More Than You Know Ch. 04

I went out to the back deck, lighting the grill so that it could heat up. I seasoned the salmon lightly while I was waiting, then helped Ana by chopping some garlic and onions to throw in the water to boil with the potatoes. I had already put the salmon on the grill and was in the process of snapping green beans when Luna ran to the garage door and sat beside it. Moments later, Steven walked in.

He was loosening his tie and unbuttoning the top button of his shirt. His suit jacket hung over his arm, and he ran a hand haphazardly through his hair. He left his shoes by the door and bent down to say hello to Luna. When he came into the kitchen, he finally saw me, and his face lit up. I could get used to this, I thought to myself.

"What's going on?" he queried. "And Ana, what did I tell you about letting strangers in?"

"Sorry, Dad, I already used that joke on him."

"Oh. Of course." The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, I thought as I watched their normal routine unfold.

"Yeah, I let him off the hook because he thought it might be nice for you to come home to dinner instead of having to make it."

"Did he, now?" His eyes, with a mix of smoldering desire and amusement within them, looked in mine. Somehow I managed to keep my cool.

"He did," I said. "So, go get changed so you can be ready for dinner when he says it's ready."

"Only if he stops referring to himself in the third person."

"As soon as you do."

He smiled at me as he turned, and I chuckled as I finished the mashed potatoes, glancing out of the corner of my eye (or so I thought) to see his amazing ass in his slacks as he walked from the kitchen to the stairs.

"You're staring," Ana said matter-of-factly.

"And what of it, Missy?"

"Missy? What are you, an elderly woman?" Her face looked to mine with an expression that said, 'You are such a dumbass.' in a way that only a 13-year-old can manage.

"And what of it, Missy?" I smiled. She just laughed.

"Yeah, okay. Point for you. It's okay, because I scored like ten points when I first met you." My mind thought back to that day and I chuckled, adding cream cheese and butter to the potatoes.

"I suppose you have a point. Well, one point is better than zero, although I imagine that I'll be staying there for quite a while."

"Try forever," she corrected. "Geez, Dad's going to kill you if he sees you put any more butter in there."

"He doesn't have to know, though, does he?" I raised my eyebrows at her before I turned and stirred. "Besides, it's my grandmother's recipe, and as soon as y'all taste them, you'll forget about any amount of fat or calories."

"That remains to be seen."

"Yeah, I figured you'd say that."

I got the salmon off the grill, and set it and the mashed potatoes on the table while Ana carried over the lightly steamed beans.

"DAAAAAAD," she called. I jumped, startled. She laughed. "Jumpy, much?"

"Too loud, much?" I shot back, smiling. When she didn't respond, I took matters into my own hands. "I believe that's point numero deux pour moi."

"Oh, shut up," she grumbled, sitting and smirking.

"Ana, are we playing nicely?" Steven's voice asked from behind me. I turned—and stopped breathing. He had changed into a white, short-sleeved henley and a pair of old, faded jeans that were clearly worn to the threads, but also looked extremely soft. Truly, the man could wear anything and it would have been fine by me. Or, he could wear nothing, and that'd be great, too.

"Hey, Luke, remember the conversation we had about staring?" Ana asked me. I closed my eyes as I felt the blush spread up my neck. Thirteen-year-old girls were the perfect antidote for any kind of ego. I looked at her, and she was just smiling. "That's two more for me. One for the catch, and one for making you blush."

How did Steven live with her? She was way too damn smart for her own good.

I sat down at the table and started dishing the salmon onto the plates. Ana was dishing up the mashed potatoes, and Steven was sitting, watching, a grin on his face.

"Okay, moment of truth," Ana said, looking at me, as a fork full of mashed potatoes made its way to her mouth. When she tried it, the smug look disappeared off her face. "Okay. Fine. These really are that good."

"Well, I'm glad they have the approval of a 13-year-old."

"Watch it, mister. I'm a very influential 13-year-old in your life right now, and I'm still not so sure that you have my approval yet."

"Touché."

I don't know why I bothered to argue with her. Clearly, she and Steven were on some other planet of intelligence. The remainder of dinner passed smoothly, and when we were done, I got up and took the dishes.

"Luke, let us," Steven argued, looking to Ana.

"And by us, he means me," Ana said, rolling her eyes.

"I've got it. Besides, Ana will have to unload them from the dishwasher when I'm gone, anyways."

"See, it's not like I'm getting all the way out of it," Ana chirped, sitting back down. Steven gave me something along the lines of a death glare, but I just smiled at him and rinsed the dishes.

The part that really got to me was how normal this felt. I always thought that two gay man with a child (or children) would feel unnatural, and that it could never fit into my life, ever. Now, I wasn't so sure. I mean, I wasn't planning on moving in, but as I kept being around him and Ana, I became progressively more aware of how much I liked family life.

