by HJ Welch
Gabe shrugged. He got the feeling Lewis would get over it. He’d never been the most caring man in hindsight.
“Joey,” Gabe said, looking up at his gorgeous boyfriend. “I’d like to introduce you to the other man in my life.”
“Oh no,” said Joey in mock horror. He dropped to his knees and buried his face in Max’s soft, golden fur. “I don’t stand a chance!”
Gabe chuckled and kissed his cheek, stroking an excitable Max as he wriggled about.
“What do you say, buddy?” he asked. “Do you want to come home?” Gabe was a little worried what Duchess might make of him. She was doing so much better these days, often coming to him and Joey for petting and sleeping in their room or on the end of the bed. Hopefully, she and Max would be the best of friends.
Max barked and wagged his tail. Gabe’s heart ached. He was so happy to have him back he almost couldn’t stand it.
Joey sighed as they both stood. “I’ll come home as soon as I can,” he said, glancing back towards the subway station.
Gabe hugged him close and placed a sweet kiss on his lips. “Your family will be waiting for you when you do,” he promised.
Joey got a strange look in his eye as he looked between Gabe and Max. “Family,” he said.
Gabe knew he was still getting used to the idea. His mom’s divorce was almost finalized, much to his dad’s fury. But Tess had her own apartment across town now and saw Joey and Gabe all the time. Joey’s brother was still being an ass about letting either of them see baby Michael, but maybe with time things would get better.
Joey had been on his own for so long, it made Gabe’s heart soar to see their little family growing. For now, that was just giving loving homes and second chances to their cat and dog. But perhaps one day…
“Yeah, family,” he said, giving Joey’s shoulders a squeeze. “You’re a great dad.”
Joey rolled his eyes. “It’ll be a bit different with actual kids,” he said. He then paused. Gabe loved it when he accidentally blurted out what was really on his mind. Especially when it was something so wonderful.
“We can start with pets,” Gabe said. “Work up to babies.”
Joey looked at him, his eyes wide. And…Gabe spotted a mischievous glint there too.
“Well, I am a traditional boy at heart,” he said, a smile creeping on to his face. “You’d have to marry me first.”
Gabe wrapped his arms around Joey. Max ran around them both, his tail wagging so hard it was smacking their legs. “Is that so?”
Joey swallowed. “Yeah.”
Gabe licked his lips. He already thought this was where they were headed, but he’d imagined planning some great romantic gesture a year or two down the line. But why wait? He knew he loved Joey more than anything else in this whole world.
“Okay then. Would you, Joey Sullivan, marry me?”
Half of Central Park probably heard Joey’s scream as he leaped into Gabe’s arms, throwing his legs around Gabe’s waist. Max barked and hopped around like a maniac.
“Are you sure?” Joey asked between kisses, tears in his eyes.
He’d never been more sure of anything. “Yes,” Gabe said. “We can wait and make it official with a ring if you like-”
“No, no,” said Joey. He shook his head, the tears spilling down his face. “I don’t need a ring. I don’t need things. I just need you.”
Gabe let out a sob and clutched him so tightly he was probably leaving bruises. “You make me so happy,” he said. “I love you so much.”
“I love you too,” Joey said.
They kissed until Gabe couldn’t hold him up any longer. He didn’t want to let him go, but Joey had to get to back to work.
It was okay though, because they had the rest of their lives to spend together. Despite what Joey said, when Gabe got back to Greenwich he was going to fetch his grandfather’s ring from the attic and prepare the most romantic dinner he could.
Because Joey deserved the very best. And they were going to have a lifetime of happiness together.
Burn
Homecoming Hearts #3
Sneak Peek
Sneak Peek
Levi
This was a really bad idea.
Levi had no idea what the hell he was doing, even less why he couldn’t seem to stop. But Raiden felt so damn good pressed between him and the wall of the hotel room.
