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.He went inside and firmly shut the door.Chapter 9PINTO’S low warning bark and his nails scrabbling down the stairs followed by a violent thunderclap startled Michael awake.Storms had been predicted for the night, as they always came to herald one season’s change to the next.Michael thrilled to a good storm, and he’d fallen asleep watching lightning approach, thinking about Andrew and the stasis they seemed to be lodged within.He groped to get his phone as he stumbled out of bed.Pinto hadn’t shown signs of weather anxiety before, and there was an indefinable energy compelling him to check on things instead of roll over and go back to sleep.He rubbed his eyes and flicked his phone display on.It wasn’t quite three o’clock, but there were no messages or texts.When he’d converted the loft into an apartment, his family had added a staircase at the back so he didn’t have to contend with a rickety straight ladder.It exited neatly out a door cut into the barn.“Pinto? Buddy?” Michael peered through the darkness into the stairwell but couldn’t make anything out.The storm and early hour prevented even ambient light from brightening the window.He had stumbled halfway down the stairs when lightning flashed and a figure emerged from the gloom.“Holy shit!” Michael fell backward, landing with a sudden bump, then sat on a stair.He shot his breath and patted his chest.“God, Andrew.You scared me.”It didn’t begin to occur to him to mind Andrew’s sudden arrival, despite the hour and tearing him from sleep.It did, however, alarm him, and he raced to think what might have happened to cause it.The last he’d seen Andrew was a whole day and a half ago, another pleasant evening that ended with him cautiously testing the boundaries before listening to and agreeing with the reasons Andrew gave why he shouldn’t stay.It was a familiar pattern, one that held them stuck fast.It frustrated Michael but, otherwise, everything had been okay.“Pinto’s out.I’m sorry, I know it’s really late.Or really early.And I woke you up and I’m sorry.”Michael stood, climbed back up the stairs to the sitting area, and turned on a lamp.The glass shade’s soft amber glow cast into the dark loft like a harsh floodlight.They squinted and blinked at each other.Andrew’s face was pinched and he looked miserable, high-strung, and was shaking bodily with the minute tremors Michael had learned meant he was truly upset or agitated about something.“Pinto will be fine.After he snuffles around, he’ll go in the house to snooze in front of the wood stove.” Michael was direct.“What about you? What’s going on?”“The kids are there too.On the daybed in the kitchen.I dropped them off first because it seemed the best place for them.” Andrew’s lips flattened.“They went right back to sleep, so I don’t think they’ll be a nuisance, but—”“But it’s a farm.Pops is probably already up to do the barn work, and Mom gets up with him to load wood, then get going on breakfast.” Michael rolled his hands dismissively.“It wouldn’t matter anyway.Middle of the day, middle of the night, no one minds you being here.”Andrew nodded distractedly.His pensive expression didn’t change, nor did he react to the splitting crack of thunder that rattled the barn.Michael was about to prompt him over what was wrong when Andrew met his worried gaze.“I tried to wait until later, but I just couldn’t anymore, not all the way until lunch.I thought I could hold out, discuss this with you then, tried to sleep but that didn’t work either.I would have been able to, before—sleep and wait—but not anymore.”They had planned for Michael to bring a late lunch to Andrew’s office during his shift.He nodded encouragingly, glad Andrew would seek him out, but still didn’t understand why.Andrew’s shaking became more marked and his shoulders rose.“Jayce is suing for custody of Tanner.The papers arrived in yesterday’s mail.Apparently, his father is ready to retire and they’re moving to Florida and want to take Tanner with them.” He jerked his head tersely as if to negate even the possibility.“Of course I immediately thought, no way, no way will they take him from me.But what if it gets nasty and drawn out? Am I doing more harm than good digging my heels in? What if they win? Do I pack Chloe up and move to Florida too? I just—I don’t know.”“I bet I have family in Florida, if it comes to it.” Michael didn’t like at all how pale Andrew had gone.He kept his tone light, tried to draw Andrew back out from pitching toward that obsessive loop of thoughts.“It wouldn’t be ideal, but I’m almost willing to bet we could drum up a third cousin, have a couch or even a spare room to sleep in while you get settled.I honestly can’t believe they’ll be granted custody, but we’ll figure out and help you deal with whatever does happen.”“That I do know.” Andrew smiled tremulously and reached for Michael.Some of his color had returned.He cleared his throat.“I will need help to get through this, and you’re who I can count on to ask for it without having to leverage anything.That right there was a big deal to acknowledge, and could have kept until at least breakfast.But I couldn’t wait, not another minute.Because I realized, more than needing help, is that I need you.So much.Just, you.”Michael recognized, and greatly appreciated, the enormity of that admission.“I’m here,” he answered, voice tight with emotion and equal need.A nerve jumped at Andrew’s jaw and Michael’s heart leapt, then they moved, surged into one another’s arms and toward the bed.Andrew’s clothes were rain-wet and cold.Michael grunted an apology for not having attended to that.Andrew shushed and kissed him, then hastily stripped the clinging layers away, shoved at Michael to do the same.He did, loose pajama pants and his worn tee sliding off with ease, then he nudged and shoved Andrew down onto the bed, landing on top of him.The air rushed from them and Michael lifted, but Andrew protested and wrapped both legs around his, held him tightly in place.Michael relented, nipped and kissed the straining tendon in Andrew’s neck.He reveled in the exquisite sensations of them so close like this, heating, then hardening, together [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]