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“Love you both. Get some sleep.”
Barrett hung up, laid his tablet in his lap, and leaned back in his chair, eyes closed. “Shit,” he muttered, rubbing his palms over his cheeks. His beard was officially out of control and his face felt permanently itchy and dry. He needed a haircut. Dandi needed another bag of food to replace the one he just opened. He should check the roster for work, see if Meredith was going back up to Alpha FL.
All of that became a ten car pile up in his mind, but when he opened his eyes, all Barrett could do was stare out at the lake. Evening was just starting to show on the horizon, the sun sinking lower in the sky and the edges of that beautiful blue turning slightly red and pink. Twilight would be in about an hour and he debated sitting there until the daylight died and he was forced to go inside.
“Hey, Barrett.”
Ambrose’s voice came to him from across their shared backyard and Barrett turned in his chair. Ambrose was standing a bit away, an uneasy look on his face. “Hey. You okay?”
“Yeah.” His hands were jammed in his pockets and he looked like he wanted to rabbit back into his house. “I uh…I came back from a walk and heard you talking. When I realized you were reading to your nephew, I didn’t want to interrupt.”
Lightbulb moment. “Did you just stand out here the whole time?”
Ambrose laughed and walked closer, one hand going to the back of his neck. “Yeah.”
Something in Barrett’s heart melted. It was deeply endearing that Ambrose hadn’t wanted to move for many long minutes while Barrett read to his nephew. As if Ambrose worried any little noise or movement in the camera’s periphery would break the spell. “And this has nothing to do with you wanting to hear me read out loud?”
Ambrose shrugged but Barrett spotted the flush of pink up his neck. “No idea what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, okay. Got it.” He heaved to his feet and tucked his tablet under one arm. “I was thinking about making some dinner. Hungry?”
“Keep spoiling me and I’ll never leave.” But Ambrose fell in step with Barrett and together they walked through the back door. Dandi woofed at them but refused to leave her spot on the couch. “I thought you were training her to stay down off the furniture.”
“Ever tried to tell a Great Dane what to do?”
“Point taken.”
Barrett chuckled and started to pull out utensils and pots. “How does chicken marsala sound?”
Ambrose slid up next to him, grey eyes intent on Barrett’s face. Then his mouth. “Like I definitely owe the chef a kiss. If he’s amenable.”
Warmth bloomed in his belly and he leaned in. Barrett let Ambrose make the final calculation, the final move, and found himself being kissed gently. Ambrose didn’t pull on him or let his hands wander. The feel of his hands on Barrett’s shoulders was almost prim, as was the way Ambrose held himself slightly away from Barrett.
“I should start asking for payment like that,” Barrett said as they broke apart. Ambrose gave him a shy grin and that warmth sparked again.
“Can I put a deposit in on the next one if I bring you another pie?”
Very carefully, Barrett put his hands on Ambrose’s hips and steered him until his back hit the kitchen counter. “That’s pretty domestic of you.”
“Says the man cooking me dinner on the fly.” But Ambrose was smiling and the way he wrapped his arms around Barrett’s neck made him shiver with anticipation. “Sorry again for listening to your story time session with Forrest. You have a great voice. You should do narration work.”
“Make you a deal.” Barrett traced his fingers over the cut of Ambrose’s jaw. “You bring me a piece of your writing you really like, and I’ll narrate for you. You can do whatever you want with it. Sell it, give it away, whatever.”
Ambrose studied him for a long moment. The gears were turning, Barrett could almost see them clank and slide together. “Counteroffer?”
“Negotiating. I like it.”
“Ha. But I’m serious. My writing doesn’t really work in audiobooks. But the nature writer Raf paired with you to do Perry’s book would be perfect. You should read that.”
It wasn’t a bad idea. It was a great one, in fact. He couldn’t stop the smile on his face. “I like it. I’ll talk to Raf.”
Now it was Ambrose’s turn to laugh. “You’re terribly agreeable.”
“And you’re used to fighting tooth and nail over every decision, even the little ones.” Barrett ghosted his fingertips down Ambrose’s throat. Sensation sparked under his skin at that small touch. “I’m a pretty laid back guy, Ambrose. You don’t have to hedge bets with me.”
Whatever pain lived behind those grey eyes was extinguished and Ambrose leaned in, this time kissing Barrett with a soft urgency that left him shivering. “I know. It’ll take some getting used to, I think.”
“I’m more than fine with that. But if we’re gonna do this, this thing between us, you gotta just go for it. You don’t have to hide with me.”
