Healing Hearts (Stealing Hearts Book 2)

by K. Evan Coles

  “For you and me both. Even I think she’s dreamy.”

  Mark gave Owen what he knew was a wolfish kind of smile. “I think you’re prettier than Rihanna.”

  “And you know you’re going to get laid tonight no matter what, right?”

  It took a minute for Mark to stop laughing, although the next thought that floated into his brain made him worry his bottom lip with his teeth. “How are your parents with you being gay?”

  “Not too bad.” Owen ran a hand over his head. “They kind of freaked at first and my mom cried a lot. They’ve gotten used to the idea over time, for the most part.” He blew a noisy breath out through his nose. “I think they’d be happier if I was straight, but a lot of that is because they worry. Being gay isn’t always the easiest thing in the world, even in a city like Boston. Add that to being black and... Well.”

  Mark nodded. He had no trouble imagining what Owen wasn’t saying. He was certainly familiar with parents being worried and freaked out about having a gay son.

  “My dad didn’t take it well when I came out,” he said. “We’d always been close, but it was like he didn’t know what to say to do or say around me. We became strangers. My mom didn’t know how to handle what has happening, and we all got real weird around one another for a while.” Weird like Mark only spoke to his parents when he had to and didn’t see them for months at a stretch.

  Owen frowned around a mouthful of curry. “Did you work it out eventually?” he asked after he’d swallowed.

  “Oh, sure. That was mostly due to Lo, of course.” Mark smiled down at his plate. “If you haven’t noticed already, she’s one of the most stubborn people on the planet. Once she gets something in her head, it’s happening whether you want it to or not.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.” Owen’s voice sounded amused to Mark’s ear. “So she forced the issue?”

  “Yes. Made us talk, even if it wasn’t about Mark’s big, gay life. She arranged so many family dinners and trips. That’s how Shitty Movie Night came about.”

  “Bonus for that.”

  “Absolutely.” Mark licked his lips. “My sister got everyone on track again, but it was maybe two years before my dad seemed comfortable around me. And then they were gone only three years after that.” He sighed. “I wish I could go back and do things differently. I’d make better use of that time with them, you know? Be less of a stubborn ass.”

  Owen laid his hand over Mark’s. “I get it.” His dark eyes shone with understanding. “I haven’t been through anything like that myself, but I hear what you’re saying.”

  Those simple words and Owen’s easy touch soothed some of Mark’s rough edges and put him at ease, a thing he hadn’t known he’d needed.

  Despite his earlier nap, Mark’s energy had tanked by the time they’d cleaned up the remains of their meal. He protested Owen’s suggestion they watch a movie in his bed, but really he was glad to stretch out and soak up the warmth of Owen’s lean frame while giant robots chased sea creatures across his TV.

  “This movie is terrible,” Mark murmured. “I’m suggesting it for my next turn at movie night.” He smiled at Owen’s shushing.

  “It’s robots and monsters,” Owen said, his voice pitched low. “There’s nothing about this you won’t like if you give it half a chance.”

  “If you say so.” Mark opened and closed his eyes in a slow-motion blink that lengthened even more when Owen pressed a kiss against his temple.

  “I do. Now be quiet like a good boy and watch.”

  And that was how Mark ended up falling asleep on a hot guy in his bed. Granted the hot guy seemed okay with it, particularly as he’d let Mark sprawl all over him. But Mark still felt a twinge of guilt when he opened his eyes the next morning and understood what had transpired. Owen had brought him dinner, after all, and listened to Mark’s wandering thoughts about loss and missing his parents. Christ, Mark couldn’t even remember the last time he’d shared a bed with someone purely for sleep.

  And that just wouldn’t do.

  He rolled up on to one elbow and stared down at Owen through the early morning glow that snuck past the window shades. Owen lay on his side, facing Mark, one arm under his pillow. There was enough light to illuminate his fine features and dark lashes and that spray of freckles Mark liked so much. Owen’s pretty lips were slightly parted in sleep, and his breaths fell in soft puffs against Mark’s arm.

  Mark laid his hand against the side of Owen’s neck before he kissed him, but kept his touches light. Owen surfaced bit by bit, stirring lazily while he also burrowed closer. He breathed out a sleepy sigh when Mark cupped his jaw.

