Set the Stage (A Rivervue Community Theatre Romance, #2)

by Daniel De Lorne

  The grip returned around Gabriel’s throat with a strength that trapped the air in his lungs. Did that mean …? He didn’t know whether or not to look at Bruce but he could feel his gaze. Should he dare? They were friends, this could be nothing more than Bruce being friendly. But what if …?

  He tilted his head just enough and stared straight into Bruce’s pale green eyes. Nope, still couldn’t breathe. The message was clear even if it struggled to get through to Gabriel’s oxygen-deprived brain.

  Should he? Could he? Could they?

  He only had to lean in a few inches and their lips would touch, but that space, that tiny space, was a border that if crossed would change everything. Oh god, he wanted it, he wanted him.

  His lips parted, he wavered, hesitated, but Bruce surged forward, bringing their mouths together, soft lips to soft lips, holding, waiting, not moving, pausing to savour this moment. A fresh start begun with a long-held desire. Gabriel’s mouth moved, rounded out the kiss, their lips separated and Gabriel breathed a breath that electrified his lungs and radiated throughout his body. His breath came out with a shiver built of excitement. How could such a simple kiss undo him so completely?

  ‘Are you okay?’ Bruce whispered.

  But Gabriel couldn’t speak, didn’t want to speak. He only wanted Bruce. He kissed him again, driving his need into Bruce’s welcome, hungry mouth. Bruce’s arms wrapped around him and Gabriel tipped forward, desperate to not break the connection, and once prone, Bruce rolled him onto his back. That mountain of man bore down on him—Yes, oh God, yes!—and kissed him into oblivion.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Bruce’s skin tingled as Gabe’s finger traced a pattern through the hair on his chest. His breathing had only just returned to normal after they’d made love on the stage, but Gabe’s slow inexorable progress across the hills and valley of his furry torso to orbit the sensitive flesh of his nipple had a lot more rising than goosebumps. He reached for his shirt and covered his hardening erection, while craning his neck to kiss the top of Gabe’s head. Gabe looked up and bruised lips plumped with a smile. All for him. Bruce put his hand on Gabe’s bare arse and forced him up the length of his body so they could kiss. His tongue swiped against Gabe’s. He drew back slowly, keeping the contact until the last possible moment.

  Gabe moaned. ‘I’ve wanted that since I was sixteen.’

  Bruce’s eyes widened. ‘Great, now you make me feel really old.’

  ‘Shut up.’ He kissed him again, then Gabe sat upright, arse to covered pelvis. He ground against him, a fog advancing through Bruce’s mind but there was something he wanted to say before he lost the ability to speak.

  Again.

  He propped himself up on his elbows, still pinioned by this vision of a dark angel ready to ride him.

  Again.

  ‘You should know—if you didn’t already—you were the one I really wanted.’

  Gabe stopped the motion of his hips. ‘Then why Jason?’

  ‘I didn’t think it was appropriate you and I being together. Sure, you were legal at sixteen but you were still young. And I found Jason’s attentions flattering. He was fun, cute, seemed into me. Available.’

  Gabe slinked off him and sat beside him on the stage, grabbing a shirt to cover himself. As much as he hated to see Gabe so guarded, the truth had to come out.

  ‘I’m sorry.’ Bruce put his hand on Gabe’s right shoulder, a kiss on his left. ‘I know that makes me sound like the worst kind of user but Rachel had run off again, and I felt lost. Jason made me feel needed for a time, and then, to make it better—or worse, depending on how you look at it—I got to spend time with you.’

  The words rushed out, scouring his throat in their hurry to fix the problems he should have sorted years ago.

  ‘But you never … I didn’t …’ Gabe looked down at the front row.

  ‘I kept my feelings hidden. I didn’t want to cheat on Jason and I didn’t want to lose you. I knew you had a crush on me and I thought maybe there’d be a chance for us eventually, but I was also frightened it would pass.’

  Gabe turned, looked him straight in the eye and there was something brave about that look, something defiant. ‘It didn’t. It hasn’t. Ever.’

