Page 27 of The Beautiful Mess

Keegan’s eyes widened, and heat spread across his chest, neck, and face. “I’m an idiot. I thought you were worried I’d changed my—”

It was Kerry’s turn to cut him off with a kiss. He added a hint of tongue against Keegan’s lips before retreating. “You were right. I was going to ask if you’d changed your mind. I shouldn’t have teased you.”

“We won’t get much talking done if we’re constantly tiptoeing around each other,” Keegan said. “Let’s agree here and now that I will tell you if something is bothering me or doesn’t feel right. You won’t need to guess, second-guess, and double-check all the time.”

“Fine,” Kerry said before adding a caveat. “As long as you know that you always have a choice. When you’re ready to explore intimacy, I will never take your consent for granted.”

Keegan’s yearning for the man just increased tenfold. “Thank you.”

Kerry gestured his head toward the house, a stunning two-story log cabin nestled amidst dense trees. The stark black roof, window trim, and porch gave the home a modern feel. The combination of the dark building materials might’ve looked ominous if not for the soft gray stones in the chimney and the surrounding lush green landscape. The windows along the front of the home were tall and wide to let maximum sunlight into the rooms, and the upper-story windows featured curved arches at the top, breaking up the masculine vibe with a touch of whimsy. The house matched the man—big, imposing, but with surprising touches of tenderness. “Let’s take this inside. I want you to meet Betty.”

Disappointment washed over Keegan as he fell into step with Kerry. He’d really hoped they’d be alone. “Who’s Betty?”

“My cat.”

A few minutes later, Keegan’s eyes widened when a massive calico beast rose from the back of the leather sofa and stretched its long, sleek body. Keegan pointed and said, “That’s not a cat.”

Kerry chuckled before making the universal clicking noise with his tongue that cats seem to recognize. Just one and the enormous beast leaped to the ground and prowled toward them. “This is my Betty.”

Keegan was too mesmerized by her magnificence to be afraid. His mother had never permitted pets, and his only interactions were with the felines on the ranch. Those pampered pets looked nothing like Betty. She reached the men and wove around Kerry’s legs, purring her greeting. This he was familiar with. “What kind of cat is Betty?”

“She’s a Maine coon,” Kerry replied. He slapped his hands against his thighs, and the cat stood on her back haunches and stretched up to rest her front paws on his stomach. Kerry scratched her ears vigorously and made some sort of cooing noise at her. “She’s just a big baby house cat,” he told Keegan. “Nothing to fear from my girl.” The cat turned her brilliant orange eyes on Keegan and studied him until Kerry hit a delightful spot. Betty closed her eyes and purred louder, leaning into the touch.

Keegan had never been more envious of anything or anyone as he was Betty just then. “She’s magnificent.” The cat’s eyes opened wide, as if she’d forgotten all about his intrusion. He couldn’t blame her. She dropped back on all fours and closed the short distance between them. Keegan leaned forward a little and extended his hand so she could sniff him, though he didn’t know if that was proper protocol. Betty angled her head and rubbed her cheek against his outstretched fingers. Her fur was as silky as it looked. “Wow,” Keegan gushed. “Your eyes are the same color as your orange spots. I wouldn’t believe you are real if I wasn’t touching you.”

Kerry made a humming sound and pulled Keegan’s attention away from the cat. “I feel the same way about you.”

Keegan straightened and dropped his hand to his side. “But you’re not touching me.” The flirty response had rolled right off his tongue, and his chest swelled with pride when Kerry’s nostrils flared.

“Are you hungry?”

Meow.

“Not you, little lady. You’re always ready to eat. How about you?” Kerry asked.

Keegan arched a brow. “Hungry for what?”

Kerry chuckled and ran a hand through his waves. The gesture brought Keegan’s attention to the rolled-up sleeves that showed off powerful forearms. The stark white fabric made Kerry’s tattoos stand out and reminded Keegan of the artwork hidden under the shirt. The urge to trace the intricate dark lines returned with vigor, and Kerry’s reactions spurred him on to be even bolder.

“Conversation?” Keegan hedged. “Companionship? Kissing? Maybe some exploratory touching?”

“Dinner.” Kerry’s voice sounded as gravelly as his driveway. “Have you eaten? I have a ton of leftovers from last night.”

Had that family dinner fiasco really been just yesterday? The reminder killed Keegan’s flirty mood. A dozen apologies flittered through his head, and he needed to voice at least one of them to ease his conscience. “About dinner last night. I am really sorry—”

Kerry cupped his neck and silenced his apology with a quick kiss. “Don’t be sorry for standing up for yourself. I’m the one who needs to apologize. I needled you out of petty jealousy, and I’m sorry.”

“But I ran you out of your mother’s house,” Keegan protested. “I am horrified by my behavior. I projected all my fears and insecurities onto you. And maybe I was acting desperately and stupidly because the red flags with Danny were there. He was moving too fast and saying all the right things, so I ignored the warnings in my head that he was too good to be true.”

Kerry shook his head. “I didn’t leave because of anything you did or said. I was running from my feelings for you.” He sighed heavily and said, “And if I had been completely honest with you on Saturday night, you wouldn’t have met Danny.”

Keegan cocked his head to the side. “Why do you say that?”

Kerry closed the distance between them but was careful not to crowd Keegan. “Because you would’ve come home with me instead of going to the pizza place with Nate.”

Keegan wanted to tease Kerry about his arrogant assumptions, but all he managed was a breathy “Oh.”

Kerry scrunched his handsome face into a dark scowl. “And speaking of Nate, I’m going to have a talk with him about the friends he keeps.”

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