Page 8 of The Keeper

“No. Someone blew it up in there. I could barely hold my breath long enough to piss.”

Rueben gestured to the end of the hallway, where an exit sign hung above a door. “Want to step outside for a few minutes?”

“The parking lot overflow is out there, and someone might see us.”

Rueben chuckled and shook his head. “I hadn’t planned to grab onto someone’s bumper and present my ass to you.” His words painted a vivid scene, and Seth barely held back a groan. “It’s not illegal for us to talk, Seth.”

“I know. It’s just that what I have to say is personal, and I don’t want to risk someone overhearing us.”

Rueben arched a brow. “Personal? I figured we’d said all there was to say.”

Not even close. Seth scanned the hallway again, and his gaze landed on the stockroom. “In here.” He curled his fingers into fists to avoid doing something stupid like reaching for Rueben’s hand. Seth opened the door and turned on the light. The space wasn’t huge to start with, and rows of tall metal storage shelves lined both walls, leaving only a narrow aisle between them. Seth shut the door and gave in to the urge to take Rue’s hand, guiding him past stacks of toilet paper, napkins, and nonperishable food items. They stopped by a section of table condiments toward the back of the room. The aisle was barely big enough for one person, let alone two, and Seth ended up crowding Rueben against the metal shelving. Body heat drew him in, or maybe Rueben gave Seth’s heartstrings a little tug. Either way, it was nearly impossible not to react to the energy pulsing between them. “I want to apologize.”

Rueben’s gorgeous mouth curved into a wicked smile. “I can’t fault your style.”

Seth almost laughed and replied with a snappy comeback, but they didn’t have much time. He went for a direct approach instead, though he didn’t step back to put distance between them. How could he when Rueben smelled so damn delicious? Seth tried not to be too obvious when he inhaled a little deeper on his next breath. Mmmm. Sunshine and clean clothes. “And clear the air,” he added.

“I’m trying to decide if your growing erection is making things clearer or if it’s muddying the water,” Rueben said.

Seth’s exhale came out sounding more like a needy whimper than the heavy sigh he’d intended. Rueben’s warm chuckle was such a small sound, but it rippled over him like a seductive caress. Seth needed to take a step back, screw his head on right, and put things in proper perspective, but he settled his hands at Rueben’s hips and held on for dear life. Being together was so wrong but felt so fucking right.

“Not that I’m complaining, but I’m getting mixed signals from you today,” Rueben said. “You iced me out at the prosecutor’s office and wouldn’t even look at me. And now, you’re a few heartbeats away from rubbing one out against me.” Seth hadn’t moved his hips so much as an inch, but grinding against Rueben’s answering hard-on was the only thing on his mind. “Use your words, Burke. I don’t have enough emotional spoons left in the drawer to guess where your head is.” He raised his hand and caressed Seth’s jaw with two fingers. “This one, I mean. The other head’s desires are pretty self-explanatory.”

Despite everything going on in his life—a hotly contested reelection campaign, his cousin’s remembrance celebration, and what was sure to be dubbed a historic trial for their county when it finally happened—this was the best Seth had felt in months. Nine, to be exact. Explaining that he locked down his emotions to avoid giving his feelings for Rueben away would only muddy things between them more. Rueben was with Keegan, and despite his current behavior, Seth would respect that. Rueben clearly still had feelings for him, and Seth didn’t want to encourage Rueben to ruin something good for a relationship that couldn’t be. “I’m sorry I was so chilly toward you. It was just how I needed to be in order to get through the meeting.” Seth dropped his hands from Rueben’s hips, stepped back, and immediately missed his warmth. It was Seth’s turn to feel the metal shelving press against his back. “As for clearing the air, I only want the best things for you. Seeing your smile today and hearing your laughter and smart mouth—” Seth shook his head and exhaled a harsh sigh. “It makes me feel good to know you’re happy and moving on.”

Rueben flinched like Seth had hit him, and then he stalked forward until there was no air between them once again. “Care to say that again?” Rueben started reeling off the highlights like a sportscaster before Seth could answer. “I’m happy and I’ve moved on because I shared a few laughs with Keegan to ease our tension?” His eyes widened suddenly. “Oh shit. You think Keegan and I are dating.”

“You’re not?” Relief flooded Seth, and he had to stiffen his legs to stay upright.

