by Eden French
He nodded.
“I’ve got plans for you, kid. I’m already in talks with Seascape and World View on two upcoming features. I need you ready for auditions by March. No baggage. Just a bright future for us both.”
He forced a smile. “Of course, Cyn. You got it.”
He pulled open the glass door and headed out to the elevators, the rope around his heart nearly squeezing the life out of his chest.
Chapter Three
Carson stood in the terminal at LAX and waited for his boarding group to be called. What was he even doing? Going back home would just bring up a bunch of unfinished business and bad memories.
And the best ones you’ll ever know.
Shut up, he chided his inner voice.
There was no use dwelling on what was. He’d made his choice. When it came down to it, when everything was on the line, when his father had given him the ultimatum, he’d chosen to run. To leave a piece of his heart behind. His mother and sister had forgiven his disappearance. Eventually. But they were his family. Surely, Brand would never forgive…. No one could ever forgive what he’d done. Carson shook his head. Best to let that go. Maybe going home would give him the closure he so desperately desired.
And, on the bright side, he wouldn’t have to deal with the death threats. Not anymore. Thankfully, those had all been buried with his father. May he rot in hell.
Carson shivered and shook away the bad memories. Hearing his boarding call, he made his way to the line. He looked up at the monitor as he shuffled forward. A short flight into Reno followed by an even shorter drive into Tahoe, and he’d be home. He’d have to remember to thank Cynthia for arranging a private car for him later.
As he inched forward in the line, boarding pass in hand, his heart thrummed in his chest, and his hands grew clammy.
Breathe, Carson. Breathe.
There was nothing to be afraid of. Not anymore. Maybe he should’ve told his mother he was coming. No. That had the potential of adding more anxiety to the situation. It’d been seven years, after all. What would she say?
Shit. Seven years. He couldn’t believe how long it’d been since he’d seen his mother and sister.
And Brand.
Again, his heart pounded in his chest as he looked around. Surely the other passengers could hear it.
“Your boarding pass, sir?”
He snapped his head up to see the waiting attendant. Her eyes widened when she saw his face.
“You’re… you’re…,” she stammered.
“Yeah,” he said, smiling and holding out his boarding pass. “I am.”
The woman continued to stare. He wiggled his pass in front of her, and she blinked.
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry,” she fumbled. “I just watch your show all the time, and I’m a huge fan. I can’t believe Hilary turned Brett over to the council. And now, who knows when we’ll find out…. Hey, you wouldn’t be able to give me a hint, would you? You know, just something that lets me know Brett’s going to make it out alive? No, never mind. I don’t want to know.” The machine beeped as she ran the ticket over the code reader as she gushed. “Oh my God. My roommates are never going to believe this.” She leaned in and whispered, “Do you think I can get your autograph?”
His face heated. Autographs were all part of the job, but it didn’t make them any less embarrassing. At least she didn’t ask for a selfie.
“Sure,” he said, pulling a pen from his carryon bag. He rummaged around for a piece of paper but only came up with an airport bar napkin. “You don’t mind, do you?” he said, holding up the crumpled paper.
The woman shook her head and beamed as he scrawled his signature on the napkin and handed it to her.
“Thank you so much,” she said, holding the napkin to her chest. “Have a wonderful flight.”
He smiled and nodded as he stepped past her and into the boarding bridge. In just a few short hours, he could leave all this celebrity stuff behind… at least for a while. A few days to reconnect. To face old wounds.
To see Brand again.
No. He couldn’t possibly. It’d been too long. There was too much left behind. He wasn’t ready for that, was he? Some low-key internet stalking had informed him that Brand was now a paramedic with the South Tahoe Emergency Team, so he knew he still lived there. But did he want to see him?
How could you not see him?
He boarded the plane and took his seat. Quickly glancing around, he shoved his bag under his chair and sighed. Thank God the flight was under booked. Fewer passengers meant less chance of him getting recognized and since the elderly man in the seat beside him didn’t exactly fit his fanbase demographic, he was able to breathe a little easier. Fastening his seat belt, he leaned back and waited for takeoff. As the plane rose, every cell in his body vibrated. He couldn’t believe it. After nearly a decade, he was finally going home.
