Seb glanced around the foyer as they entered, but there wouldn’t be any motion from the other rooms to attract his eye—they were alone in the house. “I take it you didn’t patch things up with your family.”
Did Henri detect a note of accusation? “I’m working on it.”
Sebastian raised a skeptical brow in answer.
“No, really! I am. That’s why I’ve agreed to open for Hookers and Cocaine—as a sign of good faith.”
The brow rose higher. How Henri had missed that simple gesture. Sebastian knew him well.
“And to show them up.” If Henri succeeded without his mother’s help, maybe then she’d learn to respect him.
“That’s my Henri.” Sebastian’s smile seemed almost cheerful if not for the rainclouds in his eyes.
Broken. A broken man. Ah, to be the glue to piece him back together again. But Henri must move slowly. One wrong move could send Sebastian running again. “I’m afraid I’m alone here today, and I never learned to cook. Want to order takeout?”
“I didn’t come here to eat—I came here to see you.” Sebastian wrapped his arms around Henri, asking a question with his eyes. Henri answered by meeting him halfway. Sebastian moaned into the kiss, hanging on so tightly Henri fought to breathe.
Henri clung to his lover. If he let go, Sebastian might suddenly disappear. The warmth against him pulled back. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes. Seb’s beautiful face filled his vision. Seb. Here. Now. “Go into the living room. I’ll get us something to drink,” he said, and then he made short work of his errand, his ear trained for a door slam.
He returned to find his guest inspecting the gold record above the mantel. Henri had been proud of the shiny claim to fame once upon a time. Now he wished he’d hidden the damned reminder of unpleasant memories under the couch. “A Matter of When.” The story of a man in a relationship so bad he’d kill himself to escape. Not the kind of message Sebastian needed to hear.
He placed two cups of tea on the coffee table.
“You’ve done well for yourself,” Seb commented.
“I’ve made mistakes along the way.” The biggest being letting Sebastian walk away the last time they’d been together. Losing his old band might have been the biggestblessingof his life.
“Haven’t we all?”
Suddenly, the clouds blew away, clearly showing the disparity in their lives. Somewhere around his second album, Henri had taken the trappings of his career as his due, neglecting his body and his voice. Seb was a slave to his passion—so much so that he’d become a slave in truth to a manipulator. Years ago, before he’d clawed his way to the top, with his mother pushing him every step of the way, Henri might have done the same thing.
Rising on his toes behind Sebastian put Henri at neck-nuzzling level. “I’m glad you’re here.” In the corner a Christmas tree glittered. Henri hadn’t turned on the lights. “You like Christmas?”
“I used to. The carols, the gifts. You haven’t truly appreciated the season until you’ve experienced an opera house Christmas. They throw outstanding parties.” Seb leaned back against Henri, taking on a more serious tone. “Sometimes Mom and I went home to spend the holidays with Grandma. There’s a big hill behind the house where I used to go sledding. Since Mom died….” All alone. No one to spend the day with. Just like Henri.
Henri enfolded Seb in his arms. It was better this way, holding his lover from behind. Seeing tears in the man’s eyes might break his heart. “Did Lucas talk to you?” He better have, or he’d hear from Henri.
“He did. And I don’t know what to think. He used to visit when I was a kid, but he never stayed long. I always got the impression there was more between him and my mother than met the eye.” His back shook with his laugh. “Funny thing is, I used to dream about them getting married and him being my stepdad. Isn’t that a riot?”
Pressed against Seb’s back, Henri felt his sigh as much as heard it. “But I also can see her doing what he said she did—pretending I’m someone else’s for the prestige and acceptance. Calling herself Sebastian Unger’s fiancée opened a lot of doors.
“For years there’s been speculation, people whispering behind my back about how I didn’t look like my fath…. Sebastian Unger. My whole life is a lie. Lucas doesn’t see a reason for me to go public, but I’m tired of lies and deceit. Hell, I don’t have a career left to ruin, why should it matter?” He gave a pained-sounding chuckle.
What the fuck? Sebastian lived for his music. And he wasn’t a quitter. “Sure you have a career. Didn’t the reporter tell you?”
Seb whirled in Henri’s arms. “The bullshit about you in a musical? I’ve heard a lot of wild tales over the years, but that’s the most creative.”
“It’s true. Lucas first pitched the idea to your mother years ago.” Sebastian winced at the mention of his mother. Henri would have to take care until the recently reopened wounds began to heal. “I’ve asked him to update the score for the two of us. That meets with your approval, right?”
“A show? A Broadway show? And you with no experience?”
Ouch. “I didn’t say this would be a Broadway show, Sebastian. I’m thinking bigger.” Sebastian’s reaction wasn’t encouraging. “I’m planning a movie.”
“You’re out of your mind. A movie? You’re planning a movie for me and you?” Seb’s face fell. “What’s in this for you?”
Poor untrusting Sebastian. Not that he’d been given much reason to trust lately. “Can you imagine the exposure I’d get? This will overshadow anything I’ve ever done with Hookers and Cocaine.”
“Yeah, especially if it bombs. Don’t you think this is a pretty big risk to take?”
