Scorched

Aaron peeled the heavy coat and helmet from his overheated body without taking his eyes from the horizon. The hot, sulfuric wind had died around noon that day, and for long, terrible hours, the wildfire danced on the line between tamable and out-of-control. Dark clouds rolled over the distant hills in the mid-afternoon, and Aaron thought he heard every single man on the frontlines utter a soft, short prayer. Let the rain come. Please, let the rain come. Aaron’s long shift had ended while the clouds still hovered miles away, mocking with the promise of salvation. A good rain would bring the blaze near Cedar City, Utah under control, after fifteen impossibly long days. They had managed to evacuate most of the city, but at last report, there had been at least three casualties. Aaron had never seen a wildfire like this, and he wouldn’t have been surprised if there were more than three. He couldn’t bring himself to go into the station. Not until he knew the path of the storm. It would be completely dispiriting if the clouds rolled by without a single drop of moisture. They didn’t just need the rain for the fire, they needed a break from the relentless August heat. Temperatures in the triple digits with overnight lows in the mid-eighties was dangerous even without a fire that covered one hundred and fifty square miles. All of the men were overheated, overextended, and utterly exhausted. The storm would be the first indication that maybe God knew they were there and He gave a f**k about whether or not they made it. Ashes drifted through the pink and orange atmosphere, like large, hot pieces of snow. Ash clung to everything, fine and gray. The endless perspiration didn’t help. The ash and sweat mingled, creating a mixture that was almost impossible to scrape off his skin. He could not imagine a more hellish place, but he never complained. None of them ever complained. It wouldn’t do any good. They inhabited that hell on Earth because they were firemen, and it was their job. Please, let it rain. Let it rain. Men streamed past him, coming and going from the rest station as the shifts changed. A few of them paused to follow Aaron’s gaze, but none of them had the time to linger. The men getting off their shifts wanted to shower, eat, and catch whatever sleep they could get. The men on their way to the blaze didn’t waste any time. There were thousands of volunteers stretched across the area, answering the call for help from all over the country. Aaron wished he could meet them all and thank them personally for sacrificing their time and energy for his home. He just hoped they wouldn’t have to sacrifice more than two weeks. The rain might not be the answer to all their prayers. Aaron knew it. If the storm brought high winds, the situation could only be made worse. Or it could just be a thunderstorm, full of dangerous lightning with none of the welcome moisture. They didn’t need the added threat of getting hit by lightning on top of the threats of flames, smoke inhalation, heat stroke, and dehydration. Even with that thought in mind, Aaron still watched the clouds anxiously. Because there was a chance, a chance, that this could be everything they needed. Aaron wiped the back of his hand across his brow, smearing the dirt and sweat. A part of him thought he would never be clean again. The smoke had infused his skin and his flesh, the heat had singed his hair, despite the protective gear he wore, and exhaustion weighed on his bones. He’d been a volunteer firefighter for three years and nothing had prepared him for this. The occasional house fire was always brought quickly under control. There had been a few wildfires, but the weather had never conspired against them. He needed the rain, if only because he didn’t know if he had anything left to give. He tilted his head back, watching the storm move closer and closer. Something cold fell directly in his eye, and he blinked quickly, swearing under his breath before he realized what had happened. A second drop fell on his ear. A third landed on his lips. A crack of thunder was his final warning before the clouds split open and water fell to the earth. Aaron couldn’t move at first. He cupped his hand, watching it fill with sweet, cool water. The temperature hadn’t dropped, but the water was still a sharp relief. Rain rolled down his arms and back and neck, and still he couldn’t move. The shouts of joy from the other men outside finally roused him, and he spun on his heel, racing toward the