by Ariel Tachna
Now, though, worried about her because of the ear infection, the daybed was a godsend. He could rest but be close to hear her if she needed him. In a matter of seconds, he was sound asleep.
Downstairs, Jaime took his time making dinner when he didn’t hear any footsteps. Srikkanth was visibly tired, and Jaime didn’t feel any rush to wake him. His thoughts raced as his hands worked automatically to cut the mushrooms for the cream of mushroom soup recipe his mother had given him. Every time he and Sri went out with Sophie, people assumed they were a family. He certainly wanted that to be true, but he’d assumed Srikkanth would want to hold to their original bargain. He hadn’t given any indication otherwise. Except in all the little things that seemed to proclaim them as a couple to everyone else. He leaned on Jaime for support and advice where Sophie was concerned. They shared a house, chores, financial burdens. Everything except the closeness and comfort that could come from a loving relationship.
He found Srikkanth attractive. He liked him. He loved Sophie. That seemed like a pretty decent foundation on which to build a relationship. Maybe after dinner, he could find a way to broach the subject.
Half an hour later, the soup was ready. He left it on low heat so it wouldn’t get cold while he went to find Srikkanth. He tapped lightly on Srikkanth’s door, but his roommate didn’t answer. Frowning, he pushed the door ajar and looked inside, but the bed was empty. Shaking his head, he went next door to Sophie’s room, finding Srikkanth asleep on the daybed. “You’re going to spoil her,” he murmured as he went to Srikkanth’s side, perching on the edge of the bed, his hand shaking Srikkanth’s shoulder gently. “Sri,” he whispered, leaning close so he wouldn’t disturb Sophie.
The dark eyes fluttered open, luminous in the near darkness, vulnerable, needy, a little afraid but relieved when recognition set in. The combination was more than Jaime could resist. He lowered his head that little bit more and brushed his lips across Srikkanth’s, sure as he did that he’d end up on his ass on the bedroom floor, but Srikkanth didn’t pull away. His eyes closed again slowly as his lips moved with languid ease beneath Jaime’s, welcoming the kiss, welcoming Jaime. A soft sigh escaped Srikkanth’s lips, ghosting across Jaime’s mouth. Jaime lifted his head for a moment, waiting for Srikkanth’s eyes to open again. When they did, he raised an eyebrow in silent question. Srikkanth’s answer was equally silent but absolutely unequivocal as he pulled Jaime back down for another kiss, a longer, more intense one this time, their noses bumping as they worked around the awkward angle.
“Let me sit up,” Srikkanth whispered.
Jaime moved back, giving Srikkanth room. Sophie stirred restlessly in her bed, so Jaime reached for Srikkanth’s hand, drawing him out into the hallway. “Let’s go downstairs where we won’t disturb the baby.”
Srikkanth followed docilely, still too surprised by the kiss and befuddled from sleep to process what had just happened. When they reached the kitchen and Jaime urged him toward the table, Srikkanth stopped and turned to face his roommate.
“Is this because of Sophie?”
“Of course not,” Jaime said, offended Srikkanth could think such a thing. “I love Sophie, yes, because she’s a sweet, engaging baby, but I don’t need to put the moves on you in order to be a part of her life, as you well know since she’s ten weeks old already. This is because of you and me.”
“Sorry,” Srikkanth apologized. “Everything’s so crazy right now. I’m afraid. My thoughts are all mixed up in my head, and I don’t know what I’m doing half the time. The other half, I’m asleep.”
Jaime laughed. “Don’t be afraid. I know the thought of raising a child alone is daunting, but you don’t have to be alone. Let me help.”
“You’re already doing so much,” Srikkanth protested.
Jaime shook his head. “Let me take care of you too.”
Srikkanth didn’t know what to say. The longing for a true partner, not simply someone to help him take care of Sophie, but someone to lean on for himself, was undeniably strong.
“Come on, Sri,” Jaime urged. “What can it hurt?”
Srikkanth could think of all kinds of things, all the reasons they’d agreed not to get involved with each other when they decided to become roommates, but all of that paled in comparison to the way Jaime looked at Sophie every time he picked her up, the way he was looking at Srikkanth now.
“All right. We’ll give it a try.”
Smiling widely, content with the world at the moment, Jaime stepped closer to Srikkanth, enfolding him in a tender embrace. He brushed his lips across Srikkanth’s again, trying to invest the contact with all the tenderness and affection he could muster. Srikkanth returned the gesture in kind, finally resting their foreheads together in comfortable silence.
Chapter 10
Two days before Srikkanth was due to go back to work, the phone rang. Srikkanth didn’t recognize the number, but he answered it anyway. “Hello?”
“Hello, I know it’s been awhile, but I just found your ad about a room to rent. I was wondering if it was still available.”
The question made Srikkanth smile even as he apologized and explained that the room had already been occupied. Jaime came in as he was finishing the call. He stretched out his arm in welcome, turning to nuzzle Jaime’s neck as soon as he hung up the phone. The empty room had been filled perfectly.
“Who was that?” Jaime asked curiously.
