Page 112 of Operation Sunshine
With Franco finally in his arms, in his bed, Ben knew he’d been holding his breath since September and had only just learned how to breathe again.
The clock on Ben’s bedside table glowed 3:14 a.m. The world outside was dark and silent, but Franco lay awake, his body still caught between time zones, his mind humming with the surreal fact that he was here, back in Adelaide, back in Ben’s bed.
He shifted slightly, and Ben stirred beside him.
“You awake?” Ben’s voice was low, rough with sleep.
Franco smiled in the dark. “Yeah. Can’t seem to switch off.”
There was a pause before Ben whispered, “I was thinking… about us.”
Franco’s heart kicked up. He rolled onto his side, propping himself up on an elbow. “Yeah?”
Warm fingers curled around his. “I like this flat. I do. And yours is great too. But…” He hesitated, then went on, softer now, almost shy. “I want us to have a place together. Our home.”
Franco’s breathing hitched. “I love that idea.”
“I even started looking,” Ben added. “Found a few possibles too.”
Franco pushed upright in bed, his eyes narrowing in the shadows. “What? And you’re only telling menow? Show me.”
Ben laughed. “Okay, since neither of us seems ready to sleep right now…” He slipped out of bed, retrieved his laptop from the dresser, and climbed back in beside Franco. The glow from the screen lit the room in soft blue as Ben pulled up a folder.
Franco scrolled absently through flats in central Adelaide, all perfectly acceptable—until one property stopped him cold. He pressed his hand to his chest.
“That one. That’s it. Our home.”
A sunlit terrace complete with pergola, bougainvillea wrapped around its posts, a large kitchen with warm wood floors, an open plan living/dining area with doors that opened out onto views that took Franco’s breath away, wide windows flooding the rooms with light…
“Where is it?”
“Bibaringa. It’s about forty minutes’ drive from the restaurant.” Ben read aloud: “Set across approximately ten acres of gently rolling land, this home is the lifestyle change you have been wanting. Whether you’re watching the sunset over the hills, tending to a garden, or simply enjoying the wide-open space, you’ll feel instantly at ease here.” He stared at Franco, a mix of surprise, relief and joyetched across his features. “You’re sure? You didn’t even look at the others.”
Franco nodded firmly, returning his gaze to the glowing images. “I don’t need to. I can feel it.That’swhere we belong. You and me. Our home.”
The words hung between them, rich and heavy with promise. Franco closed the laptop gently and set it aside on the bedside table, then turned back to Ben. His heart thudded in his chest, not from nerves, but from sheer certainty.
“Our home,” he repeated, softer now.
Ben cupped Franco’s cheek with a tenderness that made Franco’s throat tighten. “God, I love the way you say that.”
Franco leaned in and kissed him, leisurely at first, their lips brushing with aching sweetness. But then the kiss deepened, urgency sparking as though months apart had lit a fuse neither of them could ignore. Franco shifted closer, straddling Ben’s lap, his hands sliding into Ben’s hair, claiming Ben’s mouth with growing intensity.
Ben groaned softly against his mouth, pulling Franco flush against him. The kiss turned hungrier, hotter, the kind of kiss that tasted of promises and need, of everything they’d been waiting to reclaim.
Franco broke away long enough to murmur, breathless, “Back to sleep? Not a chance. I have a much better idea.”
He pressed another searing kiss to Ben’s mouth, and this time Ben didn’t hesitate. He gathered Franco into his arms and rolled with him toward the centre of the bed.
Franco was finally—finally—home.
Franco paused outside the restaurant door, the familiar hum of clattering pans and muffled voices filtering through the glass. His chest tightened. It had been three months since he’d walked throughthis door, but the scents that drifted out—coffee, garlic, warm bread—hit him like an embrace.
He stepped inside, Ben behind him, and every head turned.
“Franco!” Willow’s squeal carried across the dining room before she darted around the counter and threw her arms around him. He staggered under the impact, laughing as she clung tight.
“You’re really here,” she said, pulling back to gaze at him with bright eyes. “God, we missed you so much.”
