“Nope. I picked the restaurant. You pick the after-dinner entertainment.” Aud gestured to the shelves across the room from them. “There are your selections. See what you would like to do. I’ll go pour us something to drink. Beer or wine?”
“Water.” Leo started for the shelves, then stopped and looked at Aud. “I want to stay clearheaded tonight. I don’t want to forget any of the details.”
A huge grin spread across Aud’s handsome face. “And here I thought I was the detail-oriented one.” He went into the kitchen while Leo completed his walk to the shelves.
The music was separate from the videos. He gave the CDs a quick glance, but most of it was either classical or groups he didn’t know. Not sure if I’m in the mood to experiment with music today, even if I do hope to pay more attention to Aud than what’s playing. So Leo focused on the movies. The variety was greater there. A large number of them were movies Leo had watched. He selected a couple he hadn’t seen but had heard good things about.
Aud returned with two glasses of water. “So, what did you decide?”
Leo held up his selections. “Movie, I think. These are a couple I haven’t seen. What are your opinions on them?”
Aud glanced at them. “Any of them are good.” He set one of the glasses of water down and pulled out the case in the middle. “How about this one? It’s lighthearted but a good movie. The acting in it is better than I expected.”
Leo turned and put the others back in their places on the shelves. He’d noticed that Aud had everything in alphabetical order, so he didn’t have a problem getting them returned to the shelves properly.
Moments later they were settled next to each other on the couch as the movie began. Aud put his arm across the back of the couch and after a slight hesitation, Leo leaned against his broad shoulder. For a moment it seemed awkward, but then it passed and felt good. It had been a long time since Leo had rested against another man while watching a movie.
Aud ran his hand down Leo’s arm, sending shivers in its passage, even through the cotton of Leo’s shirt. Leo snuggled closer to Aud and slid his hand over the top of Aud’s thigh. It was hard and firm under the heavy denim fabric.
“I like the way this feels.” Aud whispered in Leo’s ear. His warm breath sent tingles across Leo’s skin.
“It is nice.”
Aud kissed Leo’s cheek and Leo turned to get a better kiss. With hot, full lips, Aud kissed Leo, and Leo suddenly wanted to melt into him. Under Aud’s lips, Leo lost track of the movie. They tasted of the rich meal they’d had a short time earlier, slightly spicy and very pleasant. Leo’s body quickened as their kisses lingered. Aud moved his hands from Leo’s arms to his back, stroking and kneading, eliciting pleasurable moans and sighs from Leo.
Leo enjoyed the feeling of Aud’s strong arms under his hand. He worked his way up so he could comb his fingers through Aud’s hair.
Something crashed outside the window.
Leo jerked up. “What was that?”
Aud rushed to the window. “I don’t know. It sounded like something knocked over the grill on the patio.” He rose from the couch and walked toward the window.
“Should we go look?” Leo followed him.
“Probably. It’s a propane grill. I don’t think they leak if the bottle is on its side, but I’d prefer to be safe than to blow up half the block.” He flipped a light switch by the window, then headed for the kitchen. “Let me get a flashlight just in case.”
Moments later they were outside. Leo followed Aud around the side of the house to a small, intimate patio with several chairs and a grill. The grill lay on its side as Aud had predicted, but two of the chairs had also been knocked over. The back gate stood ajar.
“This looks like more than just a raccoon or coyote.” Leo helped Aud stand the grill up. “Unless you left the gate open.”
Aud shook his head. “I always close it after bringing in the garbage can on Friday.” He stared at the open gate and frowned. “I wonder if I should call the police.”
“Do you know if there have been other break-ins around here?” Leo repressed a shudder. “This isn’t the worst neighborhood in town.”
“Not the best either.” Aud walked over and closed the gate. “I like the atmosphere of the older houses around here.” He sighed and looked at Leo with a sad, longing gaze. “It might be a good idea if I did call the police. That way if something else happens, they have a record of it.”
“Yeah. That might be smart.” The wind picked up, and the chill reminded Leo that he’d left his jacket in the house.
“This is going to put a damper on the rest of the evening.” Aud walked over and hugged Leo. “I was really enjoying things before this.”
Leo kissed him. It was beginning to feel very natural. “I was too. But there will be other evenings. If there’s someone out prowling the neighborhood, the police need to know.”