After a brief stop at the liquor store, Riley pulled up in front of a big, older two-story house. Josh was surprised to see it was the only actual house on the block—it was framed on both sides by businesses: a hair salon, a doctor's office, an exercise gym, and an accounting agency. He'd keep his thoughts and questions to himself until Riley had a chance to explain what was going on.
Riley turned to him, a hopeful but worried look shadowing his eyes. "You ready?"
Josh nodded his answer and then crawled out of the SUV. Riley came around the side and took his hand. He looked as nervous as Josh felt. Hopefully there was something strong in the brown paper bag Riley had insisted on picking up, because one more surprise and they'd both definitely need it.
Riley tugged him down the walkway, and Josh took in as much as he could of where he was. He liked the old style of the house, the shuttered windows, the elegant little balcony off one of the rooms on the second floor. There were no flowers or decorations, but the lawn was well taken care of and the most beautiful flowering bushes framed the property. He drew Riley's hand back a little, halting his progress. There was one question that needed to be answered before he went any further.
"Tell me I'm not going to find another family you've been hiding from me, complete with two-point-five kids, a dog, and a spouse—male or female. I think I can handle anything except that … and sharing you."
Riley smirked. "But I'd have beautiful kids." Josh cocked his head and raised an eyebrow, but he didn't crack a smile. "No sharing, I swear. Well, except with Bubba."
Josh felt his body go liquid-relaxed under his skin. "I can handle that."
And he could handle anything Riley threw his way, short of sharing him. Though the thought of sweet little Rileys running around made his insides warm. Maybe that was something they'd have to talk about in the future. One surprise at a time.
*~*~*
Riley's hands were clammy. He hoped Josh couldn't see through the shiny facade he was trying so hard to maintain. He was nervous as fuck. A tenseness moved up his spine, vertebra by vertebra; his legs were unsteady, unsure, and wobbly as he made his way up the steps of the house.
He'd missed the old place; he had always felt that, out of all the places they'd lived, it most represented home. It had been Bubba's house. She'd lived there long before Riley and his father moved in when his mother died. Back then, the street had been residential: moms, dads, kids, and extended families. It had been comfortable and friendly. Riley remembered the little corner store two blocks away where he'd hung out after school most days before strolling home to be with Bubba. His father hadn't been around much when they lived here. Holding down a real job for one of the first times in his life had kept him out of his son's and mother's hair—a blessing for all of them.
Riley also remembered the day his father had announced they were moving again, how Bubba had stood up to him and had been pushed aside so hard she'd broken an arm when she fell. Riley had stood idly by, mortified by what was happening but scared to death of his father at the same time. He'd only been fifteen, but he'd regretted that day ever since, regretted not protecting the only woman, the only person, who had ever given a damn about him—at least until Josh came around.
That was undoubtedly the reason his stomach was tied up in knots, his nerves snaking helplessly under his skin. He couldn't mess things up with Josh, and he was scared just as he'd been all those years ago in this very house. But he wasn't that teenage boy anymore, and he was willing to fight for what he wanted: Josh.
"Ri?" Josh said, pulling Riley from his fog of memories and trepidation. "Are we going in? I'm ready, babe. Let's do it."
And do it they did. Riley held tight to Josh's hand and tugged him along while he fumbled in his pocket for the key. He tried unsuccessfully to work the lock with one shaking hand and sighed with gratitude when Josh took the key from him and opened the door. Tools and two-by-fours cluttered up the entrance and the hallway, some sawdust and a few nails scattered here and there.
"Watch your step," Riley said.
Josh's eyes were wide. "Wow. It's a lot bigger than it looks on the outside."
"Probably because we've knocked out a couple of walls. It's a big lot, double the size of most nowadays, and I know there's still a lot of work to be done, but I think the location is good and there'll be foot traffic as well as road traffic once we get it underway."
Fingers stroking up his neck made Riley turn around, ceasing his babbling. "I think you need to start a little further back. Whose house is this? And what exactly are we getting underway?"
Damn. He'd screwed it up already, rushed into the future without revealing the past and the present. He licked his lips, took a deep breath, and concentrated on what needed to be said first.
"It's Bubba's. Well, no, actually it's mine, but I still think of it as hers. She signed it over to me when I moved her back here. She lived in it before my dad and I moved in. He wouldn't leave me with her, so she moved out and tagged along with us … for me."
