Ripped (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove) Read online

  “There’s always an exception,” Kyle said, flipping Roman so he was face-first on the bed.

  Chapter Seven

  “Something smells good,” Roman said, encircling his arms around Kyle.

  “French toast with strawberries and whipped cream. It’s almost finished,” Kyle replied, turning off the heat on the range.

  “I didn’t get a morning kiss, since you obviously crawled out of bed at the crack of dawn to make us a gourmet breakfast.”

  “I don’t guess you did,” Kyle said, turning to meet Roman’s lips.

  The kiss was tender but brief as Roman said, “Now isn’t this better than fighting?”

  “How are your legs?”

  “The usual dull ache.”

  Roman sat down at the table while Kyle brought their plates. Both men ate in silence for a few minutes, exchanging smiles.

  “I’ve not only been blessed with a sexy husband, but with a great chef. However, if you continue to walk around in those tight little jeans bare-chested, I’m going to have to put you back to bed. I also don’t think I have told you that I love you today, either.”

  Kyle covered the distance between them in a matter of seconds, kneeling on the floor beside Roman’s chair.

  “I was almost afraid to believe that last night had even happened, or that the medication might erase you memory.”

  “I remember everything, including the look on your face when I told you I loved you.”

  Kyle leaned forward, hugging Roman in a tight embrace.

  “What, silly boy?”

  “I’ll sign the papers. I want us, this marriage, and what we share right now. It’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

  “I want us to go somewhere for the rest of the two weeks. I’ve got some money in a savings account. It has been sitting there for five years. Lisa and I built it together. It was supposed to be used for a down payment on a house. I want it to be used for the house that we are going to buy together, and to raise the children that I want so desperately with you. There is enough to do both. So pick a place? All I care about is learning about my man. Three days has not nearly been enough time. Also, I like this side of you.”

  “And what side is that, gay baby?” Kyle laughed, standing and pulling Roman with him.

  “I’m enjoying the fact that you have been so openly homosexual with me the last few days, and it isn’t so visible around others. Silly boy’s been reserving his gay vibe just for me.”

  “I would say that you are learning well.”

  “I guess I really didn’t understand your meaning of physical therapy,” Roman replied, pulling Kyle closer.

  “I need to clean up the kitchen, Roman.”

  “It can wait. Right now, tell me where you want to go?”

  “Camping and rock climbing sound nice…sharing a sleeping bag.”

  “It’s the middle of summer.”

  “Before we can make any plans, you need to call Catherine to discuss visitation with Andrew.”

  “I’m not 100 percent sure that Andrew is even my son. She was married at that time. I thought I was sure, until we had dinner with her last night…and then the car episode…and the comments she made about you. She’s not like Lisa. She may look identical, but it stops there. Besides, I will not exclude you.”

  “It’s okay, if that’s the only way she will let you see him. My heart knows you are with me.”

  “No, it’s not okay!” Roman replied. “I will never exclude you again! You are my husband. We are one. Our relationship spans five years. I’ve only known Andrew for a few brief moments. Ultimately, he is Lisa’s child. She will raise him with her views and her ideas. My influence will probably be short visitations, no doubt supervised by her.”

  “I know how important children are to you. I don’t want you to give that up because of me.”

  “It means nothing without you. Everything means nothing without you. I thought I made that clear last night.”

  “Then I will support whatever your decision is.”

  “I think you are asking to be taken back to that bedroom,” Roman said, still holding Kyle close, feeling his chest against his own, and wondering if they had time for more.

  “Call Catherine,” Kyle said, pulling from his embrace.

  As Roman made the call, he reveled in Kyle’s movements as he loaded the dishwasher, wondering how one person could complete another so well.

  “She has agreed to come over later this afternoon, without Andrew, of course. That will give me a chance to discuss the blood test that I want.”

  “I can go to the gym. I probably need to pick up something for dinner anyway. Thought I would cook for you.”

  “No, you are staying right here. We can go out to dinner later.”

  “Does Catherine know I will be here?”

