Page 56 of The Home Game

It was, God, rude or something. The man had opened his home. Given Antoni his bedroom!

And, no, Antoni was not going to think about the fact that at some point recently Matty had been naked in this shower.

Smooth chest or hairy? Antoni wondered. Hairy, he hoped.

Not that it mattered! He was never going to find out unless they all went swimming or something. And even then, all he’d be able to do was look.

Antoni sighed. Matty had given them a little space tonight but he could already see that this wasn’t just going to be some polite but distant sharing of space.

Matty was probably going to be in the house playing with the kids and cooking and watching TV and helping as much as Antoni would let him. Because that was just who Matty was. He seemed to thrive on having people around, having this big, loving community.

None of which was going to make Antoni’s crush any easier. Because damn had it been a long time since he’d felt so drawn to someone.

And an equally long time since he’d had sex. A painfully long time.

Now that his brain wasn’t in panic mode about where they were going to live and how he was going to pay the bills … his sex drive was coming back with a vengeance.

Antoni felt safe here, like he wasn’t walking the narrowest tightrope, juggling his career and parenting and grief and finances all at once, hoping that he wouldn’t make a misstep that would send him—or worse, the kids—tumbling into disaster.

He could think clearly again. And his body had urges that his brain was finally catching up on. Maybe tonight he’d dig one of his toys out—he’d packed that bag himself, thank you very much—and get off before he went to sleep. It had been so long since he’d had the privacy to do that.

He got out of the shower, toweled dry, then slipped on a pair of shorts.

He double-checked the video monitor on the nightstand, glad to see Reese snoozing in his crib and River sleeping deeply in her room, the light softly glowing around her.

When Antoni contemplated how to spend the evening, he felt sort of adrift. Like he didn’t know what to do with himself.

And yeah, maybe he should do some more prep for the upcoming school year—there was no shortage of that he still needed to take care of—but it wasn’t urgent and he didn’t think that was quite where the feeling was coming from either.

Maybe it was just that it had been so long since he’d relaxed, it felt unfamiliar now. He was too restless to read and couldn’t even remember what else he used to do.

With a shrug, Antoni grabbed the monitor and left the bedroom.

He checked in with the older kids. “You look all cozy in here,” he said, smiling at Eli from the doorway.

They were tucked under the covers with the overhead light out, reading by the glow of a thoughtfully placed lamp attached to the bed canopy.

Eli glanced up from their book. “I am. This room is great. I’m never going to leave.”

Antoni laughed. “I think you better come out to shower and eat sometimes and, on Monday, you’re gonna have to start school.”

“Aww, man,” Eli said, but they were grinning. “I guess I can do that.”

“Glad to hear it.” Antoni glanced at the clock on the dresser. “Lights out in thirty, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Want a hug?” Antoni asked.

“Sure.” Eli set their book aside.

Antoni walked over and crouched down to give them a hug. “G’night.”

“Night.” Eli smiled. “I like it here. I’m glad we didn’t find somewhere else to stay.”

“Good. I’m really glad you like it.” Antoni smoothed an affectionate hand across Eli’s hair. “Sweet dreams.”

“You too.”

---