by E M Lindsey
Eyebrows up, Will blinked in surprise. “Oh, yeah?”
“Yep.” Sage pressed his forearms to the counter and leaned forward, dropping his voice low. “Came to see if the hottest person in the café would be interested in going on a date with me.”
“I think Aaron’s married,” Will said with a tiny grin. “Although, his wife might be into it—she’s always thought you were absurdly hot. The owner might get jealous though. I heard he’s kind of possessive about the pretty white-boy with tattoos who always comes in here to steal his chai.”
Sage rolled his eyes, but he hooked his hand around the back of Will’s neck and drew him in, pressing their foreheads together. “Don’t be cute, asshole. I have a nice plan and I even got a babysitter all lined up. Though I have to warn you, she might try and keep Molly. She said Molly’s the only one who can get Jazzy to eat all her vegetables.”
Will snorted and he let his lips smudge across the side of Sage’s cheek before he pulled away. When he looked up, however, Sage saw some hesitation in his gaze. “I’d love to go out with you.”
“But?” Sage pressed.
“I just…things are so…I don’t know what’s happening with Joe, and it makes me nervous,” Will admitted. He twisted his fingers in the bottom of his apron like he couldn’t help himself. “I don’t know if I’d feel comfortable being away from Molly for that long.”
“What if we stayed close to home?” Sage offered. “A bike ride and then dinner at mine? I’m less than six minutes from Tony and Kat, and that’s only if I obey the speed limit. Joe has no idea where they live and trust me, if he sets foot near either one of you, he’s going to have an entire shop of people ready to beat him to death. But only if you want to,” he added when he saw Will’s continued hesitation.
Will drew his lip between his teeth and bit down hard. “I do want to,” he said, “and I feel awful that my paranoia is keeping us from doing something normal.”
“There’s nothing abnormal about having a date night at home,” Sage told him firmly. “I just…I want to spend time with you. I don’t care how we do it. I want to take steps forward, even if they’re slow.”
Will let out a shaking breath. “I’m so tired of going slow. I know why we need to, but you have no idea…” He trailed off, the heat in his eyes making Sage shiver all over.
“Oh, believe me, I think I have a very good idea,” he replied, his voice almost a low growl. “Let me cook for you, okay? Let me pick you up from your place and take you to our spot. We can make out like horny teenagers, then we head back to mine, and I woo you with sub-par roasted chicken and potatoes.”
At that, Will leaned forward over the counter and laughed, his head bowed and shaking. “Fine,” he said, looking up with a huge grin. “You win.”
Sage hooked his finger under Will’s chin and tipped his head up. “I want to kiss you right now. So badly.”
Will’s tongue darted out, wetting his bottom lip, and Sage felt the first stirrings of his cock coming to life in his jeans. “So kiss me. I want you to.”
Sage didn’t need another invitation. He leaned in, a soft press of mouths, just the barest hint of tongue like a promise for what was to come. Maybe not tonight—he wasn’t sure, and he was okay with being patient—but it would be their future. He pulled away after a series of small pecks, his breathing a little heavy when he finally made himself take a step back. “Six?”
Will looked like he was struggling just as much, and he nodded. “Six. I’ll be ready. And tell Kat she can pick Molls up any time after four.”
Sage grinned. “Can’t wait. I have a meeting right now with the head of one of the foster agencies in Denver, but I’ll text you the moment I’m out. And I will be there. Six sharp.”
Sage was near out of his mind with nerves. Though he and Will had already discussed taking it slow, he could feel something simmering beneath his skin. He knew that if they got far enough, he wouldn’t be able to turn back. He wouldn’t want to. He’d made up his mind that he wanted to be with Will, and as nervous as he was to finally take that step with someone who wasn’t Ted, he knew he was making the right decision.
Just like he’d known with Ted, he knew Will was it for him. And maybe it wouldn’t end in pain and anguish this time. Maybe the universe was willing to pay it forward for everything Sage had suffered in his past.
