“I tried to warn you,” he laughed
“Mmm, I taste grass and twigs, a hint of powered milk, and smidge of ass.” I wiped my mouth on the back of my hand while Jonah laughed. “I’m going to learn to make you something that tastes better than…whatever the hell that is.”
“Figure that out and you’ll be greatly rewarded.”
“In bed?”
“In bed. On the counter. The floor, the couch…”
“That’s no reward, that’s our life now,” I said, slipping off my stool to come around and kiss him again. I didn’t give a damn about aftertaste. Whenever the urge to kiss him came over me, I would kiss him. No more living life halfway. We had to go full tilt, just like the card players did. I would hit instead of stay. Always.
We dressed, and Jonah drove me back to my place. I jumped out of his truck and came around the driver’s side. “Have a great day, call me later.”
“I will,” he said.
I kissed him deeply, my hand slipping to the back of his neck while his cupped my cheek.
“I miss you already,” I said.
He brushed his thumb along my jaw and said softly. “Talk to you soon, Kace.”
I watched him drive off, and it was as if some invisible clock began ticking in my head. Counting down the seconds while at the same time adding them up to form minutes, and eventually the hours until I could see him again.
“Moments,” I murmured to myself as the Nevada heat beat down on me. “We have thousands of moments.”
At eleven or so, I was watching a movie on TV while toweling my hair from a shower when someone pounded on the door, hard enough to make it rattle. I muted the TV and grabbed my phone, ready to hit the emergency button.
“Who is it?”
“Theo.”
Well, shit. I tossed my phone down and twisted open the locks. Theo filled the doorway, his tatted, muscled arms crossed over his broad chest.
I crossed my arms as well. “Next time bring a battering ram. It’s more effective.”
“Can I come in or not?”
“Be my guest.”
He strode past me with purpose but once he was inside, he seemed unsure. He jammed his hands in the front pocket of his jeans.
Just like Jonah does, I thought.
Theo stared at my muted TV where Jon Cryer was dancing like a precious freak in a record store.
“It’s Pretty in Pink,” I told Theo. “Have you seen it?”
He snorted in the negative.
“Classic movie! Everyone gets all pissy that Andie ends up with Blaine at the end instead of Ducky. But honestly, if the movie had played out for another year, Blaine would’ve broken her heart. And Ducky would be right there for her, just like he always was. I’m not saying Blaine is bad for her. Not at all. They make each other happy, but Ducky? Ducky’s in it for the long haul.”
I watched a few more muted seconds before realizing Theo was staring at me as if I were an alien life form.
“Sorry,” I said. “I get carried away with eighties movies. They hold the philosophy of life for me.” I shut off the TV. “So. Can I get you something to drink?”
“No.”
He had a pretty good glower going on, but it didn’t intimidate me. Even now, when his gaze on me hardened into something close to anger.
“Okay then,” I said. “You want to tell me the purpose of this visit? I’m sure you didn’t come here for Pretty in Pink 101.”
“You and Jonah,” he said. “You’re sleeping together.”
“I thought we established this back at Grand Basin.”
Theo began to pace my tiny living room, his hand scrubbing through his hair. “Listen, there’s some shit you need to know if you’re going to be…with him. Shit he won’t tell you because he’s too damn stubborn.”
“Like?”
“His immune system is fucked, okay? Because of the drugs he has to take. If he gets a cold or an infection, it’s not like you or I getting sick. It could kill him.”
“I’m aware,” I said. “He seems healthy now—”
“Yeah, now. Four months ago, he caught a cold from somewhere, and it turned into pneumonia. He was in the hospital for two days.”
I shivered involuntarily. “Oh. Okay.”
“So you have to be careful. If you even think you’re coming down with something, you have to stay away from him. You can’t…kiss him or sleep in the same bed. Promise me.”
I nodded. “Of course. Jonah’s talked to me about it and I understand. I’ll be careful.”
“And when you have sex…” Theo’s face turned red and he turned his glance to anywhere in the room but on me. “You have to take it easy on the sex.”
“All right, that sort of falls under the category of None of Your Business.”
“Not if his goddamn life is at stake,” Theo spat. “Everything he does is my business.”
“I think he can handle his bedroom matters, bossy,” I said, trying to lighten the energy between us. “He’ll know what he’s up for. No pun intended.”