::Hey, sexy.::
And there he was.
Vic’s thoughts could be as gravelly andsuccinct as his real voice at times, which always made Matt wonderwhat his own thoughts sounded like. Now he sent a mental hugto his lover, enveloping every inch of Vic’s essence in a way hecouldn’t manage to do in real life. ::Hey yourself, hot stuff.I’m making piss-ketti for you.::
He could feel Vic’s smile even if he couldn’tsee it. ::My favorite.::
::With boneless ribs,:: Matt added. Hepicked up the piece he’d set aside and squeezed it, not so much toremove the tomato sauce from it but to test its heat level. Stilltoo hot.
In their mental connection, nothing wassecret between them. He felt Vic grumble in disapproval—it startedsomewhere below Matt’s ribcage and tickled up into the back of hisneck. ::Tell me you’re not feeding the dog any of myfood.::
::Then don’t ask.:: Matt rolled thepiece of meat around between his fingers; the more he played withit, the cooler it got. Beside him, Sadie yapped once, eager for hertreat.
Obligingly, Matt dropped the morsel to thefloor and she lapped it up.
::You spoil that animal,:: Vicchastised.
Matt grinned as he stirred the sauce.::Yeah, well, I learned from the best. You spoil me. You almosthome?::
::Just pulled up out front.:: Vic’sthoughts sounded weary—it must have been a long day. ::Give metwo minutes and I’ll be right up.::
Even though Vic’s telepathy didn’t work wellon animals, Sadie had super powers of her own when it came to herowners. As Matt drained the noodles in the sink, he saw Sadie’sears perk up and her head raise, turning towards the door to theirapartment. He couldn’t even hear footsteps outside yet, but shescrambled to the door and sat obediently, tail thumping on thehardwood floor. When Matt didn’t follow, she woofed once, softly,because she knew better than to bark inside. She was a large muttof a dog, golden-brown—part Labrador, part retriever, allgoofball.
But she was well-trained. She had to be. Whenthey first took her in, their upstairs neighbor and landlady Mrs.Kowalewsky complained Sadie’s barking scared her cats. Matt hadgroused to Vic that Mrs. K herself was too deaf to hear the dogherself, but they had enrolled Sadie in obedience classes at alocal doggy daycare anyway. Good thing, too. The daycare kept Sadiebusy all day, and was close to the gym where Matt worked that hecould swing by on his way home to pick her up. Sadie loved himunconditionally, Matt knew, but as much as he spoiled her, he knewshe loved Vic just as much. Even if Vic was sterner and more firmwith her. Vic dropped her off at the daycare in the morning, andtook a moment to stop in every day to the gym to see Matt.
No wonder she loved him. I do, too,Matt thought.
He heard Sadie’s tail thump louder, faster,and a moment later, a key scraped in the lock. Matt wiped his handson a dishtowel and hurried into the hallway just as the door openedand Vic stepped inside. Whenever Matt arrived at the daycare topick up Sadie, she was always a rambunctious ball of energy,jumping on him, yipping with excitement, unable to calm down. Now,here, the only giveaway to her emotions was that heavy tail,thudding on the floor as she fought against the desire to tackleVic.
Matt grinned as Vic shrugged out of hisjacket and hung it on the back of the closet door. Rolling hiseyes, Vic held out one arm and, almost resigned, told the dog, “Allright, come here and get it over with.”
On cue, Sadie lunged for him. Her nailsscraped the floor as she stood on her back legs and licked Vic’shands and neck and face, whimpering in delight. He patted her back,then her head, then scratched that magical spot behind her ears sheloved so much. When he took a step forward, she jumped down and ranto Matt, as if saying, Your turn.
Crossing the hallway, Matt caught the buttonson Vic’s work shirt and reeled him in. “My turn,” he murmuredbefore his lips closed over Vic’s. ::Missed you,:: he senttelepathically as he lost himself in their kiss.
He felt Vic’s arms come up around hisshoulders to hold him close. ::Missed you more.::
Their kiss deepened, but as Matt pressed hisbody against Vic’s, he felt Sadie trying to nudge her way betweenthem. ::The dog wants a piece of this action,:: hejoked.
Vic dropped his hand to Sadie’s head andgently, but firmly, turned her away. ::The dog canwait.::
Matt had eaten when he came home from work atsix, but while Vic got washed up, he dished up a large plate fullof spaghetti noodles covered with a thick, rich, red sauce swimmingwith vegetables. The simmered spare ribs went on one side, and hotbuttered garlic bread on the other. By the time Vic made it to thetable, the overflowing plate was waiting for him, along with a coldbeer as well, and Matt sat across from his seat, grinning. “Eat up,lover boy.”
As Vic took his seat, he joked, “How manyribs did the dog eat?”
“She only had a piece of one,” Matt assuredhim. “Just a taste.”
Vic grunted and began twirling his spaghettiwith his fork. “Yeah, right. I believe that.”
Matt glanced at Sadie, who lay on the kitchenfloor watching them. No, watching Vic, and the way he doveinto the plate brimming with food. Matt didn’t have to be able toread minds to see the naked hunger in Sadie’s eyes. She didonly get a taste of the meat, true, but Matt had left two wholeribs in the pot when he dished out Vic’s dinner, and the minute hislover was in the shower after eating, Sadie would find those ribsin her bowl.
“So,” Matt drawled, watching Vic eat, “howwas your day?”
One of Vic’s shoulders came up in ahalf-shrug. When he was eating, that was the most conversation Mattcould hope for.
Luckily, telepathy allowed them to chatwithout speaking. So while Vic chewed and swallowed, Matt rifledthrough the events of his lover’s day as easily as flipping throughchannels on the television. Most of it was uninteresting—bus faresand the circuitous route Vic drove around the city. But when he sawthe memory of