"Yo! That you, Riley?"
The voice was followed by loud footsteps on the wooden stairs that led to the upper floor. Riley turned and yelled back, "Down here. Didn't think you were still around."
*~*~*
A man appeared in front of Josh and Riley, a big, burly, blond, shirtless man wearing work boots and a pair of low-hanging jeans barely covering his hips. He was buff and sweaty and sexier than fuck, and when Riley stepped up to give him a quick hug, Josh thought he might explode. He struggled to keep from asking just who the fuck this guy was and why the fuck he was in Riley's house.
Riley grinned at the half-naked man. "Thought you weren't working today, man? Something about a date?"
"I got stood up so I figured I'd put some time in. The guy promised to make it up to me tomorrow though."
"Who in their right mind would stand you up?" Josh hated the teasing tone of Riley's voice, the sparkle in his eye, the body language that showed he and this goddamn Viking were very familiar with each other. Yeah, okay, he just didn't like the guy. At all.
"He had some kind of accident on Saturday. Almost got hit by a car or some shit like that. Not sure I trust what he told me, but he's hot, so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt." The Viking slipped a t-shirt over his head while Josh met Riley's gaze with a no-fucking-way look of his own. "Says he has a broken arm."
Riley peered wide-eyed at Josh. "What's the guy's name?"
"Jared."
There was a pause as Riley and Josh tried not to laugh. Byron looked confused so Riley broke the silence. "A broken arm's pretty hard to fake. I'd trust him on it."
Josh cleared his throat. He did it twice before Riley finally got the hint. "Oh, shit. Sorry. Josh, this is Byron. He's doing some work on the house."
"Byron!" Josh's voice was louder than he'd intended, but fuck it! This was goddamn Byron of the mysterious emails. Not so mysterious after all. And hadn't he just said he had a date? Byron was definitely not a threat or competition. He could email Riley all he wanted. "Great to meet you, man." He grabbed Byron in a bear hug, relief gushing from every pore.
Riley looked confused and a little taken aback. "Um … Josh? You okay?"
Josh grinned widely at him. "Sure. Just really happy to meet Byron." Really, really happy.
"He's very friendly," Byron said, reaching out to shake Josh's hand once he was released from his grip. "Nice to meet you, Josh. I've heard a lot about you."
"Wish I could say the same."
Riley hung his head. "Sorry."
"No. No. It's cool. Byron is your handyman."
Byron just stared at him for a moment then shook his head. "Well, I'm gonna take off. I'm sure I'll see you again, Josh. Talk to you in a couple days, Riley?"
They both nodded as Byron took his leave.
"He seems like a great guy," Josh said. He was smiling so hard his face hurt, and he hoped Riley didn't notice. "You really think it's our Jared he's going to see?"
"Hard not to think it …" Riley's mouth dropped open. "Ohhh. You thought Byron and I were … Why would you think that? I'd never …"
"I know. It's just been a weird week, babe. We're good. Right?"
Josh leaned in for a kiss and Riley met him halfway. "Yeah. We're good."
"You wanna show me your house now?"
*~*~*
"Okay, so this house is yours, but you don't live in it. Why?"
Riley was still a little confused about Josh's reaction to Byron, but he shrugged it off for the time being. "When I was avoiding my father, this would have been a place he checked, so I just let it sit vacant. It represents some good memories in my life, and I just didn't want to tarnish them by having him find me here. It all sounds so stupid now."
"Not stupid … ever. So now that your father is under wraps, do you have plans for it?"
Riley sighed and tangled his fingers with Josh's. "This place is my dream, Josh. This place and you."
Josh smiled in the way that made Riley's heart skip a beat. No teeth, just beautiful, seductive lips and that tiny dimple in his chin. It was the kind of smile that on some people might have seemed forced or fake, but Riley knew the genuine happiness and love behind it and could feel it deep in his bones. It was a smile reserved only for Riley. God, he hoped he hadn't fucked up.
"... live here?"
His mind was so in tune with his heart, Riley missed what Josh had said and let him know with a shy grin and tilt of his head.
"I asked if you wanted us to live here. Is that why you're fixing it up?"
"Sort of," Riley said. "But there's more."
