Surrendered Victory
Page 6
"You're thinking loudly again, Reed."
"I know. I guess you want to know about what, too."
"No. I can guess. You're wondering, now what?” He hugged me. “So am I. Jesus, Reed, gay couples have really bad track records statistically.” My heart stuttered. I was monogamous by nature, but he didn't know that. Now that I'd finally taken the plunge I had no intention of being promiscuous and courting the associated risks. I wanted something stable and I sensed he did, too.
"You know, I'm not going to walk away from you for fear of a few statistics."
"That's a bit of a relief, you know.” He reached for the bar of soap. It slipped from his fingers and fell to the tiled floor. We grinned at each other.
"You bend over, Kauffman. I already gave it up once today."
I rolled my eyes at him and picked up the soap. I lathered my hands and rubbed his chest.
"Two rolls in the sack might not be enough to base a long-term relationship on,” I said as I pinched his nipples.
"Keep saying that and I'll whoop you.” His hands covered mine. “Look at me."
I did.
"Neither one of us would have laid hands on the other if this was just about sex."
"You can't know that about me, Dalton."
"The hell I can't. You waited until you were in your thirties to cross the line. How many offers have you had in the last fifteen years? I bet at least three a year."
"Is that how many you've had?” I didn't really want to know. I don't know why I asked him the question.
"At least that many. I accepted very few of them, and most of those I kept to a quick business of trading hands.” He gripped both my shoulders and shook me gently. “And never, never, did I invite any of them to come to my home and fuck me. Until you."
The pressure in my chest increased. I thought I could handle stress, but obviously this sort was beyond me. His hands cupped my face. “Reed, you're something special. We're something special together. I'm sorry it scares you."
"What should I do? Should I confess I feel like some schoolboy when I'm with you? Should I stand here and declare my undying love for you? Should I shake your hand, say thanks for a good time and see you around? I don't know what to do now. I don't know!"
Dalton's eyes searched my face, his concern evident. And underneath the concern was something more elemental, something just for me, and it frightened me even as I wanted it.
"Nothing between us is wrong. It never will be. Tell me—what do you want? Can you see us as a couple? I can."
"You're asking a lot, Dalton."
"I know. But all you have to do is look at it. Face it. Then it can't hurt you any more."
It hurt me plenty right now—in the chest, behind my eyes—and still he wasn't finished with me.
"I know how hard this is. I know the hurt it causes people you love. My ex-wife is a good person who deserved more than I ever gave her. My kids? Don't you think worry about how my life will affect my kids hasn't kept me awake at night?"
"I'm sure it has,” I agreed quietly. “I get your point. Really, I do."
"Yes. But you're not alone in it.” He pulled me into his arms, and I clung to him gratefully. “I want you in my life, Reed. You're worth facing my kids, my family, business partners. You're worth it to me."
I almost choked on the words, but I got them out. “And what happens in a year, or two, or three, when one of us decides to move on? What then, Dalton?"
"Then we had a good run. Life doesn't come with guarantees.” He pulled away enough to look at me. I must have looked a little rough because his face softened. “I'll never hate you, Reed. We're starting out as equals. That's a helluva lot better beginning than a lot of couples ever get.” Dalton kissed me gently. “What do you want?"
Dalton was right about a lot of things. Life didn't have a guarantee. Could I really squander the first true shot at happiness I'd ever found in my life? I couldn't. I'd waited too long for it, endured too much heartache when I believed I would never find someone and be happy.
What was it about Dalton? I didn't know. Who does? He had that indefinable something that made me long to be with him, made me crave his touch.
Did I love him? I wasn't sure. Love had not visited me much in my life. I only knew what I felt for him eclipsed everything else in my life. So maybe it was love. The water had cooled. It was time to turn it off and find a towel, yet neither of us moved.
I looked at him and saw the warmth in his eyes, along with the total understanding and acceptance of me without any strings attached. The look gave form and substance to those murmured words of his love that had haunted me for a week. He smiled the quirky little smile where only one corner of his mouth moved, and I knew I loved him, too.
I knew. So did he.
It was enough.
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KC Kendricks
Multi-published in the arena of romance fiction, KC Kendricks is the pen name under which the author focuses on the interactions of men falling in love with men. Novels by KC Kendricks are adult in nature. Graphic without being vulgar, KC's stories are a celebration of love and hope for mature readers.
Writing more traditional romance under a different pseudonym, the author is an EPPIE Finalist and a CAPA nominee. With one contemporary best-selling title, and several other top-ten list titles, the author has established herself as a storyteller who delivers rich, satisfying romantic stories that feature strong themes of love, hope and redemption with positive, upbeat endings.
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Another installment in the best-selling Canine Cupid series...
As he struggles to get back on his feet after the horrors of service as a medic in the Middle East war, Roy Dunham tends bar in a quiet club. The sudden entrance of K-9 Officer Samson, a Belgian Malinois, and his handsome “human” partner Craig Rommel startles Roy, and the cop's attitude puts him off.
Roy's opinion soon changes, however, after Sam and Craig save him from drug-driven violence. He returns the favor by tending their gunshot wounds, and before long, Roy finds himself hoping the policeman and the dog will become permanent parts of his life.
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When evening approaches, Julie awakens from a nap to find the magical beings nowhere in sight. And even more frightening, neither is the coffee shop, where the strangeness all began!
Julie would like to write off the bizarre occurrences as a dream, or perhaps an hallucination. But her sated body and spirit convince her otherwise. She's left to wonder how and why this strange day began—and if it's really ended...
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Don't miss Surrender's Edge, by Pepper Espinoza,
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Geoffrey Kirk has been in love with his best friend, Nash, since almost the moment they met. Convinced that Nash would never return his feelings, he forced himself to move on, and fell for his assistant, Sunny. Despite his strong feelings, he never acted on them, and when he discovered Sunny and Nash together, he thought he lost his chance for happiness forever.
Until Sunny and Nash make it
clear that he hasn't lost anything ... and he still has a great deal to gain...
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