station, the news bursting from his throat. He shouted to the men in the mess hall, who answered with cheers of their own. He passed through the locker room without pause and ran directly into the bathroom, unmindful of the additional dampness from the showers—his clothes were already soaked through. He didn’t stop yelling his news until he noticed just who was in the shower. Several men Aaron didn’t really know, and one he knew very, very well. Xander Wescott. Icy blue eyes peered through the water running down his sculptured face. In many ways, Xander looked exactly like he had when he’d run around with Aaron’s older brother in high school. His light blond hair was still cropped short, and his lashes still looked too long to belong to a guy. The past ten years had erased the softer lines of his jaw, though, now stubbled with a day’s growth of beard, and bulked Xander out in other places. A light coating of hair dusted his heavily muscled chest. Washboard abs tapered down to powerful thighs. Turned sideways under the spray, he gave Aaron a good peek at the hard curve of his ass, too. For a second, Aaron forgot what it was he was so excited about. Shouts of “Hallelujah!” and “About f*****g time!” rang through the communal showers. Xander smiled at him as he scrubbed some of the soap off of his body. “We’re not going to have to do something stupid like make nice for the news crews, are we?” He ducked his head under the spray without looking away. “Because I’d rather go back down to the frontline and do another double shift than face them.” Aaron licked his oddly dry lips. “I think you’ll be fine as long as you hide in here. I don’t think any of them are bold enough to hunt you down in the shower.” Xander snorted. “Not like the New York reporters then. They don’t give a f**k where you are or who you’re doing it to as long as they get their sound bite.” “I’ll keep that in mind if I ever go to New York.” Aaron finally averted his eyes from Xander’s body. The last thing he needed was to be caught staring at another man in the showers. Even if it felt like he had spent most of his life staring at Xander. “I guess I better stop standing around in my clothes like an idiot.” Most of the others had vanished in light of the excellent news. Only one other man remained, and he was already hurriedly rinsing away the lather from his body. Xander gestured toward the nearly empty space, his crooked smile back on his face. “Got plenty of water now, all for ourselves. If you hurry up and get showered, maybe we can get out of here and get a beer. We haven’t had a chance for you to catch me up on everything I’ve missed since I moved away.” Xander and Aaron had been assigned to the same shift for the past week, which meant Aaron should have been accustomed to showering, eating, and sleeping in Xander’s presence. Only he had pointedly avoided doing those very things, especially showering and sleeping anywhere near Xander. “You don’t have to wait for me, since you’re nearly done.” He could have sworn he saw Xander wink before turning his back on Aaron. “I’ll wait. Something tells me I better keep an eye out on you.” Aaron couldn’t very well argue with him. With no other choice, he turned his back to Xander and pulled the tight, wet shirt over his head. The material wanted to cling to his skin, and he had to struggle to free his arms. His pants were a different matter, the jeans heavy with water. Ultimately, he had to resort to leaning against the wall to get them off, and only when the pants reached his ankles did he realize his boots were still on. Aaron wondered if he could possibly look more ridiculous if he tried. He looked up in time to see Xander watching him, unabashed amusement lighting his face. They were alone now, the voices of the other men drifting from the locker room and below. Aaron didn’t remember the other guy leaving. “I really didn’t think I’d have to bail you out so soon,” Xander teased. Ignoring his own nudity, he knelt in front of Aaron and grasped his ankle, his strong fingers working over the soaking knots in the laces. “No wonder you guys called all of us in.” Aaron automatically put his hand on Xander’s shoulder to steady himself. “Please don’t let the fact that I’m a doofus reflect poorly on the proud Cedar City volunteer firemen.” Xander helped him ease his foot from the boot, then focused on the other set of laces. “Though I guess you already know I’m a doofus.” “You certainly followed me and Eddie around enough to prove that.” The