  His heart expanded, filling the emptiness he’d always tried to deny. It pumped hard and fast, warming his chest with the comfort of a fire in the middle of winter. He’d spent so many years harbouring a bitterness towards Gabriel, based on Jason’s farewell lies, that it was a relief to feel something better. Something good. Something like love.

  ‘Those nights when it was just the two of us, I thought about kissing you,’ Bruce said. ‘I thought about telling you how I felt, but I was too afraid of ruining what we had. And then you left and I thought my feelings would change because the Gabriel I’d known had gone.’

  ‘What about now? Has he gone?’

  He shook his head. ‘No. You’re different but you’re still that creative, intense and slightly intimidating guy I fell for. You’ve just lost a bit of that fear, a bit of that shyness. Don’t get me wrong, I found it endearing but now it’s like you’re whole, you’re more Gabriel.’

  ‘I wish I hadn’t left.’

  Bruce stroked the side of Gabe’s face. ‘I think you needed to. When there was no-one else for you to rely on, you found out who you really were.’

  ‘Is that what happened to you?’

  ‘Perhaps.’ Only he’d done it by staying and trying to hold everyone together. He’d eventually realised that though his family depended on him, he couldn’t depend on them. But that was in the past now, and Gabe was the only one from back then who he wanted in his future.

  ‘I only left because it got too hard to see you and Jason together.’ Gabe massaged his temple, his eyes looking away, his head turning just enough to put a gap between Bruce’s hand and his own.

  ‘What’s wrong?’

  ‘I think Jason pursued you because I’d told him how much I wanted you.’

  Something clicked. That devious bastard. ‘That’s the missing link.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  As much as he had a right to be pissed off, the anger wouldn’t light. He was too full of Gabriel to let Jason back in, other than as a source of amusement. ‘Out of nowhere Jason started showing an interest, soon after you came to Brachen. I was just too dumb to realise I was just a trophy.’

  Gabe looked stricken. ‘I never thought of you like that.’

  ‘Hey, it’s fine.’ Bruce put his hand under Gabe’s chin. ‘I didn’t think you did. I did think you were a bit jealous but I could never quite work out if you were jealous of me or Jason. When you left—and Jason told me what he told me—I rewrote in my head that you were jealous of me.’

  ‘You must have thought so badly of me.’ Gabe took Bruce’s hand and held it in his lap.

  ‘A little. And a bit in awe that someone could lie so convincingly.’

  ‘What a mess. All those missed opportunities. All that lost time.’

  ‘But we’re making up for it now. No Jason. No impropriety. No secrets.’

  Gabe dived into his arms and hugged him—hard. ‘Right,’ he murmured close to Bruce’s ear.

  Bruce had never felt more whole than he did at that moment. Not only had Gabe saved his house, he’d saved his heart, and he could fill both with happy memories, happy memories of him and Gabe.

  ‘Would you like to spend the night at my place? I promise my bed is a lot more comfortable than this stage,’ Bruce asked, more forward than he’d ever thought he’d be with Gabe. But now they’d gotten this far, what was a little further?

  Gabe pulled back. ‘I can’t. I’ve got to get home in case Mum needs me. Is that okay?’

  ‘Of course.’ There’d be other times. He’d make sure of it.

  Gabe kissed him then stood and reached down for his jeans, all sinew and muscle, and Bruce fell completely in love with the whole eroticism of Gabriel Mora. He’d been slayed like David had slain Goliath, and when Ga
be looked at him, his heart almost broke with how absolutely Gabe possessed him. All those years of not being together and now they finally had a chance.

  Gabe held his hand out and helped Bruce stand, and as he got to his feet, Bruce pulled Gabe towards him and kissed him again. Gabe sagged into his arms and Bruce gladly supported him.

  He didn’t know how much time had passed, lost in the kiss, but Gabe’s hand pressing against his chest brought him back. When they parted, Gabe was panting for breath, a hand held out to keep Bruce at bay. ‘Goddamn it, Bruce. You’re not making it easy for me to leave.’

  ‘Good.’ He grinned.

  Gabe laughed and collected his shirt, the one that Bruce had only told him to change out of so he could get a glimpse of his body. Looking away from Gabe before he’d finished taking it off had been a torment. At least now, he didn’t have to avert his eyes.

  Bruce dressed. ‘Will I see you tomorrow?’

