Chapter Eight

Brad couldn't believe how much of a transformation Kendrick had undergone with one trip to the grocery store. Maybe Brad's initial assessment hadn't been correct, but in his mind, Kendrick had gone from scared man, who didn't speak very often to someone animated and talkative. He seemed curious about Brad, trying to get to know him better, asking questions and offering information of his own.

Brad hadn't smiled or laughed so much in his life. He hadn't had a lot to smile about. If one date was all they had, he would count himself lucky for Kendrick bringing him one day of fun. Brad had never had a good time without drinking or starting a fight. He'd been good at both.

Kendrick was the first person, outside of his friends and brothers, who made him feel as if he wasn't the sum total of his past sins.

At the checkout counter, Brad unloaded the cart while Kendrick leaned against it, watching him with an expression that was undecipherable until getting to know Kendrick a little better.

The attraction between them created a suggestion of touches. The anticipation floated between them, growing until they would converge. And wasn't that something all by itself?

He never thought he'd stop making excuses. He hadn't wanted to get on the dating train. No one had interested him enough to want to disrupt his daily routine or bring someone new into his brothers' lives. And then Kendrick had asked him out. There was something about Kendrick that made him worth stepping onto the train.

Brad smiled as he put packages of steak onto the belt, never taking his gaze off Kendrick.

There wasn't a person alive who did it for Brad more. He had eyes that made Brad think of milk chocolate, and a straight nose, but it was his full lips that drew Brad in, making him want to do nothing but kiss him all day long. If he could get paid to make out with Kendrick, he would change career paths.

A pretty, dark red covered Kendrick's neck and cheeks. And then he chuckled when Brad didn't bother paying attention to the groceries in the cart or those on the conveyor. He didn't care about the cashier who had given them a dirty look when they'd first pulled into her checkout lane. All he saw was Kendrick.

Kendrick cocked his head and said, "Stop."

Brad chuckled. "What am I doing?"

"You know what." That Kendrick could speak to him, without fear or nerves, said a lot about their progress.

Brad pulled something else from the cart without even seeing it, blindly putting it on the belt. "I don't. You should tell me."

"Brad." Kendrick shook his head and acted as if it exasperated him but Brad saw the truth in that smile. "You're making me all flustered."

Brad winked and then turned to the cashier, pulling out his bankcard.

As soon as Kendrick saw that, the mood changed. "Absolutely not. I asked you for a date, so I should pay."

God, Kendrick was a hot little thing, all indignant and scowling.

"Luis asked you." The cart was between them and took up the width of the aisle, or nearly, but Kendrick worked himself past the cart, closing the distance between them.

He put his hand over Brad's. "Luis suggested it, yes. But I called you and actually asked, which made me very nervous, but I did it anyway. And you can't take my bravery away from me by paying, so let me pay. Please."

When put like that, Brad couldn't argue. So he put his card back into his wallet and moved just enough to let Kendrick behind the card machine. He waited until the cashier finished ringing up their groceries and then paid.

It wasn't until they had their bags in hand and walked across the parking lot to Brad's truck that he spoke again. "Would you go on a second date with me? Dinner and a movie maybe."

Brad would keep it simple and take Kendrick to the theater by the river. The Riverwalk was pretty at night and could be romantic.

Brad put the bags he carried in the back of his truck before taking Kendrick's and put them in as well. When Brad finished, he intended to get into the truck, but Kendrick stopped him by holding his hand. Their gazes met.

"I'd like that." Kendrick stepped into Brad's space, focusing on his lips, making it clear what he wanted.

Brad opened the driver's side door, using it to shield them from prying eyes on one side, and worked Kendrick around so his back was against the seat. He pressed their mouths together, keeping his open just enough to deepen it right away. When Kendrick opened for the invasion, Brad didn't hesitate.

There were times in Brad's life when he knew he would never be the same. The day he'd driven away from his dad's trailer with Luis's broken body lying in the seat beside him was one. Turning himself in after hurting Jaron was another. The day he'd walked into the therapist's office at the prison. And kissing Kendrick in the parking lot of the Harbor Shire Grocery Store.

Their bodies fit together, even with the height difference. Kendrick wrapped his arms around Brad's waist, pulling his T-shirt up. When Kendrick worked his hands under, touching bare skin, Brad knew they had taken it too far.

Kendrick made whimpering sounds and pressed his hard length against Brad's thigh. And he protested when Brad ended the kiss. Every sound made Kendrick more appealing to the point Brad wanted to fuck him on the seat of his truck, but he wouldn't treat Kendrick like a cheap date.

"We should slow down." Brad worked his hand down to Kendrick's waist and then gripped his ass, stilling his movements.

"Oh God." Kendrick clung to him as if Brad was the only thing keeping him from drowning. "I got carried away."

"Yeah, me too." Brad sounded as if he had run across the parking lot and back enough times to raise his heart rate. That made him realize that if Kendrick could do so much by being so responsive, he could wreck Brad.

And then Kendrick said, "Sorry. I'm sorry." Kendrick tried to pull away, but Brad had him trapped.

A man who would apologize did not have malicious intentions toward anyone.

Brad backed off, not wanting Kendrick to feel confined or anxious. He felt the loss of Kendrick's body so close to his in ways that made him want to crowd him again.

Kendrick's hands shook when he let go. Because Brad wasn't sure why Kendrick had that reaction, he put his hands into his pockets.

"I'm not sorry. I liked it." Brad averted his gaze, not knowing what to expect.

"I…um…I felt you against me. Like you're…" Kendrick pointed to Brad's crotch. Kendrick saw Brad's cock outlined by his jeans, which wasn't embarrassing, so much as he didn't know where Kendrick was going with the conversation.

