Page 15 of Scorched

Kirkland couldn’t stop blinking rapidly. Fabrice kept him on his toes. He never knew what Fabrice would say next. Nine times out of ten, whatever came out of his mouth was a healing balm Kirkland hadn’t realized he craved.

Fabrice set his fork aside. “I’m truly sorry. Tell me what you need me to do to bring back the joy in your eyes. The way you’re looking at me right now hurts my chest.”

He hadn’t been triggered like that in over a decade. Kirkland had no idea how best to manage an episode. Somehow, Fabrice found a magic wand because every drop of anxiety melted away.

He took a breath. “I’m sitting here with you. That’s enough for me. Has anyone ever told you how stunning you are? Seriously, you stop me dead sometimes, and I forget what I’m doing.”

Fabrice smiled. “We should eat.”

Kirkland nodded and picked up his fork. Everything had gotten cold during his panic attack... and wet. He hated the way Rush still ruined everything. Kirkland poked at his plate and moved food around. Barely any substance made it to his mouth.

“I suppose I’ve already ruined dinner. Would you like to have dessert and wine back at my room?”

Kirkland worked up a smile. “I’d love that. First, I think I’ll snag a shower and then meet you.”

Fabrice nodded along. “Good idea. I need a shower as well.”

Before Kirkland could get to his feet, Fabrice was already on his. He put his hand on Kirkland’s shoulder to stop him. “Take off your shoes.”

“That would be improper.”

A bright smile lit Fabrice’s face. “Take off your shoes.”

Kirkland huffed. “I can’t go back to the kitchen with these plates barefoot.”

Fabrice’s eyebrows rose. “It’s my kitchen.”

Judging by Fabrice’s expression and tone, he wouldn’t take no for an answer. Kirkland took off his shoes.

“The slick dress socks as well.”

Kirkland curled his nose but did as bade. “Okay?”

A sexy grin split Fabrice’s face. “That’s better.” He pulled Kirkland’s chair back for him. “Go to your room and grab your shower. I’ll clean this up, grab our dessert, and meet you when you’re done. No need to knock.”

With a nod, Kirkland stood. He eyed the plates. Kirkland loathed the idea of leaving Fabrice with any work.

Fabrice smacked his ass. “Get going and don’t forget to take your shoes with you.”

A smile he couldn’t control stretched Kirkland’s lips. “You’re a little mean under that quiet exterior, aren’t you?”

Fabrice winked.

Kirkland blushed, and he didn’t know why. Heat simply raced to his face. There was something about Fabrice that drove him insane to the depths of his soul. He loved it.

Kirkland didn’t obey immediately. Instead, he swiped his lips across Fabrice’s mouth. “See you later.” He heard the way Fabrice’s breath caught at the back of his throat before coming out shaky.

“Yeah, later.”

Holy shit. Kirkland would likely slip a disc with someone so much younger than him. He was willing to risk it.

The night called for dark, decadent chocolate cake and red wine. Fabrice set the table, letting the wine breathe before taking a shower. He had moved pretty quickly. His room was a hell of a lot closer to the kitchen than Kirkland’s. He imagined he would have some time to kill. Fabrice stepped out of the shower and dried off. He swung the towel over his shoulder and headed for the sitting room. Fabrice hated getting dressed directly after a steamy shower. His clothes clung to his skin in the most uncomfortable way. He had a pair of jogging shorts folded on the couch. Fabrice would grab those and skip the rest. With any luck, he wouldn’t need them for long. Fabrice dug through the neatly folded pile, growling in aggravation when he didn’t see the shorts he sought. A slight movement caught his eye. Fabrice’s chin shot up. Kirkland sat at the kitchen table, pale-faced, with hunger sparkling in his eyes. He didn’t look away when Fabrice noticed him.

Fabrice ditched the hunt for anything to cover his skin. He had always been confident in his body. With his love of food, he had to stay in shape the best he could. He tossed his towel over his chair and sat across from Kirkland. Kirkland’s eyes never once strayed from watching Fabrice.

“You’re back faster than I expected.”

Kirkland’s shoulders rose and fell. “You had more things to do than I did. It looks as if you’ve been busy.”