“Someone wanting to rent our spare room if it was still available,” Srikkanth replied. “I told him it had been taken.” He tipped his head up for a kiss. “I told him it was taken. I didn’t tell him I’d found the perfect situation.”
“Perfect?” Jaime teased.
“Absolutely,” Srikkanth insisted. “I have a daughter I love, a roommate who loves her as much as I do, and a man in my life who takes as good care of me as he does of her. What isn’t perfect about that?”
“Well, when you put it that way,” Jaime agreed, leaning closer to kiss Srikkanth more deeply. Their tongues had barely touched when Sophie cried out in the next room.
“She’s hungry,” Srikkanth apologized.
“I’ll get her,” Jaime offered. “You’ve had her all day.”
“Yeah, but I have to go back to work in two days. I want all the time with her I can get,” Srikkanth replied, going into the other room and bringing Sophie back as Jaime prepared her bottle.
“Any news on whether they’ll let you work from home?” Jaime asked when Sophie was settled.
“They approved it today, but only four days a week. I have to go in on Mondays,” Srikkanth explained. “I don’t know what I’m going to do then.”
“That’s easy,” Jaime said. “I’m the manager at my store. I’ll simply take Sunday and Monday off instead of Saturday and Sunday. We’ll still have one day off together, and I can watch Sophie on Monday while you’re at work.”
“You don’t mind?” Srikkanth asked, ridiculously grateful for Jaime’s offer.
“Not at all,” Jaime replied. “It really doesn’t matter to me one way or another which days I take off as long as we have some time together. And this gives me some extra time with Sophie too. Most importantly, it helps you out.”
“I’m not sure what I did to deserve you,” Srikkanth said, “but I’m glad you’re here. I can’t possibly say thank you enough.”
Jaime ended that conversation with a kiss. He wasn’t interested in Srikkanth’s gratitude, only his heart. Srikkanth was holding Sophie between them, making a deeper kiss impossible, but Jaime found he didn’t even mind. She was as much a part of this as they were. Jaime would never have crossed their self-imposed boundaries without her.
“I’ve already done the schedule for next week, but I’ll see if I can switch days with someone. Worst-case scenario, I’ll take a sick day. I never come close to using them,” Jaime offered.
“I know you don’t want to hear it, but thank you,” Srikkanth repeated. “I couldn’t do this without you.”
“Yes, you could,�
�� Jaime insisted. “You’d simply find other solutions to the problems. I’m glad to help, though. You know how much I enjoy being with Sophie and you.”
Srikkanth wasn’t sure which of those statements pleased him more. He’d be lost without Jaime’s help where Sophie was concerned, but he’d come to rely nearly as much on Jaime’s affection for him. Holding Sophie in his arms thrilled him in a way he’d never known before, but the need for companionship was one she couldn’t fulfill. Jaime took care of that one beyond all his imaginings, and all they’d done so far was kiss.
Lots of kisses. Slow, tender kisses, hard, passionate kisses. Hot and heavy with lots of tongue that lasted for what seemed like hours. Soft and sweet and over before they started. Srikkanth didn’t think he’d ever been kissed the way Jaime kissed him, and that was a truly wonderful thing.
Tearing off his tie, Srikkanth hurried up the sidewalk to the house. Work hadn’t been bad, but nine hours away from Sophie was eight and a half hours too many. Rationally, he knew Sophie wouldn’t forget him in that amount of time or hate him for leaving her with Jaime, but the churning in his stomach all day and the empty feeling in his heart had nothing to do with rationality and everything to do with missing his daughter.
Jaime opened the door as Srikkanth stepped onto the porch, Sophie in his arms. Before Srikkanth could even open his mouth, Jaime had put Sophie in his arms. She gurgled happily, and all the stress of the day disappeared as her little arms went around his neck. He took a deep breath, taking in the scent of baby lotion and fresh powder and Sophie. “How did you know what I needed?”
Jaime smiled and leaned in for a quick kiss. “Because I look forward to coming home and seeing her every day too,” Jaime explained. “Come inside and relax. Dinner will be ready in about half an hour.”
“You’re spoiling me,” Srikkanth protested. “It was my night to cook.”
“So what?” Jaime asked. “You worked today and I didn’t. You can cook tomorrow and the next day if you want, but I really don’t mind.”
Srikkanth kissed Jaime again, toeing his shoes off at the front door as he carried Sophie into the living room and sat on the couch. “How are you, betti? Did you have a good day with Jaime?”
She didn’t reply, of course, but she bounced on Srikkanth’s knee, waving her arms enthusiastically and tracking his movement with bright eyes.
“After dinner, we should take Sophie for a walk,” Jaime suggested. “It’s staying light longer and isn’t as cold. We could all use an outing.”
“That’s a good idea,” Srikkanth replied. “I’ll go change and find her jacket so we can go as soon as we’re done eating.”
An hour later, dinner finished and the dishes in the dishwasher, they set Sophie in her stroller and went out for a walk. The evening air was brisk, but not bitter, so they stopped at the park down the street, taking Sophie out of her stroller so she could look around more easily.
“This’ll be a story to tell the grandkids,” Jaime joked. “Our first date was a walk in the park with Sophie a chaperone.”