  “Mmm, Mark.”

  The whisper set a fire in Mark’s belly. He peeled Owen’s shorts off and his own, then touched every inch of skin he could reach, his mouth pressed to Owen’s in a long kiss. Heat pulsed inside him at the way Owen simply yielded.

  “This okay?” Mark murmured.

  “Yeah. Want it. Want you.” Owen raised his hands to Mark’s waist and slit his dark eyes open, and Mark felt the need in that gaze down to his toes.

  He lowered his mouth to kiss the miles of warm skin before him, and his lust built with every motion. Owen gave as good as he got, and though his movements were still slow and sleepy, his cock stood rigid against Mark’s. He smiled at the shudder that wracked Mark’s frame.

  Owen palmed Mark’s cock with one hand, then shifted his weight so he could slide farther down the bed. He trailed kisses along Mark’s abs and pelvis, then nuzzled Mark’s cock.

  Mark stared down at the sight before him and groaned. There was nothing sleepy in Owen’s gaze now. Mark went for the lube and his cock throbbed at the way Owen kissed and teased. He almost cursed in relief when his fingers closed over the little bottle and a condom.

  Sitting up, he guided Owen upright too and pulled him close. Together, they slicked their hands. Owen’s eyes were heavy-lidded, and he let out a long, unsteady breath when Mark wrapped a hand around him.

  Owen reached back, his eyes sliding closed as he worked himself open. Mark’s cock throbbed so hard it hurt.

  “You’re unbelievable,” he said.

  Owen’s head lolled back as if Mark’s words had cut a string. His Adam’s apple bobbed and his mouth fell open a little, and when Mark ran his free hand over Owen’s torso, Owen moaned, the noise as soft as a whisper. He bucked his hips forward, the movement almost certainly unconscious, and Mark swallowed at the sight. He wrapped an arm around Owen’s shoulders and pulled him close.

  “Need inside,” Mark murmured.

  Owen trembled against him. He shifted immediately, his eyes open again and glowing hot when they met Mark’s. His gaze never wavered as Mark lined their bodies up, even as he sank down onto Mark’s cock.

  Mark held his breath at that slow slide, every bit of his self-control on a hair trigger. When he’d bottomed out, Mark thrust up and Owen pushed back, and the rhythm they built drove the heat inside Mark higher. He clutched at Owen, head spinning while Owen hung on too, Mark’s name a breathless whisper on his lips.

  A low tingle started deep in Mark’s core. He clung desperately to the remains of his control and moved one hand to the cleft of Owen’s ass, reveling in Owen’s sharp inhalation. Mark pressed his fingers to where their bodies were joined, and hummed deep when Owen’s whole body went rigid.

  God, he is gorgeous.

  “Can’t.” Owen’s voice broke. He came apart at the seams, his cock pulsing hot and wet between their bodies without ever needing Mark’s touch. “Oh, fuck, Mark. Fuck.”

  Jaw sagging, Mark watched Owen’s face twist, while the rest of his body moved almost without his permission. Without warning, every muscle inside Mark pulled tight, and then he was soaring, orgasm rushing through him so hard he let loose a shout.

  “Beautiful,” he heard Owen murmur, and yes, Mark thought Owen was just that, even though he couldn’t get his mouth to form a single word.

  He buried his face in Owen’s neck, the body in h
is arms anchoring Mark to earth so he didn’t float away, uncaring of the mess between them. Owen ran a hand through Mark’s hair, petting him gently for a long time before he spoke.

  “Can’t believe you woke me up,” he said in a lazy voice that Mark knew matched his lopsided smile. “It’s six-thirty in the morning, man. And it’s Sunday.”

  “I have to work, today, you lazy slob.” Mark pressed a kiss against Owen’s shoulder. “But I’ll make you coffee and bacon if you want to go back to sleep for a while.”

  “M’kay.” Owen ran his nose along Mark’s hairline. “You don’t want any help?”

  Mark leaned back enough to meet his gaze. “You brought me dinner last night and listened to me whine. I think I can return the favor with a little breakfast food while you nap. You need to let me up first, and maybe help me while you’re at it. I think my legs are asleep.”

