by Zoe Piper
"Let us know if you need anything," Jase told the couple. With a final goodbye to the new family, they left the hospital room, hand in hand. In the elevator down to the parking lot, Jase sighed happily, and Kyle chuckled at the sound.
"Have I lost you to another?" he teased.
Jase laughed at the comment. "Oh, that wee girl is now my favourite female, but you're my favourite male." He winked at Kyle.
"Glad to hear it," he replied. "She certainly is precious. I don't envy her when she starts dating. She'll have to run the gauntlet of both her father and godfather vetting her dates."
"Well, seeing as that is a good twenty-five years away, we'll worry about it then." Kyle laughed at the statement.
"Uh huh. If she’s anything like her mother, I doubt you and Mike will get any say in anything she wants or does," he retorted back. Laughing together, they headed back to work.
At the door of the office Kyle said goodbye to Jase. "I'll call you later. I've got the video call with my family as it's late Thanksgiving evening there."
"Okay, babe. Say hi from me." Jase gave him a quick kiss. Kyle got out of the car and returned to his office, his mind still in turmoil over his realisation that he was in love with Jase. He was hoping he didn't give anything away to his parents. He wasn't ready to share the news with them yet. As it was, he'd only briefly mentioned Jase the last couple of times they had spoken. His parents were protective of both him and Chloe since Asher, and whilst they were supportive of him, they also knew he hadn't been serious about anyone since Paul.
What Kyle hadn't told Jase last night was that the person that Asher had been cheating on Chloe with had been Paul. The revelation that Asher was bi-sexual had been a shock, but the fact he was cheating with Paul had completely devastated the whole family. Kyle still wasn't certain if they knew each other before both men had started relationships with himself and Chloe, but his gut instinct and hindsight led Kyle to believe they had.
Entering the main office area of BEC, Kyle fielded questions about Sarah and the baby and got a mock telling- off for not taking a photograph. He promised them he would get Sarah to email one through once she was home and settled. Walking into his office, he reminded Marybeth that he would be unavailable from four o’clock as that was when his family would be video calling.
✽✽✽
Jase floated through the rest of the afternoon. He was so pleased for Sarah and Mike, and Mia had stolen his heart. He'd never really thought about having children, but after holding Mia in his arms, he'd had a wish that she was his. His and Kyle's. He was in love with his Texan. He'd realised at dinner the night before that he'd gone from being halfway in love to all the way in love. The delight on Kyle's face when he'd realised that they were at an American-themed restaurant had cemented the feelings he had. He felt good when he made Kyle happy and he wanted to do it all the time. He smiled to himself when he remembered the look on Kyle's face earlier that afternoon when he'd called him Uncle. He decided that in the new year, once Kyle's family had returned home, he was going to ask him to move in with him. Some may say it was too quick, but he wanted every moment he could have with his lover. Of course, he had to share his secret first. One step at a time.
He checked the time on his phone. It was just after eight o’clock. He expected Kyle to have rung by now. Making himself comfortable on the couch with a beer, he brought up his contacts and pressed the call icon next to his boyfriend's name. The phone rang a couple of times before it was answered.
"Hey, darlin'."
"Hi, babe." Jase frowned. Kyle sounded tired and unhappy. "Is everything okay?"
A deep sigh came down the line. "Yes. No."
"What's happened? Is everyone at home alright?" Jase remembered Kyle had been planning to talk to his family that afternoon for Thanksgiving.
"My mother slipped and fell on Wednesday and broke her ankle."
"Is it a bad break? Is she at home?" Jase asked quickly, sympathy rushing through him.
"It's not too bad a break. She's in a cast and at home and in good spirits, but it means they have to delay their trip down here." Kyle sighed again down the phone.
Jase hear the disappointment in his voice. He wanted to take him in his arms and comfort him. "Do you want me to come over? Or you could come here." There was no answer. "Babe? Give me twenty minutes and I can be there."
"No. Stay there." Disappointment coursed through him before Kyle continued, "I'll come to you. I prefer your place."
