A Whole Latte Sass

by Marguerite Labbe

  He peered through the window and wrinkled his nose. The space was great, but damn, it really needed new paint and light fixtures, and that ugly-assed carpet had to go. He bet there were some sweet hardwood floors under the gray, spotted funk. Probably smelled musty. And there were three bedrooms. What the hell was Trask thinking of, going from a loft to three bedrooms, though one of them was perfect for a sewing room.

  Felipe closed his eyes and shook his head. Nope, no, he was not going down this road and imagining himself there. Trask was probably just thinking Sophie needed a yard and that it was close to the Den. And it wasn’t like the place was huge. He’d be just fine in a house like this with no company. Felipe had no idea what he was planning. And that was the problem.

  He could just ask…. The thought crept in. Yeah right, and then he’d be labeled the clingy, pushy boyfriend again. Trask was perfectly comfortable with his own life without Felipe inserting himself into his future. Their relationship was going just fine at this pace.

  Felipe scowled at the house and then tromped up to the door to grab a business card. He’d make sure the company was legit, get some recommendations for inspectors and contractors for Trask. The rest was out of his hands.

  Damn, though, he wanted his mark on the house… and the man. Permanently.

  Felipe got back in his car and pulled out his phone. He needed some advice, and there was only one person he could think of to ask. Felipe trusted Morris’s opinion. He wasn’t one to jump into things either, and look at him—he was engaged and ridiculously happy. He’d straight-up tell Felipe that he was taking his wishes for Trask too far, just like he’d tried to tell him about Dakota.

  “Hey there, stranger. I haven’t seen or heard from you in weeks. What’s up? You’ve got our gamemaster locked up in your sex dungeon?” Morris teased.

  Now there was a titillating thought. Felipe had never much been into that scene. Submission was not his style, and he couldn’t really picture Trask giving someone else control, but damn… that might be sexy as fuck.

  Felipe growled under his breath. Focus, Suero, for the fucking love of all that is holy, focus.

  “How did you know you were in love with Theo?” Felipe demanded.

  “Are you serious?” Morris asked after a startled moment.

  “No,” Felipe said with heavy sarcasm. “I’m giving up sex and going to seminary school. Fuck, Morris, you really think I’d ask you that for kicks?”

  “Chill out, I’m sorry. I thought this was just a fling between you and Trask, nothing serious.”

  “I don’t do flings. That’s your shtick.” Felipe stared at the house in the growing dusk. Trask would probably get worried soon if he didn’t hear from him. “He’s thinking of buying a house.”

  “Oh,” Morris said in surprise. “Oh….”

  “And I don’t know if I’m reading too much into it, or if I want to read too much into it, or—” Felipe heard his voice rising and tried to rein himself in. Most of the time he enjoyed working himself into a state of drama, but sometimes it sucked.

  “Okay, shut up and take a breath. In fact, take several,” Morris ordered firmly.

  Felipe closed his eyes and obeyed, starting to calm down, grateful for Morris’s voice. He didn’t know what he’d do without his friend, who kept him grounded when he needed it. “Okay, I’m better.”

  “Don’t laugh at this confession or I’ll make you pay, but I realized I was in love with Theo when I got pissed at him. We’d had this argument, and I was sulking because my freezer was filled with meals he’d given me and I just wanted a frozen pizza. It became a whole stupid metaphor for me until the pizza burned my mouth and I realized I was being an idiot. I loved Theo, and I wanted to figure out where the relationship was going.” Morris paused and let out a heavy breath. “That was my profound realization.”

  Felipe closed his eyes and shook his head. “Only you, Morris.”

  “Shut up. I told you not to laugh. So, tell me. What’s going on?” Morris said in a gentler voice. “Trask is buying a house and now you’re questioning whether you want this to go further?”

  “No, I definitely want it to go further. I….” Felipe leaned his head back against the headrest. “I love him. He’s… he’s so far from what I thought I’d want. He’s not overly demonstrative. He’s never going to do something wildly theatrical for my benefit. He can have his prudish moments. But dammit, he’s quiet and kind, and he makes me feel cherished in a hundred little ways. I just don’t know if he wants to go further. I’m a jump-in-the-moment and make plans kind of guy, and he’s one of those long-term slow planners.”