  Owen tipped his head back and laughed. “I should probably help cook then, because the last thing we need is you face down in a puddle of coffee and bacon grease.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  The following Friday, Mark found himself fidgeting on outside of a restaurant called Poca Luce and scanning the sidewalk, sure his sister would message at any moment. He and Owen had arranged to meet Lauren and Keith for drinks and dinner, and Owen was running late, again.

  Owen being late was not out of the ordinary. The alarms on his phone were typically all that ensured he made it anywhere to meet Mark even close to on time, particularly when he was juggling multiple deadlines at work. Unfortunately, the behavior tweaked Mark’s Type A personality and left him antsy, despite his efforts to squelch his annoyance.

  With a sigh, he turned toward the window of the flower shop behind him and gazed idly at the displays, most of which were Valentine themed, despite the month of February having only just begun.

  “Mark!”

  Mark turned at the sound of his name, and immediately spotted Owen’s tall figure on the opposite side of Cross Street. Skateboard under his arm, he drew the eye of many around him with his bright hair and striking features, and the smile he shot Mark was so genuine Mark couldn’t help returning it.

  His smile died the moment Owen stepped off the curb and into the street without checking the flow of traffic. A chorus of car horns and squealing tires filled the air and Owen’s happy expression turned to one of surprise. Mark stared, openmouthed like the other pedestrians, as Owen jerked back out of the path of a blue Honda.

  “Fucking hell.” Mark’s heart hammered.

  Owen waved an apology at the Honda's driver and she blared her horn, but sped off before the light changed. Owen began the crossing again, his pace a little slower and his expression serious, and seeing him safe flipped a switch in Mark that turned his alarm to anger in a heartbeat.

  “Owen, what the fuck?” he groused. “Are you trying to get yourself killed?”

  Owen frowned. “Of course not,” he said. “I was distracted, that’s all, and—”

  “Late.”

  “Well, yeah.” Owen wrinkled his nose. “Sorry. I got buried and missed the alarm I’d set.”

  The line that worked its way between Owen’s eyebrows took the wind out of Mark’s sails. He sighed and closed his eyes, only to be greeted by an image of Owen in the Honda’s path. Mark quickly opened his eyes again.

  “Fuck.”

  “Hey.” Owen stepped up close. “You okay?”

  “Christ. Yes, I’m okay. Are you?” Mark inhaled incense and the scent of Owen’s woody aftershave and grasped Owen’s hand in his. “You scared me, for fuck’s sake. You were almost hit by a car!”

  Owen pressed his lips together in an obvious effort to keep a straight face and squeezed Mark’s fingers. “I’m fine. Don’t underestimate the Todd reflexes, man.”

  Mark grunted. “I think even you would lose the battle against a car, you nerd.”

  Owen’s answering laughter soothed his nerves, though, and Mark pulled him close so he could shut Owen up with a kiss.

  The tips of Owen’s ears were red when Mark turned him loose. “So bossy.”

  “Mmm, yes, bossy and late to meet Lauren and Keith.” Mark ran a hand over Owen’s hair. “We’ve got maybe three minutes before she starts calling, so let’s get those reflexes of yours in motion.”

  Thanks to the prospect of discussing Owen’s design ideas for her wedding invitation, Lauren was in too good of a mood to be truly irritated with them. The four sat in Poca Luce’s bar while they waited for their table and she and Keith talked about Hawaii, where they planned to spend their honeymoon hiking on Oahu, Kauai, and Maui. They looked so happy as they joked and laughed, and their energy was like the best kind of contagion.

  Owen smiled and loosened his tie. “This trip sounds unbelievable.”

  “Dude, I am stoked,” Keith replied. “We won’t even get to see everything we wanted to!”

  “We’ll see plenty of everything, honey.” Lauren flapped a hand at him. “The only thing I’d change about this trip would be less time sweating my ass off on twisty, turny trails and more by the pool at the hotel spa.” She aimed a look at Mark. “A girl likes a little pampering.”

  “You and me both, sister,” Mark replied. “Owen and I were talking about driving up to Vermont in a couple of weeks. There’s a men-only B&B in Newfane I think he’d like. I went there with Alistair last year around this time and it’s great. Of course, Owen got it into his head to go snowboarding, while all I want is to park my ass in front of the fire with a vat full of hot buttered rum.”