Either way, he was tired of living afraid. If Will wasn’t forever, he’d at least take him for now, and that was enough.
He took his time dressing, grateful that no one had stopped by to coach him through it this time. He’d sent a very stern text after his meeting, telling everyone they were to remain at least five hundred feet from his apartment for the next twenty-four hours. He couldn’t even hate the flood of eggplant emojis that filled up his inbox, though he turned his notifications off before he headed out.
He popped over to the shop first to swap his car with the bike, then rode it over to Will’s, parking near the front of the building with just enough room between two cars to get out. Will had texted him earlier when he got home and told him to come up whenever he arrived, and checking the time, he saw he was only ten minutes early. Considering he’d been on edge and anxious to get the evening started since he left Masala, it was a miracle he hadn’t been hovering outside of the building all afternoon like a total creeper.
He took the stairs in twos, then carefully knocked on the door, pressing his palm to the door jamb as he took a few calming breaths. He heard Will call out faintly, and he couldn’t make out the words, but he decided to assume it was Will calling him inside. He pushed his way in and found the other man just outside of the patio door on the phone.
Sage started to smile, but he immediately noticed the distressed look on Will’s face, and he felt his stomach sink. Something was clearly wrong. He checked his phone to see if there was a message from Kat, but no one had said anything since the group chat. Before he could wonder if it was Molly, the little girl appeared in the doorway of her bedroom.
“I can’t go on my sleepover tonight,” she said with a small pout.
Sage’s brow furrowed. “Why not?”
She shuffled out and clung to his leg, so he eased her onto the sofa and let her curl up next to him. “I don’t know. Will said that we hafta stay home tonight. I wanted to eat pizza with Kat and Tony.”
Sage had a feeling he knew why, but he didn’t say it aloud just yet. He glanced over and saw that Will had noticed him and was shooting him an apologetic look as he finished up his call. “I’m sure you can go soon,” he assured her.
She sniffed, then pulled back to look at him. “Will you stay for dinner?”
“If Will wants me to,” he told her. “Let me talk to him when he’s done and I’ll see what I can do, okay?”
She sniffed again, then nodded. “I’m gonna go play with my make-up.” With that, she squirmed off the sofa and ran off, her door slamming a minute later.
Will finished up his call just after, and he came inside, shooting Sage a look full of remorse. “I’m so sorry,” he said as he made his way over.
Sage sat up, leaning over his thighs. “He’s out, isn’t he?”
“I just got a call from the detective who took the case. He said Joe was released on bond this afternoon and supposedly he’s with his mother, but not to take any unnecessary risks right now. He was served with the restraining order in jail, and the officer reported that he seemed agitated after signing the form.”
Sage held his hand out for Will’s and dragged him down to the sofa. Instead of letting go, he brought Will’s hand to his lips and pressed a soft kiss to his palm. “He’s not going to get to either of you.”
Will blew out a shaky breath. “I know. It’s stupid to worry as much as I do.”
“It’s not,” Sage assured him. “He’s unpredictable and capable of violence. It would be stupid if you didn’t worry. But I promised you’d be protected, and I meant it.”
Will swallowed, glancing away though he clung
a little harder to Sage’s hand. “I just don’t want him to come at any of you. I don’t want any of you hurt because of me.”
“If, by some fucking miracle, he manages to hurt any of us,” Sage told him, tugging on him until Will met his gaze, “it won’t be because of you. It’ll be because he’s an abusive asshole who hasn’t learned his lesson about what happens when you fuck with the people we care about. But I don’t think that’s going to happen.”
“He was scared of you,” Will said in a soft voice. “He never directly brought you up after that night at the restaurant, but I could tell he was scared. He avoided going anywhere near your shop for a long time.”
Sage couldn’t help a wolfish grin, and he chuckled when Will slapped his thigh for being smug. “Listen, I’m not above using my size to my advantage when I need to.”
Will shook his head, but his grin turned a little sad. “I’m sorry our date night got ruined.”
