Page 24 of Room 1003

I wiped away the tears that had begun to blur my vision, then slid the ring off my finger. “It’s time,” I agreed.

Time to live again, and time to love again.

14

Ben

OnceIhadtheliving room patched up and the ants were dead, I made good progress on swapping out the old knob-and-tube wiring for a safer modern upgrade. I was tempted to drag my feet, putting off the final touches to delay moving on, but that wouldn’t be fair to any of us. For one, I still needed an income in order to pay my bills, and if I wasn’t going to cash Shane’s checks, then I would have to go back to work elsewhere. More importantly, though, Shane and his family deserved to have their house put back in order. They deserved peace and quiet and movie nights and homecooked meals eaten around a dining room table. They deserved it all, and they wouldn’t get it until I was packed up and out the door.

The day was wrapping up. I’d finished the wiring on the main floor, so now I just had the upstairs to get to. I lumbered up the stairs as quietly as I could in my heavy boots. I suspected Shane was working. I hadn’t seen him all day. I hoped he wasn’t avoiding me, but after the near kiss last week, I wouldn’t have blamed him. He probably regretted it, though my only regret was not claiming him when I had the chance, before I started to second-guess myself.

Shane’s office door was open, the room empty. Same with the bathroom and his bedroom, where I lingered at the doorway, breathing in his sweet scent. His room was modest, just a dresser and a bed covered in a navy-blue bedspread. He’d been spending all his time and energy on everyone else, saving none for himself.

I heard a sound coming from across the hall. I moved down and peeked in the next doorway, and I found Shane on his knees, paintbrush in hand.

“Wow,” I said, stunned.

He glanced over his shoulder at me, then put the paintbrush aside and stood up, inspecting his hands for paint. “Does it look okay?”

“Okay? No, it looks way better than okay. Phenomenal. Mind-blowing!” Shane had painted a dinosaur—well, a dinosaur’s foot, anyway. It looked like it might’ve been a life-sized T-Rex foot, its leg extending upward and disappearing at the ceiling, almost as if it had stepped straight down through the roof and landed in Kit’s bedroom.

Shane tensed up, as he so often did when faced with compliments, but I could tell he appreciated it. While he must’ve known he’d done an amazing job, he needed to hear it from someone else. “You think Kit will like it? I mean, I’m sure he’ll get bored of dinosaurs soon enough, but I can always paint over it.”

“He’ll love it,” I assured him, walking closer to inspect the detail. It looked like he’d layered multiple browns and greens, maybe using a sponge to add texture. “It really is awesome. I may not be as into dinosaurs as Kit is, but even I would love a mural like this in my room.”

He tilted his head to look at me and narrowed his eyes. “Oh? I could do that, if you’d like. It would be the least I can do after everything you’ve done for us.” His lips, which had been tipped in a smirk a second ago, now drooped, and his whole expression turned serious. “I’m not joking. If there’s anything I can do to repay your kindness, just say the word. Anything within my power, it’s yours.”

His eyes were tearing up, and I felt an instinctive panic at the sight. I much preferred when he smiled. “Hey, it’s okay.”

He sniffed, shaking his head, and it set a tear trickling down his cheek. He dashed it away with the back of his hand. “No, it’s not okay. I want to thank you, but words just don’t seem like enough.”

I shrugged bashfully, heat crawling up my neck. “It’s my job. You don’t need to thank me.”

He huffed a laugh. “A job implies you get paid for it, and I happen to know you haven’t cashed the checks I gave you. So, if it’s not a job… then what is it?”

I didn’t know how to answer him, because I wasn’t sure what it was either, but it certainly wasn’t a job, he was right about that. Not when I craved him like this.

He shifted closer, angling himself to try to catch my gaze. “Ben? Maybe you just haven’t had a chance to get to the bank?”

Shuffling awkwardly, I looked down at my feet. “Y-you’re not just a customer,” I finally admitted, and when I managed to drag my eyes up, his orbs were blazing with emotion, his cheeks still wet.

“Then what am I to you?” He seemed to be pleading with me, and I felt the urge to pour my heart out to him. To tell him that I dreamed of him every night, about how I couldn’t wait to show up at his doorstep every morning, eager to see his smile, because it was the only thing that got me through the day. I needed to be close to him, even if he wasn’t ready for anything more.

But I didn’t say any of those things. Instead, I reached up and brushed away his tears with my thumb. His breath hitched at the contact. I left my hand there a moment, the barest rasp of whiskers against my palm. I was close enough I could almost taste him, his second cup of coffee I knew was still lingering on his tongue.

This was uncertain ground. It would be too easy to lose my footing; I was used to being stable, and I couldn’t afford even one misstep around him. Otherwise, I might take him down with me.

My fingers slipped down as I prepared to step back, but before I could pull away, he reached up and caught my hand in his. When my eyes darted over, entranced by the way he laced his fingers in mine, I noticed one distinct feature—or rather, a lack of one. His ring… he was no longer wearing his wedding band.

It was such a shock! I wasn’t expecting this, not today, maybe not even this year—orever. My mind reeled. What did this mean? Was he ready? Ready to move on, ready to be with me? It left such a distinct ache coursing through my body, my heart thundering. Did it mean he wanted me to make a move?

He dragged our joined hands down the column of his throat, his pulse thrumming under my touch, and I saw the way his skin pebbled, raised in goosebumps. Lower still, Shane brought my hand across his chest, his stomach, the waistband of his jeans… My cock hardened, straining against the confines of my pants.

There was no doubt in my mind that I wanted him. Not just physically, but for keeps. But what did Shane want? Was he just looking to let off some steam? Or was this something more? I mean, he had his son to consider. Was I ready to be a father? Because if this turned into a relationship, that was what I would become. There was this whole potential future opening up in front of me, as not just a lover but a husband and a father. And I had to admit, the way it set my heart racing, it scared me. Not because I didn’t want it or because I didn’t think I could handle it, but becauseI did!And there was still a vulnerability echoing in Shane’s eyes.

Maybe he onlythoughthe was ready…

I groaned, overwhelmed with need, my mind swirling with what-ifs and my body drawn to his, but I dug deep and forced myself to take a step back, slipping my hand away from his. He looked hurt, the corners of his eyes pinching.

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