“Yeah, I’m a regular comedian. I’m just giving you a hard time. I’m still in bed.”
Kofi made a face before checking his mirrors. “Really? Didn’t you two have enough of that last night? And I thought once you get married, the sex is supposed to die.”
Carter laughed. “That’s what they say but it doesn’t make it true. Anyway, Ciro just left with Ares—something about giving Adrestia a break in some war. I don’t know why he does that. I worry.”
“You knew that going in, remember? Besides, he’s not going to let his brother fight alone—you can’t fault him for that.”
“No… Anyway, how far are you?”
“About ten minutes,” Kofi replied. “Can you make sure there is coffee? I forgot my mug in the house and refuse to turn back for it.”
“All right. There shall be java upon thy arrival!”
“You’ve been hanging out with that man of yours far too long,” Kofi chided. “Gotta jet.” He hung up before Carter could say anything else, checked his blind spots and switched lanes. The basketball slipped from the passenger seat to the floor with a familiar thunk but, other than a quick glance at it, Kofi ignored it.
The air outside was chilly with dark clouds rolling across the sky. Though the meteorologist had said it would be sunny, Kofi still couldn’t see anything worth getting excited about. The bad weather probably had something to do with Ciro and his brothers again. He frowned. He looked up at the sky hurriedly as he sped by the large church on Bellavista Avenue and turned right on Collander Circle. He followed it all the way down to almost the end then made a left onto the private road leading up to Carter’s place.
After parking, he let himself into the house to find Carter on the phone with someone. He pressed a kiss to the side of his brother’s head and made a beeline for the coffeepot. He helped himself to a mug and leaned back on the counter watching his brother work. There was something so impressive about the way Carter made deals, for he always seemed to have the perfect thing to say to people to get the best for his client.
When Carter hung up, Kofi took a swallow and nodded. “Good deal?”
“A great one,” Carter responded, closing his paperwork and setting it aside. “Long night after you left us?”
“Something like that. I got home and just couldn’t fall asleep. There were so many thoughts floating through my head and, at one point, I could have sworn I saw someone looking through my bedroom window.”
“Um…”
“I know. It’s stupid. I’ve just been paranoid since the whole…Shiver thing.”
Carter nodded. “I’m sorry. This is my fault. I brought all this Greek god, Shiver crap into your life.”
“There was no one outside my window, Carter,” Kofi stressed. “I just thought I saw someone there.” But though he had said the words, he didn’t believe them. Lately he felt as if someone was following him and it wasn’t Osaki. He knew what Osaki felt like. He was like light. When Osaki was around, Kofi had the same sensation he’d gotten when he’d gone to the Bahamas for the first time and felt the sun soaking into his skin.
The other sensation from his supposed stalker was the opposite.
“Okay, I have some coffee in me, so let’s do this.” He threw the ball at Carter who caught it before they made their way out of the back door, down a few steps and along a beautiful, flower-lined path.
But when they finally made it onto the court, Kofi’s mind was not on the game. He just couldn’t focus. “I need to talk to you about something. I was going to last night but our conversation turned into a bummer and it completely slipped my mind.”
“Sounds serious.”
“It’s not really. I was just—well, since you and Carter are going away, I asked Osaki to dinner.”
“As in a date?”
Kofi was in the middle of a shot from the free throw line when the question came. He missed horribly, tossing the ball too high. It bounced off the very top tip of the board and sailed toward his brother. Carter ducked and it hit the fence harmlessly then the ground.
“It’s not a date. Why would you even ask that?”
“It’s a valid question.” Carter picked up their ball and dribbled it, turned and hit a shot from almost center court.
“I’m straight.”
“I know…”
He was in possession of the ball again and went in for a two-point shot. “You know how the other night I had a date?”
Carter caught the ball, twisted and went in for the jump shot. Kofi didn’t challenge.
“Yeah. I’ve been meaning to ask you about that but things just seem to crop up.”