second boot joined the first, followed by his jeans. Xander straightened and stepped back into his spray. “Though you’re not exactly a scrawny little kid anymore, are you?” “No. They wouldn’t let me sign up until I got some muscles,” Aaron said, keeping his gaze focused on the wall over Xander’s shoulder as he stepped under the adjoining showerhead. Xander probably assumed Aaron had followed the older boys around because he was just an obnoxious little brother, and that’s what little brothers did. He hoped Xander assumed that, and didn’t know the truth—Aaron had just been following Xander around. Aaron reached for a bar of soap and began smoothing it over his chest, stealing a quick glance at Xander’s form. He regretted that as soon as his groin began to tighten. “So, when was the last time you saw Eddie?” “About four years ago. He made it to New York for my birthday that year.” Xander laughed. “I think I scared him away for good after that little bash.” Aaron sought his memory, but he didn’t think Eddie ever mentioned what happened at Xander’s party. He and Eddie were never close, and they mostly just exchanged cards and emails around important holidays. “What happened?” Xander waved off the question with a vague sweep of his hand. “Just some friends who got a little out of control. Things play different in New York than they do around here. For all his talk, Eddie’s still a Cedar City boy at heart.” Aaron’s eyes slid sideways, almost of their own accord. Even soft, Xander had an impressive c**k. Aaron wanted to slide his tongue down the ridge of his hip and the seam of his thigh. As soon as that thought invaded his head, he turned his head and focused on washing the dirt from his arms and throat. “Yeah, Eddie’s always been a bit reserved.” Or a judgmental prick. “I thought he would change after he moved for school, but I guess that just made him more set in his ways.” And a bigger judgmental prick. “So why did you stick around?” Xander wasn’t nearly as careful about keeping his attention away from Aaron. His gaze swept over him more than once, which did absolutely nothing to stifle Aaron’s already raging libido. “I always thought you’d skip out of here, first chance you got.” “I got a full scholarship to Southern Utah University.” It was bizarre to stand there calmly talking to his first and greatest crush, while they were both naked and soapy, with his c**k semi-erect. “I thought it’d be easier to get my degree here so I could stick around and help Mom. I intended to leave after I graduated last spring, but…I don’t know. I guess it’s inertia.” “So all you’re missing is a good kick in the ass to get you moving.” After rubbing his hands over his body one more time, Xander reached to turn off his flow of water. “Looks like I got here just in time.” Aaron almost sighed with relief. He could finish his shower in peace. “I’m sorry it had to be a massive wildfire to get you out here.” “Me, too.” Xander clapped him on the shoulder as he walked behind him toward the lockers. “So let’s make the most of it while I am, okay?” “Yeah. We’ll do that,” Aaron agreed weakly. He was excited, but he dreaded the thought, too. Xander had never really been his friend—he had just been the unbelievably hot, funny, cool guy that Aaron had always wanted to be. More than that, had always wanted to have. “How long are you going to stick around?” Xander stopped in the doorway, half-turned as he smiled back at Aaron. His hair stuck up in short, wet spikes, and his eyes looked even brighter, almost like they were twinkling. Aaron’s gut clenched tighter, and he wondered how it was possible to crush so hard on a guy who’d effectively been out of his life for over a decade. Xander had left Cedar City after graduating high school and never looked back. It was almost a miracle he’d shown up with the rest of the other volunteers now. “Long enough,” he replied. And with a small nod, he disappeared into the locker room. * * * * Xander did not miss Utah. He didn’t miss the lack of decent fast food at one o’clock in the morning, or the moralistic attitudes on everything from religion to alcohol to sexuality. He didn’t miss worrying about what people were saying about him behind his back, and he definitely didn’t miss wondering how long it was before somebody said something that pushed him over the edge. But when he heard about the wildfires so close to where he’d grown up, he’d volunteered to go help without blinking. He didn’t miss it. But Utah was still home. Finding out