"Drive safe. I'll see you soon." Jase rang off the phone. Forty minutes later Kyle was wrapped in his embrace as they lay on the couch.
"So, instead of being here for Christmas, they’ll be arriving on January fourth." Kyle relaxed back into Jase's chest. Jase listened as Kyle explained the changes to his family's trip.
"Only a couple of weeks delay then?" Jase queried. "Not so bad."
"No. I suppose not. On the upside, Luke is coming with them, so you'll get to meet my best friend."
Jase grinned. "Can't wait to meet him. I'm sure he's got some stories he can share."
Kyle leaned back and peered up at him. "Maybe I won't introduce you after all," he teased. Jase could see he was relaxing and starting to feel better.
"You can come to my parent's place for Christmas Day." Jase told him. Before Kyle could protest, he continued, "No. Don't say anything other than 'I'd love to, Jase'. My parents will want to have you there."
"I'd love to, Jase," Kyle deadpanned.
"Good," Jase retorted, "that's settled then." He dropped a kiss on Kyle's cheek and reached for the tv remote. "Movie or sport?" He asked.
"Neither." Kyle rolled and Jase found himself pinned on the couch.
He grinned up at his boyfriend, "That'll work too."
Chapter 16
Kyle checked his bow tie as he stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom of Jase's house. Pleased he'd managed to get it looking straight, he checked the rest of his reflection. His hair had been trimmed that morning and he'd used a little bit of product to give it a sleek, slicked back look. His shirt was new, and he was pleased with the way the cut emphasised his broad chest and narrow waist. He just needed to add his cufflinks and jacket and he'd be ready. He and Jase were getting ready for the Sherwood Foundation Christmas Gala ball, being held that evening at the Hilton.
They had hardly seen each other the last couple of weeks as Kyle had been out of town and Jase had been busy finalising the last details of tonight’s event. Even though they’d managed a couple of successful attempts at phone sex and there had been an enthusiastic reunion, they had decided to use separate rooms to get ready to prevent any further distraction. Kyle was looking forward to seeing Jase in a tuxedo. When Jase had asked him to be his date to the event, he'd been delighted to both be asked and accept. This was an important evening for his man and he was proud to be attending with him. Their other friends were going to be there too, and Kyle had bought a table and offered seats to the staff at BEC, so some of his work colleagues would also be there.
Grabbing the pair of gold cufflinks from the counter, he went out to the living room. Finding it empty, he called down the hallway to his missing lover. "Hey, darlin'. We're going to be late if you don't hurry up."
"They can't start without me, so don't panic," came the call back. Kyle smiled at the comment and fitted his left cufflink. His right cufflink was deciding to be ornery, his fingers fumbling as he tried to get it in place.
"Do you need some help?" Jase's voice interrupted his mutterings. Looking up to accept the offer, his mouth went dry as he saw his date for the evening standing a few feet in front of him. He always thought that Jase was good looking, and he found him damn sexy whether he was in jeans and a t-shirt or naked, but the sight of Jase looking all polished and formal took his breath away. He realised he was staring, probably with his mouth open, when Jase's amused voice broke his trance. "Kyle, babe. Do you need some help with your cufflink?"
He nodded and wordlessly stuck his arm out
. "You-you're wearing a kilt." he stammered. Jase glanced down and back up at him, a sly grin crossing his face.
"I am," he agreed. Kyle closed his eyes and swallowed, willing his rapidly hardening dick to settle down. He'd always found a guy in a kilt a turn on, but had never been lucky enough to know anyone who wore one. The citrusy scent of Jase's cologne wafted over him as he moved closer. A hand cupped his jaw. He opened his eyes to stare into the green ones watching him in amusement.
"I take it you like the kilt?" Kyle nodded, taking a deep breath and trying to gather himself. Jase chuckled. "Do you need a moment?" Again, he nodded and let Jase pull him close. He rested his forehead on Jase's shoulder, forcing himself not to push the other man up against the wall and slam his cock into him. A hand trailed up and down his spine, which wasn't helping his body calm down. Deciding he was acting like a nineteenth century virgin with an attack of the vapours, he took a deep breath and backed away from Jase.
