Page 77 of Fish Out of Water

Robbie took a step closer, letting his lips brush against Jake’s jawline. “Come to my house tonight,” he whispered.

Jake’s heart thrummed against his ribcage. “Are you sure?” He tensed as Robbie’s breath tickled the underside of his neck, his fingers tracing along his chin.

“As sure as I’ll ever be.”

“I would love that. But I don’t know where you live, Robbie.”

“I’ll take you there.”

Jake nodded wordlessly. He didn’t know what to say, really. He’d been hoping for this moment for weeks, and now that it was finally here, he realized he wasn’t nearly as prepared as he thought. He feared that seeing exactly how Robbie lived would change how he felt about him, but there was an even greater fear nagging at the back of his mind. What if he could never live up to what Robbie wanted him to be? What if he regretted letting Jake into his home?

There was only one way to find out, and as Robbie made his way back to the parking lot toward Jake’s car, Jake forced himself to stop worrying for a minute and just enjoy the moment. This was the kind of stuff he loved: a night with a hot guy.

Robbie. It was a night with Robbie.

And that was even better.

20

FIT FOR A KING

“Holy shit.” Jake whistled between his teeth as he rounded the bend and a large, stately house came into view.

“Please don’t make a big deal out of it,” Robbie begged him. “I know it’s ridiculous, but go with it for one night.”

“I won’t,” Jake said, an amazed grin spreading across his face as he pulled into the circular driveway. “But my God, this is insane. I had no idea you lived like this,Robbie. I mean, I knew it was big, but…”

The house was down a dead-end drive, surrounded by beautiful old evergreen trees and rhododendrons that must have been planted around the same time the house was built. It was darker back here, if only because of the trees that partially shielded the estate from the sky. The entire vision looked like it had been ripped straight out of a painting, and not in the uncanny, synthetic way the elder Eatons’ house had.

“It was the family house for a while,” Robbie said. “We lived in it until I was about six, and my parents had the house you saw built out in the countryside. But my great-grandparents built this place after they got married, and my father grew up in it.”

“Did they give it to you or something?” Jake asked.

“Sort of.” Robbie smiled sheepishly as he got out of the car. “It’s not mine, technically, but I’ll inherit it once they’re gone. I’m more of a steward right now.”

“Yet another reason not to move away,” Jake observed. Robbie nodded stiffly, and Jake could tell he didn’t like talking about it. “Well, it’s a beautiful place. Anyone would love to live here.”

“I’m very fortunate,” Robbie said.

“That’s an understatement.” Jake followed him up to the front steps, where Robbie entered a key code to open the door. “Do you have a maid and cook too, or is that just your parents?”

“No staff,” Robbie said firmly. “I do everything myself. I promise you, the house isn’t nearly as big inside as it looks from out here. Come in and I’ll give you a little tour.”

“Can’t wait.” Jake stepped inside, shrinking into himself a bit as the vaulted ceiling and massive beams towered above him. “Wow,” he breathed, looking up until Robbie turned on the light and nearly blinded him. “You’ve gotta be lying about doing all the cleaning yourself. This place is fucking huge.”

“I’m not,” Robbie sighed, shrugging off his jacket. “I just spend a lot of my free time keeping it up. It’s worth it to me.”

“Youwouldhave plenty of free time.”

Jake couldn’t possibly miss Robbie’s flinch at that, and for a moment he felt bad. Then Robbie took him into the kitchen with the massive fridge and the double ovens, and every last bit of pity he took on Robbie dissolved.

Everything about this house, from the layout to the furniture to the man living inside it, was the direct opposite of how Robbie’s parents’ house had been when Jake visited. This place was a home, with all the personal touches and coziness that the new Eaton House could never possess.

“This is the kitchen,” Robbie said unnecessarily, “and the living room is right through here.”

“Is the furniture all inherited?” Jake asked, fighting the urge to jump onto the gorgeous brocade chaise lounge by the bay window and sprawl out.

“Most of it. We’ve all bought a few things over the years, but I tried to keep everything that was still in usable condition when I moved in after my grandparents died. I did have to reupholster a couple of pieces, but I took them to someone who does it authentically.”