“Not true.”
“Baby….”
“Cal,” I whispered. “You’re forty-two.”
“I was in the military for twelve years,” Calvin answered. “When being caught with a guy meant a dishonorable discharge.”
“It doesn’t mean that anymore,” I insisted. “And you’re retired from the military.”
“I’m a cop.”
“Boy, have I heard that excuse before.”
Calvin’s hands tightened instinctively on my face before loosening immediately. “I’m not asking anything of you.”
“I want you to, though,” I managed to say as my throat tightened. “I want you to want me like I do you.”
“I can’t date you. I’m not going to ask you to deny who you are for my sake,” Calvin replied.
“That’s sweet. But don’t you think you shouldn’t deny yourself either? Times are changing, you know.”
“Not quickly enough.”
“What?”
“My first case when I was promoted to homicide was a gay man who had been stomped to death by a group of men. Literallystomped to death, Sebastian.”
“If you stay afraid, they win and nothing gets better,” I whispered.
“I don’t want that to happen to someone—” He didn’t finish. He leaned close again and kissed me gently. It was so soft and simple and so fucking sweet, it turned my heart over.
I hated him for doing this to me.
“I need to ask you to do something for me,” he said, dropping his hands.
“I thought you just said…?”
He raised a hand to stop me from finishing. “I don’t want you staying here tonight.”
“What?”
“It’s not safe.”
“Calvin, you’re overreacting.”
“I’m not,” he said sternly.
I sighed and looked around at the books thrown everywhere. Honestly, now that I was standing among the mess again, sleeping here alone, knowing someone easily got in and out, made me a little nervous.
“I guess I can stay with my dad. I really don’t want him to be freaking out about this case, but if it can’t be avoided….”
“Stay with me.”
I snorted. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“I’m not asking you to come over so we can screw,” Calvin said quietly. “I want you somewhere safe.” He added as an afterthought, “I need to run something by you, about this case.”
That piqued my interest. Plus, I could tell Calvin what I’d learned from my morning excursions. “All right,” I agreed after another moment of thought. “Let me pack a few things.”
