Page 8 of More Than a Spark

“Yeah, I remember you being a little worried about her.” I sipped my drink. “And how is your dad?” Warmth bloomed in my chest. I’d always liked his dad. I’d always wished my dad was more like him and not such a player.

“He’s great. Looks a little thinner than the last time I saw him though. Maybe a little older.” He pursed his lips. “I think he’s working too hard.” His gaze met mine, then fell to my lips and looked away.

“He’s still working for that big homebuilder, right?” I let my gaze run over his profile, his eyes covered by the long wave of his bangs, the pout of his lips. An ache filtered through my chest. I loved him. There was no stopping it. But I’d have to keep myself in check, as always. I was rusty, but I’d figure out how to deal with it again.

“Yeah, they’re doing a subdivision down in Queen Creek right now.” With a smirk, he spread his hands around him. “It’s a master-planned community with all the amenities.” As he glanced at me, he huffed a chuckle. “At least all the new homes out here have sprinkler systems and shit, so if a fire does break out, it won’t be so bad.”

I shifted on the couch, angling toward him. “Yeah? So, tell me what’s going on with this fire academy. Why do you have to do it again, when you already did one in Flag?” I drank my beer. If I got the subject onto his job, he wouldn’t quit talking.

“Well, different fire departments require you take their training. The training depends on the types of fires that department is likely to see.” He lifted his brows, studying me for a heartbeat. “Like in Flag, you get a lot of forest fires, which are pretty different than the desert brush fires you get here. I’ve already got training in car crashes and extraction, you know, that sort of thing. So, I don’t have to retake that.” His eyes twinkled and he set his beer between his thighs, then gestured with his hands. “Chandler has some big semiconductor manufacturing facilities, so I’m going to do a lot more training on hazardous materials and big box stores.”

“Big box?” I lifted the edge of my mouth. I had him going now.

“Big box training simulates a fire in a big box store, like a Costco. It can also simulate a fire in a manufacturing plant, like Intel.” With a nod, he gulped his drink, then planted his hand on my thigh. “Anyways, enough about that. How’s your internship going? Is it any better?”

I took a deep breath, then blew it out. “No, it’s still boring, creativity-wise.” I thought a minute. “I don’t know, maybe they’re giving me the easy stuff until I graduate over the holidays.” At least I’d been able to make up some of my classes after my failed attempt at being an artist.

“You think you’re going to want to stay on there?” He ran his fingers up and down the sides of his beer can, then peered at me.

With a shrug, I said, “I guess. I don’t know what else I’d do, and I’ve already put in a few years there. I know they’d hire me.” It was the easy way out and I knew it.

“But, your art is so good. Your character designs would look so cool in a video game.” He shifted closer to me and squeezed my thigh. “Come on, Milo. You should at least try.”

I focused on his hand, warming my thigh, and stirring my dick. Don’t get a boner right now…“Uh, but gaming companies are mostly in San Fran or Austin. I’d probably have to move out of state.” I shimmied my leg out of his grasp. He had no idea what he was doing to me. None.

“Oh yeah. Guess you don’t want to leave your mom, huh?” His gaze searched my face, then rested on my lips. “I’d hate for you to go, too. I mean, now that I’ve moved back down here.”

Butterflies took flight in my stomach. If Iwasoffered a job there, I’d definitely decline it to stay here for him. No way I could leave him now. “Yeah, can’t leave Mom.” I forced a chuckle, then drank some beer.

“How’s she doing, anyways? Isn’t she going to retire soon?” He snuck his lower lip under his teeth. “I hear a lot of nurses end up retiring early. It’s hard work.”

God, he was gorgeous and killing me here. “I don’t see her retiring any time soon. She loves it over at Phoenix Children’s. She loves working with kids.” And she was probably the best mom a gay son could have. Working there probably made up for the fact that she never had any more kids besides me.

“Okay, so…” He twisted his lips. “How’s your dad? Have you two gotten any better with each other?” His eyes narrowed.

“I’ll talk about my dad if you talk about your mom. How’s that?” I threw him a quick smirk. If only his dad and my mom got together, then we’d both have the perfect parents…but that would make us stepbrothers. A shiver worked over my spine. That might be even hotter, damn it.

“Fine. I’ll go first. Nothing’s changed and no, I haven’t told her I moved home yet.” He gulped down the rest of his drink, then crushed the can in his fist. “Ready for another one yet?” He climbed off the sofa and ambled into the kitchen.

“Yeah, I’ll take another.” I gulped down my beer and set the empty can on the coffee table, thinking about what he’d said. “Wait, you didn’t tell her yet?”

“No. I don’t think she’d care anyways.” He popped open the refrigerator, grabbed two more cans out of it, then came back and handed me one. “I can’t remember the last time I spoke to her anyways. It’s not like she ever picks up the phone and calls me.”

I raised the edge of my mouth. “Like mother, like son.” I opened my can and it hissed. He wasn’t going to like that comment.

Shifting on the couch, he faced me, the corner of his lips twitching. “I call people. All the time in fact.”

“Yeah, but not your mom, apparently.” As I sipped my beer, I ticked my brows at him. His mom had always been aloof and cold, not at all like him and his dad.

“Okay, yeah, I guess I could call her. But at this point, I’m not even sure what I’d say. She’s not exactly easy to talk to.” He rolled his eyes, then drank from his can.

“I know, but sheshouldknow you’re down here now.” I watched him fidget with his pull tab again.

“Now you sound like my dad. He said the same thing to me today.” He pursed his lips. “So, your dad. How’s he doing?” His gaze found mine.

“Same. I do talk to him once in a while.” My chest tightened. “He’s still picking up women at his fancy restaurant down by the Biltmore.” I shook my head. “I don’t know how he does it. Guess he’ll never settle down.”

He poked me in the chest with his index finger, a wry grin spreading his lips. “Like father, like son maybe? You’ve been playing the field, right?” He did a quick scan of the house. “It looks like all your friends have boyfriends now.” His grin waned. “You don’t uh…you haven’t said you?—”

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