“What did Gerald say?” Joe asked.
“He asked me to thank you. It suggests someone in his backroom was in on it. He’s grateful you didn’t say anything at the time. It gives him the opportunity to look into it.”
“Want a baked potato as well?” Kaden asked.
“Please,” Joe said.
“And me,” Alistair said.
Joe put a forkful in his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. “Delicious. I think cooking might actually be harder than chess.”
“Now that,” Kaden said, pulling out his chair and sitting across from him, “is definitely not true.”
“Do you like English food as much as food from your country?” Alistair asked.
“Hard to say. I do have a soft spot for fish and chips. Very little fish is consumed in Afghanistan. But I like all sorts of food.”
“Especially chocolate,” Kaden said.
Joe laughed.
“What do you plan to do with your money?” Alistair asked.
“Give it to Kaden. Give some to you.”
Kaden almost spat out the food he had in his mouth. “You can’t give it to me!”
“Why not?”
“Is this the burden thing again?” Kaden asked.
Joe nodded.
“You’re not a burden,” Kaden said.
“I don’t want money from either of you,” Alistair added. “I can afford to put you up here for a while.”
“It’s too much money to give away,” Kaden said. “But we can use it as a deposit on a place to live. Look for somewhere together. Maybe a better place than I’d anticipated but we have to show evidence of a regular income and you can’t work yet so it rests on my income for the time being.”
“Is it enough to buy somewhere?” Joe asked.
“It depends where we want to live.”
“It won’t get you much in London,” Alistair pointed out.
“We’ll look tomorrow.”
Joe’s heart ached.A home!
19
As Kaden and Joe made their way to the top floor, Kaden’s heart was racing. The events of the last few weeks had been overwhelming. Had he got his head around everything? Hell, no, but one thing he knew for certain was that he wanted Joe. He’d never been as attracted to anyone before and… Kaden gulped.This is real, isn’t it? Joe hasn’t done something to make me like him as much as this?
They went into the bedroom and Joe turned to face him. His eyes widened as he looked at Kaden. “Are you all right?”
No, but he’d never admit that. And not being all rightwasn’t going to stop him kissing Joe. Kaden closed in. He slid his hand into Joe’s soft hair, held onto the back of his head and rubbed his fingers along the edge of his hairline. If this was going to work, he had to stop thinking about what had happened after he’d rescued Joe from Lixian. Not think about what was in Harris. Joe was here in front of him, looking, sounding and feeling human. Looking, sounding and feeling…great. More than great. And Joe was staring at him as if he knew exactly what was going through Kaden’s mind.
Before doubts could gain traction, Kaden kissed him. Joe’s lips parted and as Kaden felt his whispered exhale, fire roared through his veins. Within seconds, the kiss turned insanely hot. Their teeth clashed as they consumed each other, hands clutching desperately wherever they could, finally reaching under clothes, and they both groaned as they spread their fingers on warm skin.
