space inside your head.
“Babe?”
He blinked at the sight of Chess holding the bowl of lobster salad. “What? Sorry. I was lost in thought.”
“Everything okay?” Chess set the food on the table, concern puckering his brow.
No way in hell would he ever tell Chess what used to happen here. Sex with Kyle, thinking he was in love. Death, loss…betrayal. All gone now, relegated to a past André refused to dwell on. The future—Chess’s and his—was where he lived now. Not everyone was lucky to get that second chance at finding love.
“Everything is perfect, love. You’re here.”
Chapter Five
After lunch they crossed the wide green lawn, past the pool area, and took the stairs to the beach. Hand in hand, they walked along the shoreline, letting the gentle waves lap at their ankles. Sandpipers ran across the damp sand, and in the distance, sailboats glided along the blue, glasslike surface of the water. The smell of salt lay heavy in the air, and a warm breeze flowed over their faces. Seagulls circled and cried above, then dived to catch fish.
“It’s so wild and natural here.”
André didn’t answer, instead lacing their fingers together and lifting their entwined hands to brush his lips over Chess’s knuckles. Since lunch, André had been mostly silent, and even now on the beach, he only responded to Chess with a smile or a word of agreement.
“What’s wrong, babe? I can’t stand this anymore. You’ve barely spoken a word to me for the past hour.”
André stopped walking and adjusted his Yankees cap. His eyes were hidden behind his Ray-Bans, but Chess knew his gaze was fixed on the horizon.
“You might get upset.”
His heart began to pound. Was this it? No. André wasn’t leaving him. He forced a smile through numb lips. “What?” His legs began to shake, and he hoped his knees wouldn’t give way.
“Even though I’ve been home for only a couple of days, it’s hard for me to be away from work and not be in contact. I’ve never been cut off from the business, and while I love being with you and not tied to my computer, I can’t help but be concerned.”
Though relieved, at the same time Chess couldn’t help but be a little disappointed. André should be able to take time away if he chose to. Still, he wanted to be supportive, and he had to be reasonable. André was responsible for an international, multimillion-dollar corporation. And truthfully, he wasn’t thrilled about leaving his TAs fully in charge of his students. They both had people who depended on them.
“So,” André continued, “I was wondering how you’d feel about me keeping the phone off when we’re together, but checking it after lunch, let’s say, and at the end of the day.”
Chess smiled. “I’m okay with that. You know I don’t mean to pressure you.”
André pulled off his sunglasses and captured his lips in a kiss, leaving him heady and yearning for more. “I knew you’d understand, because you’re the most perfect person in the world for me.” Retracing their path, they continued kissing all the way up the steps to the house and the pool. “I’m gonna go for a swim.”
“Think I’ll catch some sun.”
Chess stretched out on a lounge chair by the pool, an umbrella tilted at the perfect angle to keep the sun off his face but still warm his body. The moment he sat, Dottie appeared with a pitcher of iced tea.
“Here you are.” She set a glass filled with ice on the table and poured for him. “I’ll bring you a bowl of fresh fruit to nibble on.”
“Thank you, but you don’t have to go to any trouble.”
“None at all. I hope you two have the chance to relax and enjoy yourselves. I know how hard you work, and André is looking worn out. That man needs to slow down.”
It was the closest he’d come to hearing a complaint from Dottie, but he understood. “I agree. Maybe this trip will change all that. I’m hopeful.”
“I am too.” She peered over her glasses. “Tonight we have poached salmon for dinner with asparagus salad. And since lemon is one of your favorites, I have a lemon meringue pie made with fresh lemons from the greenhouse. Now, I have to go finish baking the bread.” She left him, and he closed his eyes.
The boy he’d once been, spiraling out of control, using drugs and sex to numb the pain of loss, belonged to a different world than the man who lazed on the grounds of