He closed his laptop, letting it sit warm against his thighs, and stared out the window. A new flurry overnight laid a pristine white dusting over the frozen gray lumps from the blizzard, but the sky shone clear and blue. He leaned against the cushion, the smile growing so wide it made his cheeks ached.
The shelter could rescue more animals. He had another source of steady, rewarding work, and he finally felt like he’d found a place he could really call home. And Ryder. The man was responsible for a huge chunk of those warm feelings, but he couldn’t deny how much it helped not to have to worry about his bills quite so much.
Abuzz with energy and pure happiness, he checked his email one last time, saved the project for a freelance photo editing client, and slipped on his sneakers and coat. Ryder worked a ten-hour shift, and he was due back in early the following morning to fill in for another EMT with the flu. Lucas didn’t want to wait that long to see him. He figured the least he could do was make sure Ryder ate a good meal and relaxed that night.
***
Ryder staggered through the door, leaned against the wall, and kicked his boots off. “Ritzy, I’m home,” he muttered before lifting his head to scan the room. His gaze landed on Lucas. “Oh.” He looked wrecked, hair mashed from his hat, dark smudges under his eyes, and a slumped posture that almost made him look small.
The warmth in his voice and the smile that transformed the look of pure fatigue warmed Lucas’s heart. He turned down the burner under the pasta and hurried over to help his man off with his heavy coat. “Hey. I made dinner. Go grab a shower and get changed.” His lips pressed against Ryder’s, but there was no heat behind the kiss, just comfort.
The EMT’s forehead dropped down on Lucas’s shoulder for a moment, his tired arms slung around his waist. “Thank you,” he finally muttered, then turned to stumble down the hall. The sound of water running started a moment later. Ritz got up from his bed by the back door and headed in that direction.
Lucas hurried back to the kitchen. He’d let himself into Ryder’s apartment half an hour earlier, feeling nervous and a bit sneaky, like he didn’t really belong there on his own. Ryder had given him the key, though. He must’ve wanted him to stop by. The quiet thanks and the hug reassured him more than Ritz’s enthusiasm, tappy-toe dancing when Lucas stepped inside.
He stirred the sauce one last time and drained the pasta. It wasn’t anything fancy, just a box of store brand rotini, jarred sauce, and some sausage and broccoli added. The moment he opened Ryder’s fridge, he scolded himself for not stopping at the supermarket before showing up. The man didn’t have much.
Halfway through buttering bread for some quick garlic toast, Ryder’s phone buzzed on the table near the door. He glancedover his shoulder, then down the hall. The shower still ran. The phone stopped, then buzzed again.
Popping the bread in the toaster oven on the counter, Lucas walked over to peek at the screen. If it was work, he’d have to tell Ryder as much as the worn-out man needed a break. Instead of the station, he saw a picture of a pink rose andBrooke, Ryder’s sister’s name appear. He hesitated for only two more rings before picking it up. “Hello?”
There was a pause. “Uh, hi?” The woman’s voice on the other end lifted with surprise. “This isn’t my brother.”
“No, sorry. This is Lucas, his um… I’m cooking dinner.” He shook his head, fumbling over his words. “He just got back from a long shift and he’s in the shower. I thought I better pick up in case it’s an emergency or something.”
When she spoke again, her bright tone made it obvious she was smiling. “Well,” she said, drawing the one syllable out until it was full of meaning. “Lucas. You’re the man he’s been talking about all the time and pretending he’s not totally lost his mind over.”
Lucas blinked and stumbled over his words as he tried to come up with a response to that. “I’m uh… I’ll go tell him—” Before he could start down the hall to the now-quiet bathroom, Brooke spoke up again.
“And you’re cooking him dinner. It’s good to know my brother has someone taking care of him there.” Her next words came out quieter as she spoke to someone at her end of the call. “No, it’s his boyfriend, Lucas,” she said. “Yeah.”
She laughed a moment before Lucas heard another, much deeper voice call out. “Invite him to dinner on Sunday, too.”
Brooke came back on the line. “I wanted to invite Ryder to dinner Sunday, but I hope you can come too. Craig, that’s my husband, is home on the weekend for once, and I think Ryder has that night off?”
“I’ll make sure to tell him. Or maybe you want me to get him? I think he’s done showering.”
“Oh, no. He can text me later if he wants. You two enjoy your evening.” That teasing, happy note was back in her voice. She said her goodbyes and disconnected.
Lucas hurried back to the kitchen to stir the food and pull dishes out of the cabinet. He turned when Ritz tapped out of the hallway, but Ryder was nowhere to be seen. Leaving the food, he headed toward the bedroom and leaned through the open doorway.
Ryder sat on the edge of the bed, his head bent so far it looked like he’d fallen asleep halfway through getting dressed. His broad back curved forward, his hands planted on thick thighs. He’d managed to pull on a pair of black sweats, but the clean t-shirt still lay crumpled beside him. Fatigue lay on him like a heavy cloak.
“Hey,” Lucas said as he crept closer. “The food’s done if you want to eat. Or I could put it away if you want to sleep.”
Instead of answering, Ryder held out one hand and beckoned him closer. The moment Luca stepped into range, he pulled the smaller man into his lap and slung strong arms around him. He nuzzled into Lucas’s neck, his damp beard soft against his skin. “So nice coming home to you, Luc.” His hot lips pressed against the tender flesh. “The food smells great. So do you.”
“I smell like sausage and Ritz.” Still, he leaned harder against the broad chest. Ryder smelled like his usual body wash, a warm, slightly spicy scent that Lucas couldn’t get enough of.
Ryder eased Lucas up and followed him down the hall. “You didn’t have to do this for me, you know, but I appreciate it.” He settled in his chair as Lucas fetched two big bowls of pasta and grabbed them each a beer from the fridge.
“You work so damn hard. You deserve some care.” He shrugged when Ryder raised his eyebrows at him. “You gave me the key.” The moment the words left his mouth, he frowned. He’d given him the key for emergencies or to take care of Ritz, not to sneak in and cook all his food. “I should’ve asked if I could. Sorry about just barging in like this.”
Ryder hooked his bare foot around Lucas’s ankle under the table. “No, that’s not what I meant at all. You can come here whenever you want, babe. You’re the best thing I’ve seen all week.” He smiled before ducking his head to fork a pile of pasta and broccoli into his mouth. The moan of pleasure he made shot straight through Lucas’s body.
He needed sleep, though, not sex. They ate their food, chatted a bit about Ryder’s day, and Brooke’s invitation to dinner on Sunday. “I have off, and I’m not on call for once. I hope you come with. She wouldn’t invite just anyone to a family meal.” Ryder smiled. “I’d like you to meet them. They’re really the only family I have left that matters.”
That familiar warmth curled through Lucas again, the one that made it obvious how much he was falling for the burly EMT with the heart of gold. “I’d like that,” he said.