For all he’d fooled around before, he’d never kissed another guy before Raiden. His mouth was hot and needy as their lips and tongues fought against each other. Why did everything between the two of them have to be such a goddamned battle?
Raiden’s fingers were digging into his back, urging Levi closer. He didn’t think he could press any more of his body against Raiden’s lithe frame, so instead he picked him up. Raiden obediently wrapped his legs around Levi’s waist, grabbing the back of his neck and head as he kissed Levi harder. He tasted of tequila, the lemon and salt from the shots they’d done still lingering on his lips.
His stubble grazed against Levi’s skin and the rigid length of his erection poked into his stomach. There was no fooling himself that he wasn’t making out with a man.
He promised himself he’d never cross this line, not now he was back home. It was one thing to allow another dude to blow you in the middle of the fucking desert when there was no pussy for miles. But Jesus, it was like Raiden had got under his skin, and now Levi couldn’t seem to stop himself from wanting more.
He should put an end to this. It was unprofessional and crazy. He didn’t bang dudes. Guys like him weren’t gay.
Except, from what Raiden had said, he reckoned he wasn’t gay either. He appeared totally at ease with this idea of a sliding scale between straight and gay, and them hovering somewhere in between. The way he’d talked made it seem like no big deal that two men would make out, like it wasn’t life-changing in the slightest.
It was dangerous. It made Levi feel like he could indulge in this side of himself that he’d always kept pushed down.
The alcohol was clouding his judgment, though. He couldn’t seem to convince himself not to swing Raiden around and deposit him on the bed. Raiden pushed his hair back and looked up at Levi with hungry eyes, his breathing ragged. “Well, come on then,” he said, a smirk playing on his swollen, wet lips.
Levi growled and crawled on top of him, shoving his shoulders back. “You want me to fuck you?” he asked, almost like a dare. The words made him shiver.
“Yeah,” Raiden rasped. “Why not? I bet you give a magnificent pounding.”
He groped Levi’s cock through his cargo pants. For someone who had never had sex with a man before, he was certainly bold.
Levi tried to pretend that didn’t turn him on significantly.
“And I bet you’re a filthy fuck,” he said.
Nerves fluttered through his belly, which was ridiculous. He’d done anal with women before. He knew what he was doing. But the thought flitted across his mind that he actually wanted to impress Raiden, that he cared if this was good between them. That was insane. This was nothing more than a drunken, ill-advised tumble. He did his best to shove his uneasiness down with all his other troubled thoughts.
This was just sex, and sex was supposed to be as enjoyable as you could make it. That was all there was to it. They were both here to orgasm. There didn’t need to be any pesky feelings involved.
Raiden squirmed beneath him, dropping his hands over his head and looking sinfully up at Levi as he bit his lip and fluttered his eyelashes. “Time to put your money where your mouth is, Kevin.”
“You talk too fucking much,” Levi said, still irritated by that stupid nickname Raiden had given him. Levi sat up and yanked his t-shirt off. He wasn’t that surprised when Raiden immediately reached up to run his hands over his muscled chest.
“Yeah?” Raiden flicked his eyebrows. “You could shut me up, you know? Plenty of other things I could be doing with my mouth.”
Levi’s cock really liked the sound of that.
Raiden grabbed his neck and dragged him down for another brutal kiss. Levi slipped his hands beneath Raiden’s shirt, skimming his fingers along the bumps of his abs. For a slim guy, he was sure well built.
Levi was enjoying this. If he thought about it too much, it would scare him. But it didn’t seem to matter that Raiden didn’t have breasts, that his hair, although long for a guy, wasn’t fanned all over the pillow like a chick’s would be. His stubbled jaw rubbed against Levi’s, creating friction.
There was always friction between them.
Levi had hooked up with girls he didn’t especially know before. Most of them he’d liked well enough, but not enough to keep in touch. He didn’t have to feel particularly anything for the other person to enjoy sex. He certainly hadn’t been anything more than buddies with the few guys he’d fooled around with during his tour.