Chapter Four
The scent of rosemary and garlic filled the small studio apartment. Brand sat on the brown leather couch and watched Teo maneuver gracefully in the small kitchen space as he finished preparing the meal.
“Are you sure I can’t help?” Brand called from his seat.
Teo smiled as he pulled the salmon from the oven. “Yes, I’m sure. It’s nearly done now. Besides, you’re my guest tonight. Just sit back and let me take care of you.” He shot a wink at Brand.
Fire bolted through Brand’s chest straight to his crotch. The warmth spread back up to his heart. He shifted in his spot. What the hell was wrong with him? He’d been with other people since Carson had left seven years ago. He’d definitely scratched a few itches. But there was something about this guy that was different. Watching Teo fuss over dinner, made Brand’s insides swoon like a woman on the cover of one of Ryan’s historical romance novels. He cleared his throat.
“So, you mentioned you graduated from San Francisco State? Did you like living in the city?”
Teo plated the food. “Not particularly. Don’t get me wrong, San Francisco is an amazing and beautiful city. There’s always something to do, something to see, but I guess I just prefer things a little less busy. Less traffic. Fewer people.” He brought the plates over to the small bistro table in the nook area and set them down, flashing Brand a smile. “More natural beauty. So, after graduation I searched the job sites and lucky for me, Ryan needed an assistant. And really, how could I pass this up? It’s gorgeous here.” He removed the dishtowel from over his shoulder and tossed it onto the kitchen counter. “Dinner is served.”
Brand took a seat at the table. “Wow. This looks amazing.”
“Thanks. I took a few cooking classes at the San Francisco School of Culinary Arts for fun.”
Brand raised his eyebrows.
“What?” Teo raised both hands in surrender as he sat down. “You never know when you need to woo a handsome paramedic with some home cooking.”
Brand laughed. “You think I’m handsome?”
Teo stood and leaned over the small table until his lips hovered over Brand’s. “Very.” He pressed forward until their lips met.
An explosion ignited, and Brand instantly responded. God, Teo felt so good. It’d been too long since someone lit the fire that burnt from more than the physical end. His hands flew to the sides of Teo’s face, and he held him still as his lips hungrily ate at the other man’s mouth.
“You taste so good,” Brand growled.
A moan escaped Teo’s lips, and he shuffled around the table until he found himself straddling Brand’s lap. Brand’s hands traced the sides of Teo’s body until they rested at his waist.
Teo fell deep into the kiss until his chest was flush against Brand’s. On contact, Brand’s nipples hardened and ached for attention. His cock twitched in his pants. He pushed back against the other man’s body until Teo bumped up against the table, the contact rattling the dishes. The sound caught Brand’s attention.
“Wait. Wait,” he said, breathless.
Teo continued to nip at his neck. “Not sure I can.”
&nb
sp; Brand tried to pull back but failed. “Your dinner,” he mumbled in the other man’s mouth. “You spent all this time cooking for me—” He gasped. “I don’t want to ruin it.”
Teo dragged his tongue up the side of Brand’s neck and flicked his ear with it. Brand sucked in a breath through his teeth, a tingling sensation spreading down his spine. Shit, he wanted nothing more than to take Teo on the table right now. Just swipe his hand across its surface, plates and glasses crashing to the floor, lay down the delectable man, and suck his cock until he felt his hot fluid rush down his throat.
Brand shook his head. Except they weren’t quite there… yet. As much as his imagination seduced him, he didn’t want to rush this. For the first time in nearly a decade, Brand envisioned future dates with another person. Could this be the beginning of a real relationship? He swallowed hard and pulled back.
“As much as I’d like to continue this,” he whispered between breaths, “I think we need to slow it down… just a tad.”
Teo’s shoulders fell, and he blew out a long, heavy breath. He leaned back and examined Brand’s face. “You weren’t so concerned about keeping things slow the other night?”
