Chapter One
Every day, Chester Braxton found it more and more difficult to fake his life. The final straw had been at Elliot and Win’s housewarming party, when he’d once again had to make excuses for André’s nonappearance.
Now here he sat, alone in their apartment on a beautiful sunny morning, with his partner half a world away. It was early evening in Switzerland, where André had been ensconced in business, and they were on their daily FaceTime video call. Seeing the strain in André’s face, the guilt ran strong when Chess voiced his concern.
“I wish you didn’t have to stay away so long.”
“I hate it as well, love.” André stretched out in his bed and sipped from a bottle of water. “But there are situations beyond my control. If I don’t keep an eye on things, we lose millions of dollars.” A troubled expression clouded his face. “You have to know I don’t want to be away from you.”
It was summer break, and Chess had looked forward to the two of them finally spending some quality time together, especially with André in Europe for the past six months, hammering out deal after complicated deal to expand his family’s hotel business. Of course, the pictures of him during off-hours—swimming, playing tennis, and dining in Michelin-starred restaurants with gorgeous people, all unknown to Chess—didn’t help matters any. It was the longest they’d been separated since they started dating, and he’d begun to stay up later than usual, his empty bed providing little comfort.
“Sometimes I’m not so sure.” There. He’d thrown down the gauntlet but somehow, having spoken what was on his mind didn’t make him feel any better.
The bottle halfway to his mouth, André halted, and instead of taking another sip of water, he set it on the nightstand next to the king-sized bed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I’m sorry, babe. I didn’t mean that.” As always, he relented because he loved André so much and didn’t want to put more pressure on him than he was already under. “I don’t want to fight. I miss you, that’s all. In the past year, you’ve been away more than you were home. I guess the separation…dammit, it’s getting to me. I hate it.”
André’s intense gaze softened. “I miss you too, love. Seeing you in our bed, wanting to be there with you and knowing I’m not…it hurts. I hate being away for so long, but you know the family depends on me. With my father gone, and Bianca and Henry not interested in anything else about the business except collecting their share of the profits, it all falls on my head.”
“I know. But being alone night after night is beginning to wear on me. There are only so many books I can read and listen to.” Honestly, he didn’t think it was being needy to want his lover with him.
“I love that you need me. And I love and need you too. I have from the moment I saw you at the faculty party.”
At André’s words, he couldn’t help smiling. “I’ve still never seen a more gorgeous waiter in a better-looking tux.”
Chess would never forget that night. It was his first university function. Nervous and feeling alone and out of place, he’d spotted a tall, good-looking waiter in a tuxedo, holding two glasses of champagne.
“May I have one?”
Startled, the man gazed at him and gave him a curious smile. “Here you are.” He handed him a glass, and Chess gulped down half of it. “First time at one of these?”
“Yeah. I’m new to the university—working toward my PhD to become a professor of European history. I’m not normally a partier, but the head of the department, Professor Williamson, said I needed to make an appearance if I wanted to eventually get tenure.”
“And that’s what you want?”
If it seemed odd to have this conversation with a waiter, Chess brushed it aside. God knew he didn’t come from the academic world, and in a room where he knew virtually no one, he found the man easy to talk to, in addition to stunning to look at.
“Of course. It’s the end goal of being in academia.”
“So…European history? What is your favorite country?”
“I haven’t had the luck to travel abroad yet, but I look forward to first visiting England and Italy. Then everywhere else.” He chuckled. “Very grand plans, but everyone needs to have dreams.”
“Yes. Dreams. Where would we be without them?”
Chess sipped the champagne a bit more judiciously, wondering why the waiter remained by his side and didn’t