“Sure, like your crazy in-laws. Anyhoo, it didn’t end well.” Kofi retrieved the ball, dribbled it to almost the center of the court before going up for a basket. The ball missed, swirling around the rim of the net before falling to the ground.
“What happened?”
“Well, apparently I’m suffering from an antisocial disorder.”
“Huh?”
Kofi laughed. “She was a beautiful woman, don’t get me wrong. I just wasn’t feeling it, or her. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. For the past few years, I’ve been having this feeling. I can’t seem to—” Kofi took a breath. He held onto the ball and rolled his eyes to the sky, trying to find the right words. “Concentrate lately.”
“Maybe you need this vacation more than we thought.”
“Maybe. Or I could just be losing my mind.”
Carter chuckled. “Now there’s a thought. Look, I think it’s just your body’s way of telling you it’s time to slow down and take it easy. Look at the empire you’ve built. You deserve the time away.”
“I agree with you. I just hope that’s all it is.” Kofi didn’t go into the fact that he could feel Osaki. He didn’t tell Carter about the real reason he’d been distant and scared. Carter couldn’t know how terrified he was, for then his brother would be worried and Kofi didn’t want that. He finished the game with Carter and after a quick shower, he got dressed.
“Here,” Carter said from behind him.
Kofi turned and accepted the plate Carter offered. It was loaded with sausage, hash browns and a fried egg. “You cooked?”
Carter shook his head. “Ciro did this morning. He and Ares were talking world domination in the kitchen so I stayed in bed and watched television. I swear when those two get together, I can feel my gray hairs coming in.”
Kofi grabbed a sausage and set the plate on the bedside table. Holding it between his lips like a cigar, he wiped his oily hands against his discarded towel before fidgeting with his tie. He sucked his teeth. “After all these years, I still can’t tie this damn thing worth a damn.”
“Here.” Carter stepped before him to help. They stood silently for a moment before the question Kofi had wanted to ask slipped from his lips.
“How did you know you were gay?”
“There’s that question again.” Carter laughed.
“I’m serious!” Kofi stressed. “Not happy gay but gay gay?”
“What’re you, six?”
“I’m sorry. I probably shouldn’t have asked.”
“It’s okay—really. How did I know I was gay? Well…” Carter tugged at the tie. “I guess I always knew.”
“But you were always into sports and stuff.”
“That doesn’t mean anything. You see, that’s the misconception. Some parents think if they put their kids in football or hockey and not figure skating or curling, they won’t be gay. They think if their kid dances to hip-hop and not classical, they won’t be gay. I loved sports. I was good at it. But I am still gay.”
“Then how…?”
“Did I know? I knew because I was always different. When I got to about fourteen, I could see a woman and think, ‘damn she’s beautiful’. Then I’d see a man and think, ‘damn he’s so sexy’ then I’d find myself wondering if he could ever see himself with me. Then I thought there was something seriously wrong with me.”
�
��But there’s nothing wrong with you.”
Carter smiled sadly. “I know that—now.” Carter patted Kofi’s shoulder. “There.”
Kofi looked down at his brother’s handiwork and grinned like a fool. “Thanks. You really should show me how to do that again. It takes me way too long to get it done in the morning.”
“Sure, Kof.” Carter’s voice was soft and warm. “I knew I was gay because the first time a man kissed me, every part of my body was set on fire. It burned so good all I wanted to do was get consumed by it. Sure, it sounds like a romance novel, but there is such a thing as the fire. I feel it every time Ciro looks at me. That is what I wish for you too, Kofi.”
“I think I’m way past feeling any kind of fire—lovingly or otherwise.”
“Don’t say that. Just keep an open heart.”
“Sounds like something Aphrodite would say,” Kofi joked.
“And she’d be right. Now, go to work, ya bum. You’re already late. I have to get back to my client about this offer and see if I can make some money in commissions today.”
Kofi laughed and hugged Carter. After another quick look at himself, he grabbed his plate of food. “I’m taking this with me.”