Brand’s stomach knotted. He took the other man’s face in his hands and met his gaze. “Don’t take this the wrong way. It’s taking everything in me right now to not devour you right here.” He brought his lips forward and pressed them against Teo’s.
Teo narrowed his eyes. “But….”
“But things have changed.”
“How?”
Brand ran his hands down the sides of Teo’s arms. They were lean but strong. The tight muscles trembled under his touch. “Uncomplicated sex is fast and fun. I’ve been there before.”
Teo tilted his head to the side. “I thought fast and fun was a good thing.”
Brand’s heart pummeled his chest. Surely Teo felt it as his body thrummed to the fast rhythm. Brand considered his next words carefully. After so long, was he finally ready to move on? Staring into Teo’s soft and curious expression, a warmth spread across Brand’s chest. “It can be. But not if you want more.”
The emotion between them filled the silence. Brand swallowed. “So, what do you say? Fast and fun? Or try for something more?”
Teo shifted forward and placed a soft kiss on Brand’s lips. “I think it’s time to get complicated.” He took his seat across the table and adjusted his shirt. Lifting his wine glass, he raised an eyebrow. “To something more?”
Brand lifted his glass to Teo and nodded. “To something more,” he replied, smiling as he realized it was the first time in a long time he truly meant it.
Chapter Five
Coming back to Tahoe was a mistake. Carson stepped out of the black town car and scanned the neighborhood. His heart clenched as he stepped into the past. The small, rustic cabins hadn’t changed at all in the years since he’d left town. Their tall pitched-roofs and squat foundations were just as unimpressive as they were when he was eighteen. He lifted a brow and watched Mr. Thomas three doors down lug his garbage bins out to the curb. Some things never changed.
“Mr. Keaton. Your bag, sir.”
He snapped his head toward the middle-aged man and took his luggage from the uniformed driver. The guy looked tired, like life had pulled a fast one on him. Placing a fifty in the man’s palm, he turned back toward his childhood home. The driver promptly got back in the car, the thin layer of snow crunching under the tires as he pulled away.
“Well, here goes nothing,” he muttered to himself, hoisting his bag over his shoulder and heading down the driveway.
He only had one foot on the porch before the front door swung open.
“Holy shit. Are you fucking serious?”
He stopped and smiled. “It’s good to see you, too, little sis. Where’s Mom?”
Cassie screamed and ran to the edge of the porch, wrapping her arms around Carson’s neck. He dropped his bag on impact and returned the embrace. It’d been too long. Seven long years to be exact.
“What are you doing here? Does Mom know you’re back? How come you didn’t call me? I could’ve gotten your room ready for you. Oh my God, I missed you so much.” She strung each question together, in true Cassie form.
He grinned. “God, I missed you.”
She stepped back and narrowed her eyes at him. “She doesn’t know you’re coming, does she?”
He shook his head. “No one does. It was kind of a last-minute thing. The show is on a semipermanent hiatus right now because of the writers’ strike, so I thought I’d come see how everything’s going. Surprise Mom for the holidays.” He bit the inside of his cheek. “How is everything?”
Cassie blew out a long, exaggerated breath. “How do you think? It’s only been six months since Dad’s gone and she discovered the real reason why you left. Now we’re approaching the holiday season.” She lowered her voice. “One minute she’s talking about what she’ll cook for Thanksgiving and the next, she’s sobbing in her cereal. I’ve been trying to help out around here. Hell, I practically live here now, but she’s going through it, Car.” She scuffed a foot on the porch. “I am too.” Tears glistened in her eyes. Cassie wiped them away with her sleeve.
His stomach knotted. “I know, Cass. I couldn’t even begin to understand why he did what he did when it was happening to me. I can’t imagine finding out about him like you guys did.”
She raised her eyebrows. “You know, you could’ve come up after he was gone. You could’ve explained it in person. It would’ve been so much easier to hear it from your mouth, rather than piece together all the neo-Nazi propaganda he kept in his desk like a sick racist, homophobic puzzle.”
