Page 1 of Starved Until Sunset

CHAPTER ONE

“Ican’t believe you would do this to me.”

Demetrius pulled on his work gloves. “I’m not having this discussion again.” He opened the door and stepped down from the cab, waiting to continue until he reached the back of the large Department of Public Works dump truck and saw Cody appear from the driver’s side. “This is something you’ve been aware of as long as we’ve known each other.”

Cody shook his head as he put on his own gloves. “But it’s not usually so, you know… ” He held his gloved hand up right in front of his face and gave an exaggerated shudder. “In my face. It’s like it’s so awful my mind can’t take it, and I have to forget about the tragedy of it throughout the year. Then October comes around, and it just slaps me in the face all over again.”

Demetrius allowed himself a moment to entertain the mental image of slapping Cody in the face himself before he gestured to the shape lying on the shoulder of the road. “Can we just get to work, please?”

“Anything,” Cody said, starting forward. “Even shoveling up road kill, as long as it will erase the image from my brain.”

“You’re being a huge baby about this.”

“First of all, I appreciate your use of ‘huge’ as a descriptor for me.” Cody shot a smirk over his shoulder that sent a jolt of want through Demetrius’s core and down into his groin. Dammit.

“I think you’re overlooking the word that followed it.”

“No. I’m ignoring it because, frankly, it’s a little creepy.”

They reached the animal and stood with fists on their hips, looking it over. It was a white-tailed doe, and the sight of it sent an ice-cold shard of sadness into Demetrius’s gut. He’d long thought deer were graceful, almost majestic animals, and seeing one dead on the side of the road always made him sad.

“Doesn’t look like it’s been hit by a car,” Cody said.

“You’re right.” Demetrius squatted and waved away a cloud of flies. “Legs are all fine, and there’s no trauma to the head or back end.”

“Maybe it saw you eating candy corn and died from how overwhelmingly gross it is.”

Demetrius straightened up and shot him a glare. He tried to hold it, but it turned into a grimacing smile at how pleased Cody looked with himself.

“Look, I put up with a lot of your peculiar habits,” Demetrius said.

“Peculiar?”

“And I have one treat I enjoy for a brief time during the Halloween season. One. So, how about we both agree to accept each other, peculiar habits and all, and just move on with our day? Sound good?”

“Candy corn is a little more than a peculiar habit,” Cody said, following as Demetrius walked toward the truck. “It’s basically wax. You might as well be eating candles.”

“Maybe that’ll be next on my to do list.” Demetrius pulled a shovel from where it hung along the side of the truck.

“Look, I’m not trying to give you any ideas.” Cody pulled another shovel free. “I’m trying to help you not embarrass yourself in public.”

Demetrius stopped halfway to the deer and looked between it and the truck. “This isn’t going to work. You’ll need to back the truck up.”

Cody stepped in close. The scent of him surrounded Demetrius and sent his pulse racing even before Cody gave him a quick kiss. “You love to see me back my thing up.”

Demetrius tried to give him a crabby look, but knew he hadn’t been able to pull it off. He watched Cody walk back to the truck—he had such a hot ass—then called out instructions as Cody slowly backed the dump truck along the shoulder of Route 118. When the truck was as close to the deer as possible, Demetrius shouted out “You’re good!”

When he stepped down from the truck, Cody did not disappoint. “You heard it here first, friends and neighbors. Demetrius Singleton-Bower just declared I’m good.”

“You noticed I didn’t say great?”

“Hey, everyone should have room to improve.” Cody grinned as he adjusted his gloves. “I’m taking my time and building up to great. When we’re in our seventies, I’m going to rock your world.”

Demetrius returned his attention to the deer to hide his expression. Cody had pretty much started out in great territory. What could possibly be next? Whatever it was, Demetrius looked forward to finding out. He just hoped it was sooner than when they were in their seventies.

They tried to get shovels under the deer, but it was big, and they weren’t going to be able to get the angles right. A pickup sped past and the horn blared, making them both jump. Demetrius heard fading laughter as the truck moved on.

“Assholes,” Cody grumbled.