Eddie’s little brother was a volunteer fireman had been a surprise. He remembered Aaron Meyers as a skinny beanpole, all knees and elbows as he seemed to be everywhere Xander and Eddie happened to be. They had even caught the thirteen-year-old hiding out in Xander’s trunk the night they’d gone out to celebrate Eddie’s eighteenth birthday. Eddie had wanted to drop kick the boy to the side of the road, but Xander had talked him into letting him tag along. Aaron had been a good excuse to blow off the girls so determined to get into Xander’s pants. Aaron wasn’t a beanpole anymore. He was still long and lanky, but his shoulders had broadened and there were firm muscles on his biceps and legs. Everything about him was long, actually—hands, fingers, feet, even his c**k. Xander had checked that out the first time he’d caught him in the shower. The golden cast to his skin and his dark hair and eyes were courtesy of his Mexican mother, but it was the dimple that danced in his cheek every time he shot Xander that shy smile he liked best. The men Xander knew in NYC would eat Aaron up with a spoon, and Xander would be the first in line to take a taste. Then he’d beat everybody back with the same spoon to protect the kid from them. For all his surprising maturity, Aaron still had an innocence that was irresistible. Of course, it was all moot anyway. Another reason Xander didn’t miss Utah was because nobody here knew he was gay. Well, Eddie knew, but considering how he’d reacted when he’d found out the truth four years earlier, Xander was pretty sure he didn’t spread that particular information around. No, here he was Xander Wescott, the straight fireman from New York City. The only c**k he was allowed to play with was his own. He hung out in the locker room, waiting for Aaron to finish up. Though he’d come out with a group of other New Yorkers, he wasn’t in the mood to hang around them. He’d been serious about wanting to celebrate the storm with Aaron. Out of all the men he’d seen working to battle the blaze, Aaron had been one of the most diligent. It made him respect him even more. Xander didn’t pretend to look elsewhere when Aaron emerged from the steamy shower room with a towel wrapped around his hips. His skin gleamed and his hair stuck up at all ends, drops of water rolling down his brow. He grabbed another towel to hook around his neck and wipe his face. “It won’t take me long to dress,” Aaron promised. “You’re probably starving.” “No rush. It’s not like I’m wasting away here.” “No, you’re definitely not,” Aaron muttered before turning his back to Xander and opening his locker. He pulled his shirt on first before allowing the towel to fall from his hips. Aaron had definitely filled out. Eddie would kill him if he knew Xander was staring at his baby brother like that. “But I feel like I might be wasting away.” “That’s because you burn twice as much as you take in. I’ll just have to make sure to stuff you so full tonight, we have to roll you home.” His gaze followed the swift motion of Aaron yanking up his underwear, lingering on the taut cheeks of his ass before his shirt fell down to cover it again. Xander rose from where he lounged on the bench and ambled over to the mirror as if to check his hair, discreetly adjusting his half-hard c**k along the way. “Steak and beer sound good to you? My treat. For being the bearer of good news tonight.” The rain seemed to be coming in torrents, pounding on the roof, and Aaron looked up with a small grin. “I think you probably would have heard that good news one way or the other, but I’ll still let you buy me a steak and beer anyway. I just hope the winds don’t pick up tomorrow and set us back again.” Xander let him finish getting dressed, stealing as many glances in the mirror as he could. It was going to be a long night, but frankly, he thought it’d be worth every second. Aaron was excellent company. “You’re driving,” he announced as they went down the back stairs. “Although I suppose I can’t buy you the beer you deserve if we do that.” He paused, wondering if he dared, and then decided to hell with it. “If you want, we can run out to the store and just pick up steak and beers and take ‘em home. We get more for my money, and we don’t have to worry about driving home afterward.” Aaron licked his lips, then shrugged. “Yeah, we can do that. Come on.” Xander followed him to a small Jeep, taking a moment to wipe the ash out of the seat before crawling into the passenger side. “Fortunately, my place is on the