He clenched his teeth. “I tried, Cass, okay? But, I just couldn’t I—I called.”
“You couldn’t just do it for Mom?”
He gritted his teeth, anger flashing through him.
“He kicked me out, Cass. He threatened my life. He made it perfectly clear what he thought of me while he was alive. Fuck, he threatened you and Mom… and Brand too!” Bile rose in his throat as he remembered the day he and his father had gotten into the fight that sent Carson on the next Greyhound to Los Angeles. He replayed it so many times before. Now, he just wished that one day, he could forget it.
Cassie blanched. “I’m sorry, Car. He was a fucking asshole. He didn’t deserve you. Just for the record, it doesn’t matter to me who you want to be involved with, male or female.”
Her downcast eyes deflated his anger. She hadn’t known. She’d only been fourteen when it happened.
“Yeah, well, he did an excellent job of hiding it in public, didn’t he, so… it doesn’t matter. Not anymore. No one would’ve believed it anyway. But, you’re right. I should’ve made a point to tell Mom myself. She should’ve heard it from me. I just got caught up with the show, and it just seemed easier to focus on work.”
A twinkle lit her eye. “Work. Sure. What’s this I hear about you and Sasha Elliot? It’s been all over the Tahoe Voice.”
He rolled his eyes. Oh no, not her too. Wasn’t there anywhere he could find peace?
“Rumors, Cass. Jeez, you’re worse than the paparazzi that spreads that shit.”
“So, are you denying any sort of involvement with the young and sexy Miss Elliot?”
He shot her a warning look. Ever since he landed the role of heartthrob Detective Brett MacLaren on the hit show Vampires Among Us three years ago, the media had been clamoring for details into his love life. It was a good thing he didn’t have time for one because he couldn’t imagine dredging someone through the muck of Hollywood gossip. Besides, as Cynthia had so eloquently put it, his fan base would be brokenhearted if it were discovered he was in a relationship. A big part of his current marketability was in the simple fact that he was still single. Forget about coming out publicly.
“Yes. I am. God, Cass, if I were involved with anyone, you know you’d be the first to
know, anyway.”
“Well, good. I never liked her. She�
�s not your type anyway. Too… feminine.” Cassie gave him a side-glance and leaned over to pick up the luggage. “C’mon, Mom is gonna flip when she sees you.”
His entire body tensed. Too feminine? What was that supposed to mean? Although the discovery of their father’s secret made coming out of the closet to them a moot point, they’d never really talked about him being gay. He didn’t necessarily deny it, but the last time they’d been on the phone, he danced around the whole I’m-not-at-all-interested-in-women portion of the conversation. It just seemed easier to let them believe he was bisexual. Would they even want to know more? How would he even begin that conversation?
So Mom, it’s so good to see you after nearly a decade. Wanna talk about how I only like kissing boys?
Yeah, right.
Jesus, his father had really fucked him up. A cloud of doubt fogged his brain. Maybe he shouldn’t have come. He wasn’t ready. He cleared his throat and flashed a stiff smile. Cassie slung his bag over her shoulder and returned it with a sweet one of her own. She turned and headed into the house, Carson following her with more apprehension than he had when he’d first arrived.
If that was even possible.
Chapter Six
Brand sat at the dining room table of the station and flipped through the latest edition of The Tahoe Voice. WinterFest was just around the corner, and he wanted to make sure the ad his response team had taken out about safety measures during the holiday season was running in this week’s edition. In his experience, the instance of minor injuries tended to spike whenever music, drinking, and early snow were present. He sighed. He’d be on duty this weekend. Not that it mattered. He didn’t really have anyone at home to spend it with, except…. His thoughts traveled to Teo. This could be the first holiday season he’d be willing to share with a significant other since, well, since forever.
He turned the page to the entertainment section. His stomach twisted as the headline jumped out at him. “Keaton and Elliot Slip Away for Secret Holiday.” Great. Seven years later and he couldn’t even read a newspaper without being reminded of Carson. His chest ached, and a surge of anger flew through him. He aggressively flipped the paper closed and leaned back in a huff.
