“No, not exactly. I saw him a couple of weeks ago at the hospital talking with one of the doctors. But I could be wrong. But I doubt it, the vibes I saw coming from them said something different.”
“Are you sure they're dating?” Brenden asked again.
“Like I said, I might be wrong,” Christen answered skeptically.
Could that be what he wanted to tell me?Brenden wasn’t sure how he felt about Stephen seeing someone else. Not after what he’d just said. Brenden remembered how jealous he felt when they were on their horseback ride at the farm. Their tour guide was paying extra attention to Stephen, who didn’t seem to mind the attention. Stephen dating was something he defimitely didn’t think about. Saying nothing to his friends, Brenden scooted out of the booth and went to pay for his meal. No longer interested in his lunch.
** ** ** ** **
Stephen was downstairs putting away the last of the dishes when he heard Brenden coming down the stairs. All night during dinner, Brenden kept staring at him and Stephen had a feeling he’d wanted to know what it was he was going to tell him at lunch. He’d dodged Brenden at work after returning to the office by going out with another team to work a new case. He was hiding, and he knew it. Hell, sooner or later he wouldn’t be able to hide anything. He turned around and noticed that Brenden was watching him.
“Is he all tucked in?” he asked stalling.
“Yup,” Brenden answered. “He was a bit tired tonight.”
Stephen nodded. “I would say so, he had fun playing with you and Poppin. He loves when you come over to see him.” He cleared his throat and looked around the room to distract himself.
“What did you want to tell me earlier today?”
Stephen turned around and looked out the window. “It’s nothing, don’t worry about it,” he lied looking back at Brenden.I’m a fucking idiot,he thought.
“Are you sure?” Brenden asked him. “Because I have the feeling you’re hiding something from me. Something very important.”
Tell him,a voice in the back of his head chanted. He opened his mouth to say the words I’m almost four months pregnant, and the baby is yours. But nothing came out. He closed his eyes and felt as if he was going to break in two. Strong arms circled around him, and he let himself be pulled into the strong embrace, tears falling easily. “I’m so sorry, Brenden,” he whimpered. “I’m…”
“Shh… There’s nothing to be sorry about,” Brenden whispered in his ear. “We’ll get through this, I promise.”
Stephen shook his head, he was trying to get the words to pass through his lips, his guilt was eating him up.Brenden needs to know.Warm hands touched his cheeks causing him to raise his head.
“Tell me when you’re ready, I promise I’m not going anywhere.”
He stared into moss green eyes that traveled down to his trembling lips. He touched Brenden’s wrists to push him away, but couldn’t. Having Brenden touching him meant more to him than the other man knew. Leaning in closer, Stephen initiated their kiss this time, and Brenden didn’t fight him. He knew he shouldn’t be doing that. He was giving himself false hope that he and Brenden could have something. Because when he did find out what Stephen was hiding from him, Brenden was going to hate him even more.
Their tongues dueled for dominance until Stephen gave in and let Brenden have his way. It was a losing battle; the man was skilled in the art of making him forget his own name with a simple touch. Hands traveled down to Stephen’s shoulders and then to the middle of his back, pulling their bodies closer. He wrapped arms around Brenden’s neck, just as he was lifted, and placed on the counter. He wrapped his legs around Brenden’s waist, who peppered kisses down to the jugular of his neck sucking up a mark.
Brenden growled in his neck, as he scraped his teeth on the tender spot. Stephen moaned digging his nails into Brenden’s skin. Brenden raised his head, and they stared at each other, both breathing heavily.
“Tell me you’re not seeing someone, because I want you so fucking bad right now.”
Stephen didn’t have a clue why Brenden would ask him that question. “I’m not, you are the only man I…”
He didn’t get to finish his answer before Brenden captured his lips again in a brutal kiss, he moaned tasting his own blood in his mouth. He was lifted off the counter as Brenden walked with him up the stairs. Their lips never leaving each other.
** ** ** ** **
They reached the top of the stairs, Stephen’s legs were tightly wrapped around his waist. Not wanting to relinquish his lover’s tantalizing lips, Brenden wrapped one of his arms around Stephen’s waist and opened his bedroom door with the other. He walked into the room and kicked the door closed, then turned around and pushed Stephen back against it. That wasn’t supposed to happen, but he couldn’t bear to see Stephen still holding on to his guilt any longer. He’d apologized continuously for keeping Nicholas from him, it was time they moved on. Things were not settled between them, but he didn’t care, not in this instant. He pulled back and looked into Stephen’s eyes.
“We shouldn’t be doing this,” Brenden told him cupping Stephen’s cheeks.
“I know.”
“But I can’t stop myself from wanting you,” Brenden whispered. “It doesn’t solve our problems.”
“I want you too,” Stephen whispered.
“Tell me you won’t…” Brenden started.
“I won’t regret it,” Stephen finished for him as he claimed Brenden’s lips in a searing kiss.