  “She didn’t ask. It doesn’t matter anyway. I want you with me.”

  Later that afternoon, Catherine was sitting across from them on the sofa. As Roman held Kyle’s hand, he could feel her eyes fixated on their gesture.

  “I wasn’t expecting to discuss our son with him present.”

  “Him has a name, Catherine. I will not discuss Andrew, or anything else for that matter, if Kyle is not here,” Roman said quickly, glancing at Kyle and tightening the grip on his partner’s hand.

  “When I came for dinner last night, I thought you were trying to shock me, but I can see that you still insist on playing house with him,” Catherine said, avoiding Kyle’s eyes and directing her comments only to Roman. “I thought I made myself clear!”

  “I guess I didn’t make myself clear enough! I am very much in love with Kyle and have been for a long time. Whatever decisions that are made in this will include my husband, or there will be no decisions at all!”

  “He is my child! I don’t have to let you see him. Mama and Daddy already don’t want you around him. I just remember how much you and Lisa wanted children.”

  “So, what about the hate that is around him now? I guess that’s okay? He’s a little boy, Catherine! He may even be my little boy, and if he is, I want him raised knowing love,” Roman said, looking at Kyle. “And Lisa and I wanted children. It’s apparent that you are nothing like her.”

  “Stop looking at him like that! It’s nauseating! That’s not what your kiss expressed last night.”

  “Get the hell out!” Kyle said, standing quickly. “I will not let you sit here and make assumptions about my husband and our marriage, you little whore! Also, Roman and I want a blood test to see if Andrew is indeed Roman’s biological child!”

  “Okay, let’s calm down,” Roman said.

  “I think you need to call off your dog, Roman!” Catherine replied.

  As Kyle continued to stand with his arms crossed across his chest, Roman moved to sit next to Catherine, feeling his anger rise.

  “I will not decide anything until I receive the results of the blood test. Kyle will be included in all of my decisions. This is my home, and you are going to leave now.”

  “Does he really satisfy you? I find it disgusting that you even let him touch you.”

  “Okay, I want you out now!” Roman said, escorting Catherine to the door. “I will call you when I make arrangements for the blood work!”

  As soon as Catherine left, Kyle said, “That was a breath of fresh air. Little homophobe! I bet her favorite positions are missionary and missionary! I’m sorry she’s putting you through this.”

  “Putting us through this,” Roman corrected, running a hand over his face. “We are going to finish our honeymoon together before I even consider doing the blood work.”

  “I’d rather just order something in tonight. Stay here. We can talk. Give your legs time to completely quit aching.”

  “Yeah, maybe you’re right. Catherine was completely exhausting.”

  “What does she do, anyway, career-wise?”

  “She’s an ad executive for a top modeling agency in New York City.”

  “Her behavior is very interes
ting for someone living in the Big Apple.”

  “She was born and raised here. Lisa’s parents were very strict.”

  “I’d say so.”

  “Lisa was different, though, more accepting.”

  “I was wrong to demand that you just go once a month. Maybe we can go together before we leave on our trip to replace her flowers with some artificial ones. Maybe after we get back we can go once a week, for a while, anyway. I want to help you work through this.”

  “I’m struggling with wanting to go today.”

  “I know you are, and I’m not angry anymore. We just have to find things to do to occupy your time, sort of retrain your brain. Exploring the shower with you after dinner tonight sounds like a good project.”

  Dinner had consisted of a pizza. As Roman held Kyle against him, hot water flow over their bodies.

  “Nice,” Kyle murmured.

  “It will be even nicer when you decide how we are going to retrain my brain,” Roman spoke against Kyle’s ear.

  “I’ve got a few ideas,” Kyle said, pulling back just enough so Roman could watch the waterfall over his partner’s body, darkening his hair a shade, and moistening his full lips.

  “Maybe I should get my camera. I think I need to start a personal collection.”

