Gravity (Greenford #2) - Romeo Alexander Page 0,34

pressed together, and Samuel was aware of how warm he was and how the realization twisted his stomach in the best way possible.

The coup de grȃce came when Caleb was close enough for Samuel to smell him. He needed only the faintest wisp of the cologne to reach his nostrils and he knew exactly what the other man was wearing. There had never been a cologne that had ever affected Samuel quite like the one Caleb had been fond of wearing in Portland, not before, and not after. There was a heady spice to it, wrapped up in fresh leather and something else that Samuel had struggled to find a proper adjective for.

Whatever the combination, it had the same effect as it had years before. Almost instantly, he felt the curl in his stomach tighten and he had to resist the urge to reach out and pull the man closer. Worse yet, he could see the sudden flash of understanding in Caleb’s eyes, as though he knew what was happening.

And didn’t move away.

“Sam,” Caleb said, voice low and throaty, and it was all too close to the voice he’d use to signal to Samuel that clothes were about ready to be either removed or at least moved out of the way.

Samuel licked his bottom lip unconsciously, his breathing hitching as he swore they moved closer to one another. Their hands brushed, and where skin met skin, Samuel swore he felt a lingering spark. All they needed was to close the last few inches and let the gravity between them take over.

A crash outside sent a cold jolt of shock rippling through him. He stepped back just as Caleb did, both of them turning to the living room window.

“What was that?” Caleb asked, taking another half-step backward.

Samuel cleared his throat. “Raccoons. I’ve been fighting a war with them since last year. They probably just knocked over the can, again, trying to get inside. Their little hands aren’t strong enough to undo the latch, though, so joke’s on them.”

Caleb eyed him in amusement, though it was dimmed slightly. “You would be the one to wage war with raccoons.”

“They’re just greedy,” Samuel said, stepping closer to the hallway and putting distance between them. “I leave them food, but they still want to get into the trash.”

“You probably wouldn’t have as big a problem if you didn’t feed them,” Caleb pointed out.

“Well, yeah, but then they’d be hungry,” Samuel told him.

Caleb made an odd face then, one that Samuel couldn’t decide if it was thoughtful, exasperated, or affectionate. It was gone a moment later when Caleb gave a heavy yawn, putting his hand over his open mouth to stifle it.

“C’mon,” Samuel said. “Let’s get you to bed.”

He didn’t get much argument from the other man, who followed faithfully at his heels as Samuel led him down the hall to the guest bedroom. Samuel was glad he’d done all the laundry in the house the week before, so the sheets and pillowcases were relatively fresh. Caleb didn’t seem to care as he pulled the blankets back and prepared for bed.

“If you get up before me,” Samuel told him, hand on the doorknob. “Feel free to help yourself to whatever.”

“Except your chicken nuggets?” Caleb asked wryly, giving another yawn.

“I’m an adult,” Samuel said with a frown. “A responsible adult, with a career, my own house, everything. I don’t do chicken nuggets anymore.”

Caleb cocked his brow. “Then what do you do?”

“Dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets,” Samuel told him proudly.

Caleb laughed at that, a full, genuine bark of a laugh. The sound warmed Samuel more than he would have preferred, but he couldn’t help but continue grinning.

“Good night, Sam,” Caleb said, shaking his head.

“G’night,” Samuel said, closing the door as he stepped out into the hallway.

He didn’t know how long he stood there in the dark hallway, a few feet away from the guest room, hearing the sounds of Caleb shifting around on the bed as he got comfortable. He didn’t know if he was trying to shake himself loose of whatever had happened in the living room or work up the courage to step back into the guest room. The former felt like an excuse to make up his mind about the latter.

In the end, Samuel turned and walked to the end of the hall and into his room, closing the door behind him quickly and quietly. For the first time in a year, he was privately thankful for the raccoons and their determination to eat his trash.