Carter laughed. “Have a good time with Osaki tonight!”
Kofi groaned.
Chapter Eight
Kofi set a bottle of wine to chill and stocked the fridge with beer. He then remembered Osaki didn’t drink alcohol. Kofi made some lemonade from scratch and put that in the fridge. After checking on the baked chicken and potatoes, Kofi could breathe again, but then the nerves kicked in.
Rushing to the mirror, he smoothed his hands over his head, fixed his collar then wondered why he was so obsessed with the way he looked. As he had told Carter and himself a thousand times before, it wasn’t a date. It was dinner to talk about the trip to Japan.
Still, as the clock counted down to seven, Kofi began pacing. The last time he’d been that nervous, he had been waiting to hear if he’d passed his real estate licensing exam. “This isn’t a date, Kofi—it’s just dinner.” No matter how many times he said it, he still couldn’t get himself to believe it.
He poured himself a glass of wine from an already open bottle in the fridge and tossed it back. It did nothing for his nerves. Swearing under his breath, Kofi took another drink, set the bottle back in the fridge and called his brother.
“Kofi?”
“Carter, there’s something wrong.” Though he wanted to tell Carter that Osaki turned him on—made him think dirty thoughts—Kofi couldn’t seem to allow the words to leave his lips. All he could manage to say was, “Something is very wrong.”
“What do you mean?” Panic filled Carter’s voice. “Want me to send Ciro to…?”
“No, no, not dangerous wrong… Just… This dinner with Osaki.”
“Bro, I thought you said it wasn’t a date!”
Kofi made a face. “It’s not. I just… I never had dinner alone with a superhero before.”
Carter laughed. “Osaki is not a superhero. He’s a samurai Shiver. Oh, I can see why you’d call him a superhero.”
“Right?”
“Look, you can’t be scared. Osaki won’t hurt you,” Carter advised. “Just talk, be yourself and enjoy.”
The ringing doorbell caused him to almost jump out of his skin. That wasn’t the best time to have a visitor. “There’s someone at the door.”
“Now?”
“Yeah. If it’s a door-to-door salesman, I’m going to snap. That’s justifiable homicide, right?”
Carter chuckled. “I do not recommend it. Go see who is at the door. Tell them you’re waiting for your date…”
“It’s not a date!”
“Fine. Tell them you’re expecting company and enjoy your evening with Osaki. I’m heading out with Ciro now. If you need me, tell Osaki.”
Kofi nodded needlessly. “Okay. Have fun away.”
“I will. Love you, bro.”
“Love you too.” Kofi hung up.
Inhaling, he made his way for the front door and yanked it open. His jaw dropped for Osaki was standing there, dressed in a pair of jeans, a black shirt and black jacket. His hair hung free and Kofi wanted to reach forward and run his fingers through it. He swallowed. “Osaki… You used the door.”
The samurai smiled, an alluring expression that made Kofi instantly feel hot all over.
“You said your heart could not handle the abracadabra of all the popping in and out,” Osaki reminded him. “I thought the door was the best mode of entry for you.”
Kofi smiled, heat reaching his cheeks. “Thanks. Come on in. Dinner is pretty much ready.”
Osaki stepped by him.
“Are you wearing cologne?”
“Yes. Ciro said it was something I should do since I am walking among humans now. He said they frown on something called BO.”
Kofi laughed but covered his mouth when Osaki looked at him with a confused expression. He cleared his throat and led his guest into the kitchen where he’d set the island to look like a dinner table. Eating there instead of the living room would let it feel less of a date and more of a meal between friends.
“Something smells delicious,” Osaki uttered.
Kofi motioned for him to have a seat on one of the high chairs by the island before making his way around it to haul on a pair of mittens. He pulled the baked chicken from the oven and placed the beautifully baked bird on the granite counter, followed by the potatoes and veggies. “Do you want juice, wine or beer? It’s not like you’re driving.”
“I am teleporting and doing that drunk could be dangerous.”
Kofi blinked at him.