“It’s not even a little bit ruined,” Sage assured him. “We can plan a night with just the two of us as soon as you’re comfortable. But for now, it can be the three of us.”
Will bowed his head and leaned in toward Sage, letting out a tiny sigh when Sage wrapped an arm around him and pulled him close. “I wanted time with you. Just you.”
“And we can get that.” Sage urged him to look up and met his gaze with absolute sincerity. “Spend the night with me. At my place,” he clarified. “Joe has no idea where I live, and everyone I know is less than a few minutes away if we need them.” He carefully cupped the side of Will’s face and let his thumb drag over his bottom lip. He felt a rush of desire as Will’s pupils dilated and warm breath hit his fingertips. “Molly can stay in the guest room, and you and I…we can make a night of it as soon as she’s asleep.”
When Will licked his lips, the tip of his tongue caught the edge of Sage’s thumb, and his cock twitched in his jeans. “Okay,” Will said. “Let’s do that. Molly’s always bugging me about going over to yours. And I want to spend the night with you.”
Sage leaned in, telegraphing his intent, keeping his movement slow so Will could pull away if he wanted. Luckily, he didn’t want. He grabbed Sage by the back of the neck and yanked him into a kiss. It was deep, though it only lasted a moment since neither of them wanted to get caught by the little girl in the other room, but the force of Will’s passion left Sage’s head spinning.
“I need to go back to the shop to get my car,” Sage murmured, his lips only inches from Will’s. “Mind waiting a few?”
“Not at all,” Will said. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Sage heard the deeper meaning in Will’s words, and he kissed him once more to let him know he felt exactly the same.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Just pack what you need and grab a couple movies from here if Sage doesn’t have them,” Will called out from the kitchen.
Molly was throwing together her bag, and Will was trying to get ready so they wouldn’t have to wait long after Sage got back. It had only been a few minutes, but it felt like an eternity. Will was long past denying what he felt for Sage, and being patient was starting to slowly drive him insane. He wanted the other man so badly he could taste it, and though he wanted to let Sage take it at his own pace, he was hoping they would start to move a little quicker.
It had been a while for Will as it was. When Joe came back, Will had vehemently denied him sex until he was sure Joe really had changed, and he’d never been more grateful for holding out than he was right now. Joe had been tempting once or twice, but only when Will was feeling lonely and wishing he could erase Sage from his head. Having not given into Joe meant that his first time having sex in months would be with the one person he’d truly fallen for, and that felt important.
With a sigh, he moved to the bathroom and rummaged through the drawer until he came up with a box of condoms and his lube. He hesitated, afraid he’d seem to presumptuous if he brought them, but he also remembered the intense kiss he and Sage had shared on the sofa. Sage was touching him more, kissing him more, and he was confident he wasn’t misreading signs.
“Stop second guessing yourself,” he muttered as he grabbed them and moved to his room where his bag was half packed.
“Will, your phone’s ringing!” Molly shouted.
Dropping his stuff, Will hurried into the living room and spotted Sage’s name on the screen. With a frown, he quickly answered it, feeling his stomach twist with nerves. “Hey. Everything okay?”
“That fucker got my car,” Sage said by way of greeting. “I just got to the shop and my fucking tires were slashed.”
Will sat down hard. “What?”
“I think he used a screwdriver or something, because the rubber is shredded, and he got all four,” Sage said, fury coloring his tone.
Never in his life did Will want to curse more, and holding back all the things he wanted to say was a very near thing. “I’m so sorry.” Guilt welled up in his gut, because if it wasn’t for him, Sage wouldn’t be dealing with this. “Look, we can do this another time, okay? We can just…”
“What?” Sage asked, interrupting Will’s flow of words. “Is that what you want?”
Will blinked in surprise. “Uh. No, of course not, but… your tires.”
“Tony’s already on the phone with the cops,” Sage said, sounding frustrated and impatient. “We have security cameras out back and Sam’s pulling up the footage now. I just wanted to let you know this might be a while.”
“Right,” Will said, deflating. He sank down to the sofa and rubbed his face with one hand. “Okay. Of course.”
