Page 26 of Cedarwood Manny

Kyle nodded, then left.

Nathan sighed. “It’s exciting. I’ll bet you never knew a four-year-old could talk so much.”

“Not about so many subjects.” Adrien finished his macaroni, then left his seat. He carried his plate and silverware to the kitchen. “I forgot how exciting dinosaurs can be.”

“They are for now.” Nathan dipped a washrag in the hot water in the sink. “Give it time and he’ll find something else.” He nodded. “Kyle’s setting up a game. Why don’t you join him while I wipe down the table?”

“Sure.” He dried his hands on a towel. “You’re playing, too?”

“Of course.” Nathan winked. “I wouldn’t miss it.”

He abandoned Nathan in the dining room and headed for the playroom on the second floor. Kyle sat in the middle of the floor with an array of DVDs around him. “Can we watch this?” He waved a DVD at Adrien. “Please?”

“Which is it?” He didn’t recognize Kyle’s selection. Was it rated for kid viewing? What in the hell was the movie?

“Dinobots.” Kyle slapped the case into Adrien’s hands. “Please?”

According to the rating, the movie was suitable for children Kyle’s age and seemed educational. “Sure.” When Nathan entered the room, Adrien held up the DVD case. “This is cool, right?”

“It is.” He sat next to Adrien on the sofa and spoke to Kyle. “Do you remember how to put it in the machine?”

“I do.” Kyle picked up the remote. Within seconds, he had both the television and DVD player on. He placed the disc into the machine, then stepped back as the movie played.

“I didn’t recognize the movie,” Adrien muttered. “I’m guessing it was a holdover from Gerry.”

“I watched it to make sure it was appropriate,” Nathan replied. “The dinos show kids how to count, recognize letters and even some sign language, without being corny or talking down to them.”

Adrien draped his arm across the back of the sofa and brushed Nathan’s shoulder. Despite the movie playing on the screen and Kyle now nestled between him and Nathan, he didn’t pay any attention to the entertainment. He’d seen some cartoons along the same lines as the Dinobots. As long as Kyle was learning something, he was happy. Adrien stole glances at Nathan. The guy worked the straight-out-of-bed hairstyle like a champ. His scruff had returned and the lines at the corners of his eyes seemed a bit deeper, but rugged. The muscle in Nathan’s jaw quirked. The comfort between him and Nathan blew Adrien’s mind. They were together like a family—like they were meant to be right in this moment all along. The tingles when he touched Nathan increased. Nathan didn’t pull away but smiled instead.

Warmth filled Adrien. His heart beat again. He’d always had a heartbeat, but he felt alive. This wasn’t a passing attraction, but a kinship. He wanted to fuck Nathan, sure, but the connection ran deeper. Every time Nathan grinned and encouraged him, he wanted to do better. Because of Nathan, he had a connection with his son, too.

Nathan cleared his throat. “Movie’s over.” He ruffled Kyle’s hair. “I want you to put on your pjs and brush your teeth. I’ll be right behind you to make sure youdobrush those teeth, not just dampen the brush.”

“Okay,” Kyle said, drawing out the word. He wandered from the room.

Nathan left the sofa. “He’s smart as heck. I don’t let him watch much television, but I trust him to use the machine properly.” He put the disc away. “We’re going to work on putting the movies away next. Just not tonight.”

“Makes sense.” Adrien remained on the couch. He needed to hide his erection. Showing off the bulge in his pants wasn’t a good thing—especially in front of his son. He willed his hard-on to go away until Kyle was in bed and asleep. Being attracted to Nathan was fine, but flaunting it wasn’t.

Nathan stood in the doorway. “I’ll be right back.”

“I’ll be here.”Trying to control my horny self.Adrien folded his hands over his lap. He wondered if Kyle would be okay with him having a boyfriend. What happened in his life affected Kyle’s. Nathan was right—if they were going to take the next step and didn’t go the distance, things would be bad for Kyle.

Nathan returned. “He’s in bed. I let him look at picture books for ten minutes, then lights out.”

“Smart.” He left the sofa and strode into Kyle’s room. “Ready for bed?”

“Yep.” Kyle flipped the pages in his book. “Dad?”

“Yes?” He sat on the edge of the mattress. “What’s up?”

“Do you love me?”

“Yes. A whole lot.”

Kyle held up his stuffed dog. “Do you love Puppy?”

“I do.” He hugged the dog, then Kyle. “Why?”

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