Page 59 of The Beautiful Mess

Kerry and Keegan joined hands and followed the group down the sidewalk toward the restaurant. “That poor staff doesn’t have a clue what they’re in for, do they?”

Keegan laughed and nudged him with his elbow. “Your family is wonderful.”

“That’s not in dispute,” Kerry replied. “But you have to admit they’re a lot to handle sometimes, especially to people who don’t know them.”

“Fair point.” Keegan looked up at him with a coy smile. “So, do you have some free time after lunch?”

“I’m taking the entire day off,” Kerry replied. “Have something in mind?”

Keegan smiled and nodded. “A few things. I didn’t bring index cards with me, but I can still give you a choice.”

“Okay, let’s hear my options.”

“We finally watchJurassic Park, eat popcorn with M&M’s, and then we engage in animalistic sex where I make you roar like a T-Rex.”

Kerry nearly stumbled over his two feet. “Damn, that sounds like a perfect afternoon. Favorite movie, favorite snack, my favorite guy, and my favorite activity. I don’t even need to know the second choice. I want that!”

“You’re not even a little tempted to know what else I had in mind?” Keegan teased.

Kerry stopped a few feet away from his family since they’d nearly caught up to the horde. “Of course I want to hear it. Just know it couldn’t possibly be as perfect.”

Keegan slid his arms around Kerry’s waist. “We fuck like animals until you roar like a T-Rex, then we watchJurassic Parkto rate your impersonation while eating popcorn and M&M’s.”

Kerry pursed his lips and pretended to think hard. That’s when he noticed the rest of his family had disappeared inside the restaurant. “Let’s go!” He grabbed Keegan’s hand, and they ran for the parking lot.

“You didn’t tell me which option you chose,” Keegan called out as they ran.

“I will always choose to get you naked before anything else.” And that’s just what he did.

The weight of Betty’s stare woke him from a deep sleep, and Keegan cracked an eye open. It was still dark outside, but that hulking silhouette towering over him from his nightstand could only belong to one feisty feline. A white-tipped paw eased out of the darkness and booped him on the nose. When Keegan didn’t immediately throw back the covers and leap from the bed, Betty lowered her head closer to his so that they were nearly eye to eye. Even in the predawn dusk, Keegan could see that she meant business. He did too, and he tried to convey that to her through telepathy.Come on, Betty. It’s Thanksgiving. Just another hour.She booped him on the nose again, and Keegan knew she was seconds away from raising the dead with an ear-piercing yowl.

Keegan eased from the bed before that happened, not because he feared zombies or ghosts but to prevent Betty from waking Kerry, who’d had a deeply emotional therapy session the previous day and a late-night rescue. The cool air triggered goose bumps on his bare skin before he could don his robe at the foot of the bed. He slid his feet into his slippers and headed for the door. Betty didn’t budge from her perch until she was certain Keegan’s easy compliance wasn’t a trick. Kerry had pulled that stunt with her more than once, but he’d never attempted it. Betty flew past him when he was halfway down the staircase, but he’d been ready for it. After four months of permanent cohabitation, Keegan was used to her shenanigans. And he didn’t need it to be Thanksgiving to be grateful for his blessings—big and small.

He headed straight to the utility room and fed the queen her tuna and made sure she had plenty of dry kibble and water in the fancy fountain he’d bought for her fifth birthday. That was just one way Keegan made his mark on the house. Little by little, he put his touch in every room. Sometimes it was a seasonal throw blanket, a new coffee mug, or a piece of artwork for the bedroom, but he marveled whenever he came across them. It was the first time he’d ever felt a sense of home, and he understood it had more to do with the man upstairs than the walls and roof surrounding them.

Keegan hurried upstairs, hoping to slip under the covers and get another hour of sleep before they needed to get ready for the Thanksgiving festivities at Lucinda’s. There’d be family overflowing in every room, food aplenty, football, and fights over rummy. Keegan was eager to enjoy every second, but maybe after a little more sleep. When he entered the bedroom, the fireplace was on, and Kerry had propped himself against the headboard, all sleep-rumpled and delicious. He lifted the bedcovers and beckoned Keegan with a wolfish smile that made sleeping the furthest thing from his mind.

Keegan stood at the foot of the bed and removed his robe. The heat from the fire warmed his backside as the hungry gaze from his man scorched his front. There was more swagger in Keegan’s step these days, which Kerry enjoyed immensely. He climbed into the bed and slid over until their bare bodies touched. After a long kiss, Keegan pulled back to brush some of the wildest strands away from Kerry’s face. “I’d hoped you’d get some more sleep after a rough day and late night.”

Kerry’s smile came easily as he ran the back of his fingers over Keegan’s cheek. “This is our first Thanksgiving together, and I didn’t want to miss another second of it.”

“It’s barely six o’clock.”

“Perfect time to have a little fun,” Kerry said. “I have something special to mark the occasion.”

Keegan reached under the blanket and trailed his fingertips over Kerry’s dick. “Yes, you do.”

“That comes next,” Kerry said.

Keegan arched a brow. “What’s first?”

“I’m so glad you asked.” Kerry leaned over to turn on his lamp and adjusted it to the softest setting. Then he reached under his pillow and pulled out two index cards. They’d been playing this game for seven months, but they somehow kept it exciting and new. Kerry held them up and bounced them excitedly. “Which one?”

Keegan pressed his finger to his lips and hummed. Whatever he picked would lead to something he’d cherish for the rest of his life. Sometimes he could tell which option Kerry wanted him to pick, but his expression remained neutral as Keegan contemplated, and he didn’t tighten his grip on the right card when Keegan tugged it free.

Kerry’s lips spread into the biggest grin he’d ever seen. “Read it.”

Keegan’s heartbeat tripped over itself as he turned the card around.Say yes and make love to your fiancé.Keegan’s hand shook so badly he dropped the card. “Kerry?”

---