Page 24 of Steal My Heart

“I don’t know if that’s possible.”

“Then we’ll try,” Hilliard told him in a whisper. It felt amazing to hold him, and he closed his eyes. Part of him knew he could easily get excited, but the nervousness of it being their first night together held him back. “I doubt I’ll be able to sleep much tonight.”

“Why?”

“Because I never sleep very well with someone else. Alan and I never really learned to sleep well in the same bed. After a year or so, he started leaving the bed in the night to sleep in the other room. Eventually we were only in the same bed when we had sex, and the rest of the time, we slept apart like one of those fifties television families. I should have known then that we weren’t supposed to be together.” He closed his eyes and listened to Brian’s soft breathing and the sounds of the ocean from outside. As usual, it took him quite a while to fall to sleep, but eventually he gave way to exhaustion. Sleep finally settled over him. When he woke the following morning, he and Brian had switched places, with Brian holding him.

BRIAN WASstill asleep when Hilliard slipped out of bed and went downstairs to the kitchen. He put on the coffee maker and got out some things for a simple breakfast. He made toastand juice along with some fruit and placed it on a tray before returning to the bedroom.

“Brian,” he said softly, loving the view with the covers askew and Brian lying with his perfect cotton-covered ass on display. He was a stunner, there was no doubt about that. He slowly rolled over and pulled up the covers. Hilliard had noticed his very attractive state but didn’t mention it. He set the tray on Brian’s lap and climbed into bed next to him. “It’s pretty simple.”

Brian lightly bumped Hilliard’s shoulder and then kissed him. “I think this is the first time I’ve ever had breakfast in bed.” They took their juice and slowly ate the toast. Hilliard fed Brian a strawberry, catching the juice as it ran over his lips.

“I never did anything like this before.” He smiled and gently shifted closer to Brian. This was a great way to spend part of the morning, though he knew Brian would have to go to work pretty soon, and he had plenty to do himself. Still, it was nice to have a few minutes for just the two of them.

It took less time than Hilliard would have liked, but they finished their breakfast, and Brian shifted the tray before getting up. “I have a couple of jobs this morning that I have to finish, and I should make sure Gran is okay for the day.” He pulled on his jeans and shrugged on his T-shirt, covering his lightly furred chest.

Hilliard set the tray aside. “You know, I think you should work shirtless. I bet you’d get more jobs… or at least people stopping to watch. I know I would.” He leaned closer. “Just watching you is enough to make my heart race.” He tugged Brian down and into a kiss that curled his toes.

“Me too,” Brian whispered. “And I’d love nothing more than to stay here in bed with you and satisfy my own curiosity.” He pressed Hilliard back down onto the mattress with his kiss, then climbed on and covered Hilliard with his clothed weight.Hilliard slipped his arm around his waist, holding Brian to him, loving his weight and solidity against him.

Hilliard was hard, his cock straining in his briefs. He was so damned tempted to strip Brian naked right now, but Brian pulled away and stepped back from the bed. “Damn, you make me want things I don’t know if I have a right to.” His hand shook as he took a step toward the door. “I have to go.”

“Will I see you later?” Hilliard asked.

“Of course.” Brian smiled and then left the room. Heavy footsteps followed on the stairs. The front door closed a minute later, and Hilliard wondered what Brian meant by “things I don’t know if I have a right to.” That was a strange turn of phrase, and Hilliard mulled it over until he got up to take a shower, because he and his imagination most definitely needed one.

HILLIARD SPENTthe morning preparing for his exam. He had plenty of material to review, and he requested the appropriate paperwork from the Ohio Bar Association. Mainly he kept himself busy to stop himself from wondering about Brian.

He absently answered his phone as he sat at his laptop at the kitchen table, the doors open to catch the ocean breeze. “Hilliard, it’s Beverly. I have a meeting with the church group this afternoon, and I was wondering if you’d like to go with me.” The request took him a little by surprise. “These people know everyone, and if you’re thinking of staying and opening a law practice, then you need to meet them.”

“Okay, if you’d like me to go with you. What time is it?”

“They meet for lunch at the pub. We have a room that we use. It’s just a social group. I don’t normally go because it’s hard to get around sometimes, but I will today.”

“All right, I’ll pick you up. Just let me know what time.” She told him everything he needed to know.

“I’ll plant a good seed today, and I’ll be able to wipe the smug look off Violet’s face that she’s had for the last couple of years.” She growled slightly.

“Remind me not to get on your bad side,” he teased. “And remember, we need to unsettle her.” A thought sent a chill up his spine. “One more thing. It’s possible that Violet knows who the real thief is. Think about it.”

“I worked that out already. And after the church meeting, I have an appointment with an old friend in the police department.” Hilliard couldn’t help thinking that he didn’t want to be on the receiving end of Beverly’s machinations. He got the feeling that the police and Violet wouldn’t know what hit them.

“That’s excellent. At the meeting, you spread the information, and I’ll watch Violet.” This could turn out to be interesting. “I’ll see you then.” He ended the call and had just gotten into his study material again when someone knocked on the door. Hilliard got up and went to answer it.

He opened it to Uncle Timothy and a man in a police unform. “May I help you?” Hilliard asked, ignoring his uncle.

“It seems that you are inhabiting this house illegally. Timothy DuPrix says this is his mother’s home and that you are residing here against his wishes.”

Brian rolled his eyes. He should have expected something like this. Uncle Timothy was turning out to be more of a crackpot than he’d originally thought. “Actually, he’s brought you here under false pretenses, and you might consider charges against him. His mother, my great-aunt Grace, passed away a few months ago and left me the house in her will. I have a copy of it. If you’d like to come inside, you may. But he is not to set foot in the house.” He glared at Timothy.

“Now see here—”

“This is my property, no matter what you seem to think, and I don’t want you inside.” Hilliard crossed his arms over his chest,then turned to the officer. “Follow me.” He let him inside and closed the door on his uncle, locking it because he didn’t trust him. Then Hilliard asked the officer to wait and went upstairs. He went to the room that would one day be his office once he’d found some proper furnishings. He got his copy of the will, opening it to the appropriate page as he descended the stairs once more. “As you can see from this document, I inherited the house, and Uncle Timothy received a grand total of ten dollars. Apparently his mother didn’t think very much of her ‘useless and greedy’ son.”

“I see.” The officer turned to where Timothy glared through the window.

“Do you?” Hilliard asked. “He brought you here under false circumstances so he could try to intimidate me and get you involved in illegal activity. This is harassment, and he involved the police.” He smiled. “I suspect you’ll know exactly how the handle this situation.”

---