Feeling embarrassed, he dropped his eyes, pretending to check his cufflinks. "Babe." He glanced quickly at Jase. "You okay?"
He cleared his throat. "You didn't say you were wearing a kilt tonight. I thought you were wearing a tux."
"I only break it out a few times a year. The Christmas Gala being one of them," Jase replied. “It’s the MacKenzie family tartan. Dad, Matt and I wear it for formal events and special occasions.”
"You look great," he offered lamely. Now he had his wits about him again, he let his gaze take in the whole of Jase's outfit. He had a short, fitted black jacket on over a white shirt, topped off with a black bow tie. The jacket showed off his broad shoulders and trim waist. His kilt was patterned with large blue and green squares, shot through with thin lines of white and the occasional red one. His strong calves were encased in long white socks, held up with a ribboned garter below the knee and shiny black dress shoes on his feet. All in all, Jase was a sight to be seen.
"Thank you. So do you," Jase returned the compliment. A phone pinged with an incoming message. "That will be the car. Do you have everything?" Jase asked him.
He shrugged into his tuxedo jacket and slipped his phone and wallet into his pockets. "Yes, I'm all set." They walked to the front door. Just before Jase opened it, he grabbed him by the arm, stilling him. He moved into Jase's back and slipped an arm around his waist. He planted a kiss on the warm skin below his left ear. "Just so you know, I am going to fuck you senseless later." Jase moaned and pressed his ass back into Kyle. "I'm going to take you up against the wall and bury myself in you underneath that kilt."
"Fuck, yes," Jase breathed.
With another kiss to the now rapidly beating pulse point, Kyle let go of him. This time, Jase took a deep breath to collect himself and Kyle saw him push down on the front of his kilt. "Bastard," he muttered to him good-naturedly. "Do you know how much harder it is to hide a boner in a kilt than a pair of pants?"
Kyle laughed and then a thought struck him. "Tell me you aren't following tradition and going commando?" he asked.
Jase threw his head back and laughed. He got a saucy wink. "You'll find out later, won't you?"
✽✽✽
Jase’s gaze moved around the large ballroom with satisfaction. The hotel's highly skilled team had done a fabulous job and the room was stunning, from the crisp white tablecloths to the tasteful red and gold decorations that shone and glittered in the muted lighting. Guests had started to arrive, and he and Peter were standing near the door to greet them. Kyle wasn’t far from his side, chatting happily with Jase's parents and siblings. He had introduced Kyle to them at a recent family Sunday lunch and he was pleased they had accepted Kyle into the fold.
He saw Giles, the function manager, approaching. Excusing himself from the couple he had just said hello to, he moved away from the entrance to talk to him.
"Good evening, Jase. I'm sorry I wasn't here to greet you when you arrived," Giles shook Jase's hand, holding on for a fraction of a second too long.
"Everything seems to be in perfect order. Please thank your team for me. They have done a wonderful job." Jase offered a tight smile to the man.
"I will, thank you. Is there anything I can get you? I see you don't have a drink." Giles half turned as if to call to one of his staff, coming face to face with Kyle, who was smiling at Jase and holding two glasses of champagne.
"Here you go, darlin'," the Texan drawled handing one of the glasses to Jase. Jase grinned back at him.
"Thanks, babe." He noticed Giles's glance flicking between the two of them. "Giles, this is Kyle Foster, my partner. Kyle, this is Giles Howarth, the functions manager here." At the word 'partner' a closed look came over the smaller man's face.
"A pleasure, Mr Foster. If you will excuse me, I’ll go and make sure that everything is running smoothly in the kitchen." With a short nod to both men, he scurried off.
Kyle turned to him with a raised eyebrow. Jase just laughed and placed a hand on his arm. "Nothing to worry about, love. I only have eyes for you."
"Glad to hear it." Kyle's heated gaze raked Jase up and down. "It's going to be a long night as it appears a lot of people here have their eyes on you in that get up."