  Morris remained quiet after Felipe stopped, and Felipe braced himself to hear how much of an idiot he was being.

  “You know, I had my doubts. Not just about you chasing after an older guy. To be honest, I thought you’d scratch that itch and be gone, even if love ’em and leave ’em isn’t your style. You were due for a rebound, but damn, Felipe, I’ve never heard you like this. Have you told him?”

  “No.” He’d never held back on his feelings before, but look at where that had landed him with Dakota. “I don’t want to pressure him into something he’s not ready for or even thinking about. I have no idea how he feels about me.”

  “That’s bullshit,” Morris said firmly. “And I never thought I’d hear that kind of bullshit from you. Because if you didn’t think he gave a damn, you’d have either bitched about this before or kicked him to the curb a while ago. So go talk to him and then call me back when you’re done, ’cause I’ll die without an update.”

  Felipe stared out at the growing darkness and gnawed his lip. He’d never been so damned nervous about confessing his feelings before. He definitely had not second-guessed himself this much either. Which were two big fucking clues that this was the real deal. Now it was time to straighten his panties and be entirely honest with Trask about how he felt.

  “Okay.” Felipe dragged his hand through his hair, stomped down on his nerves, and continued with more conviction. “I’ll do it.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  IT WAS probably wrong of Trask to find Felipe’s moods entertaining. Mercurial was the only way to describe him. He danced from one emotion to another. He supposed some might find it exhausting or live in fear of Felipe’s flashfire temper, but those darker moods of his were like summer storms. They swept in, made a ruckus, and then it was all sunshine again. Trask didn’t mind getting a little wet during the process. Not when he had the pleasure of seeing Felipe’s smile beam again.

  Now Trask, his moods usually involved a long week of leaden skies that threatened rain that never came. One wasn’t necessarily better than the other; it was just interesting to watch how people operated in their own ways.

  And Felipe was endlessly fascinating.

  Something had sent him into a whirlwind, and Trask had learned the last time not to let the man chew on it for too long. So he poked at him, drawing Felipe’s thoughts on the house out, teasing him into a few smiles as he considered his next move. He knew Felipe expected they would go back to Trask’s place after they shut the Den down, but Trask was thinking he ought to give Felipe a surprise. Felipe sure shocked him in the past, so it was time to turn the tables.

  He could hear Felipe in the back, talking to Lady and Sophie as Trask shoved the bank envelopes into the safe. Felipe had been of immense help. He’d brought back dinner from a local deli along with his sulks. He finished straightening and reorganizing the front without complaint. He’d even racked up a considerable sale when he’d talked a guy into a Sisters of Battle set for his daughter, who had discovered a shared love of war gaming. He left with two squads, painting supplies, and kits for scenery, plus a little something extra for himself.

  Trask imagined that family’s Christmas afternoon was going to be spent putting minis together. Trask hadn’t done that in a long time. He didn’t have the room at home to work on miniatures, and he kept getting interrupted at work. He could have some space set as
ide in the new house for hobbies like that if he bought it. War gaming took up space.

  He finished locking up, taking extra care to be sure the door was secure, and dimmed the lights in the front of the store. He put some holiday music on and went to join his wayward lover. Felipe was sprawled out on the floor, snickering as Sophie kept trying to grab his Santa hat. He’d fend her off, then pretend to look the other way as she snuck back up on him. Trask hooked his thumbs through his belt loops and leaned against the entryway to watch. Felipe was so full of life, living every moment to the fullest. He definitely had taught Trask a few things, like the difference between being cautious and being stagnant.

  If the price was right and the inspection came through, Trask was buying that house. No more waiting for the perfect time. There was no such thing. He had the stability and the need for a new place. Time to just go with it.

  Just watching him, seeing the way Felipe’s face lit up when he laughed, made Trask’s chest tighten. He might not be able to identify exactly what Felipe was to him, but he knew it was important. He knew he wanted this relationship to last, and he was more than willing to put in the effort to make it work.

