother feels the same way.”
Reed’s face fell. “I didn’t mean to snap your head off. That was rude. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. You have every right to speak your mind.”