So it didn’t matter that Raiden drove him up the wall. That he went out of his way to wind Levi up and make his life difficult.
But as Levi pulled Raiden’s shirt off and they pressed the hot skin of their chests together, he couldn’t quite shake the feeling that this burn between them was something…else. Raiden was like a drug. Levi didn’t want to be craving him, but it was like the more he got, the more he needed.
He could think about that later. No doubt he’d have plenty of time to regret this dumbass decision and mull over what the hell led to him finding himself in this situation.
But right now, his cock was begging for release, and Raiden felt fucking divine underneath him. Just one time couldn’t hurt. They’d get through the rest of this trip, and Levi could probably get away with hardly ever seeing Raiden again.
That thought, and the pang that accompanied it, was also shoved firmly out of the way. He didn’t like Raiden. He didn’t want to hang out with him and become friends. This was just a hot fuck, so Levi needed to shut his brain off and make it good.
After all, there was no way it was ever going to happen again.
1
Raiden
Raiden slowed to catch his breath as he neared the house. He rested his palms on the small of his back and took in several steadying gulps of air. A run around the ranch’s grounds was one of his preferred ways to start the day, but he’d pushed himself extra hard that morning.
The sun hadn’t even properly risen yet. The sky was a beautiful blend of soft pinks, baby blues and a hint of lilac and orange. He let his gaze drift over the horizon as he filled his lungs and slowed his heart rate.
It was difficult to stay grumpy when he got to experience beauty like this every day. Sometimes, he just needed to remind himself of that.
He wiped his brow and began walking up to his parents’ grand farmhouse, the focal point of the property aside from the stables themselves. Even after two years living back here, it still didn’t quite feel like his home.
It was more than comfortable, though. Raiden would never want to sound ungrateful for the opportunities he’d been given. But he was in one of those moods, the ones that had been hanging over his days more and more often.
It was just the repetition that was getting to him, he told himself like he usually did. His life had changed so much over the past several years, but this was the longest he’d stayed in one place for a while. The isolation was bound to get to him from time to time.
He rolled his shoulders and shook his head. There were so many people out there who would kill to be able to do what they loved for a living. So what if it wasn’t exactly what Raiden wanted to be spending his time on. For now, he was earning good money and that, combined with living with his folks, meant he had stability.
He knew a lot of people who craved that even more than doing a job they liked.
Raiden stopped to stretch his legs on one of the many white picket fences that ran all along the grounds, dividing the paddocks up for the horses. He’d tied his hair back, but strands still dripped perspiration onto his face and down his neck.
Stability was good. It just wasn’t what he was used to. After five years almost constantly on the road, it had been hard to adjust to life back at home.
Maybe he needed a vacation? He’d been so busy working he hadn’t taken much time off. The last couple of years seemed to have vanished before his eyes in a blur of one project after another. A few weeks away on a beach somewhere might be exactly what he needed to snap him out of this funk.
Maybe he’d meet a girl?
He smirked and headed back up the path. If he ever bothered to head into Lexington or even one of the smaller towns between the ranch and the city, he’d probably have no trouble meeting someone nice. But after his last relationship fizzled out, he hadn’t had the energy to pursue anything new.
He was just lazy, obviously. He pushed his way into the large, gleaming kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, thinking as he chugged it back. If he had more drive, he’d go out and find himself a nice girlfriend. He might also address his immediate concern of hating almost all the music he was writing and co-producing.
He was such a brat. Songwriting had been his dream since he was a small child. And just because he wasn’t particularly keen on the type of stuff he’d found himself doing day in, day out, didn’t mean he couldn’t still find joy in it.
He sighed and tossed the empty bottle into the recycling.
Days like these and their moods like storm clouds were happening too often. Something obviously needed to change, but he probably wasn’t going to have time to think about that today. He had several projects in progress, a few of which had upcoming deadlines that he needed to be aware of.