“I’m taking terrible advantage of your generosity,” Srikkanth lamented.
“I remember offering multiple times,” Jaime pointed out. “I want to be right where I am, on a park bench in the middle of April with you and Sophie. Nobody forced me to be here.”
“You deserve a real courtship,” Srikkanth insisted, “not stolen moments when Sophie isn’t demanding my attention.”
“No, I deserve a real family,” Jaime countered, “and that’s what we’re building, one slow, tender kiss at a time.”
“Is that really how you see us?” Srikkanth asked, stomach jumping with nerves.
“We’re sitting in a park with a baby and a diaper bag and all the rest,” Jaime laughed. “What else would you call it?”
Srikkanth laughed as well. “Okay, point taken. It’s getting a little chilly sitting here. Let’s keep walking.”
Jaime took Sophie and tucked her back in her stroller, making sure the blankets were tucked snugly around her. She cooed happily at him, bringing a big grin to his face. “Could she be any sweeter?”
“I don’t know how,” Srikkanth replied with a grin. He smiled even bigger when Jaime put one hand over his on the handle of the stroller.
Srikkanth sighed and stretched on the couch, working out the kinks of the day. He always felt like he hunched more when he was working at the office. The chair wasn’t as comfortable. The desk wasn’t quite the right height. Not only was it better for Sophie if he worked from home, it was better for him.
“Stiff?” Jaime asked from the armchair next to him.
“Yeah,” Srikkanth replied. “My back is all tensed up.”
“Lie down,” Jaime directed. “On your stomach so I can work on your back.”
Quirking an eyebrow, Srikkanth did as Jaime directed, stretching out flat on his stomach. Jaime rose and crossed to his side. “This will be easier if I straddle you,” he said. “Is that all right?”
“You just want to get me beneath you,” Srikkanth joked.
Jaime snorted. “If that’s all I wanted, I’d have snuck into your bed weeks ago.”
“Why didn’t you?” Srikkanth retorted.
“Because I want more than that,” Jaime reminded him, hands settling on Srikkanth’s shoulders even as he continued to talk. “I want it all. You, Sophie, me, a family. And that means taking our time and doing this right so we make it work rather than rushing into bed and screwing everything up later.”
When Srikkanth didn’t reply, Jaime turned his attention to the stiff muscles in Srikkanth’s shoulders. He wasn’t worried about the lack of reply now. Srikkanth had already agreed in so many better ways.
Srikkanth’s eyes closed as Jaime worked over his back, massaging firmly up and down his spine, concentrating on his shoulders and the spot between his shoulder blades. He couldn’t smother a little moan when he felt one of the knots suddenly give beneath the constant pressure.
“Feel good?” Jaime asked.
“God, yes,” Srikkanth replied. “I didn’t realize I’d gotten so tense.”
“It was your first day back in the office after a long time off, your first day away from Sophie. I’d be surprised if you weren’t tense,” Jaime said.
“Yeah, and my desk at work isn’t terribly comfortable,” Srikkanth agreed. “I won’t complain about working primarily from home for more reasons than just the time spent with Sophie.”
“You could ask for another chair,” Jaime laughed. “There’s no reason to be miserable.”
Srikkanth shrugged beneath the massage. “There’s not much point now that I’m at home eighty percent of the time. They aren’t going to want to spend any money on a desk that hardly gets used.”
“You’re at home four days a week now,” Jaime agreed, “but you may not always be. Sophie will go to preschool eventually.”
“Who knows where we’ll be by then,” Srikkanth said. “I may not even be with the same company. We’ll just have to see how things go.”
Jaime shook his head. “Fine. Then the first thing we do on Monday night after Sophie goes to bed is give you a massage so you don’t end up sore the next day.”
That sounded wonderful to Srikkanth. For the chance to relax and for the opportunity to feel Jaime’s hands on him. He was coming to crave that the way he craved Sophie’s smile. Eventually, Jaime’s hands stilled. “You should go upstairs and get some sleep,” he murmured in Srikkanth’s ear. “You’re exhausted.”
Srikkanth roused himself from his near-doze, lifting his head. “Why don’t you come upstairs with me?” he murmured, meeting Jaime’s eyes. “My bed’s big enough for both of us.”
“Are you sure, Sri?” Jaime asked. “That’s a big step, and I don’t want you to feel rushed.”
“Honestly, I’m probably too tired to do much other than sleep tonight,” Srikkanth admitted, “but I’d like to do so with your arms around me and your warmth in bed next to me.”
“
Then I’d like nothing more,” Jaime replied, slipping off the couch to kneel beside it so he could kiss Srikkanth deeply. “Let me get ready for bed and I’ll join you upstairs. How does that sound?”
Srikkanth smiled. “Perfect.”
Anticipation jangling along his nerves, Srikkanth hurried upstairs and into the bathroom, taking a few minutes to brush his teeth and wash his face and chest to freshen up a bit. He considered taking a quick shower, but he didn’t want to spend that time or seem too eager for more when he’d already told Jaime he was too tired for much in the way of intimacy. His body had other ideas, but he didn’t want to pressure Jaime. Besides, he really did want the comfort of someone next to him in the night.