  Keith didn’t bother hiding his scoff. “I’m never sure which one of them is the bigger diva,” he muttered to Owen. “What mountain are you thinking about for snowboarding? Mount Snow and Stratton aren’t bad, but Okemo’s the better bet if you don’t mind a little extra driving.”

  Lauren smiled as Keith and Owen fell into animated conversation. “I’m sort of loving that,” she said to Mark and tipped her head at the men beside them.

  “Yeah, they’re cute,” Mark said, his tone dry. “Keith’s closer in age to Owen than I am, so maybe it’s to be expected they’d get along.”

  Lauren pushed her lips out in a pretty pout. “Don’t be like that. So we both have good taste in younger men—is that a crime? At least we didn’t need to suffer through an awkward meet-the-family kind of evening.”

  “Well, no, but that’s because you knew him before I did.” Mark narrowed his eyes at her. “You know nothing out of the ordinary is going on here, right?”

  Lauren pressed her lips together for a moment and when she spoke her tone was oh, so careful. “I do know that, yes. I hoped maybe things had changed, that’s all.”

  “You know they haven’t.” Something in Mark’s chest pulled even as he said the words. “I like him and we have fun together, but that’s all.”

  Lauren cut her gaze to Owen and Keith, then back to Mark. “Got it.”

  A sense of unease rose in Mark when his sister stayed quiet, especially because her hazel eyes stayed on his. They’d had conversations like this many times over the years. Lauren had never understood Mark’s disdain of love and romance, and he knew she hoped he’d somehow find a man who would change his mind. However, she looked almost sad now, and Mark quickly reached for her hand.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  “I’m not sure what to tell you,” she said, “but something is different about you these days.” Lauren squeezed Mark’s hand and gave him a small smile. “I hope that whatever it is lasts a while. Because it’s nice seeing you like this.”

  Mark swallowed down the tight feeling growing inside him. “Well, whatever this is”—he waved a hand at himself—“I’ll do my best. And in the meantime, I’ll grab another round.”

  Joining the crowd at the bar, Mark turned his sister’s words over in his head. He didn’t get very far before a familiar face wearing a roguish smile appeared before him.

  “Hello, love. Forgive the cliché, but fancy meeting you here.”

&nbs
p; “Hello, Alistair.” Genuine delight filtered through Mark as he embraced his friend. “What are you doing in the North End?”

  “Stuffing myself with more starch than is healthy, of course. I’m with friends, actually, and we’re about to head to the theater.” Alistair kissed Mark on the cheek and stepped back so they could share a smile. “It’s good to see you.”

  “Good to see you too,” Mark replied. The words were hardly out of his mouth when Alistair spoke again.

  “I’m glad to hear that, though I should be angry with you.” He leaned one elbow against the bar and glowered at Mark. “The way you’ve been ignoring my messages is starting to feel personal.”

  “I’m sorry.” Mark grimaced. “I know I’m a terrible friend. But if it helps at all, I’ve been working nights since the end of January and that’s got my schedule all turned around.”

  Ugh.

  Mark wanted to kick himself. Not even he believed the words coming out of his mouth. Regardless of his work schedule, the truth was Mark had been spending time with Owen. And Alistair’s arch look told Mark he wasn’t buying the excuse either.

  “I see. So your disappearing act has nothing to do with a certain young man?”

  Mark sighed. “You can just ask me if I’m still seeing Owen, Al, and I’ll tell you that yes, I am.”

  “I assumed.” Alistair glanced left, toward the seating area where Owen sat with Lauren and Keith. “Is that him?”

  “Yes.” Mark shifted his gaze in Owen’s direction too. He knew better than to offer an introduction. “Lauren hired him to design the wedding invitations so they’re through talking ideas tonight. With Keith, of course. I’m just here as man candy, I suppose, and to foot half the bill.”

  Alistair’s stared at the other table for a long moment. “He’s so handsome. And...younger-looking than I’d have expected.” He aimed a leer at Mark. “Well done, Mark. Are you sure he’s twenty-eight?”

  “Very,” Mark got out past a laugh. “Leave it to you to go there, though in this case I can’t really blame you.”

  “Well, that’s reassuring.” Alistair sounded amused, despite the crease that marred his forehead. He stayed quiet a moment longer before he spoke. “Should I stop messaging?”