  ‘I’ll call you. I’ve got to take Mum to an appointment over in Nowra. I don’t know how long it will take.’

  And like that reality shoved its nose back in. ‘Let me know if you need a hand.’

  ‘Thanks, but I’m sure you’ve got plenty to do.’

  He grabbed Gabe’s hand and stopped him from leaving. ‘I mean it, Gabe. If you ever need me, I’ll be there. Don’t feel like you have to do this all on your own.’

  Gabe caressed the side of Bruce’s face, and he leaned into the touch, craving how much it soothed him. ‘I know. That means a lot.’ Gabe rose onto his toes and kissed Bruce gently on the lips, lingering like it was their last goodbye.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Gabriel’s week started on a shaky high after the night with Bruce at the theatre, but then Sofia’s health dived and pulled him off the cliff. She’d gone for chemotherapy at the hospital, which left her weaker and sicker than before. He helped shower her, dress her, feed her. A nurse came every couple of days but otherwise it was just him. Sofia was on indefinite leave from the bookshop and getting to the theatre was impossible.

  Bruce messaged and called but he didn’t have a lot of free time either. He was busy building the sets and working as Lexi’s right-hand man. His day job had him dashing from one end of town to the other, which was good for his finances but couldn’t have been good for his wellbeing.

  Who did Gabriel think he was kidding?

  He wanted to see Bruce and that’s all there was to it. He hadn’t yet told Sofia what had happened; his focus was on making sure she was comfortable and cared for. But his need to see Bruce, to feel his touch, to kiss his lips, intensified as the week wore on, creating a friction between wanting to go and wanting to stay. Stuck in the middle, he failed to notice it. But Sofia did.

  She told him to stop fussing, to let her rest, and with as much force as she could muster, she demanded he get out of the house. He only left once she promised to call him the second she needed him. The good thing about being in Brachen was that traffic wasn’t a problem.

  He wouldn’t be out for long. Even so it took him about two hours to leave, and he sat in the car in the driveway for ten minutes before reversing. He should stay. He shouldn’t be so excited to leave her behind so he could see Bruce. There’d be plenty of time to do that once Sofia was better. But his breath hitched high in his throat at the anticipation of being with Bruce again.

  He rationalised it: if he went to the theatre, he could see the progress on the sets and costumes and report back to Sofia.

  He entered through the backstage door and spotted Bruce talking to Kenzie, their heads each over their own scripts. He hung back to watch Bruce as the two of them discussed something; it didn’t matter what it was. Bruce could be explaining the merits of different paint finishes or where to buy the best screws; it would all be the same. Firm, in control, confident and respectful. Though Bruce towered over the diminutive Kenzie, he adapted to her size, never looming over her to force his point, exuding a warmth and friendliness that came from a place of strength.

  Bruce was one of the first gay adult men that Gabriel had met and his confidence hadn’t just been sexy, it had been inspiring. After being beaten for being different, Gabriel had needed to know that gay people did have a safe space in the world and they didn’t have to hide or be ashamed. Bruce had found his place and it wasn’t some gay ghetto but in a real community where he was loved for who he was.

  That’s what Gabriel had always wanted.

  And he’d never get it if Bruce found out he’d lied.

  The secrets bubbled at the base of his throat, threatening to burst. They’d gone from a simmer to a boil over the past week, exhaustion turning up the heat. What if Bruce found out?

  Bruce and Kenzie showed no signs of stopping. He’d find Bruce later, but as he turned, he called out his name.

  He spun back. ‘Hey.’

  Bruce hurried over. ‘You weren’t going to say hello?’

  ‘You looked busy.’

  ‘Never too busy for you.’ He closed the gap between them, an arm slipping around his waist and pulling him close. He rested his forehead on the top of Gabriel’s head, and the gentle giant’s body pressed against his.

  ‘I’ve missed you,’ he murmured.

  Bruce leaned back. ‘Everything okay?’

  ‘Yeah, it’s been a tough week.’ The only real bright spark had been telling Sofia that he and Bruce were seeing each other. If only cancer could be cured with happiness …

  ‘You know you can—’

  ‘I know, but I’ve got some help coming in and you’ve got your own things to deal with, not to mention this place taking up all your time.’