  “Hey there, imp,” Trask said, and those velvet-dark, laughing eyes turned on him. Felipe pushed himself up to a sitting position and yelped as Sophie took advantage of his distraction and pulled off the Santa hat. Trask laughed as she ran toward her dog bed with her prize. “You’re not going to be seeing that in one piece again.”

  Felipe stuck his tongue out at him. “Glad to be your personal jester.”

  Trask walked over and held out his hand to help Felipe up. “You okay?” he asked, cupping Felipe’s jaw. “You seem a little all over the place today.”

  Felipe gave him a careless shrug. “The holidays usually have me up and down.”

  “I thought that was supposed to be my thing,” Trask murmured, lightly nipping Felipe’s lush lower lip before turning his attention to the tempting curve of Felipe’s neck.

  “You don’t get a monopoly on it.” Felipe slid his arms around Trask’s neck and pressed closer. “Just so much going on. Finished my finals, which were a nightmare. Have this thing going on with Abby. That’s still weirding me out some. And then there’s us.”

  “Sounds like all good things.” Trask rubbed his hand over Felipe’s back. The heat of him, his scent and nearness had Trask’s head spinning. All day long he’d been thinking of having Felipe alone, been counting down the minutes, and now that it was here, he wanted to linger over the sweetness of the moment.

  “Trask… what do you think of us?” Felipe asked in a low, hesitant voice. “Together I mean.”

  Trask lifted his head and looked into Felipe’s hazy eyes as his heart squeezed in a tender way. “Us? I think we’re pretty damn special together.”

  Felipe’s eyes softened and lit up with that inner warmth that always seemed to spread to include Trask. “For real?”

  “Yeah.” Trask smiled slowly and touched his forehead to Felipe’s. “Thank you for fixating your attention on me and luring me out of my little bubble.”

  “Thank you for letting me.” Felipe’s gaze hinted at a vulnerability that he rarely showed. “Do you love me?” he asked in a low voice.

  It seemed to Trask that Felipe was letting him look right into that sweet soul of his, and it took his breath away that Felipe trusted him with this, with him. His throat tightened as he brushed his knuckles across Felipe’s jaw. “Do kittens cause havoc?” It was such a dumbass way to respond, but it seemed the only response he was capable of right now. There weren’t words to describe how he felt, not words that Trask could form, and he felt like he was screwing the moment up.

  “That is such a Trask answer.” Felipe chuckled as his eyes lit up again. Trask’s worry eased. Felipe understood him, understood what he meant. “’Cause I really, really love you,” Felipe said, peppering Trask’s lips with soft kisses.

  Trask’s pounding heart calmed as he drew Felipe in and deepened the kiss. “Those words, you, are the best gifts I’ve ever received.” Right then he did feel like the Tin Man when he realized he had a heart the whole time.

  Felipe sighed and melted closer. They held each other as Trask enjoyed one of the rare times that Felipe was still. Trask had discovered he enjoyed cuddling, but he only got to indulge in the mornings when Felipe hadn’t quite woken up yet or just before they both drifted off to sleep. All too soon, Felipe stirred and began to pull back.

  Trask kissed the warm spot under Felipe’s ear, just to keep him near a moment longer. “Are you going to show me what you’re wearing underneath those jeans of yours?”

  “Maybe I’m not in the mood to indulge in one of your lurid fantasies.” Felipe wiggled his way out of Trask’s embrace with a light laugh.

  “Maybe I’m in the mood to indulge one of yours.” Trask caught him around the waist as Felipe turned away, and nuzzled the back of his neck. He felt Felipe’s slight shiver and smiled. “Didn’t you say I could pounce all over you until I was satisfied?”

  “Only if the offer was tempting enough,” Felipe replied in a breathless voice. He twisted and gave Trask his catlike smile. “What are you offering?”

  Trask walked him toward the gaming table that Felipe had tried to seduce him on more than once. “To give you that battle scream you’ve been begging for.”

  Felipe let out a soft moan, his body going pliant. “For real? Now? Don’t tease me, Tin Man.”

