Chapter Eight

The edge of wakefulness meant the good dreams, ones where Andrew could touch Kyler's warm, naked skin. Andrew knew he did everything right when Kyler smiled. His good dreams were sexual, and while they were both naked in his current one, Andrew felt no urgency for anything other than sharing space with the man who held all of his attention.

The dream would have been wonderfully unmarred if not for a pain in his neck and a subsequent headache. His ass hurt too and not like Kyler had at it, making him feel the ache so good either. No, it hurt as if he'd sat for longer than his muscles liked, and his body was telling him to stand the fuck up already.

He tried to ignore his aches and pains in favor of the dream.

A knocking, right next to his head, confused him. He wrapped his arms around dream Kyler, holding on to the illusion. Kyler shifted, and suddenly he lay over Andrew. His weight felt right in a way that should have scared him but didn't.

Kyler's hands were just as callused in his dream as they were in reality.

The knock came again. At the same time, Kyler's muffled voice met his ears. "Get out of my driveway."

Andrew had no idea how Kyler could kiss and talk at the same time, but he had Kyler's pissed off tone imbedded in his mind like a tick, so it was unmistakable. What he couldn't figure out was why Kyler suddenly seemed pissed in the first place. Dream Kyler smiled and looked at him as if Andrew were capable of holding the moon.

Andrew laced his fingers through Kyler's long dark hair, cupping the back of his head, angling his head so he could deepen the kiss.

"I mean it, Andy."

Damn. The dream rolled away from his mind like smoke. Andrew tried to grab at it and hold it close, but it fell through his fingers until all he had was reality.

The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was Kyler's face inches away from his own with only the window glass separating them. He startled, jumping in his seat.

Reality Kyler wasn't smiling. He looked annoyed and tired. It took his heart a while to calm down, and by then, Kyler had started yelling at him again. Andrew took a few deep breaths before listening.

"…what it does to a car's engine to idle for several hours?" Kyler scowled. He still had on last night's clothing with the hood pulled up on his sweater. A few wisps of hair fell around his face, softening his expression but only by a little.

The day started to break. With the sky lighting up by small degrees and the ground still dewy from the crisp night air, Andrew had only gotten about three hours of sleep. If he had to guess from the weariness etched across Kyler's face, he hadn't gotten much more than that either.

Kyler shook his head and turned toward the house again. As he walked down the driveway, Andrew noticed Kyler had on a pair of those indoor/outdoor slippers. They were baby blue and open at the back, so Andrew saw his bare feet.

Something about them made Andrew remember why he had slept in his car. The pain in his neck made him realize it wasn't the smartest idea he'd ever had. Kyler was safe and had remained that way all night, so he'd do it again if necessary. He would take a sore body and count himself lucky that Kyler was still safe.

Andrew turned off the car's engine and pocketed the key before stepping out of the car.

"Carino." He stood in the open car door.

Kyler stopped and turned. The scowl on his pretty face stayed firmly in place.

"Good morning."

Kyler sighed and shook his head. "Just so you know, you're stupidity is why I'm doing this. If you were in an enclosed space, like a garage or something, you would have died of carbon monoxide from the car running. You're an idiot. But everyone needs coffee and food. Even stupid people." Kyler turned, waving Andrew over. When he got to the front door, he held it open.

Andrew shut his car door and jogged down the driveway. "It's too early for insults."

"That wasn't an insult, Andy. It was a fact." The way Kyler shortened his name, the way his sisters and mother did lightened the weight on his shoulders even as it made his chest ache.

Kyler's house was as neat as the last time Andrew had been there. The front door led into the living room. The walls were a soft green and had artwork hanging, which was new. The furniture had seen better days and was a collective mix of things that didn't match but somehow suited Kyler.

Andrew followed Kyler into the kitchen and sat on a stool at the counter, watching Kyler move around the room.

"Are you hungry?" Kyler didn't look at him when he asked but continued his task.

Not for food. What he wanted was to hold Kyler. "No, carino. I'd like it if you came over here when you finish, though."

Kyler snorted. "Yeah, no."

"Will you let me take you out to dinner?" It had been a long time since he asked anyone on a date, and he knew Kyler would make him work for it.

If they dated, Andrew could keep an eye on Kyler. Proximity made protection a hell of a lot easier. And maybe Andrew didn't want to live his life for his job anymore. He wanted to live in the moment.

"It's too late for that." Kyler turned to face him, leaning against the counter. "There isn't anything between us."

Andrew stood and made his way around the island, closing the distance between them.

Kyler averted his gaze, staring at something on the floor. His body stiffened the closer Andrew came.

Andrew trapped Kyler, using the counter to his advantage. "We have something, carino. We both know it."

"Sexual chemistry, maybe." Kyler met his gaze again. Fires blazed in his eyes, and no amount of smooth-talking would put them out.

Andrew cupped Kyler's cheek, rubbing his thumb over the apple part. "Yes. That. And more."

Kyler pushed at Andrew's chest until he moved away, turning to exit the kitchen. "You thought I was a criminal but fucked me anyway."

Andrew started after him, practically chasing Kyler down the hallway. "Help yourself to the coffee and then let yourself out."

"Carino." Andrew knew he pleaded, and maybe it was shitty to turn all that on Kyler, but he couldn't help it. He was losing, and he knew it.

"No, damn it." Kyler shook a finger at him as if he were a naughty child. "You don't get to stand there and make demands on me. Your commitment issues aren't my problem."

"I don't have commitment issues."

Kyler ran a hand down his face. "You didn't hear anything I said, did you? Go home and let me get ready for work."

Andrew smiled. "Is that a yes?"

"That's an ‘I have a headache with your name on it, so get out of my face'." Kyler went into the bathroom and closed the door behind him.

Andrew went over to the door and leaned against it so that Kyler could hear him. "I'm going to ask again later."

"Great. Another opportunity to shoot you down."

"You're more than just a fuck to me."

"Shut up, Andy." Was that humor in Kyler's voice?

Andrew chuckled. "Do you know any nice restaurants?"

"Go home!"

Andrew moved away from the door, smiling.

Kyler's prickliness was sexy.

And when had he ever thought that about anyone?