face twisted in a wry grin.
Eli rubbed Yin behind her ears until she purred and snugged herself against his arm.
Nate was one of the most opinionated dicks on the planet, but living with Kellan had done more than smooth his rough edges. It had actually given him some people skills. He let a few more minutes of silence tick by before saying, “Tell me about this guy. I promise to avoid dispensing know-it-all advice for ninety seconds.”
“That would be some kind of record. I think you’re just trying to pick up sex pointers.”
“Don’t need any.”
“He really doesn’t.” Kellan came back in and slid the box onto the table. Yin sniffed it, gave Kellan a disappointed look, jumped down and walked away, fluffy tail curled in disdain. “I want to hear this too.”
“There’s nothing to tell.” Eli scooped a slice from the box.
“How did you find out about the baggage, then?” Kellan asked.
“He took me to meet his family.”
Nate choked. Kellan whacked his back and said, “Before or after you…” He waved the slice of pizza in his hand.
It was kind of adorable that Kellan could still get a little shy about gay sex. “Fucked?” Eli finished for him. “After.” He remembered the bathroom. Oh yeah. “And before.”
Nate took a long drink. “So did he also propose?” he managed to rasp out.
“It wasn’t like that. Exactly. He had a thing he had to go to. And it wasn’t exactly his family.”
“That’s a lot of not exactly ’s. Stick to photography and swear to me you’ll never try writing,” Nate suggested.
“Stop editing the entire population of earth and let him tell the story,” Kellan said.
Eli was enjoying this now. He shifted out of direct range and watched Nate take another bite of pizza.
“He already had plans to go to a baptism. The family is his ex-boyfriend’s, but they’re still close.”
Nate swallowed the pizza and reached for his soda. “The family or the boyfriend?”
“The family, mostly, but Quinn stood as the baby’s godfather.” Eli watched Nate drink. “Even though his ex-boyfriend is the baby daddy.”
X-treme Cream soda launched in a spray across the kitchen.
There were parts of Nate that would never change. Eli held up a napkin. “God, you’re so fucking easy.”
Eli didn’t know much besides the bare bones of the Quinn and Peter and Chrissy soap opera, so there wasn’t much detail to give. He hadn’t actually come over here for Nate’s Hey Gray advice, which tended to be snarky and cynical enough to sell papers. As much as he loved Nate, it was Kellan Eli wanted to talk to—without Nate’s acidic remarks burning holes in the conversation.
As Kellan tossed away the trash and wrapped up the remaining two slices of pizza, Nate pushed away from the table.
“I’ve got to finish up my column for this week.”
The Hey, Eli, don’t let the door hit you on the way out came through as clear as if Eli were wearing a Nate translator. Putting on as pathetic a face and as plaintive a voice as he could manage, Eli said, “Can I stay over?” Into the silent glance between his friends he added, “She hates me. I don’t know why.”
“On the couch,” Nate agreed with a sigh.
“But you guys have a king, and I swear my hands will stay on top of the covers.”
“The couch,” Kellan said firmly.
Nate slung an arm around Eli’s shoulders. “Behave.”
Eli managed to duck the kiss that followed enough that it landed on his ear. “Yes, former boss.” He couldn’t avoid the light swat on his ass. It only reminded him of where he wasn’t spending the night.
“Want to watch a movie?” Kellan dropped onto the couch, legs stretched onto the coffee table, remote in his hand.
Eli hurried to get his head in Kellan’s lap before Yin could steal the spot. “I still can’t believe he let you get a TV, let alone one bigger than an iPad. It must be true love.” Eli settled on his side, legs stretched out, head on Kellan’s
Eli rubbed Yin behind her ears until she purred and snugged herself against his arm.
Nate was one of the most opinionated dicks on the planet, but living with Kellan had done more than smooth his rough edges. It had actually given him some people skills. He let a few more minutes of silence tick by before saying, “Tell me about this guy. I promise to avoid dispensing know-it-all advice for ninety seconds.”
“That would be some kind of record. I think you’re just trying to pick up sex pointers.”
“Don’t need any.”
“He really doesn’t.” Kellan came back in and slid the box onto the table. Yin sniffed it, gave Kellan a disappointed look, jumped down and walked away, fluffy tail curled in disdain. “I want to hear this too.”
“There’s nothing to tell.” Eli scooped a slice from the box.
“How did you find out about the baggage, then?” Kellan asked.
“He took me to meet his family.”
Nate choked. Kellan whacked his back and said, “Before or after you…” He waved the slice of pizza in his hand.
It was kind of adorable that Kellan could still get a little shy about gay sex. “Fucked?” Eli finished for him. “After.” He remembered the bathroom. Oh yeah. “And before.”
Nate took a long drink. “So did he also propose?” he managed to rasp out.
“It wasn’t like that. Exactly. He had a thing he had to go to. And it wasn’t exactly his family.”
“That’s a lot of not exactly ’s. Stick to photography and swear to me you’ll never try writing,” Nate suggested.
“Stop editing the entire population of earth and let him tell the story,” Kellan said.
Eli was enjoying this now. He shifted out of direct range and watched Nate take another bite of pizza.
“He already had plans to go to a baptism. The family is his ex-boyfriend’s, but they’re still close.”
Nate swallowed the pizza and reached for his soda. “The family or the boyfriend?”
“The family, mostly, but Quinn stood as the baby’s godfather.” Eli watched Nate drink. “Even though his ex-boyfriend is the baby daddy.”
X-treme Cream soda launched in a spray across the kitchen.
There were parts of Nate that would never change. Eli held up a napkin. “God, you’re so fucking easy.”
Eli didn’t know much besides the bare bones of the Quinn and Peter and Chrissy soap opera, so there wasn’t much detail to give. He hadn’t actually come over here for Nate’s Hey Gray advice, which tended to be snarky and cynical enough to sell papers. As much as he loved Nate, it was Kellan Eli wanted to talk to—without Nate’s acidic remarks burning holes in the conversation.
As Kellan tossed away the trash and wrapped up the remaining two slices of pizza, Nate pushed away from the table.
“I’ve got to finish up my column for this week.”
The Hey, Eli, don’t let the door hit you on the way out came through as clear as if Eli were wearing a Nate translator. Putting on as pathetic a face and as plaintive a voice as he could manage, Eli said, “Can I stay over?” Into the silent glance between his friends he added, “She hates me. I don’t know why.”
“On the couch,” Nate agreed with a sigh.
“But you guys have a king, and I swear my hands will stay on top of the covers.”
“The couch,” Kellan said firmly.
Nate slung an arm around Eli’s shoulders. “Behave.”
Eli managed to duck the kiss that followed enough that it landed on his ear. “Yes, former boss.” He couldn’t avoid the light swat on his ass. It only reminded him of where he wasn’t spending the night.
“Want to watch a movie?” Kellan dropped onto the couch, legs stretched onto the coffee table, remote in his hand.
Eli hurried to get his head in Kellan’s lap before Yin could steal the spot. “I still can’t believe he let you get a TV, let alone one bigger than an iPad. It must be true love.” Eli settled on his side, legs stretched out, head on Kellan’s
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