Page 40 of The Keeper

“I—” Seth’s stomach growled before he could finish the lie. “Well, fuck.”

Rueben backtracked to kiss Seth’s pouty lips but realized his mistake as soon as brawny arms banded around him.

“Gotcha.” The encroaching rainstorm produced dark clouds the same color and intensity as Seth’s eyes.

Rueben wasn’t afraid of the tempest brewing outside the cabin or inside the man he loved. “Yes, you do, but I’m going to feed my man first.” Rueben waggled his brows. “Besides, you’ll need the energy if you’re going to keep up with me.”

Seth’s eyes shimmered in a way that said he accepted the gauntlet Rueben had thrown down. “Another age crack?”

“Nope. I’d give fair warning to anyone I planned to—”

Seth kissed him hard before he could finish. “No talk about seducing other men or putting them in a sex coma.”

“There’s only you.”

Seth’s hand gripped the back of Rueben’s neck possessively but not painfully. “You better believe it.”

“Oh, I’m not the one who needed convincing,” Rueben said, leaning into Seth’s touch. “Are you ready to admit I’m the keeper now?”

Seth canted his head to the right and pursed his lips as if rolling the question around in his mind. When their gazes met again, Rue could tell by the wicked gleam Seth wouldn’t give him what he wanted most…yet. He’d coax the admittance from the man’s sexy mouth before the weekend was through, or he’d die trying. “Saying I love you isn’t enough?”

Rueben accepted the question as the tease Seth’s smirking mouth had intended. “For now.” He lifted the canvas bags of supplies he’d brought. “And maybe we’ll finish faster if you come help.”

Seth removed the totes from Rueben’s right hand and nodded toward the kitchen. “I’m at your mercy.”

Rueben pivoted on his heels and added extra sway in his strut. “Baby, you don’t know the half of it.” His backside heated under the intensity of his man’s stare, and Rueben wasn’t surprised to find Seth fast on his heels. They unloaded the contents onto the countertops, and Rueben designated items into two categories—now and later.

Seth hoisted a bottle of bubble bath and quirked a brow. “Now?”

Rueben snorted, snatched it from his hand, and returned it to the counter. “I was wrong. There are three categories, and the bubble bath falls into much later.”

“How much later?” Delayed gratification had reduced his big, tough guy into a pouting toddler, so Rueben would treat him as such.

“Clearly, someone needs to eat and take a nap.” Rueben turned back to his task. “So, I’m going to feed you and tuck you into bed.” A warm body pressed him against the counter, and greedy hands roamed over Rueben’s chest.

“I like the bed part,” Seth whispered in his ear. He tugged Rueben’s T-shirt up and slid eager fingers under the fabric to tease sensitive flesh. “We can skip to the nap.” His ploy would’ve worked if his stomach hadn’t protested loudly.

“Eat. Fuck. Nap. Then we’re coming back to the kitchen so I can make my abuela’s famous chicken enchiladas with white cheese sauce. You’ll never taste anything better.”

“Oh god,” Seth said on a whimper. “I’ll do anything you say.”

Rueben laughed maniacally. “Now, I’ve got you under my spell.”

Seth trailed kisses along the back of his neck. “Since that fateful moment on the side of the cliff.”

The memory of the night threatened to dampen Rueben’s mood, but he owned his feelings instead of burying them. He turned in Seth’s embrace and looked up at him. “I thought I was going to die. I was scared out of my fucking mind, but then you appeared at my truck door. You looked so confident and in control that you made me believe I was going to be okay.”

“I was the opposite of confident, and the situation was completely out of my control.”

“Isn’t that how life really goes?” Rueben tried to smile, but his mouth wouldn’t follow his brain’s commands. “I feared your gorgeous gray eyes would be the last things I saw before toppling over the edge of the cliff, but I concentrated on what I wanted after I survived.”

Seth chuckled and kissed his lips. “You made me blush more than a few times.”

Rueben smiled at the memory. “I refrained from saying my boldest thoughts, but your reactions to my flirtations spurred me on more.” He reached up and caressed Seth’s freshly shaven jaw. “There are moments with you that feel so damn good that I’m convinced the truck went over the side, and I’ve died and gone to heaven.”

Seth tightened his arms around Rueben. “This is real, baby. We’re real.” They shared a long, passionate kiss to prove it. Seth was the first to pull back. “What did you bring for lunch?”

Rueben had chosen cold cuts, cheese, and a variety of side dishes from the deli to make a quick meal. He wanted to feed his man for sure but didn’t want to spend all his time in the kitchen. Rueben bought hoagie buns and several types of condiments so they could make sandwiches. They took their food to the living room and spread it out on the coffee table. Rueben and Seth sat on the floor with their backs to the sofa and assembled sandwiches. When Seth discovered Rueben didn’t plan to eat the potato salad, he ate right out of the deli container instead of spooning it onto his plate.

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