Rueben’s expression changed from astonishment to anger. “Do you honestly think I’d leave Keegan alone at our table and cuddle up against you in a supply closet if we were dating? Do you really think so little of me?” A dark pink blush tinged Rueben’s cheeks. “And you have some nerve talking about me moving on when I overheard you making a date with that lady from Lyndhurst’s office.”

Seth’s mouth fell open like his jaw came unhinged. “What are you talking about?”

“Cynthia, is that her name? I heard you discussing a time to meet up with her,” Rueben said.

Seth snapped his mouth shut and breathed deeply through his nose as he recovered, unsure if he should laugh or cry. Tell the truth or lie? Hurt shimmered in Rueben’s eyes, and Seth’s heart ached from knowing he was the source. A small part of him thought the pain was necessary to make a clean break from one another. He could lie and tell Rueben that he was going on a date, and that would be it. But he couldn’t—wouldn’t—do that.

“I wasn’t making a date with Cynthia,” Seth said, then debated how to explain their relationship in the fewest words. Rueben’s back had been to the TV that ran the promo for Natalie’s segment, and their discussions had never run that deep during their time together. How does one transition from eating someone’s ass to discussing murdered family members? “Tomorrow is the twenty-fifth anniversary of my cousin’s disappearance and murder. Cynthia had been Natalie’s best friend since kindergarten. They were practically inseparable, and the family considered Cynthia an honorary Hart. Family and friends are gathering to remember Natalie tomorrow night and—”

Rueben pressed firm lips against his to cut him off. He didn’t deepen the kiss because the gesture was about offering comfort, not passion. Seth’s hands landed on Rueben’s hips again, and he dug his fingers in to hold him close instead of pushing him away. Rueben eased back and stared at him with enormous eyes swimming with unshed tears. “Baby, I’m so sorry to hear about your cousin. That must’ve been absolutely horrible for your family.” He swallowed hard and caressed Seth’s jawline again. He’d once told Seth he had the bone structure of a superhero, but leaving Rueben behind to save his career made him feel more like a supervillain until he recalled how much was on the line. Rueben met his gaze once more. “That explains so much about your need to serve and protect. You’re a damn fine man, Seth Burke, and I’m going to make you mine someday.”

Seth’s audible swallow sounded loud in the narrow room. He wanted Rueben more than he could express, but it wasn’t the right time for them. “You heard what Lyndhurst said today. It could take two or three years for the case to go to trial. I would never ask you to wait for me.”

“You don’t need to ask. I’m going to be yours whether it takes a month, a year, or ten years.”

Though Seth appreciated the sentiment, he couldn’t afford to let hope bloom in his heart. His tongue needed to be the trowel that uprooted the seeds Rueben’s words had planted there before they germinated. But Seth couldn’t form the response to make it happen. Maybe it was too late. Perhaps he’d already planted that kernel on the fateful night of the crash or during their stolen weekend. “Rue—”

Firm, warm lips cut him off again, and he didn’t resist a second time. Seth opened his mouth, and Rueben’s tongue swept in with the sweetest moan he’d ever heard. Any sense of control he’d had going into the room went up in flames as lust scorched him from head to toe, reducing him to a grunt that would make a Neanderthal proud. Rueben’s hands were all over him, stroking his back and chest. Seth walked him backward, pressed Rueben against the shelf, and pinned his greedy hands over his head. The condiment bottles rattled as Seth deepened the kiss as the fiery man reeled Seth closer by his heartstrings. Nothing mattered but the slick, wet glide of their twisting tongues. Okay, Rueben’s erection mattered a lot too. Those tight jeans could cause permanent damage if he—

The stockroom door swung open on squeaky hinges. Seth quickly maneuvered his body to block Rueben from view, but he knew he hadn’t been fast enough when he heard Kerry’s rough-and-tumble laughter. Thank fuck he was the one who’d busted them, though there would be more ball busting than Seth wanted to tolerate. He slowly turned to face their intruder with the darkest scowl he could muster.

“What?” Seth asked.

Kerry’s villainous grin reappeared and looked even more diabolical. “I’m more than happy to cover for you, but maybe take this somewhere more private.” Kerry lifted the carryout bag in his hands and added, “Food’s ready.”

Seth didn’t bother asking him how he’d known where to find him. They’d been in each other’s pockets for their whole lives. No one could read him like Kerry could, but Seth really wanted that honor to belong to Rueben someday. But he couldn’t ask Rueben to wait for him. “Could you give us a minute, cuz?”

“Nope. Someone has to save the day, and it’s my turn.”

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