Page 11 of Baby and the Beast

What was that saying? There’s no fool like an old fool?

Not that at forty-one he was ready for his pension or anything, and he’d felt more alive in the last few days than he had in the last few years, but still, he knew it made any sort of a chance with Jesse totally out of the question.

“No luck?” Seth picked Maddox up after decontaminating the hazardous area and fastening a new diaper. He lifted him up and blew a raspberry on the bit of belly that peeked out, and Maddox kicked his legs out and blew bubbles back.

“I’ll go make a bottle,” Jesse hummed softly and brushed a kiss on Maddox’s head just as Seth straightened up. Seth swallowed. They were so close, and for once the smell of clean baby seemed overshadowed by the smell of clean man.

Jesse paused for a fraction of a second and met Seth’s gaze but then seemed to wrench himself away and jogged back downstairs. Seth closed his eyes a moment and pressed a kiss onMaddox in exactly the same spot Jesse had done, then got out a onesie for him. What would it feel like to have those lips on his? He took a breath and opened his eyes.Focus.Maddox closed his eyes and he put him down. In a couple of minutes he was asleep. He turned the baby monitor on and left Jesse’s room.

“There’s more chicken and broccoli. It won’t take too long to heat up.” Seth walked into the kitchen to find Jesse looking in the fridge. He turned guiltily.

“It must be costing a ton to feed us. I don’t exactly have a small appetite.”

Seth got out the leftovers. He had been concentrating on cooking nutritious meals for Jesse, and by accident it was making him eat better too. Despite the lack of sleep, because even though Jesse insisted on getting up with Maddox, it still woke Seth up and he often sneaked in for a cuddle when Jesse had gone to get a bottle.

Seth put the chicken on a plate when it was ready and watched happily as Jesse ate. “Which area did you try tonight?”

“York county. There’s a small biker bar-type place called the Three Bears.” He shrugged. “It was worth a try.”

“How will you know?” Seth asked. Jesse had said he could smell bear shifters and wolves but wasn’t sure about any others.

“I was certain the barman had been around a bear shifter. He wasn’t one himself, but humans wouldn’t know if they did meet one in human form. It’s not like we have a badge stamped on our foreheads.”

“And are you supposed to say anything?”

Jesse reddened. “Grandad told me to say I was looking for Mato. It’s the Native American word for bear. Most of them looked at me like I was crazy. A couple of them let me leave a cell number in case. The one tonight had a notice board that the bikers could leave sale items displayed on. He let me pin up anotice and leave my number.” Jesse shrugged but didn’t manage to come off unconcerned. “I’m running out of options.”

Seth smiled, but he was sympathetic with Jesse’s frustration. He wished he could do more to help, but he didn’t know what.

“How about we watch a movie?” It was only ten, and Seth had napped when Maddox had earlier. And he’d encouraged Jesse to sleep when Maddox did, guessing he had a lot of catching up to do. “Unless you’re tired of course.”

Jesse shook his head and smiled. “I’d like that, actually. I don’t think I’d sleep.”

“What sort of movies do you like?” Seth would watch anything apart from horror, but he wasn’t going to admit that.

“I like action.Star Wars, that sort of thing. But I guess it’s about two years since I saw any.”

Seth brightened. “I have them all. Any in particular?”

Jesse reddened. “The originalStar Warsis my absolute favorite.”

“Sounds good.” Seth got a couple of light beers out of the fridge and nuked some popcorn. He’d been good all week, and he was sure some popcorn was okay. In fact, now that he thought about it, he’d been so focused on Jesse and Maddox that he hadn’t once wanted to eat anything he probably shouldn’t. It was a good feeling.

Jesse was on the couch with the movie ready to go. Without even considering the chair, Seth dropped down on the couch next to Jesse and passed him his beer.

The movie was good. Having Jesse curled up next to him snoring softly was the best thing ever. When he’d fallen asleep, Seth had pulled a throw over them both and lifted his arm so Jesse could snuggle down. He told himself he was all kinds of an idiot for letting this happen, and he didn’t mean Jesse and Maddox staying with him—he meant letting his heart get involved.

Tears pricked at Seth’s eyes because he knew in a few days they would both be gone. Whether they found this mysterious shifter group or not, Jesse couldn’t risk anyone asking questions about Maddox.

And Seth hadn’t been able to come up with one single thing he could do to help. He was an accountant. He wasn’t a superhero much as he really, really wanted to be. He didn’t even know anyone that could get him so much as a fake birth certificate.

Jesse stirred and blinked open his gorgeous brown eyes, narrowing them when he took in where he was. Seth could see the flush forming as he realized he was using Seth as a pillow.

“I’m sorry.” Jesse started to sit up, but Seth caught his arm.

“I’m not,” he whispered, and because he had decided that the one chance he had at something right and perfect would be taken away from him very soon, Seth bent his head and fastened his lips over Jesse’s. And even knowing he was a boring accountant approaching middle age with a body that could best be described as cuddly in the right light, he didn’t care. He wanted Jesse. He wanted Maddox. He wanted them for his family even though he knew he wouldn’t get them, and he clung on for just another second so he could dream.

And then because maybe Seth had died or he was dreaming or maybe his fairy fucking godmother had decided to visit, all of a sudden Jesse was kissing him back.

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