Osaki laughed softly. “That was a joke, Kofi.”
The way he said Kofi’s name was so sexy. Kofi turned away to open the fridge. Being so aroused around Osaki terrified him.
“I will have a juice, please.”
For a moment, Kofi stood there, trying to force the hardness between his legs to go away. He thought of every unsexy thing he could think of but nothing worked. He had to focus.
“Do you need my assistance with anything?” Osaki questioned.
Yes. Oh Gawd, yes!
“Actually no,” Kofi said. His body screamed for things it had no business to and that infuriated him. Muttering to himself, he found the opener in a nearby drawer and carried it to the counter. Kofi poured Osaki some lemonade. He tried opening his beer but his hands shook too badly so he handed the opener and beer to Osaki. “Here, make yourself useful.”
“Very well.”
Kofi listened to the familiar sound of the cap leaving the beer bottle while grabbing the plates, knives and forks. It was a quieting sound. When he was sitting again, Osaki set the beer before him but Kofi busied himself dishing out dinner for both of them. But he was suddenly not hungry. To make matters worse, the silence around him threatened to make his brain explode.
“Do you still have connections in Japan?” Kofi asked. He pushed a piece of chicken into his mouth and chewed.
Osaki nodded. “I have developed a few new ones. Ones from my days are all gone now.”
“None of them were given the chance you have?”
“No.”
“I’m sorry.”
Osaki’s eyes shimmered beautifully in the kitchen light. “They died honorably,” he spoke, his accent light. “There is no need to be sorry.”
“Well, you have no one now. I mean, other than Ciro and the gang.”
“That is not true.”
“No?”
Osaki looked as though he was debating if he should say what he was thinking. He chewed with that look in his eyes, his eyebrows knitted, then he inhaled. “I have you.”
Kofi felt warmth flowing over his face and down his neck. “Right. I can’t argue there.”
“Do not be afraid. Your trip will be a fun one.” Osaki took a drink from his lemonade. “I have property there that will be perfect for your stay. Plus it will inspire you further with your art.
”
“You own property in Japan? I thought you stayed on Olympus.”
“I do. It once belonged to my family. Hercules and Poseidon took turns caring for the place when I could not remain on Earth for long periods of time. Now that I can stay away from Olympus, I spend more time there when I just have to get away.”
“Oh, right—the recharging thing.”
Osaki nodded. “It was rather inconvenient. I wanted to stay and fight with my friends, but I could not. After a while, I would have to return so my body could recuperate.”
“I would imagine!” Kofi mused. “I know how I get when my phone needs charging.”
Osaki grinned. “I was like a phone, was I not?”
“I’m sorry.”
“No need. I thought it was funny.”
Kofi grinned and gave up finishing his meal. He wiped his mouth and drank some beer. “Well, that is good. Now about this trip we’re taking. I can book my flight and we can fly there—er, I mean, I could.”
Osaki smiled.
Throughout dinner, Kofi kept the counter between himself and Osaki. For some reason, he couldn’t trust himself. But their conversation stayed away from anything remotely sexual and for that, he was thankful.
“So what do you do for a living?” Osaki wanted to know.
“Real estate agent. Carter builds the houses and buildings and I sell them.”
“And is that good business? Selling the houses, I mean.”
“Yeah, for some…”
Osaki placed his fork down and looked around. “Including you.”
“I’m thankful every day. Do you have siblings?”
“I used to have a brother and a baby sister,” Osaki replied. “The strange thing about this deal is I do not get to see those I have lost. But I suppose that is the trade-off, as they say.”
“Look at the bright side—you have another family now. A family who cares for you is always a good thing, right?”
“Hai.”
Kofi was used to Osaki’s periodic slip into Japanese. It always made him so proud this man still had a part of his old self, his old life. He smiled and went back to pushing a pea around on his plate. He remembered what the woman he went on a date recently had said to him about being antisocial and he never wanted Osaki to think that of him.
Shivers Page 22
