A Subtle Breeze by Bailey Bradford (libby ebook reader .txt) 📕

the counter not far from the table. After that, he took the enchiladas, beans and rice form the oven where he’d been keeping them warm. The tortillas were in their own warmer. He set the food out, putting the tortillas on the table. He retrieved the salsa and guacamole from the fridge and made sure the cake still looked good. The chocolate frosting was smooth and looked like it’d been spread on by someone with real skill. Zeke was fairly impressed with himself.

He took one of the glasses of tea with him to the front porch. Brendon was parking his truck and waved at him. Zeke smiled and when Brendon got out of the vehicle, he bounded over like he couldn’t wait to reach Zeke.

Zeke fell even more in love with him then. That happened, every day. Brendon would look at him, touch him, say something, and Zeke fell deeper. He didn’t want that to ever change.

“You have fun?” he asked as Brendon jogged up the steps.

“Fun is a relative term, right?” Brendon stopped in front of him then leaned in for a kiss.

“Relative as in how?” Zeke’s lips tingled from the chaste touch.

Brendon shrugged. “Your sister likes to shop entirely too much. I don’t think I want to see another mall for a year. Well, okay. A month, minimum. But!” He shoved a hand into his jeans pocket.

Zeke noticed that Brendon’s cheeks pinked with a blush.

“I got you something. I hope you don’t mind,” Brendon said. “If you don’t like it, I can take it back, no big deal.”

But it was a big deal, Zeke could tell. “I, ah, I—” He held up the glass of tea. “Thought you might be thirsty.”

Brendon’s smile could have melted an iceberg. “God, Zeke, you are the best man ever! I’ve been dying for some of your tea, and the restaurant we had lunch in only had lemon sweet tea. How screwed up is that?” Brendon took the glass, and held out a small black pouch to Zeke with his other hand. “I just… It reminded me of you.”

“Thank you.” Zeke’s voice was gruff as he battled back some emotion he couldn’t name. It was a powerful one, though. Love, gratitude, and God knew what else all tangled up together.

Brendon murmured, “You’re welcome,” and took a big gulp of tea.

Zeke tugged the silver string keeping the velvet bag closed. He saw turquoise and some kind of orange stone, and silver glinting when he pulled out the necklace.

“It’s— Maybe you don’t like necklaces, or not ones like that,” Brendon began. “It’s fine if you don’t. You aren’t obligated by any means to—”

“Bren, stop,” Zeke said, gaze on the necklace as he held it up to look at it. Contrary to what one might think, due to the turquoise and silver, the necklace wasn’t designed with a Southwestern flare. The orange stone curved against the turquoise, both pieces framed in silver. “Yin and Yang,” he murmured.

“Yeah, because we’ve lived it, the good and the bad, the combination of them in each other and—” Brendon groaned. “God, don’t listen to me! I’m making about as much sense as a toddler explaining gravity.”

“I picked it up, let it go. It fell.” Zeke grinned at Brendon. He wasn’t certain he’d nailed it, but he hoped he had. “A toddler could do it, and I get what you’re saying. Thank you. I love it.” He fastened it in place and patted it where it rested against his chest. It felt warm, and right. “I love you, too, you know.”

“I do,” Brendon said. “You made me tea, and you look at me like…”

“Like?” Zeke asked.

Brendon touched Zeke’s face gently. “Like I’m your world.”

“You are.” Zeke cupped Brendon’s hand and held it against his cheek. “Don’t ever doubt it. Now, come on in. Seems like we both decided to give gifts today.” Zeke was still proud of his.

Brendon went inside first and sniffed. “Oh, yum! I smell something delicious. Did you cook dinner for me?”

“You know it.” Zeke put an arm around Brendon’s waist. “Worked my butt off, too.”

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Brendon gave him a big, noisy kiss. “Gloria picked this fusion place. Infusion place? Oh whatever! It wasn’t food, it was art and there was about two bites to it. I am starving!”

“There’s cake,” Zeke told him. “Yellow with chocolate frosting.”

Brendon fluttered his lashes at Zeke. “I’d tell you I’ll love you forever, but that was happening even before you cooked this for me.”

Zeke laughed and nudged Brendon to the table. “Sit, and I’ll even serve you.”

“Mm, I’m feeling spoiled— Oh, Zeke, they’re beautiful,” Brendon whispered. “And the vase, it’s gorgeous.”

Zeke had forgotten about the flowers. “Got that for Mama years ago. Thought you should have it.”

“Me? What? No, you should keep it,” Brendon argued.

Zeke scooped him out some enchiladas and brought them to Brendon before answering. “No, because I bought it for the person I loved most in the world. It was never meant to be mine. Now, that vase belongs to the person I love most, again.”

Brendon stood up and kissed Zeke, not a tender kiss, or a noisy one, but a deep, claiming kiss that sent desire shooting through every inch of Zeke’s body. “Thank you,” Brendon said a moment later, when he eased back.

“You’re welcome.” Zeke felt a little weak in the legs from that kiss, but he managed to finish dishing up their food.

The meal was perfect, as was the company. Zeke enjoyed it every bit as much as Brendon did. They decided to have the cake with milk, and Zeke was so full when they finished that he didn’t think he’d be able to waddle very far.

Until Brendon looked at him with need in his pretty brown eyes, until he touched Zeke, a caress down his arm and hip.

Zeke found that he could move fast enough to get Brendon into the bedroom, where he slowed down enough to remove Brendon’s clothes, then his own.

“Zeke, I never thought I’d have this, have