other side of Cedar City. Just a bit beyond the evacuation border. There’s a*****e on that end of town, too.” Aaron turned the engine. “I know it’s not New York, but I think you might be a bit surprised by how much this place has grown since you left.” Xander grinned. “Aw, I haven’t been that hard on the ol’ place, have I? And here I thought I was being good at keeping my mouth shut.” “You don’t need to say anything.” Aaron returned his grin. “I could tell what you were thinking. Especially since that night you came over before you left, you told Eddie you never wanted to come back.” The night partially obscured Aaron’s features, especially as they moved out onto the street. “You remember that? That was a lifetime ago.” “Not for me. But I think that’s because you’ve actually had another life since then, and I’ve been doing the same old thing.” “No, you haven’t. You’ve grown up. Grown out.” Xander shifted in his seat, leaning more against the door in order to regard Aaron more steadily. “You know, you still haven’t told me why you decided to be a volunteer fireman. What happened to all those big dreams you had?” “I signed up while I was still in school. As soon as I was old enough and met all the requirements, actually. I guess all that time you spent talking about being a fireman rubbed off on me.” He’d known Aaron had hung around a lot, but he hadn’t actually thought he’d been paying that close attention to the things he said. It had always seemed a case that was half hero worship and half wishing he could do the same stuff the older boys did. A part of Xander flushed with pride that he’d pushed him in this direction. Because Aaron was a damn fine fireman. He’d do any crew proud. “Well, if you’re ever looking for a full-time gig, just come on out to my station. We’re always looking for good men like you.” “Thanks, but I don’t know if I have what it takes to turn pro. Besides, the thought of living in New York is a bit intimidating. I don’t know how you went from a town this size to one of the biggest cities in the world.” “Easy. Cedar City didn’t have what I wanted.” “In general, or did you leave looking for something specific?” “In general. The thing about New York is, you’ve got choices. Here…you just don’t.” “Yeah, you’re telling me. Though if it ever gets too stifling, we’re just a couple hours from Vegas.” Xander chuckled. “Too bad we’re on shift tomorrow. I’d say we forget the steak and beer, and go hit the Strip.” Aaron squinted into the rain. “When the fire is completely contained, I’ll treat you to a whole weekend on the Strip. Things got pretty scary here before you and your crew showed up.” He pulled into the Smiths’ parking lot. “Why don’t you choose the steaks and I’ll cook them?” Xander agreed. Once they were parked, they made a dash for the front door, both laughing as they shook the rain off. Aaron headed off to get beer—under Xander’s express orders to get lots of the good stuff—while he went out and picked two of the biggest boneless rib eyes he could find. On a whim, he grabbed some ice cream before heading up to the checkout. Even with the rain, the cold would be welcome. It was still pouring when they got back to the car, and even harder when Aaron pulled into the parking structure for his apartment. “Lead the way,” Xander said, taking all the grocery bags before Aaron could argue. “I’m starving.” Aaron led him to the second floor of a nearby building, unlocking the right of two identical blue doors. “I should warn you,” Aaron said as he pushed the door open, “I have a dog.” Xander was about to tell him that dogs were fine, but the words were cut off by a black cannonball rushing toward him, floppy ears flying, giant paws slamming against the hardwood floor, red tongue lolling from a giant doggy grin. Xander barely had time to brace himself, but the puppy never reached him. Aaron snagged the collar with practiced ease and forced the beast to stop. “Sit, Honey.” Aaron’s voice was firm and the dog responded immediately. “You should have said something at Smiths.” With a delighted grin, Xander set aside the groceries in order to crouch down to meet Honey at eye level. “I would’ve gotten this beauty a steak of her own.” Honey tried to lick his face, but a sharp jerk from Aaron made her sit down again. “My girl doesn’t need a steak, but she does need a walk. Do you mind if I take her out real quick?” “No.” He straightened, though he kept his hand on the top of her head, scratching at her ears. “You do that, and I’ll