To start with, he’d take a cold shower and blast away some of this melancholy by force. Then, once he had coffee, he’d take himself down to the studio and lose himself in the music for a while. Even if he was being forced to write knock-off Christmas jingles in June.
He shuddered. At least the pop songs were kind of fun in a monotonous way. He had a knack for album tracks – filler songs that almost never got released but were great for fleshing out records. He wasn’t exactly proud of the reputation he’d gotten, but being busy was better than being bored.
“Raiden?” his mother’s voice called from further in the house. Possibly his dad’s office? Being a working horse ranch, it wasn’t unusual for everyone to be up and about at this time of the morning. But her tone caught Raiden’s attention.
He was aware he was a sweaty mess, but his mom would know he’d been out running. So hopefully she wouldn’t mind. He wandered out of the kitchen, and sure enough, she was dressed for the day and standing in the study.
So was Raiden’s dad and the family lawyer, Eric Solomon.
Raiden stopped in the doorway as the three of them looked up at him.
“Um, hi?” he said awkwardly.
“Sweetheart, there you are,” said his mom, like they’d been waiting on him despite it only being seven o’clock. “Why don’t you take a seat?”
Raiden frowned. She was smiling at him, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. His dad and Eric looked pained, and Raiden couldn’t help the nerves that fluttered in his belly.
“What’s going on?” he asked. Warily, he did as he was told and sat. His mom took the chair beside him while his dad circled the big wooden desk and took his usual seat with Eric standing by his side.
The room had always felt welcoming to Raiden, never intimidating. It was large and airy with a window taking up most of the wall behind Raiden’s dad, looking out over their land. There were framed pictures of some of his dad’s baseball idols, several of Raiden’s records, as well as family photos. He even had one of those globes that opened up to reveal a decent stash of whiskey that Raiden had been old enough to join his dad in enjoying since he’d come home.
Now though, the room suddenly felt like an interrogation cell.
“Son, I don’t want you to worry, but something’s happened overnight that you need to be aware of.” His dad looked grave. Immediately, Raiden jumped to the worse conclusions.
“Has…someone died?” he asked, not sure if he wanted to know the answer.
His mom let out a little laugh and pulled his hand between her own. She was a small woman, but her grip was strong. “No, darling, nothing like that.” She looked relieved, although still sad. “We’re sorry, we didn’t mean to scare you like that. But it is still sort of serious.”
“Do you know what doxing is?” Eric asked.
He’d been the family’s lawyer ever since Raiden’s dad had retired from the armed forces and taken over the ranch almost fifteen years ago. He was a steady sort of man, in his early fifties with graying hair and neatly trimmed nails. He wasn’t a military man himself, but his orderliness obviously appealed to that side of his dad as they worked well together and socialized regularly.
Raiden trusted him. “Yes,” he said, dread pooling in his stomach. “It’s when someone releases personal information about you online. Usually with malicious intent.”
Eric sighed and glanced at Raiden’s dad. “That’s exactly it. Look, there’s no way to sugarcoat this. But last night someone – or a group of someones – doxed a couple of dozen people. They targeted musicians, actors and sports stars.”
Raiden looked at his parents. Oh fuck. “And…I’m one of them?”
His dad grimaced. “I’m so sorry, son. But it looks like you were one of the worst affected.”
His blood ran cold despite the sweat he’d worked up during his run. He’d always tried to shield his family from the fame that had dogged him while he had been with the band. He would never have thought it would catch up to him now, after so long out of the spotlight.
“What? How?” he demanded.
Eric bent down to type on Raiden’s dad’s laptop. “The hackers specifically targeted you and these other celebrities. They didn’t randomly release your details. There’s a dedicated, easy-to-use website that anyone at all can access and search people by name. Yours has the address of the farm, your phone number, email address and a number of sensitive emails. There are also photos which I’m guessing came from your phone or online cloud service.”
