Page 81 of Yard Sale

He let out a relieved moan. “Yeah?”

I pulled him into my arms again. “Yes. Life feels complicated right now. There’s been a lot of big feelings going around. You just had a breakup, and I’m facing the loss of my career. And my family sucks, and yours is here and wants time with you…”

“Can you get to the point?” he begged. I was not used to hearing that tone from him. “I’m having a panic attack here.”

I took his hands in mine and kissed his knuckles. “My point is maybe we don’t decide anything right away. Maybe we just let this be whatever it is, and after the vacation bubble pops and we get back to life, we can see what we are then.”

“That makes way too much sense for eight in the morning.”

I laughed and wrapped both arms around him. “Right now, what matters is that I’m happy. You made me happy. You made this trip worth every bit of pain I felt before I was here in your arms.”

“You could go be a poet after hockey,” he told me, then kissed me before I could reply.

CHAPTER 19

ARAVIND

“Can you go find Oliver for me?”

It had been three days since everyone had invaded our quiet space, and after long talks between Oliver and his parents, and after they agreed to take him home, he was ready to go. Only Thierry and Anne were on their way, and Oliver was nowhere to be found.

The stress was giving Tiago a difficult sight day, and I wasn’t about to make things harder on him. I took him by the chin and kissed him softly.

“I think I know where he is. Give me ten minutes.”

Tiago closed his eyes and knocked his forehead against mine. “Thank you.”

Every word from his lips felt like a tender caress. Well, unless we were behind a locked door while the aunties were at the market. Then they were something else entirely. But while we hadn’t defined anything between us, and while I hadn’t told Tiago that the feeling in my chest was definitely deeper than “I like you,” at least I could be honest.

At least now he knew that I wanted this to be a lot more.

Pulling away, I hurried out the back door and past Ankita and Soma, who were floating in the pool. Manisha, who had been over almost all waking hours, was on her way to the ferry to pick up her husband and son, and later this evening, Ferris and Quinn would be flying into the little private airfield.

My dad was also finally able to make plans to come down, so it wouldn’t be long before we were a massive group.

And what little privacy Tiago and I had managed to scrape together would be long gone.

As my feet hit the beach sand, my gaze trailed across the stretch of cove to a house I knew was empty. It was very tiny. I’d looked it up online, and it had one bedroom, a den, a bathroom with a shower stall, and a kitchen that desperately needed upgrading. It was also three times the cost of what it should be for that size.

But I had money.

Tiago had money.

And we had a desperate need of being able to touch each other without me stuffing his mouth with panties or shoving his face in the pillows. I wanted to edge him, to get him desperate and begging, to rail his ass so hard we both saw god.

And I couldn’t do that here.

I shoved that thought away as I saw a familiar figure sitting near a collection of rocks right where the cove started to curve. It felt like miles, but it was less than a five-minute stroll, which was probably why Oliver liked it so much. Every time he’d disappear, I’d see him out here sitting on one of the boulders, feet dangling near the water.

He noticed me right away and stiffened, but he didn’t get up from his little spot he’d formed in the sand.

“They’re here, right?” he said as soon as I was in earshot.

I said nothing, dropping beside him. He didn’t look anything like Tiago, but then again, Tiago looked nothing like his family. He must have taken on most of his genetics from his bio-dad. But the look on Oliver’s face was familiar.

That pain had been in my own once as an angry, confused teenager. And sometimes Tiago had that look after hanging up with his brother.

“They’re on their way,” I said as I settled my toes into the sand.