In another moment, he was striding for the front door. “How was the movie?” Kell asked Noah when the other man opened his door.
“I’m not sure Josh will sleep he was so excited; he loves science fiction.” Noah smiled. Then he seemed to absorb the weariness and tension coming from Kell.
“Something’s wrong.” He reached out, his hand almost making contact with Kell’s arm before he let it fall.
“Thomas Anderson; he had a real scare,” Kell stated flatly.
“Another one? He didn’t get lost again, did he?” Noah walked into his living room, studying Kell sharply.
“Noah, you live even further up the mountain than the Andersons do. I’m worried about you and Josh,” Kell said as he followed Noah into the living room. “I don’t know what the hell is going on right now, but no, he didn’t get lost this time.”
“My God! That poor kid and his parents!” Noah shook his head, obviously in shock. “Kell, what happened, can you talk about it?”
“Thomas found a dead raccoon in his garage. It looks like someone left it there deliberately. Listen, I want you and Josh to move in with me just until I stop this from happening.”
Noah’s eyes widened. “We barely know you!”
“Or let me stay here with you at night,” Kell pleaded, his fists balled. “I won’t make a play for you if you aren’t ready, but I just need to keep you both safe. Please, Noah.”
P
LEASE . Not a word he thought came easily from Kell, but one he used because he cared what happened to Noah, to Josh.
“Kell.” Noah could feel waves of determination coming from his Chief. He had the sense that this man would die before he let anything happen to him and his son. It made him even more attracted to the man, as he had been in the theater when Kell had put Josh first, even before seducing Noah.
“He was just a kid,” Kell muttered, looking away. “And somehow I fucked up, missed something, and he got scared. In my town, Noah.”
“Kell, don’t do this.” Noah took his arm, finding the muscles rigid. It was gut-wrenching, envisioning how he’d feel as a parent if Josh were hurt. Kell seemed to take on the role of guardian of the whole town. “You saved his life just recently, remember? Come on, I have some tofu brownies and hot joe in the kitchen.”
Kell blinked. “You gotta be fucking kidding. You put tofu in brownies? You really are from Seattle.”
Glad to distract Kell, Noah nodded, smiling a little, leading the larger man into the large, warm space where copper pots hung and herbs bloomed in the window over the sink. Beyond the windows, the landscaping lit the night. For some reason, Noah now left those lights on during the hours of darkness, as if the illumination pushed back the woods beyond.
“It keeps them moist. They’re good, trust me.”
He poured Kell a cup of coffee, not asking if he wanted decaf, since he had an idea that he’d get an emphatic rejection to that suggestion. Then while Kell watched, he sliced a fresh brownie slathered with thick glossy icing.
He passed both to Kell and sat down, sipping from his own cup.
Kell picked up the brownie and looked at it suspiciously. “You baked it yourself?” he asked.
“Yep. Try it. I haven’t killed anyone yet with my cooking.”
Kell took a bite, and the tired lines on his face relaxed a little. “Huh.”
Noah’s lips pressed together, suppressing a smile; Kell liked the brownie. But he wasn’t prepared for his Chief to lean forward and touch his arm. “Please let me take care of you, baby. It would kill me if anything happened to you or Josh.”
“A MISSING person in our town, yes. And I think it has to go back
some time, Daniel,” Kell spoke softly into the phone in Noah’s home office, gazing out at the woods as the sun flamed yellow and orange through the top branches. It was beautiful here, but his neck was stiff from lack of sleep and the tension of staying up all night.
He’d rested with his gun lying on the bedside table of
“I’m not sure Josh will sleep he was so excited; he loves science fiction.” Noah smiled. Then he seemed to absorb the weariness and tension coming from Kell.
“Something’s wrong.” He reached out, his hand almost making contact with Kell’s arm before he let it fall.
“Thomas Anderson; he had a real scare,” Kell stated flatly.
“Another one? He didn’t get lost again, did he?” Noah walked into his living room, studying Kell sharply.
“Noah, you live even further up the mountain than the Andersons do. I’m worried about you and Josh,” Kell said as he followed Noah into the living room. “I don’t know what the hell is going on right now, but no, he didn’t get lost this time.”
“My God! That poor kid and his parents!” Noah shook his head, obviously in shock. “Kell, what happened, can you talk about it?”
“Thomas found a dead raccoon in his garage. It looks like someone left it there deliberately. Listen, I want you and Josh to move in with me just until I stop this from happening.”
Noah’s eyes widened. “We barely know you!”
“Or let me stay here with you at night,” Kell pleaded, his fists balled. “I won’t make a play for you if you aren’t ready, but I just need to keep you both safe. Please, Noah.”
P
LEASE . Not a word he thought came easily from Kell, but one he used because he cared what happened to Noah, to Josh.
“Kell.” Noah could feel waves of determination coming from his Chief. He had the sense that this man would die before he let anything happen to him and his son. It made him even more attracted to the man, as he had been in the theater when Kell had put Josh first, even before seducing Noah.
“He was just a kid,” Kell muttered, looking away. “And somehow I fucked up, missed something, and he got scared. In my town, Noah.”
“Kell, don’t do this.” Noah took his arm, finding the muscles rigid. It was gut-wrenching, envisioning how he’d feel as a parent if Josh were hurt. Kell seemed to take on the role of guardian of the whole town. “You saved his life just recently, remember? Come on, I have some tofu brownies and hot joe in the kitchen.”
Kell blinked. “You gotta be fucking kidding. You put tofu in brownies? You really are from Seattle.”
Glad to distract Kell, Noah nodded, smiling a little, leading the larger man into the large, warm space where copper pots hung and herbs bloomed in the window over the sink. Beyond the windows, the landscaping lit the night. For some reason, Noah now left those lights on during the hours of darkness, as if the illumination pushed back the woods beyond.
“It keeps them moist. They’re good, trust me.”
He poured Kell a cup of coffee, not asking if he wanted decaf, since he had an idea that he’d get an emphatic rejection to that suggestion. Then while Kell watched, he sliced a fresh brownie slathered with thick glossy icing.
He passed both to Kell and sat down, sipping from his own cup.
Kell picked up the brownie and looked at it suspiciously. “You baked it yourself?” he asked.
“Yep. Try it. I haven’t killed anyone yet with my cooking.”
Kell took a bite, and the tired lines on his face relaxed a little. “Huh.”
Noah’s lips pressed together, suppressing a smile; Kell liked the brownie. But he wasn’t prepared for his Chief to lean forward and touch his arm. “Please let me take care of you, baby. It would kill me if anything happened to you or Josh.”
“A MISSING person in our town, yes. And I think it has to go back
some time, Daniel,” Kell spoke softly into the phone in Noah’s home office, gazing out at the woods as the sun flamed yellow and orange through the top branches. It was beautiful here, but his neck was stiff from lack of sleep and the tension of staying up all night.
He’d rested with his gun lying on the bedside table of
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