Page 85 of On Fire

Chapter Twenty-Four

Nic Silvano

“This is your place? Nice.” Keller looks around my apartment. On his first day off we decided to helicopter down so I could grab clothes and he could have a night in the city.

“Well,” he says standing in the middle of my front room as if afraid to walk anywhere.

He’s wearing black jeans I bought him, a pale black and white print shirt, and a light black jacket. In the three weeks since everything happened, the evenings have definitely grown colder.

“This is nice, but it seems so different.”

Removing a stopper on a bottle of bourbon, I grab two glasses and pour. “Yes, it is different from your place—which I love by the way.”

“No—I mean from you. This is different from you.”

I think back to last month. “You know Claire said almost the same thing. You are the only two people to point this out.”

He takes the glass from me and takes a sip of bourbon. “Oh, that’s the good stuff.”

“It’s Henry Mckenna. I don’t drink much, but I drink well.”

Keller raises his glass. “To both Henrys.” He swirls for a moment and then says, “We should let this breathe more. It’ll get all leggy and syrupy. It’ll get a caramelly aftertaste.”

“You are a man of hidden talents,” I say and give him a kiss. His mouth is warm and slick with his first sip.

He smiles and walks over to the fridge. “No pictures?”

I shrug. “Did you and Claire have a meeting about me? I promised her the baby’s picture would be the first to go up.”

Keller smiles.

“Come here,” I say, removing the glass from his hand. I slip my hand down his pants and his cock immediately gets hard. “What is in here?” I ask.

It’s been difficult for me to get him to let me bring him to orgasm. It’s aways been about him pleasuring me. He lets me fondle him, and kiss, and snuggle, but actual sex is oddly on his terms. When I go to reciprocate, he often pulls away.

I’m hoping tonight will be different. I thought bringing him here to my place would throw him off balance enough to break down that wall.

Because he’s broken through mine. All of them.

But I can’t be disappointed if he doesn’t allow me in. He’s come so far—we’ve come so far and I’m happy enough that we can be together in the open, with our friends. Two nights ago he came with me to The Inn for a quick dinner and we held hands on and off all evening.

When we left, I heard Claire say to him softly, “You guys look so good together.”

Keller was so excited that night, he talked nonstop the short drive home and then had to stand out under the stars and tell me how his life had changed. I loved every minute.

My life has changed too.

And I want to thank him.

I slowly unbuckle his belt and pull the leather through the loops of the jeans.

“I thought we were going out for Thai food?” he says.

“We are. Maybe. After.”

“After?”

“After.”