  Kyle didn’t respond, except to shut off the water. Reaching for a towel, Roman let his husband wrap their bodies in the bath sheet. Ending up on the bathroom floor wasn’t exactly what Roman had planned, but he said nothing as Kyle tore open a condom.

  “This behavior is so unlike you, Roman, last night and now. Usually you are so reserved, such a classic male. Not my gay baby,” Kyle said as he covered Roman’s body.

  “There’s a silly boy who makes me less inhibited.”

  “Got any inhibitions now?” Kyle asked as their bodies connected.

  Chapter Eight

  Roman woke Kyle at six the next morning, already dressed. He watched, amused, as his partner rolled over, covering his head with a pillow.

  “We’re leaving in an hour on the Harley. I’d suggest you only pack one backpack. We can either rent a tent or a cabin when we get there.”

  “Where are we going?” Kyle asked, sitting up.

  “Someplace my father used to take me when I was little. It’s not far, just a few hours.”

  Responding to the look on Kyle’s face, Roman said, “Don’t look so surprised, silly boy. I think you were the one that wanted a wilderness adventure. I’m just fulfilling those wishes.”

  “I love you, Roman.”

  “I love you, too. Now quit looking at me like that. How many times have we made love in the last four days? Five by my count. Now get up and get your stuff together.”

  “We’ll need to stop by my apartment. Remember, I’m not completely moved in yet.”

  “Then you better get moving. I’d also like to drop off some artificial lilies by the cemetery.”

  Kyle’s arms felt good around his waist as they traveled toward Mount Magazine State Park. Roman smiled, hoping that Kyle would agree to rent one of the cabins instead of roughing it. The silly boy had brought a sleeping bag.

  Leaving the flowers at the cemetery had been difficult, as Roman acknowledged the fact he would not be returning for at least a week. He was also embarrassed to admit that Kyle had encouraged him that Lisa and Adam would be all right. Kyle was the strong one, even if his young husband wouldn’t agree.

  Feeling Kyle lean into his body as they rounded a curve, Roman knew that his partner was healing wounds that he thought would torment him for the rest of his life. Kyle made everything into a lesson of intimacy, as Roman felt his partner’s hands slipping under his shirt to his skin beneath. The roar of the motorcycle drowned out Kyle’s words, but Roman knew without a doubt that he would hear them again later when they were alone.

  Much to Roman’s delight, all the tents had been rented, as he paid the week’s rental on a cabin. He would always remember Kyle’s excitement. At thirty years old, the look on Kyle’s face resembled that of a young boy left alone in a candy store.

  Once they were alone in the cabin, Roman asked, “Haven’t you ever been anywhere before?”

  “Not like this with the man I love,” Kyle replied, still speaking too fast.

  “Calm down, or you are going to crash before we ever get to finish bonding. It’s almost eleven. How about we grab some lunch, and then we can finish unpacking.”

  Kyle must have been completely ignoring him, because he found him standing near the fireplace, running his hand across the mantel. Roman grabbed him from behind, causing Kyle to laugh.

  “It’s ninety degrees outside, silly boy.”

  “We can turn down the air and light it tonight. I think the sleeping bag will work very well,” Kyle replied.

  As Kyle turned toward him, the look in his partner’s eyes sent desire raging through his veins.

  Stifling an urge to rid Kyle of his clothes, Roman replied, “There will be plenty of time for that. Right now I’m starving. After we eat, I’d like us to hike some of the trails.”

  The woods around the lodge were fairly secluded as Roman felt Kyle put his hand in his. Both men walked in silence for nearly thirty minutes. Roman could feel Kyle’s fingers caressing the inside of his palm.

  “You never finished telling me how he hurt you. Other than the fact that he was a drunk, verbally abusive, and gave you HIV,” Roman said, glancing briefly at Kyle before looking back at the trail.

