‘I only left because it got too hard to see you and Jason together.’ Gabe massaged his temple, his eyes looking away, his head turning just enough to put a gap between Bruce’s hand and his own.
‘What’s wrong?’
‘I think Jason pursued you because I’d told him how much I wanted you.’
Something clicked. That devious bastard. ‘That’s the missing link.’
‘What do you mean?’
As much as he had a right to be pissed off, the anger wouldn’t light. He was too full of Gabriel to let Jason back in, other than as a source of amusement. ‘Out of nowhere Jason started showing an interest, soon after you came to Brachen. I was just too dumb to realise I was just a trophy.’
Gabe looked stricken. ‘I never thought of you like that.’
‘Hey, it’s fine.’ Bruce put his hand under Gabe’s chin. ‘I didn’t think you did. I did think you were a bit jealous but I could never quite work out if you were jealous of me or Jason. When you left—and Jason told me what he told me—I rewrote in my head that you were jealous of me.’
‘You must have thought so badly of me.’ Gabe took Bruce’s hand and held it in his lap.
‘A little. And a bit in awe that someone could lie so convincingly.’
‘What a mess. All those missed opportunities. All that lost time.’
‘But we’re making up for it now. No Jason. No impropriety. No secrets.’
Gabe dived into his arms and hugged him—hard. ‘Right,’ he murmured close to Bruce’s ear.
Bruce had never felt more whole than he did at that moment. Not only had Gabe saved his house, he’d saved his heart, and he could fill both with happy memories, happy memories of him and Gabe.
‘Would you like to spend the night at my place? I promise my bed is a lot more comfortable than this stage,’ Bruce asked, more forward than he’d ever thought he’d be with Gabe. But now they’d gotten this far, what was a little further?
Gabe pulled back. ‘I can’t. I’ve got to get home in case Mum needs me. Is that okay?’
‘Of course.’ There’d be other times. He’d make sure of it.
Gabe kissed him then stood and reached down for his jeans, all sinew and muscle, and Bruce fell completely in love with the whole eroticism of Gabriel Mora. He’d been slayed like David had slain Goliath, and when Gabe looked at him, his heart almost broke with how absolutely Gabe possessed him. All those years of not being together and now they finally had a chance.
Gabe held his hand out and helped Bruce stand, and as he got to his feet, Bruce pulled Gabe towards him and kissed him again. Gabe sagged into his arms and Bruce gladly supported him.
He didn’t know how much time had passed, lost in the kiss, but Gabe’s hand pressing against his chest brought him back. When they parted, Gabe was panting for breath, a hand held out to keep Bruce at bay. ‘Goddamn it, Bruce. You’re not making it easy for me to leave.’
‘Good.’ He grinned.
Gabe laughed and collected his shirt, the one that Bruce had only told him to change out of so he could get a glimpse of his body. Looking away from Gabe before he’d finished taking it off had been a torment. At least now, he didn’t have to avert his eyes.
Bruce dressed. ‘Will I see you tomorrow?’
‘I’ll call you. I’ve got to take Mum to an appointment over in Nowra. I don’t know how long it will take.’
And like that reality shoved its nose back in. ‘Let me know if you need a hand.’
‘Thanks, but I’m sure you’ve got plenty to do.’
He grabbed Gabe’s hand and stopped him from leaving. ‘I mean it, Gabe. If you ever need me, I’ll be there. Don’t feel like you have to do this all on your own.’
Gabe caressed the side of Bruce’s face, and he leaned into the touch, craving how much it soothed him. ‘I know. That means a lot.’ Gabe rose onto his toes and kissed Bruce gently on the lips, lingering like it was their last goodbye.
Chapter Fifteen
Gabriel’s week started on a shaky high after the night with Bruce at the theatre, but then Sofia’s health dived and pulled him off the cliff. She’d gone for chemotherapy at the hospital, which left her weaker and sicker than before. He helped shower her, dress her, feed her. A nurse came every couple of days but otherwise it was just him. Sofia was on indefinite leave from the bookshop and getting to the theatre was impossible.
Bruce messaged and called but he didn’t have a lot of free time either. He was busy building the sets and working as Lexi’s right-hand man. His day job had him dashing from one end of town to the other, which was good for his finances but couldn’t have been good for his wellbeing.
Who did Gabriel think he was kidding?
He wanted to see Bruce and that’s all there was to it. He hadn’t yet told Sofia what had happened; his focus was on making sure she was comfortable and cared for. But his need to see Bruce, to feel his touch, to kiss his lips, intensified as the week wore on, creating a friction between wanting to go and wanting to stay. Stuck in the middle, he failed to notice it. But Sofia did.
She told him to stop fussing, to let her rest, and with as much force as she could muster, she demanded he get out of the house. He only left once she promised to call him the second she needed him. The good thing about being in Brachen was that traffic wasn’t a problem.
He wouldn’t be out for long. Even
