Chapter 9

Chapter

Nine

My cheeks are burning,my palms are sweaty, and my stomach wants to crawl out of my throat. I can’t tell if it’s from embarrassment or… well, arousal.

Even thinking the word makes me blush all the harder. And that’s not the only thing getting harder.

Fuck. Quit it, Gage.

As my eyes adjust to the darkness inside the cabin, I hastily grab my towel to start scrubbing myself dry in big, hasty swipes. Nothing too slow or sensual—the downstairs department doesn’t need any more help.

I know it’s raining outside, but there’s no way can I let Kieran in yet. I need to get dressed in more than just a towel. The boner danger is still way too real.

“Shit,” I mutter, groping around on the counter until I find my bag. On top of them are the boxers I was planning to wear to bed on top, but they’re my oldest pair. Stretched-out waistband, several holes, and most embarrassing of all, they’re a garish cartoon apple print.

Damn it, why’d I go and bring them, of all things? I don’t want to scare Kieran off, and first impressions are important. But the flutter in my stomach, the way I can’t quite catch my breath… it’s more than just wanting to impress him.

I’m nervous.

I don’t know why I’m so damn nervous, considering how we’re obviously into each other. But I gotta get my shit together. I was already in danger of tenting inside my cabin. Now I’m about to pitch a tent in my sweatpants, too.

“Come here,” I grunt, scattering my stuff across the counter as I yank my tightest undies out of the very bottom of my backpack. But… wait a sec. I heard my camping lantern rolling across the counter. That’ll make the place look at least a bit more welcoming, right?

I flick the lantern on and set it down for a look around.

Oh. Maybe not.

There’s a little bubble of light in the kitchen, illuminating the old cabinets and dusty countertops. Any further than five feet away, it seems even more pitch-black now. And in the living room, farm tools are eerily looming out of the blackness.

It just looks like a haunted house now.

“Gonna invite me inside?” Kieran calls from outside, his voice growing closer. “Or are you blowdrying each bollock?”

His footsteps echo on the porch steps, and for a moment my heart skips a beat like we’re playing hide-or-seek. But this time, I want to be found.

Ready or not, here he comes.

“Blowdrying?” I snort, hastily wrapping the towel around my waist again to greet him at the door. “You’re overestimating the facilities.”

“You’re underestimating my desire to get out of the rain,” Kieran counters, turning to the steps to shake off the umbrella. “Here. You hold dinner.”

My lips twitch as he shoves the plastic bag he’s carrying at me.

He’s got a point. Keeping him out in the rain until he gets soaked is the only way I can make this first impression any worse, really.

“God, that smells good, though,” I groan before I can stop myself. There’s nothing like hot, homemade food when you’re chilled to the bone. The neighbours in every direction probably just heard my stomach growl.

Kieran sure did, judging by his giggle. He sets down the umbrella on the porch to dry off and beams up at me. “So, that’s a yes to a nice candlelit dinner? You know, to make you feel welcome here,” he teases, batting his lashes at me.

Yeah. Definitely a neighbourly gesture, and not him coming on to me so fast it makes my head spin.

“Uh…” I blink at him.

God. He’s smiling with so much earnest hope that it makes me feel just a tiny bit better, and also so much worse about totally screwing my chances with him. Because there’s rustic, and then there’s… this. One look inside and he’s not gonna be back.

“I mean… th-that’s really sweet of you,” I stutter. “But I… I don’t have much light.” I turn to gesture at the feeble camp lantern glowing on the countertop. “Or much furniture—” I turn back, blinking at thin air.

“That’s okay!” Kieran says from behind me as his footsteps creak against the floorboards. “I can make do. Oooh. Cute little kitchen!”

He’s already slipped past me and straight inside.

What just happened?

It’s hard to scowl when Kieran’s being so sunny, but I wanted at least another few seconds to prepare myself for the letdown when he realizes where he is.

“I guess you might as well come in out of the rain,” I grumble, closing the door behind us.

Kieran laughs. “Come on,” he clicks his tongue impatiently, patting the kitchen counter. “Let’s get a better look in the light.”

I blush and grunt, and then I clear my throat as I approach the light

“At the food, of course,” Kieran says, way too innocently, his eyes skimming down my body as I step into the light. He’s glancing down to the food bag—or at least, something on that level. “And dessert.”

I’m not normally the chattiest guy, but Kieran leaves me just about tongue-tied. I feel like I’m at an unfair disadvantage when he’s on a charm offensive. I bet the only way to keep up with him is to grab him and shove my mouth against his?—

Nope, nope, nope. Get your pants on now, Gage. Or dinner is going to be served very cold and very late.

“You check on the food, then,” I order him gruffly and set down the bag of food. Then I stride around to the other side of the kitchen island, grabbing my sweatpants to step into them.

Kieran giggles. “Mmm. The pie made it. I didn’t squish it against my chest.”

I smirk. “Some people are into that.”

Kieran groans. “Not me. God,” he shivers in horror. “Do you know how hot this pie is? It just came out of Berty and Doug’s oven! These nipples are far too cute for third-degree burns.”

I want to pay more attention to his nipples, but did he just say… “Berty and Doug?” I’m actually smiling all of a sudden. I don’t remember a lot of people from the island, but for a kid who was growing up gay, they sure made an impression. “They’re still here?”

Kieran giggles. “Like they’d ever leave!”

Good point. I grunt and shrug as I pull on a T-shirt. “Yeah. The island has a way of getting a hold on people?—”

“Augh!”

Kieran’s screech makes me yelp. He’s scrambling away from the counter, frantically brushing the back of his neck and flicking his hands everywhere.

And now all I can imagine is a spider flying through the air… and probably landing on me. I really hate spiders.

“Where is it? Where the fuck is—” I shove my arms the rest of the way through my T-shirt and then brush my hands over my face and hair. But then I realize something way more important.

Kieran’s stumbling backward toward the pitch-black living room, and most of what’s stored there is sharp, rusty, or both.

Shit.

“Where’s wha—oof!” Kieran crashes right into the steel shelving unit, but I’m already there, grabbing both his arms as shears and saws clatter to the ground.

Without even thinking about it, I haul him away from danger... and straight into me. I catch his weight easily, one arm going around his waist as the other stays on his upper arm to grip him tight.

Our hearts pounding, we both turn to glance at the darkness until it’s silent again. Then, we both let out a breath.

“Holy shite,” Kieran breathes out, looking up at me. “Thank you. You… you move fast. For a big, strong, muscled…” he trails off, and then the tip of his tongue darts across his lips. “Bloke,” he finishes, his voice suddenly a little too loud.

He feels it, too.

The way the darkness in the cabin seems to press us toward each other, inescapable and magnetic… the warmth of his body crushed against mine, the way that just feels right…

Maybe this evening isn’t going to turn out so bad after all.