"Are the women trying to find out what's worn under your kilt, Jase?" Sarah's voice broke between them. With a smile, Jase turned to his two best friends. Sarah was wearing a soft, floaty dress in a deep midnight blue that set off her eyes. Mike was in a traditional tux with a matching blue bow tie. Before he could make a comment, she continued, "And before you say it, yes, I know, nothing is worn under your kilt, it's all in perfect working order." Turning her wicked grin on Kyle she cheekily added, "But given your recent activities, that may not be the case anymore. Care to comment, Kyle?"
Jase laughed and asked his boyfriend, "Yes Kyle. Care to comment?"
Kyle smirked back at Sarah. He was a lot more comfortable with Jase's friends now and gave as good as he got. "Oh, it's still in perfect working condition." He winked at Jase. "Well at least it was the last time I checked."
Jase rolled his eyes, remembering the reaction he'd had an hour ago as they'd left the house. "Yes, it certainly was. But I think it will need some maintenance work before the end of the night." Kyle gave a cough. Jase raised an eyebrow at him. It wasn't quite payback for the hard-on Kyle had given him earlier, but it would certainly keep the man on his toes for the rest of the evening.
"Okay, you two. Keep the eye-fucking to a minimum. This is supposed to be a classy event." Jase found himself being pushed towards the door by Sarah. "You go and do your job." She then took Kyle's arm in hers. "And you can come with me. I know some of these people. It will be a good chance for you to network."
"What about me?" Her long-suffering husband asked. Sending him a beaming smile, Sarah replied, "You, my love, can go and get me a drink. I am allowed one glass of champagne and I am going to enjoy it." Jase watched as she dragged Kyle off into the crowd of people milling around. Kyle shot him a slightly scared look over his shoulder. Jase waved to him and went back to join Peter in greeting their guests.
✽✽✽
Conversation swirled around the room with bouts of laughter breaking out here and there. Kyle was incredibly proud of the job Jase had done in organising the event. People from all walks of life mixed and mingled. Kyle had been introduced to many of the recipients of the grants that the Sherwood Foundation gave out. They had all spoke glowingly about the Foundation's generosity, not only with much needed funds, but in a lot of cases, valuable advice on getting the best out of the money they had received. Kyle had also been introduced to some business leaders who were in talks with the Foundation to see how their organisations could partner together to do more in the community. He had made a mental note to talk to Jase about BEC joining the partnership.
"If I could have your attention, please." Kyle saw Peter Harris, Jase's boss, on the small stage at the front of the room. He was smiling as people settled and turned to listen.
"I only have a few things to say, so this will be short and s
weet, and then everyone can sit back and enjoy the fine meal that has been prepared for us this evening." The older man shuffled some cards in his hands. He glanced down at them and then searched the room. "Before I start though, I need Jase to come up here and join me.” Kyle smiled as Jase reluctantly headed towards the stage. He had confided in Kyle earlier in the week that he hated the speech part of the evening, that he didn't like being the centre of attention. Jase took his place next to Peter and Kyle smiled encouragingly at him when he made eye contact. Jase's shoulders eased slightly, and he gave a small smile back.
Peter Harris began talking again. "Firstly, welcome everybody. It is wonderful to see you all here after what has been a very busy year at the Sherwood Foundation. We have given out more grants of higher value this year than any other year, which is a double-edged sword. We feel privileged that we can help so many people and organisations, but saddened that we are having to help more people due to government funding cuts and other circumstances. However, I am confident that with some of the new initiatives that are being prepared for the new year, and our partnerships with the corporate sector will ensure we are around to help for many years to come." Applause greeted this statement. Peter nodded and motioned to the guests his thanks with a wave of his hand.
"Sadly though, I must advise that this is my last gala ball as chief administrator. I am retiring and whilst I will miss the day-to-day contact with you all, it is time for someone a lot younger to take over and move the Sherwood Foundation along with the times."
Kyle was shocked. Jase hadn’t mentioned at all that Peter was leaving. He turned to Sarah and found her looking at him questioningly. He shook his head at her unspoken query. She obviously hadn’t heard that Peter was stepping down either. He turned his attention back to the stage and noticed Jase was looking everywhere but at the table he and his family were sitting.