"Of course there is," Josh teased. Riley studied him as he moved further into the room; Josh's eyes were wide with wonder as he checked every detail. "It's a really beautiful house, Ri."
"I want to open a firm here. Nothing big—just two or three lawyers with clients really in need of our help, not just the ones who can line my pockets. I've already talked to Mason about moving his office here, too."
"Doesn't hurt to have a P.I. available, huh?"
"Doesn't hurt, and Mason's cool."
Josh nodded, his face still blank. Riley considered babbling out more information, but he chose to let Josh settle into his words. Maybe showing him the rest of his vision would get some reaction.
"Do you wanna see the upstairs? That's kinda where I thought we could live. Keep the two spaces separate."
Josh headed for the staircase, still silent and somber while Riley shuffled past him and started climbing the stairs. He hadn't asked Byron to do anything upstairs in hopes Josh would want to offer some input for their living quarters.
It was a big old house, originally six bedrooms, three on each level, plus all the space in the basement. Riley loved its roominess and all the things that could be done to make it theirs—his and Josh's. He'd roughed out some plans for the upstairs, but they were contingent on Josh's agreement to join him there and liking what Riley had designed. Josh's hand brushed his lower back when they reached the top, gentle assurance that he was still there, still following along.
The first door they reached had been his father's room, and just stepping foot into the room overwhelmed Riley with memories of his father. He stumbled, relieved when Josh's hand reached out to steady him.
"Your dad's room?"
Riley nodded. "It's the biggest, and I suppose we could use it for our room, but it's just … I dunno, too weird maybe."
"I understand, babe." Josh's sweet smile and brush of his fingers said he did, too.
"I thought we could tear out the wall that separates this room from Bubba's old room, open it up, and use it for a living room. It's got that great little balcony, so we could make it a really cool space."
"Sounds nice," Josh said. He still hadn't mentioned Riley's idea about the law firm, and Riley's belly was getting those all-too-familiar butterflies again. "Show me your room."
Riley walked further down the hall, stopping at the room at the very end. He opened the door to even more memories: him and Bubba playing poker or blackjack after he'd finished his homework, talking about their day and dreaming about the future. They'd been happy there—and happier still when his father was away working.
"You didn't take your stuff when you moved?" Josh peered around the room, his fingers skimming over Riley's old things. "Never took you for a baseball fan. Don't think I've ever seen you watch a game."
Riley smirked before picking up an old baseball glove. "Bubba loved it, so I took it up to make her happy. She liked to play catch in the backyard or the park. No matter where he moved us, we always had each other … until I went off to college. I felt horrible leaving her there with him, but I didn't know what else to do, and she got angry with me when I said I didn't want to go. She paid all my tuition, paid for my apartment, too, and then when I turned twenty-five, she put me in charge of my own trust. I know it's a big move, and it's farther from work for you, but—"
"Slow down. You don't have to tell me everything in one breath." Josh snagged Riley's hand and moved them both to sit on Riley's old bed. "It's awesome, Ri. I'd be honored to live here with you."
Riley blew out a breath and squeezed Josh's fingers, his heart rate thudding back to a normal beat. "Took you long enough. You do know stress only makes my ulcer worse, right?"
"You can't honestly believe I would say no to you about anything, can you? And hold the fucking phone. You have a trust?"
The tension broken, Riley laughed and bumped shoulders with Josh. "I guess you could say if I never want to work again, I don't have to."
Josh's mouth dropped open. "Really? So I've hooked myself an honest to goodness sugar daddy. Woof, baby."
Riley laughed harder when Josh grabbed him and nipped at his bottom lip, little streams of tension and worry just seeping out of his body. Weight lifted from his shoulders, renewed energy filled his body, and new hope shrouded his heart. He reached his other arm around Josh's shoulders and pulled him in close.
One, two, three close-mouthed kisses later: "I don't expect you to quit your job, at least not right away, but I'd really like it if one day we could be partners."
"Personally and professionally?"
"Of course. I never want to be without you, Josh. No matter where we are."
Riley wasn't sure who made the first move, and it didn't really matter as they ended up sprawled across the bed, the softness of Josh's lips overtaking Riley's brain. He slanted his mouth against Josh's, the tiniest itch and burn of unshed tears forming behind his closed eyes.