Sage’s voice softened immediately. “Babe, I’m sorry I freaked you out. I should have expected something like this. I hope you don’t mind, but I have Derek and Basil on their way over right now just to make sure he doesn’t try showing up at your place.”
Will hadn’t realized how tense he was about Joe showing up until Sage said that. He didn’t think Joe would actually do anything stupid, and he was pretty sure he could handle him if he did, but safety in numbers—especially with Molly there—made him feel much better. “I don’t mind,” he said.
“Tony’s going to lend me his truck after this, and then I’ll come get you and Molls. Are we still good?” Sage sounded strangely vulnerable right then, and Will closed his eyes against his intense desire to pile Molly in his car and drive over there to be with him. “Please tell me we’re still good.”
“We’re perfect,” Will told him. “I’m so sorry this happened, but it’s not going to ruin the night.”
Sage let out a shaky breath. “Will, I…” He stopped, and for one crazy moment Will expected him to blurt out those three little words. “I can’t wait.”
Will smiled, only a hint of disappointment in his chest. “Me too.” Just then, there was a knock at the door, and he rose. “I think your brother’s here. Stay on with me just in case?”
“Yeah, babe,” Sage said, sounding on sudden alert.
Will felt his heart flutter as he crossed the room, peering out of the peek-hole. He felt his body relax when he saw Derek’s face, and he took a step back. “It’s them. Just text me when you’re done.”
“I will. See you soon.”
Will hung up, then opened the door and smiled as Derek and Basil walked in. Derek looked on edge, probably very similar to the way Sage looked right then, but Basil gave him a soft smile and rubbed a fist in a circle around his chest. ‘Sorry.’
Will waved him off. ‘It’s fine. Thank you for coming over.’
Derek’s gaze flickered between the two of them before he spelled, ‘Molly?’
Will nodded toward her room. ‘She doesn’t know anything. I don’t want her to know Joe is out.’
Basil and Derek both gave a firm nod. ‘I understand,’ Derek signed. ‘You’re going with Sage after this?’
‘Molly and I will stay with him tonight,’ Will answered.
‘For the weekend,’ Basil insisted, his face stern. ‘If they don’t
pick Joe up and arrest him.’
Will could hardly argue with that. He hated feeling vulnerable in his own place, and in spite of the new locks and the alarm, he didn’t think Joe would give up so easily. His only real hope was that they had a clear enough image of him on the security footage so the cops would be able to arrest him.
Just then, Molly poked her head out of her room to see who’d come over, and her eyes widened when she saw Basil and Derek. She rushed over, tugging on Basil’s sleeve who immediately crouched to her level.
‘I practice,’ she signed, her fingers a little clumsy. ‘Hi, Basil.’
He laughed, tugging on her pigtail. ‘Good job. You learn fast.’
Derek grinned down at them, and Will could almost see the image of their possible future—a wedding, kids, a life Will wasn’t sure he’d ever have himself. He was feeling more and more secure with Sage, but he didn’t trust his future to be easy on him.
“Can I grab a drink?” Derek asked after Basil followed Molly into her room to see her latest collection of superhero dolls she’d been assembling.
Will beckoned him to the kitchen and threw open the fridge. “I have iced chai left over from the shop, water, juice…some of those weird foil packet drinks Molly likes.”
Derek laughed. “Chai would be amazing right now. It’s been a long day.”
Will grabbed a glass from the cabinet and filled it for him. “I appreciate you two coming by. I hope this didn’t mess up your day?”
Derek shook his head as he took a long drink. “Nope,” he said after he swallowed. “We were fucking around at the shop and I was putting together the rest of Baz’s tattoo design, but we didn’t have any plans.”
Will nodded, but the sick sensation of guilt hit him again. “I just…I can’t believe this is happening. I feel awful.”
“Don’t,” Derek said, like he knew what Will was thinking. “The dude is an asshole and he’s trying to put a wedge between you two. Sage isn’t going to let that happen, so don’t let him get to you.”