  “His name was Jack. He wasn’t always that way, only when he drank. I caught him with several men at the house we shared. He told me he loved me, too. On the night we had unprotected sex, we had a terrible fight. Jack had punched me in the face, and it left a pretty good black eye. It happened so quickly. I could have hit him back, but I didn’t. It was the usual cycle of abuse. He apologized. I believed him, and we ended up in bed together, and I contracted AIDS. Two weeks later, he had to have some blood work done for a job physical, and it had revealed he was HIV-positive. I left him the following morning. Every month for the next six, I was tested. The seventh month, it came back positive.”

  “I’m so sorry, sweet boy.”

  “I hadn’t been intimate with anyone for two years when you hired me. After Jack, I tried dating once, and when I told him that I was HIV-positive, he never called again. You were different.”

  “I was in love. That’s was the difference.”

  “Aren’t you afraid of contracting it?”

  “No. We’re careful, and even if I did, it wouldn’t matter. I intend to spend the rest of my life with you.”

  As they continued to walk, Roman glanced at Kyle as a slow smile highlighted his husband’s face.

  “I’m sorry for my behavior.”

  “We’re past that now. Actually, I am glad that you decided to throw your fit. I knew you were right. I’ve known we were right since that kiss in the locker room.”

  Roman pulled Kyle off the trail to a nearby tree. Leaning Kyle against the bark, he kissed his husband’s forehead, watching as his partner closed his eyes for an expected kiss.

  “I love you so much, sweet boy,” Roman whispered, tracing Kyle’s lips with a fingertip.

  Roman hadn’t expected them to kiss, and he was shocked at the stolen caress Kyle placed on his cheek, as he watched his husband run away down the path.

  “Where does he get his energy from?” Roman mumbled, chasing his lover.

  He caught Kyle about a hundred yards away, grabbing him into his arms.

  “Don’t make me do that again, silly boy! Come on. We need to get back to the cabin. I want to unpack, maybe do room service for dinner, and then we can explore the rest of what I have planned.”

  Later, both men sat in front of the fireplace listing to the embers crack. Roman had Kyle neatly wrapped in his arms on the couch as he glanced at his watch.

  “It will be dark soon,” he whispered against Kyle’s ear.

  Kyle murmured something incoherent as he snuggled closer
.

  “Tired?” Roman asked, stroking Kyle’s cheek.

  “Yeah.”

  “I told you that you would crash.” Roman laughed.

  “I’m not crashed yet!”

  “Go get on the bed.”

  “I was wondering when you were going to ask. You’ve been teasing me all day!”

  “That’s been the point.”

  “The point of what? My gay baby is going to put out tonight,” Kyle said, discarding his T-shirt and jeans before striking a suggestive pose on the bed.

  “Tantric sex,” Roman replied, discarding his own clothing as he lay next to Kyle, running his fingertips over his partner’s body.

  “Tantric sex…right? So I’ve been your experiment today?” Kyle asked.

  “I guess if you want to call it that. Now sit up and face me.”

  “No condoms and lube tonight. So whatcha got? This should be interesting! I may have to take a cold shower later.” Kyle chuckled.

  “Be serious! I want this bond with you. Now look in my eyes without saying anything.”

  Roman watched as Kyle met his gaze, watching as his partner immediately looked away.

  “Tell me?” Roman asked, turning Kyle’s face back to his.

  “I haven’t seen that before.”

  “I haven’t felt this way before,” Roman responded, putting a finger against Kyle’s lips, silencing him.

  Their gaze was finally broken when Roman began touching Kyle everywhere except where his partner urged.

  “You’re going to have to be compliant,” Roman said, continuing to trace his fingertips down Kyle’s body.

  “I may need to sleep with the ice bucket. Touch my hard dick, dammit!” Kyle replied.

  Amid his protests, Roman could feel Kyle’s excitement, both mentally and physically, as he continued.

  “I’m finding myself very much in love. Very connected to you,” Roman whispered quietly, “in ways I didn’t think were possible. I had thought Lisa’s death also killed the ability in me to love again. I was wrong…so wrong,” Roman continued as his lips found the places that his hands had visited.

  “I want to be connected to you in a different way. I should just flip your over and stick my dick up your ass myself!” Kyle responded.