  ‘They can do without me if you need me.’

  ‘Thanks.’

  ‘Can I kiss you now? I’ve been waiting all week and I don’t think I can hold out much longer.’

  He laughed. ‘You may.’

  Bruce beamed then bent down to kiss him with a week’s worth of pent-up sexual energy. It barrelled through him and toppled the worries stacked inside of him, their crashing down almost taking out his knees.

  Someone whistled, and Gabriel scrambled to break from the kiss. He’d forgotten where he was. He turned to see Angela gawping at them.

  ‘Your mother will be thrilled.’ She clapped her hands and marched over.

  ‘She already knows,’ Gabriel said.

  ‘Wait, she does?’ Bruce asked.

  Gabriel tensed. ‘That’s alright, isn’t it?’

  ‘Hell yeah. I just wasn’t sure we were telling people.’

  ‘Says the man who just kissed me in front of everyone at the theatre.’

  He blushed, the colour rushing up to match his hair. ‘I wasn’t thinking.’

  ‘I can tell exactly what you were thinking.’

  Bruce’s skin went an even darker shade of red.

  ‘Sorry to interrupt.’ Angela’s grin must have hurt her cheeks. ‘If Bruce has quite finished with you, I want you to see the costumes and fill Sofia in on what we’ve done.’

  ‘Mind if I come too?’ Bruce asked.

  ‘I don’t think I’d be able to stop you if I said no, am I right?’

  ‘You could try but you’d lose.’

  Angela hooked Gabriel’s arm. ‘He’s gotten so bossy since he became stage manager.’

  ‘There have to be some perks to the job.’ Bruce walked along his other side with a hand on his lower back.

  This is what Gabriel had always wanted with Bruce—this ease between them where they could joke and kiss and talk like the best of friends but with so much more. His lips tingled from Bruce’s attention and he craved more. They had no chance of finding a dark corner now. Maybe later. If the whole theatre gave them a moment’s peace.

  When they walked into wardrobe, Magda was there pinning together pieces of black fabric. She stopped and was as excited as Angela to show them what they’d done.

  Angela took him over to a rack. ‘These ones are the standard costumes for the lesser characters. They don’t need as
much work.’ She showed shirts and blouses, skirts, dresses and trousers, blacks and browns and greys and whites, an occasional spot of colour which he liked. ‘And there are also the plain clothes for the principal actors … here’s Ron’s and this one is Elizabeth’s.’

  Good so far.

  ‘And then we’ve got some of the war costumes and the Hollywood glamour. But what we wanted to show you was the dress for Mary.’ She and Magda pulled a red gown off the rack. The sewing was remarkable, the shimmer of the fabric elegant and glitzy without being tacky. But something wasn’t right.

  ‘What do you think? Would Sofia approve?’ Angela asked.

  ‘Is there something missing?’ There was. ‘Isn’t there meant to be some embroidery on here?’ Ravens stitched in black thread with diamanté eyes.

  ‘Yes, and we would have loved to include it but it would have been a lot more work than I think Sofia anticipated.’

  Heat flared in his belly. ‘Yeah, but …’ He had to be careful. ‘The ravens were important because of their symbolism, the death of the relationship even at a time of promise.’

  ‘I understand but we’re able to represent the same thing with a black shawl and a brooch.’

  ‘It’s not what was on the designs though.’

  ‘Gabriel, I know, but Sofia and I do this a lot. She understands, she’d change things as we needed, it’s just harder with her not being here. Ordinarily she’d be working on these with us but …’

  They weren’t really Sofia’s designs. They were his. And if that’s how they did things then that’s how they did things, but he’d put so much work into them that to see them changed so arbitrarily was a sucker punch. A brooch? How could they see that in the back row? He hid his fists behind his back.

  ‘Let me show you Ron’s suit.’

  She took him to another rack where they pulled out Ron’s outfit, a standard tuxedo with tails. That was it? It was wrong. Dead wrong. It was meant to be a white dinner jacket with a green pattern that gave the illusion of grass, a harking back to Brachen and its dairy farms. What she showed him could have been pulled out of a shop on Main Street.