Page 25 of At His Wife's Behest

Connor stiffened again, sensing whatever Kellan wanted to share required his full attention. A pregnant pause hung between them. A glimmer sparkled in Kellan’s eyes…

And then it was gone as fast as Connor witnessed it. Kellan turned away, leaving Connor to wonder what had been left unsaid.

“I suppose I should put this stuff away before we go.”

Connor helped store the fruit and the pastries, moving silently at Kellan’s side. He didn’t want to cause another bad mood by speaking out of turn, so he kept quiet. Not long after they’d cleaned up, a buzzer sounded.

“What’s that?”

“The gate,” Kellan answered. “Time to go.”

Kellan’s knee brushed against Connor’s as they traveled in the backseat of the tiny Fiat taxi. His companion took up more than half the space, forcing their bodies in close contact. While he attempted to keep his distance, every scrape of the leg, lean into a turn, and bump from a rough bit of road slammed him against the man. He wanted to be free to touch Connor, without the voices in his head telling him he shouldn’t.

“I don’t bite,” Connor said midway there.

“What?”

“You don’t have to twist yourself into knots in an attempt to avoid touching me.”

“I wasn’t…”

The look in Connor’s eyes said he knew that was a lie.

Kellan sighed, relaxed his body, and allowed his thigh to touch Connor’s. From that tiny connection, sparks tingled. He turned to look out the window at the passing scenery to prevent Connor from seeing the smile growing on his lips.

They arrived at the ferry dock in the nick of time. Kellan purchased two tickets, and they raced to board, the gate closing behind them. He and Connor leaned against the deck railing, surveying the landscape. The sun was warm as it cast its glow, the sky a brilliant blue. He inhaled, the clean, fresh air filling his lungs.

Dozens of small villages and towns dotted Lake Como, some ancient-looking. Kellan’s gaze didn’t know where to land as there was so much to see. Yet even with all to see, his eyes drifted to Connor over and over again. Hair blowing in the wind, the sun shining down on them, his companion was more handsome than ever before.

Perhaps that due to the kiss from the night before talking, but somehow, he saw the man differently after it. He hadn’t known how to act when he’d come downstairs, a mixture of awkwardness and shame had come out wrong.

A grump. He called me a grump.

“I’m sorry about this morning,” he said, his voice low.

Connor leaned a little closer, smiling. “For?”

“Being a grump this morning.”

“But youweren’tbeing grumpy. Remember?”

Connor’s smile took his breath away. Kellan broke the stare he’d been arrested in and scanned the villages again, face warming.A few seconds later, he noticed Connor’s hand sliding on the railing. It stopped next to his, their pinkies touching.

Growing up in the public eye, Kellan had been well-schooled on how to compose himself when there were lots of eyes around. So well-schooled that his first instinct was to pull his hand away, fear of being caught too close to another man. He’d broken those rules a few times… and each time it had come back to bite him in the ass, getting progressively worse with each transgression.

He stared at their hands, forcing himself to keep still and enjoy the moment.It’s barely touching. Let it go.When he lifted his gaze, he saw Connor staring at him with a hint of a smile. He couldn’t help but return it.

They arrived in Varenna in no time, thanks to the ferry, and were deposited not far from the Villa Monastero. As they approached, a riot of lush greenery and bright flowers drew them closer. Kellan shaded his eyes as he surveyed the gardens stretched out before them. They resembled the ones at Emma’s villa, but larger. Grander. The villa behind it was larger and grander, too—which was saying a lot.

“Let’s get our tickets,” Connor said, taking Kellan’s elbow and leading him forward.

He opened his mouth to argue, but shut his lips, letting it slide. Connor’s hand was on him again, and it was innocent enough.Right?Fighting a smile, he entered the short queue beside Connor.

“Due,”Connor said as he approached the window, holding two fingers up. He forked over the euro before Kellan could reach for his wallet.“Grazie.”

Connor spun and offered Kellan a ticket.

“You should’ve let me pay.”

---