Page 30 of Cocoa

“Just getting off right now. What’s up?”

There was a pause, and a teasing lilt in Lucas’s voice when he spoke next. “Getting off without me?”

It was an obvious joke, but warmth spread through Ryder’s body, anyway. “You’re either with me or in my head when I do, babe,” he said, the term of endearment coming out without thought. The word dropped between them like it had alwaysbeen there, something natural and normal that they said all the time. Yeah, he’d said it during sex before, but not over the phone after a long shift during a regular conversation. It felt just as good.

“Mm.” Lucas cleared his throat. “I got payment and the signed contract from the media company today. I’m going to use it to buy you dinner as soon as you have an evening off.”

Ryder slid into his truck and turned it on to warm up. “Don’t waste your money on me. You know I don’t need fancy dates or anything.”

“It wasn’t fancy date kind of money. Besides, I have to pay my car insurance this month.” He laughed again, but it sounded a bit strained.

They talked for a minute longer about regular, everyday things that didn’t matter much. Ryder could keep going for hours as long as he got to hear Lucas’s voice, but he couldn’t sit in the parking lot wasting gas. Besides, he was on for the morning shift the next day. They said their goodnights. He hung up, and rolled out onto the quiet street, tapping over to the Midnight Mysteries episode to keep him company.

***

Lucas stretched out on the couch, his socked feet propped on Ryder’s thigh, and Ritz staring at the little bowl of pretzels he balanced on his chest. He wore one of the faded station hoodies again, big and loose with frayed cuffs, and his hair hung loose on his shoulders.

It was stupid how much Ryder loved seeing him like that. The man was gorgeous when they went out with his hair tied back neatly and slim jeans on. He was even better naked with tan skin and dark hair on display. But it was the comfy, cozy Lucasthat made Ryder get all warm and fuzzy inside. Even the pretzel crumbs and messy hair didn’t take away from his attraction.

A past episode of the podcast played on Ryder’s phone, but they’d both heard it before and weren’t paying attention. The new one would start soon. They’d mostly been talking about the possibility of lake monsters, favorite desserts, and their families. Lucas’s didn’t sound like it was worth much, and Ryder wondered if he’d be open to getting adopted by Brooke, Craig, and Emma. His sister was already bugging him to invite Lucas over sometime.

He wondered about a lot of things when it came to building a future with Lucas. In one of his confident moments a few days earlier, he’d stopped by the hardware store. The idea lodged in his brain all week. Every time Lucas came over in the middle of the night to spend time after a shift, and every time Ryder asked him to stop by to check on Ritz. He kept the cocoa stash in the cabinet well-stocked, and his old sweatshirts ready for Lucas to slip into.

He took a deep breath, patted Luc’s leg to shift his feet, and got up. In the pocket of his coat hung next to the door, hid a keychain shaped like a golden retriever and a key to his apartment.

Nerves raced through him as he returned to the couch and pulled Lucas’s feet back onto his lap. Without a word, he handed the key over.

Lucas stared at it, his dark brows drawn together, before looking up with a tentative smile. “What’s this?”

“In case Ritz needs anything when I’m stuck on shift,” Ryder said, trying to keep his voice casual and matter of fact. “Or if I forget something and need to ask you to drop it off.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I figure you’re around enough.”

Lucas glanced down at the key again before setting the pretzels aside and sitting up, his knees curled on the couch nearRyder’s thigh. “You’re giving me a key to your place.” His thumb traced the edge of the metal, and something warm bloomed in his gaze when he met Ryder’s eyes again.

Ryder had to fight back the urge to shoutYes! Yes, move in with me. I want you here all the time.It was too soon for that, right? Instead, he said, “Don’t make it weird,” as his mustache trembled with the effort to hide a silly smile.

“I’m not.” Lucas paused. “I’m trying not to read too much into this, and it’s not working.” Affection and hope infused every syllable of that statement.

That now familiar warmth bloomed in Ryder’s chest again, and he pulled Luc into a cuddle, pressing a kiss to his warm lips. “It’s practical, yeah, but Luc, I trust you. You mean something to me, okay? I want you here.”

No words could reinforce that statement as well as more kisses could. Their mouths met again and again, soft breaths warm between them, and tongues lazily exploring. It wasn’t a precursor to sex, nothing hot or desperate, just the comfort and surety of their growing bond.

Ryder didn’t know how much longer he could stop himself from saying those three little words that echoed in his mind every time he thought of Lucas. He’d never expected to fall for someone like that. Sure, one day. He wanted a family of his own, but it was always some vague future dream to him.

The sting of opening dramatic music for a new Midnight Mysteries episode blared from his phone. Lucas sat back, lips pink and slick, eyes so wide and dark. He settled more comfortably on the couch with his head against Ryder’s shoulder. “Okay, we have to pay attention now.”

Chuckling, Ryder slung his arm around his boyfriend’s shoulder and reached for the bowl of pretzels. The episode began with a story about some historical drama that happened at an old hospital, leaving it supposedly haunted. Ryder barely paidattention, too wrapped up in dreams of the future to think about the past.

Chapter 19

Lucas

The email from Greta came through mid-morning, sandwiched between a 20% off sale newsletter from his favorite camera shop and some spam promising him longer, harder erections. With Ryder around, he didn’t have a problem with that. Lucas clicked on the message and pulled the blanket higher up his chest. Ritz, curled at the foot of the bed like a warm lump, opened one eye, then closed it again.

“We did it.” The email wasn’t long, but it made warmth bloom in his chest. They’d hit the calendar sales goal and had to put in for a second print run. Not only did the project raise enough to transform the unused garage into more comfortable dog kennels, but it also allowed for at least six months of kibblepurchases. The participating police, fire, and EMT stations would also get their shares.

He scanned the numbers, his smile widening, but stopped when he got to the bottom. “I have an offer for you. How would you feel about coming by once a week to photograph the new animals for adoption? It wouldn’t be a huge gig, just part-time freelance with a per-hour stipend. We’d love to keep working with you, and we know your pictures would help us find forever homes for more animals.”

Lucas didn’t even finish reading the last line before he scrambled to reply. YES PLEASE. His fingers flew over the screen. He thanked her, asked when she wanted to start, and tried to keep the all-caps enthusiasm to a minimum. Barely five minutes later, he got a “Whew, I hoped you’d say yes!” response, along with a time to come by next week.