*~*~*
To say Josh was shocked was an understatement—Riley quitting his job in a very big way, introducing Josh to an actual relative, owning a house and wanting to start his own firm? Mind-blowing could barely describe the feeling. Josh could have given two squats about the money except it meant Riley would be okay after shoving his douchebag boss to the curb. He had other opportunities, bigger and better ones.
As for Josh, he liked the idea of being his own boss, of working side by side with Riley, but he owed so much to his current firm who'd put up with all his reprimands and newbie mistakes. He liked his job and the people he worked with. He was given the freedom to just be who he was, no false fronts or putting on stuffy airs. He didn't know how long he could bear not completely immersing himself in Riley's plan, but he'd do it in a fair and just way for his current firm.
Kissing Riley—this new, old, happy, unhindered Riley—was the only thing Josh wanted to think about for now; he just wanted to hold him, feel him, and love him.
"Byron gone for the day, then?" He growled in Riley's ear and lapped at the sweet spot just below. Riley squirmed, but didn't pull away.
"You know nothing has ever happened between me and Byron, right? You're the only one I wanna snog."
Josh chuckled at the odd expression. "Snog? Who the hell says snog? Who've you been talking to?"
"David Lane's always saying it."
"To you?" Irrational jealousy spotted Josh's gaze but Riley cleared it away with one kiss.
"Why don't you run down and grab that bottle we picked up, and we'll have a little toast to celebrate?" Riley tilted his head back to meet Josh's eyes.
"I can think of other ways to celebrate," he said, a lecherous tone lowering his voice.
Riley scraped his lips over Josh's stubbly jaw. "You underestimate me, counselor. Just thought we'd have a toast before I fuck you in my—our—new house."
Josh was down the stairs in the blink of an eye.
*~*~*
They celebrated with a few shots of Jack, neither of them fans of champagne or anything bubbly. The shot glasses Riley had bought at the liquor store clinked together as their hands started to roam each other's bodies. Clothes were removed slowly, tiny drops of alcohol dripped in strategic places to be licked and sucked away. They christened the old house twice. Three times if one counted the premature orgasm Josh sustained when Riley started talking dirty while he rubbed Josh through his pants. And somehow Josh managed to soil yet another shirt in the process.
They baptized Riley's room first, Josh blatantly offering himself up when Riley went to find something to clean up Josh's pre-sex mishap. Riley found him naked and face down on his old bed, ass in the air, thighs slightly parted. He almost had an accident of his own right then and there. They did like to switch it up occasionally, but Josh usually made Riley work way harder to get his way. Seeing him laid out like that, offering himself so readily with one hand already fisted around his seeping dick sent Riley's arousal soaring.
They fucked fast and desperate, reminiscent of when they'd first been reunited after law school. Emotions ran high and they both uttered a strangled sob or two as well as shed a few tears, not out of pain, but out of emotional release and relief. For Riley, the relief was finally being honest about his life, past, present and future, and if Josh's murmured words post-coitus were any indication, his came in the form of having "his old Riley back".
They had barely caught their breath, wrapped tight around each other in the tiny single bed, when they started all over again. It had been Josh's idea to move to the bedroom Riley's father used to occupy, sort of a final "fuck you" to the man who'd made both Riley's and Bubba's lives miserable for so many years. Riley found an old blanket in his room and laid it out on the floor since the prospect of going anywhere near his father's bed was truly disgusting to him. And they didn't fuck. They made slow, passionate love and took their time, kissing, touching, and enjoying each other's smell and taste and feel. It was completely opposite from the sex in Riley's room and in the SUV.
Riley's mind hummed with rejuvenation, his body and soul refreshed, and revitalized. He knew what he wanted, had made the decision to go for it, and he had Josh behind him one hundred percent. When he felt his orgasm stir in his gut, felt the heat and burn shoot through his body, his mouth dropped open and his toes curled up—and he was happy. He was truly happy with the life he had; no more secrets, no more looking over his shoulder or taking the abuse that his father had engrained in him to take.
When Josh smiled and whispered, "I love you," against Riley's lips, Riley kissed him nice and slow, their huffing breaths mixing and mingling, the underlying scent of sweat and sex assaulting their senses. He kept on kissing him, soundly, lovingly, completely. He silently vowed to himself and to Josh that their lives would always be as the perspiration and come that glued them together: sticky, strong, and completely shared.