Page 6 of In the Dark

And that was another reason Key loved Charles so much. His loyalty and the way he made sure his friends were taken care of. Key also knew for a fact if Charles got hold of Eric, he wouldn’twalk for a very long time and he knew many of the neighbors around here would help Charles as well. The Jeffersons were well thought of.

Key pushed his plate away and smiled ruefully at Charles. “Doggy bag?” Charles snorted and carried on eating, but nodded. Key knew Charles would send him home with a plate as well. “Mine next Sunday?”

“You learned to cook, then?”

“I’m not that bad.”

“You could burn water. Not sure how you’re still alive.”

“I’ve progressed. Water survives now.”

“How many times has the smoke alarm gone of this week?”

“Only three.” Key smiled smugly. “Three is a huge improvement.”

“Three.” Charles shook his head, then grinned. “That first week, though.”

“It was only every meal I cooked.” They both stared at each other, then chuckled. “Three is better. I don’t even burn toast now.”

“You have no idea what a disappointment it was to your mother that she couldn’t teach you to cook.”

“I do know. She told me repeatedly. Usually after she’d had to open all the windows and doors. Who knew getting food poisoning several times would help me figure out how to cook?”

“I wouldn’t say you could cook, but at least you don’t threaten anyone’s lives now when they eat your food.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

“It’s only the truth.”

“I know. That’s what makes it worse. I’m never going to be a chef.”

“Something we both agree on. You need to find a man who can do the cooking, then.”

“Does one exist?” Key stared at his plate, then picked up the fork to push a piece of broccoli around.

A slap on the hand had him dropping the fork and sucking his lips in. “Behave.”

“Yes, Dad.”

“I’ll have a coffee if you’ve finished playing with your food.”

Key looked at his dad, then laughed. Charles had a huge grin on his face. “I’ll make us both one.”

Key made the drinks, then began to clear the table, leaving the food on the counter so Charles could make the plates for the Jeffersons. Loading the dishwasher took the hassle of washing and drying them away, and once the kitchen was clean, they both went into the living room to watch some reruns on the TV.

It was a nice way to spend the day, but Key knew he would have to leave to finish that fucking presentation he’d been given. He’d managed a huge chunk of it the day before, but he wanted to go over it and add the final pieces. Oh yeah, they would regret thrusting that thing on him by the end of Monday. By Key’s estimates, the presentation would last almost two hours. He’d gone into every single teeny tiny piece of information and detail that he knew they knew, but fuck it. They wanted a presentation; they would get a presentation.

Smirking, Key eventually said goodbye to Charles, took the food thrust into his hands and drove home.

No sooner had he entered his apartment and turned the lights on, than that familiar feeling crept over him. His stalker, watcher, follower, whatever the hell he was, was there again. Key was tempted to tease again, but who was he really teasing and what would the repercussions be? Did he care?

Licking his lips, Key stood by the window, staring out into the dark night. He couldn’t see much, but it was the feeling, the sensation that told him what he needed to know. He placed ahand on the window, feeling the cold seep into his skin. What would he do if another hand appeared?

Well, he’d freak the fuck out considering he was on the top floor.

Maybe he should leave one open and… what the fuck was going on with him that he was standing there thinking about leaving a window open?

Ignoring his hard dick, no, fuck that. He ran a hand over his bulge, licking his lips again, and gave in to the feelings coursing through him. He tilted his head to one side, exposing his neck. Why, he didn’t know. He lifted his hand from the window and ran his fingers down it.

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