The phone rang and Ana picked it up. She talked for a couple of minutes, and then walked back into the kitchen.

"Dad, Hui-Zhong is having a sleepover tonight, and I know I didn't ask before, but I really want go." She paused. "And you know her parents."

"Let me talk with one of them."

"Okay," she said, a mix of hope and annoyance in her voice as she handed him the phone. Steven spoke for a moment with the other person, then hung up.

"They said since they're driving to get the pizza, you're right on the way back and that they can swing by to pick you up. Go pack your stuff; they'll be here in about fifteen minutes."

I watched as Ana's face lit up, and felt a funny glow of happiness spread through me.

"Thanks, Dad."

They were perfect. And the fact that I fit in, too, gave me chills.

Steven

Dinner waiting for me when I got home was a lovely surprise. Luke's mashed potatoes were heavenly, but it was no secret that butter makes them that good. For once, though, I didn't care, and I didn't want to know how much was in there. It was delicious comfort food, and I was tired.

Luke made a natural contribution to our home. Ana seemed to really like him, and to be honest, so did I. He wasn't intrusive, but he involved himself. He wasn't overbearing, but wasn't aloof. He added a special dimension that wasn't there without him. It was a perfect fit.

I watched as Ana walked out to the car with her sleeping back and small duffel, then shut the door and turned around. Luke's back was turned to me; he was washing the last of the pans. I liked that he did that. I never put my cookware in the diswasher: it ruins the non-stick coating, and pots and pans are expensive. I walked over quietly as he finished rinsing the last kettle and placed it on the drying rack. I wrapped my arms around his torso and rested my face between his shoulders. When I inhaled, his smell filled my senses, mixed with the smell of dish soap and the spices he had used to cook dinner. I know I surprised him, because he stiffened up a little and put his hands on my arms, looking back at me.

"Well, hey, you," he smiled, relaxing.

"So, I'm sorry I'm such a stick-in-the-mud, but I was just going to watch a movie tonight that I got in the mail the other day. If you'd like to stay, you're more than welcome."

He turned around and looked down at me. God, he was beautiful. His amber eyes sparkled with the smile that lingered on his lips.

"I'd really like that."

For some reason, we just kept looking at each other. The smile faded from his mouth, but didn't leave his eyes.

"Steven, is it okay if I kiss you now?" I chuckled a bit as I continued to look at him.

"I have to say, I'd be really disappointed if you didn't."

His face neared mine and my eyes flickered shut. When his lips touched mine, my stomach churned in that indescribable feeling that everyone who's ever been kissed by someone they care about knows. And damn was he good at it. He tasted of the sweet tea he'd been drinking, and a hint of garlic from dinner, and a taste that was completely him. It was intoxicating. The kiss wasn't too wet or dry, not too chaste or passionate, just the perfect, short-yet-lingering kiss. It left me breathless.

. . . and wanting more.

"Whoa," I whispered after a moment. I didn't mean to, but it just slipped out. He giggled deeply in his throat.

"Whoa is right," he said quietly, smiling down at me. "We may have to conduct a little more research to see if that happens every time."

"I'd be okay with that." I headed over to the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of club soda, then followed Luke into the family room. He took my club soda and set it on the table, then sprawled out on the sofa as I grabbed the movie. I felt his eyes watch every move I made, and after I had finally put the disc into the player, I turned to him.

"Enjoying the view?"

"More than you know," he replied, a mischievous gleam on his face.

"I'm glad I can be of amusement," I smiled, sitting in front of where he was lying. I pushed the 'play' button on the remote and took a swig of my club soda. As soon as I had set the bottle back on the table, I felt a pair of deliciously strong arms wrap around me and pull me down in front of him so that we spooned.

"Mmm, see, that's much better," he said softly into my ear. Oh, this man was trouble. I felt my stomach flip-flop again as he brushed his lips lightly on the sensitive part of my neck right behind my earlobe.

His body felt wonderful against mine. He was a few inches taller than me, and definitely built more solidly, probably about 40 pounds more. His body was firm and muscular, but not too hard. His arm snaked around mine and his hand came to rest lightly on my own, his fingers lightly brushing against my knuckles.

Somewhere after the first hour of the movie, I took notice that his breathing had shallowed somewhere along the line. I peeked back, and sure enough, he was asleep. I smiled. He was beautiful. The light from the television glinted off of the golden hair on his head and arms, and stubble shadowed his chiseled face. Those light eyes that I enjoyed so much fluttered behind closed eyelids. I hoped he was dreaming of me.

I returned to watching the movie, but before long, I felt drowsy, too. The last thing I remember is thinking how perfectly Luke and I fit together as I threaded my fingers between his.