Page 27 of Common Goal
Eric was staring at his face as if he couldn’t quite believe Kyle was the same person who served him sodas with lime. “You look good,” he finally said. “In glasses, I mean.”
Kyle enjoyed Eric’s brief and bashful smile. “Thank you.”
“I can take that bag for you,” Eric said. “And your coat.”
Kyle set the heavy bag he’d been carrying on the floor and removed his jacket. “Nice try, but the bag has a surprise in it.” He’d vowed to be playful, pleasant, and not overtly flirtatious tonight.
“I don’t normally like surprises, but I’ll admit I’m intrigued.” He held Kyle’s gaze as he took his coat and draped it over his arm. His eyes danced, even as the rest of his face stayed neutral. It was unfairly sexy.
“Hi,” Maria said. “Maria is here.”
That made Eric’s cheeks turn pink. “I’m sorry. Nice to see you again, Maria. Let me take your coat.”
Maria removed her coat, and Kyle stifled a laugh when Eric’s eyes widened at the sight of her outfit. Maria had come toplaytonight. Her breasts were pushed up to show maximum cleavage over the deep-V neckline of her black sweater dress. She looked fantastic, with the dress hugging her curves and her flawless hair and makeup. She may have only been five-foot-one in a house full of tall, athletic men, but Kyle fully expected her to stand out tonight.
For his own part, Kyle had kept it casual in a way that announced that he was not here to seduce anyone. He wore his most comfortable faded jeans with a long-sleeve blue T-shirt, had a scarf bunched around his neck, and finished the look with his second-favorite glasses. He was dressed to fade into the background and be a temptation to no one.
Kyle looked incredible. Eric’s heart had started skipping in his chest the moment he recognized the man behind the glasses. He loved this version of him: the sweet, artistic grad student. He was pretty into all versions of Kyle, if he was being honest, but he was so damn cute in those glasses.
And he’d brought Eric a surprise.
He watched as Kyle retrieved the mystery bag from the floor, unable to take his eyes off him. “Where’s the kitchen?” Kyle asked.
“I’ll show you.” He gestured for Kyle to follow him. Maria, who looked like a bombshell tonight, had already headed to the basement, where most of the party guests were. The kitchen was one story above them, so Eric led Kyle to the staircase. When Eric turned on the lights in the stairway, Kyle gasped.
“These are stunning!” Eric had three paintings displayed on the wall leading up to the next floor. They were abstracts, all by the same artist from the same series.
“Aren’t they?” Eric agreed. “These were the first paintings Jeanette ever showed me. I knew I’d found my dealer after that.”
Kyle leaned against the opposite wall with his feet planted at different heights on two different steps. He was smiling at the art, his face lit up the same way Eric’s had been when he’d first seen the paintings himself. The way Eric’s face was probably lit up right now watching Kyle.
“I love the orange in this one,” Kyle said, pointing to the one Eric had hung in the middle.
“That one’s my favorite.” Eric realized they were both speaking in hushed tones. Everyone was either on the first or basement floors, so the floor above them was completely empty. The situation suddenly seemed very intimate.
Kyle turned to face him, and his face changed. It was like the light had suddenly gone out, the corners of his mouth turned down and his eyes looked almost scared. Eric shifted so he wasn’t leaning quite so close.
“So,” Kyle said. It wasn’t the husky whisper he’d been using a moment ago. This was bright and loud and jarring. “Where’s the kitchen?” Without waiting for an answer, he turned and headed up the rest of the stairs.
Of course. Eric’s attraction to Kyle was probably written all over his face. His old, divorced, boring face. Kyle couldn’t be blamed for being uncomfortable.
Be cool, Eric instructed himself.You are in control of your feelings, your body, and your libido.He took a centering breath, then followed Kyle up the stairs. Kyle had found the kitchen, which made sense since it took up most of this floor. He set the bag on one of the counters and looked around.
“You’re having a party and your kitchen isthisspotless?”
“The food is catered. I ordered from a barbecue restaurant the guys like.”
“Uh huh. And what areyougoing to eat?”
“They have a kale salad I like.”
Kyle smiled but didn’t say anything about that as he began pulling bottles out of the bag and setting them on the counter. The last thing he pulled out was a cocktail shaker. “I wasn’t sure you’d own one yourself,” he said, holding it up.
“I do. But what is all this?”
“A birthday present. Just wait.”
Eric got a hit of that fizzing sensation in his blood when Kyle winked at him then. “Do you need ice?”