take care of the food.” “Thanks. You should be able to find everything you need in the kitchen.” Aaron reached for the leash hanging by the door, and Honey began prancing around, her toes clicking against the linoleum, her tail wagging furiously. It seemed she didn’t mind that it was raining the proverbial cats and dogs. Aaron didn’t seem to mind, either. He pulled on a jacket, then flung the door open with an excited, “Come on, Honey-girl, let’s go for a walk.” Xander smiled and gathered up the groceries he had set aside. Moving deeper in the apartment, he expected to find the signs of a puppy in the household—destroyed shoes and carpeting, scratches on doors, maybe even an indication that she had been waiting too long for her walk, but Honey was apparently a very well-behaved puppy. Xander began unpacking the bags and learning his way around Aaron’s narrow kitchen. Aaron’s quick walk ended up taking nearly thirty minutes, and by the time he returned, the steaks were cooked and rested, the beer was chilling, and Xander had big potatoes in the microwave. “Sorry it took so long.” Aaron called from the entrance. “She had a lot of energy.” “No problem! Just have a seat, and dinner will be right out!” Xander didn’t wait for him to protest. By the time he carried out the plates, long necked bottles tucked between his fingers, Aaron sat at the small dining room table with Honey stretched out on the floor beside him, her tail thumping against the floor. “You need anything other than butter and sour cream for your potato?” “No, that’s perfect.” Aaron ran his hands through his damp hair and smiled. “Does the smell of wet dog bother you? I can put her in the bathroom.” “No, let her stay. She’s gorgeous.” He took the chair next to Aaron rather than opposite, knowing it was risky to sit so close when he was already so tempted by the younger man. “How long have you had her?” “I found her at the animal rescue about five months ago. She was just a little thing, but she was already scared of pretty much everybody. I don’t know how somebody could abuse such a sweet girl. They didn’t want to give her to me at first because I live in an apartment, but I convinced them I’d take good care of her.” “That probably wasn’t too hard.” Xander dug into his steak, his stomach growling. “One look at that face and who could say no to you?” “I could think of a few who have. Probably a few more who would if I tried anything.” Aaron took a bite of his meat, his eyes closing with delight. “Oh, my God, who taught you how to cook rib eye?” “An old—friend,” he finished. Boyfriend had almost slipped out. His guard was down. Being around Aaron was relaxing him too much. He was going to have to be careful with the beer. “No wonder you’re so skinny. Nobody feeds you good food. Your mom hasn’t tried hooking you up with some girl who can cook?” “She’s tried,” Aaron said mildly, “but it never works out the way she hopes. Besides, most of the girls around here got married right out of high school, and I was never…marriage material.” “College boy. Good looking. Real life hero.” He chewed thoughtfully at his steak, unable to take his eyes off Aaron as the man ate. “Which part of that isn’t marriage material?” “I guess the part that never gets around to asking anybody out. Going on a date is an important first step.” Aaron took a deep swallow from his beer. “Though if first dates were usually like this, I might go out on more.” His eyes widened. “Not that I think this is a…I just…meant this is a good steak.” Xander chuckled. He would have loved to think this was a date, but Aaron’s high color was enough to make him back off on the kid. He was a product of his environment. Xander had to remember he was back in Utah now. Being this loose didn’t play out of Manhattan. They talked about the station and the fire over the first beer, Honey and Broadway over the second. On the third, Xander talked him into leaving the dirty dishes for later, and grabbed two spoons and the ice cream container to carry over to the short couch. “Any more beer, and I’m going to have to crash here tonight,” he said, handing over one of the spoons. Aaron stretched his impossibly long legs in front of him. His pants were still damp from his jog with Honey, and his shirt clung to his broad shoulders and chest. He might as well have been sitting there naked. “I bet this couch is more comfortable than where they’ve got you sleeping.” Xander peeled the lid off the ice cream, tossing it onto the coffee table. “They’ve