Brad nodded once, but otherwise kept his mouth shut.

Kendrick's eyes widened, and he took a step in Brad's direction. "I didn't mean…I'm not scared. At all. Just…I like it. A lot. But you're right. It went too far."

The whole time Kendrick spoke, he kept his gaze on Brad's groin. It would have been funny if Brad still didn't want to feel Kendrick against him.

"You're…big." Kendrick bit his bottom lip right before he licked his lips as though he wanted a taste of Brad's cock. Kendrick's reaction made Brad's imagination run wild, picturing those full lips wrapped around him.

"Kendrick." God, it was almost painful, throbbing, wanting to get free.

Kendrick met his gaze again, blinking once as if he hadn't realized until that moment where his eyes had been. He folded his hands in front of himself. Brad had noticed before, when they had been in the bar talking about Kendrick's leaky roof, but hadn't put two and two together until that moment.

Kendrick tried to hide his erection.

Brad grinned, not feeling so alone in his current, uncomfortable state. "You keep looking at me like that and I'll have to explain to my brothers why I have cum stains on my pants."

Kendrick ran around to the other side of the truck, brushing against Brad as he went. The little tease knew which part of Brad he had brushed against. Brad dug his keys out of his pockets before sitting behind the wheel.

Kendrick buckled his seatbelt and put his hands in his lap again. "What would they do if you did?"

Kendrick's question was suggestive, and he damn well knew it if the slight smile and mischievous glint in his dark eyes showed anything.

"Tease me for the rest of my life. Literally, until I'm dead." Brad reached over and took one of Kendrick's hands in his, needing the touch—even a simple one.

Kendrick chuckled and then rested the back of his head against his seat. They fell into a comfortable silence, but it wasn't until they were about fifteen minutes from Brad's house that he noticed Kendrick's hand losing tension and him falling into sleep.

Kendrick looked younger in sleep, dropping low enough to be Caden's age.

Brad hated waking him but knew he couldn't let Kendrick sleep in his truck in the driveway. He shut off the engine and held the keys in his hand as he exited the vehicle, going around to the other side. He tried to remain as quiet as possible as he opened the passenger door and thought he failed when Kendrick shifted in the seat, facing Brad again.

Brad reached around Kendrick, undoing his seatbelt before working his way around Kendrick's back and under his legs. He lifted him out of the truck without Kendrick waking, which was a minor miracle unless Kendrick hadn't been sleeping well. Brad made a mental note to ask him about it later.

Luis stood in the open doorway of the house, grinning like a lunatic. "You two are adorable."

Brad rolled his eyes, but he couldn't keep the smile at bay. After all, he agreed. Kendrick was adorable and not in the aww-puppy way but more like the I-want-to-wake-up-every-morning-to-his-sweet-face kind of way.

"Will you shut the passenger door and grab the grocery bags out of the back?"

"Sure." Luis didn't tease him any further but headed out of the door toward the truck to do as asked.

Caden grinned but didn't say a word as he stooped to put on his shoes so he could help Luis.

Whether it was Caden shutting the front door as he walked out or the change in lighting from outside to in, Brad didn't know, but Kendrick came awake with a start.

The struggle to get free made Brad lose his grip enough he feared he would drop him and while he never wanted to make Kendrick feel uncomfortable or trapped, he didn't want his descent to the floor to be a painful one.

"You're safe. You fell asleep so I'm carrying you to my room. I won't hurt you. No one will." Brad kept his voice soft, trying for soothing.

When Kendrick stopped struggling, Brad took that as a good sign, even if his body stiffened. He buried his face into Brad's chest and didn't speak, so Brad kept telling him he was safe, where he was, and with who.

"Sorry. I'm sorry," Kendrick whispered. He took a deep breath and let it out twice before his body lost the tension.

"Do you want me to put you down?" Brad hadn't wanted to startle Kendrick further with a sudden change in position.

Kendrick shook his head.

"Are you feeling all right?"

Kendrick tried to turn his face into Brad even more. "Fine."

"Do you want to go home?"

That got Kendrick's attention because he met Brad's gaze for the first time since waking. "No. I'm just embarrassed I fell asleep."

"You're sure?"

"Very."

"Do you want to take a nap?"

"Do I have time before dinner?"

"We'll make time. If you want it." Brad started down the hall toward his room, which was at the end.

The door opened and closed again. Plastic bags rustled around, and Luis and Caden moved in the kitchen as they put the groceries away.

"Will you lay with me?" Napping together on the first date might be weird for some, but they had passed that by including grocery shopping.

"Yeah. I'd like that." Brad laid Kendrick down on top of the covers as gently as he could before taking off Kendrick's shoes, placing them on the floor next to the bed so Kendrick would see them.

Kendrick watched him the entire time with heavy-lidded eyes and sleep still etched into tired lines on his face. Brad took off his own shoes before going around the other side of the bed and lying down. Brad laid on his back, not wanting to scare Kendrick by cuddling close.

Kendrick turned, facing him. He smiled right before a yawn overtook him.

Brad turned onto his side, taking Kendrick's hand. "If I forget to say it later, thank you for today. I've had a good time."

"Even though I fell asleep?"

Brad nodded.

"Even though we had a conversation while I stared at your dick?" Kendrick smiled. The lack of nerves while saying that came as a surprise. Brad half expected Kendrick to cover his mouth like he sometimes did when he said something he hadn't meant to voice aloud.

Brad chuckled and brought Kendrick's hand to his lips. "Especially then."

When Kendrick laughed, his entire face brightened. Like lighting up a Christmas tree for the first time, every time. And when he sobered, he whispered, "I'm having a great time too."