AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You’re awake earlyfor a Saturday morning.”
Beckett’s sleep-rough voice drew my eyes from my laptop screen to his sleep-rumpled form beside me in our bed. The one we hadn’t broken yet.
“Just figured I’d get in a little work before we go to Hunter’s place.”
I was still putting the final touches on my street beautification proposal for the city. Between daily work and the help we’d offered to give Hunter with his latest house project, I didn’t have a lot of time.
Beckett also had plans to design—for a community garden in the historic neighborhood—but that was his area of strength. He’d whip them out in no time. I was slower and a little afraid I’d embarrass myself with a stupid mistake.
“You worked so much last night,” Beckett said with a frown. He slipped his hand onto my knee beneath the blanket, the warmth and weight of it comforting. “I thought you were pretty much done.”
“Just double-checking a few things. I don’t want Tucker to think I threw this shit together.”
“He won’t think that.”
“Still…”
Beckett pushed himself upright and leaned his head on my shoulder. I was pretty sure he was sneaking a peek at my laptop screen as well. “You’ve got this, Wes. Trust yourself.”
Then the sneaky brat turned his head and kissed my neck. It was game over. I put the laptop aside and pinned him to the bed. We didn’t come up for air again until I noticed my phone ringing.
“Fuck, it’s Hunter,” I said and checked the time. “We’re supposed to help repaint two of the rooms at his place today.”
“I’ll go hop in the shower,” Beckett said, leaving me alone to face the music. Again, such a brat. I’d have to punish him later.
I clicked connect. “Hey, man.”
“Hey,” Hunter said. “Everyone else is here. Just wondering…”
“Yeah, I got sidetracked. Sorry. We’ll be over soon.”
“No worries,” he said with a laugh. “I remember those days.”
“What days?”
“The honeymoon period.”
My stomach lurched because yeah, he was right. This was our honeymoon period, even if we’d kept it secret from most everyone. It was still an adjustment to realize we didn’t have to do that with our friends anymore.
“Right, you got me,” I said with a chuckle. “We’ll hurry though.”
I threw aside the phone and went to join Beckett in the shower. By the time we’d fully embraced our honeymoon period, we were even later. We ran by Glazed Holes to pick up some apology doughnuts and one of the owners, Miles, flirted with both of us shamelessly. He really didn’t care if someone was queer or straight, as long as they played along.
“I want all the cream today,” I told him. “I just want my mouth full of it.”
Miles grinned in delight at my words. “I’ve got all the cream you can handle, baby. I’ve been waiting for a man like you to walk into my life.”
He grabbed tongs and began placing doughnuts in a box for me. While his attention was on the glass case, Beckett snorted and said under his breath, “This morning wasn’t enough cream for you?”
“I’m greedy like that,” I joked and he huffed a laugh.
Five minutes and three sexual innuendos later, we were on our way.
By the time we got to Hunter’s place, work was in full swing. We offered up our apology doughnuts and took the good-natured ribbing from our friends about struggling to leave our love nest.
Beckett, looking a little embarrassed, was quick to grab a paintbrush and go to work. I joined Tucker and Laurie in a different room, where they were stripping wallpaper, and for the next couple of hours, everyone worked hard.
We took a lunch break, and went back to it, this time all working to finish the paint job on the final room. I glanced down and caught sight of Beckett crouched low by my feet to do the baseboards. The back of his neck was bared, and it was just too much temptation. I swiped my paintbrush over it, making him yelp, and then cursed as he lunged up and smeared paint across my cheek.
