“Yeah, well, that’s a first for me no matter what. Meeting the parents of the man I’m going to marry.”
Jamie smiled, shoulders loosening, looking more relaxed by the second. “My mother did have a point about the wedding. We’ve never really talked about it other than to put it off.”
“It wasn’t an option,” Kyle reminded him as he reached over and settled his hand on Jamie’s thigh.
“It is now.”
Kyle turned his head to look at him. “Whatever you want is what I want.”
It was a truth that had only grown stronger in the nearly two years they’d been together, whether in the field or in bed. Kyle knew Jamie would never steer him wrong, and never had. That trust they had in each other could never be broken, not even by a bullet.
Jamie took his hand off the gear shift and squeezed Kyle’s gently. “If that’s the case, let me show you something.”
“Oh? What is it?”
“Just wait and see.”
Kyle settled back in his seat and enjoyed the drive to wherever it was Jamie was taking them. They headed in the opposite direction of Alexei’s apartment, driving along the elevated highway near the seawall extension that lined the Potomac River.
Kyle recognized the Palisades as one of the more expensive neighborhoods in D.C., farther northwest from the West End. The luxury residential towers here reminded him of the home they couldn’t go back to, so he was curious when Jamie pulled up in front of a discreetly guarded entrance to a sleek lobby.
“What is this place?” Kyle asked.
“Patience,” Jamie said as he got out of the car.
Kyle had half an idea already, but he let Jamie keep the surprise. They’d parked in a passenger-loading-only area, but the doorman on duty didn’t tell them to move the car. He did look at them with wide eyes as they entered the building, mustering up a, “Good evening, sirs,” at the last minute.
Jamie nodded absently in reply, more interested in getting inside. Kyle followed him through the grand lobby, bypassing the concierge and security desk in favor of a private elevator at the end of the elevator bank. He watched as Jamie pressed his hand to the control panel and the sensor pad there. When the elevator opened, Kyle followed him inside.
Sixty floors later and they stepped out into the vast, empty penthouse apartment that slowly revealed itself as the attending computer gradually turned on the lights.
Plas-glass window-walls wrapped around the entirety of the space, shaded dark for privacy at this late hour. No furnishings meant he could see all the way down the central hallway as well as the living spaces on this floor, which included a huge professional kitchen. A staircase that led from the main living area up to a second floor told Kyle there was more space to explore.
“Come on,” Jamie said, grabbing him by the hand. “Let me show you around.”
Kyle followed after him, as he always would.
“Downstairs has plenty of place for entertainment,” Jamie said as they took the stairs up to the second floor. “Up here are a couple of guest bedrooms and space for an office and a gym. But I want to show you the third floor.”
“How many levels?” Kyle asked.
“Just three.”
He laughed, thinking about the tiny apartment he’d grown up in as a child before his biological family was killed and he’d moved in with the Dvorkins intheirtiny apartment. Space was a luxury that was hard to come by for those without much means. The difference between his life back then and his life now was staggering.
“What would we do with all this space?”
Jamie looked over his shoulder at Kyle, blue eyes soft as they climbed the stairs. “Live here.”
Kyle had to tug him to a halt three steps down from the top and shove Jamie against the wall for a long, slow kiss that had them grinding against each other.
“Did you buy us a home?” Kyle asked in a low voice when he broke the kiss.
Jamie kissed the corner of his mouth. “Closed on it yesterday. All the real estate agent needs is your electronic signature. She has mine on file. Figured you wouldn’t want to live with your brother forever.”
Kyle threw back his head and laughed before stepping backward. “Fuck no. Show me the rest of it.”
Jamie led him to the third level of the penthouse that was practically like a second apartment within the space. A smaller kitchen than the one on the first level was tucked away on the north side, with an attached dining nook. While Kyle noted one or two smaller rooms that could be used as anything from an office to a home entertainment room, it was the master suite that captivated him when Jamie opened the door.