got me sharing with three other guys, two of whom are smokers.” He rolled his eyes. “Apparently, I’m the only one who thinks it’s ironic that firemen smoke.” Aaron winced in sympathy. “Maybe they figure it doesn’t make a big difference after all the smoke they inhale while on the job.” He leaned over with a boyish grin, and dug into the tin roof sundae flavored ice cream. “I don’t suppose you remembered this was my favorite?” “How am I supposed to forget?” He deliberately took half of what was on Aaron’s spoon. “You always stole mine when I bought it.” “Sorry ‘bout that.” The spoon disappeared in Aaron’s mouth, a smudge of chocolate on the corner of his lips. “But you never bought any for me. What was I supposed to do?” There was a lot Xander wished he would do right then, but all he could do was sit and watch as Aaron took another bite. His throat was dry, his body tense. He shouldn’t have had the third beer. All he could think about now was that dark smear glistening on Aaron’s mouth. “You don’t want to go change or anything?” He gestured toward Aaron’s damp clothes. “You look…” Delicious. Tempting. Off limits. Abruptly, he set the ice cream down and stood. “I need another beer. You want one?” “Sure, sounds good.” Aaron slid lower on the couch and rested his head on the back. “I’m a bit cold, but honestly, it feels good. There was a point this morning I thought my skin was literally going to melt.” He accepted the beer Xander brought him and twisted the top off. “I’ve got some stronger stuff, if you want it.” The bottle was cold on Xander’s fingertips, but he welcomed the chill. Everything that Aaron did was going straight to his c**k. At this rate, he was going to have to jerk off before going to sleep, or he’d be tossing and turning with a hard-on all night. “No, but I think I’m done with the ice cream. You can have the rest.” Strong fingers closed around Xander’s wrist, and Aaron yanked, pulling him down to the couch. “That’s not fair. You hardly had any at all. Here.” He scooped a spoonful out and held it up to Xander’s lips. Danger! Danger, Will Robinson! Xander didn’t look at the ice cream. He couldn’t look away from Aaron’s liquid eyes. Don’t open your mouth, moron. Don’t do it. Don’t eat the— His lips closed around the spoon, the sweet treat melting on his tongue. Sucker. “You need a girlfriend,” he blurted. Aaron blinked, like that was the last thing he expected Xander to say, and lowered the spoon. “Why do you say that?” Because it’ll be easier to not look at you as my own special treat if I know you’ve got a nice girl waiting for you in the wings. “Because you’re a good guy,” he said instead. “Look at how you take care of Honey. How you’ve invited me in like I never even left. You deserve to have someone who appreciates that. Who deserves it.” “There isn’t anybody around here for me.” He took a swallow of beer, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, cleaning away that bit of chocolate. “There was…but I should probably give up carrying that particular torch.” Xander saw the opening and went for it. This would be his good deed. Make things up with Eddie by getting his baby brother settled into a happy life. And get the gorgeous young man out of his head for good by pushing him into a woman’s arms. “Why?” He slid closer, his knee pressing into Aaron’s thigh. “Stop being so scared. You’ve got a lot to offer anyone. If she’s not around and you want her, go after her.” Aaron jumped to his feet, and Honey mimicked him, her eyes and ears suddenly alert and trained on her master. “I think I’m going to turn in. It’s been a really long day. There are some blankets behind the couch if you want them.” Disappointment slashed through him, but Xander stretched back out on the couch and nodded. It was better this way. “Thanks for letting me crash here. My lungs are grateful.” “No problem.” Aaron began to move away, snapping his fingers so Honey would follow. “Help yourself to anything you need. There’s a spare toothbrush in the bathroom, too.” Xander winked as he toed off his shoes. “I see you haven’t forgotten about my morning breath, either.” Aaron snorted. “I could smell it across the breakfast table every time you stayed over. Say goodnight, Honey.” The puppy made a soft sound that wasn’t quite a bark or a growl. Aaron gave her an approving pat before nodding at Xander. “Don’t let the bed bugs bite.” I’d let you, if you asked. But he didn’t say it aloud. He just smiled and said goodnight. Sleep was a long time coming.