  “Yeah, you’ve had the idea planted in my head for months, and I’ve been obsessed with what you’re wearing underneath your clothes all damn day.” Trask tightened his arms around Felipe and kissed him deeply. “Bend over, imp. Let me play with you.”

  With another low moan, Felipe obeyed, bracing himself on his arms as he folded over. Reverently, Trask knelt behind him and ran his hands over Felipe’s ass and thighs. This was better than opening a Christmas present.

  Felipe looked over his shoulder, his eyes bright with held-in laughter, and wiggled his ass. “Would you be disappointed if I was naked underneath?”

  “Only a fool would be disappointed.” Trask flipped open the button of Felipe’s jeans and skimmed down the zipper. He slid his fingers inside, felt the lace, and his cock hardened in response. Slowly he inched down Felipe’s jeans, revealing the scarlet web of flowers with emerald-green-tipped leaves. “Oh God, Felipe, you don’t do anything halfway, do you?”

  Sheer black stockings encased his legs, with the sexiest damn tiny scarlet bow on the back of each thigh. Barely breathing, Trask slid his hands up Felipe’s legs to where the lower curve of his ass peeked out from the lacy edge. With a groan, he pressed his cheek against the fabric and breathed in the scent of Felipe’s arousal as his hands continued to skim up and down, fingering the edges of the garters and panties.

  “You okay back there?” Felipe asked with a laugh in his voice. “Now I’m really glad I stopped off at home to change before coming here.”

  “I’m discovering fetishes I didn’t know I had.” Trask knelt back on his heels. “Who would’ve thought I had a kinky side.”

  “Untapped depths, my love.” Felipe shimmied the rest of the way out of his jeans and toed off his shoes. “I hope this table of yours is sturdy.”

  Trask had to taste every damn inch of him. He leaned forward, grasping Felipe’s thighs as he tongued around each garter, licked along the lacy edge of Felipe’s panties. The skin between his thighs was so warm, scorching to the touch as Trask pressed his hand up. Felipe’s breath hitched on a soft moan.

  Trask palmed the firm globes of his ass, drinking in the sexy sight of the way the lace clung to his skin, making it seem even fuller, and the musky male scent of him. He slid his finger along the cleft, edged it under the lace. “I’m going to make you whimper for me this time, imp.”

  Felipe glanced over his shoulder and wiggled his ass again. “Good luck with that.” He slid his hands down to grip his own ass. “All I have to do is touch myself while you’re watchi
ng and you’re putty in my hands.”

  Trask did have a fondness for watching Felipe. He oozed confidence and sex. He was turning Trask into an unapologetic voyeur. He wasn’t about to spar with words anymore. Felipe could easily hold an argument all night long. He’d just show him with actions that he was serious. Trask kissed his clever fingers, then took advantage of the fact that Felipe was leaving himself wide open. He eased aside his panties and teased his tongue along the exposed cleft.

  “Oh fuck,” Felipe said in the tones of a man who knew he was screwed and didn’t give one damn. Trask laid his hands over Felipe’s, spreading him wider as he thrust his tongue deeper until he felt the ridge of Felipe’s puckered hole. Felipe moaned with a sound of surrender that Trask hadn’t heard in his voice before. Trask wanted to hear more of it and lingered, teasing Felipe, stretching him with his fingers until he was panting and pushing back with soft little whimpers.

  Trask stood up with a feeling of triumph and fished the small tube of lube and a condom out of his pocket. He’d felt a little naughty for having them there waiting all day, but when it came to his imp, Trask always wanted to be prepared. “Whimpers sound good on you, Felipe.”

  Felipe looked over his shoulder, his eyes glinting wickedly. “Somebody has been thinking of this. Very naughty.”

  “So says the man who tempted me with texts and wore this getup.” Trask lightly slapped his ass, and Felipe gave him an unrepentant grin. Then his gaze went hot, and he spread his legs more and jutted his ass out.

  “Don’t make me wait any longer.”

  This was a temptation that didn’t worry Trask. He palmed Felipe’s ass again, then picked him up and sat him on the edge of the table. “I want to watch your face. I want to be able to do this.” He caught the nape of Felipe’s neck and kissed him hungrily.