Choices - 26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Liam pulled up to Alek’s house with his stomach fluttering. From force of habit, he peered nervously around the neighbourhood for anyone who might see him going inside, but quickly chastised himself. This wasn’t supposed to be necessary anymore, and he needed to get past this anxiety.

He turned off the car and pocketed his keys as he stepped out into the cool evening air. Taking in a deep breath, he headed up the front steps and rang the doorbell. He smiled when he heard something fall to the floor with a clatter, followed by Alek’s muttered swears. Just as he was about to ring the bell again, the door swung open and Alek stood there looking as anxious as Liam felt.

“You made it.”

“I confirmed with you this morning I would still be coming.”

“I just wasn’t….” Alek cleared his throat. “I’m glad you came. I have everything set up in the living room.”

A delicious aroma met him as he cleared the entrance. “Something smells amazing,” he commented as he removed his jacket and handed it to Alek to hang in the closet.

“I made solyanka. There are even some fresh rolls to go with it.”

“I thought we were going to order in?” Liam asked quizzically, tilting his head to one side.

“I wanted to make you something….” Alek cleared his throat again. The flush of color brightening his cheeks was adorable. “I wanted to do something special for you.”

Before he could second guess himself Liam stepped forward, gripped a strong bicep, and placed a gentle kiss against Alek’s lips. “I’m sure it’ll be delicious. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Alek’s goofy grin told him he’d done the right thing.

A few minutes later Liam was leaning against Alek’s shoulder, watching the opening scenes of The Hobbit. It wasn’t Alek’s favourite movie; he was more of an action or horror kind of guy, so the fact he chose it as their first selection was touching.

Before the dwarves had eaten all of Bilbo’s food, Alek had his arm around Liam’s shoulders and he was tucked tightly against a strong chest. By the time Bilbo was battling the giants, Liam had his arm around Alek’s torso, his fingertips stroking lightly over t-shirt clad muscle. Under his ear he could hear the sound of Alek’s thudding heart. Every once in a while, Alek would place a kiss against his hair and tighten his hold for a few seconds, as if assuring himself that Liam was really there. It felt so good… so right.

Liam absent-mindedly moved his hand lower, enjoying the feel of hard muscle twitching under his touch. When he reached the hem of Alek’s shirt he paused for only a second before moving underneath the fabric to the soft, warm skin below.

“I don’t think you want to do that,” Alek said softly, his breathing shallow.

“Why not?” Liam teased, deliberately stroking along the waistband of Alek’s jeans.

“Don’t be a tease,” Alek chastised, although his voice held no objection.

“Am I teasing you?” Another caress along heated skin had Alek inhaling sharply before Liam found himself on his back with Alek’s heavy weight pushing him into the cushions.

“You know you’re teasing,” Alek replied, nipping at his jaw.

“You want me to stop?” Liam asked, breathless.

“No, but you might want to stop before this goes farther than you’re ready for.”

“What if I want this? Want you?”

Alek’s breath hitched and his hips pressed down, providing the friction Liam wanted. “You wanted to take things slow….”

“I can’t change my mind?”

The delicious weight moved away abruptly as Alek retreated to the far side of the couch, breathing heavily. Judging by the large bulge in Alek’s jeans, Liam wasn’t the only one affected by what they were doing.

“Alek?”

“I don’t want to ruin this.”

“You won’t. I’m the one who’s asking.”

Alek shook his head, meeting Liam’s gaze with his troubled one. “You might regret moving too quickly, and resent me. I can’t… I can’t handle you hating me again.”

The fear in Alek’s eyes made Liam’s heart break. The man was clearly terrified to make a mistake with him. Sitting up, he moved slowly to Alek’s side, and lay his head on a broad shoulder. “Okay. We can slow down. I want you, but you’re right. We need to do things properly this time around.”

Liam felt an arm pull him close. “I want you too,” Alek said softly. “I hope you don’t think I don’t.”

“Don’t worry. I can see how much you want me,” Liam teased, trying to lighten the mood.

Alek’s laugh was strained, but it was a laugh. Satisfied they were back on the right track, Liam sighed happily and turned his attention back to the movie.

As soon as the closing credits started to roll, Alek stood and stretched his arms over his head, revealing a tantalizing strip of skin. Liam closed his eyes, trying to remember his promise to be good and take their time, even though his instincts were telling him to explore more of that skin.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m starving. Are you ready for dinner?” Alek looked down at him expectantly.

Knowing how nervous he was about preparing him dinner that didn’t come out of a box, Liam smiled and nodded enthusiastically. “I’ve been wanting to try whatever smells so damned good since I got here.”

The bigger man reached down with a work-roughened hand and pulled Liam to his feet. “Come on. I have everything set up in the kitchen.”

Eagerly, Liam followed behind, taking in the spectacular view of Alek’s well-muscled ass. The smell of food got stronger as they rounded the corner to the large open area that served as the kitchen and dining room. Alek had remodeled the home after he’d purchased it, and this was one of Liam’s favourite places in the house, with the exception of the master bedroom’s huge ensuite bath.

“I’m getting hungrier by the second,” Liam enthused before noticing that the dining room table had been set, complete with silverware, wine glasses, and candles. “Wow,” was the only word his brain could come up with as he took everything in.

“Sit,” Alek said, pulling out a chair. Liam dutifully sat. “I’ll be right back.”

With a soft smile, Liam watched as Alek bustled around his kitchen, ladling bowls of soup and bringing them to the table before hurrying away again to grab a basket of fresh rolls. It was simple fare, but appeared hearty and smelled delicious.

“This all looks great,” Liam commented, inhaling the mouth-watering steam wafting up from the bowl.

“I know it’s not much,” Alek started before Liam cut him off with a finger to his lips.

“Everything looks great,” he assured. “I’m sure it tastes just as good.”

After a deep breath Alek nodded and smiled. “Dig in.”

Liam tasted the first spoonful of soup and nearly moaned in enjoyment. He was a big fan of hot and sour soup, and this tasted like a version of one of his favourite dishes. “This is incredible, Alek. What did you say it was called again?”

“Solyanka. It’s a Russian dish my mom used to make for us all the time. It’s not as good as hers, but I didn’t….” He cleared his throat. “I don’t have her recipe.”

With a gentle smile, Liam reached across the table and grasped Alek’s hand. “This is one of the best things I’ve ever had. I can’t believe you can cook like this.”

Alek’s returned smile appeared grateful. “I don’t really cook. This recipe took a lot of searching, and you don’t even want to know what this kitchen looked like before you got here. It looked like something exploded all over me and the counters.”

Liam laughed, imagining the scene. “You did a great job cleaning,” he remarked, looking over into the other room.

Alek grinned, and his eyes twinkled with mirth. “It’s amazing the places you will find flour, even if you’re fully clothed.” That comment had Liam laughing hysterically and Alek’s muttered ‘seriously, how does it get way the hell down there?’ had tears forming in Liam’s eyes as he tried to catch his breath.

Dinner was fun and romantic, and if the rolls were a little tough, Liam would have rather died than admit it to the man who’d worked so hard to impress him. By the time he finished his second bowl of soup, he was stuffed. “You know,” he said as he patted his stomach, “now that I know you can cook, we’re going to have to do this more often.”

Alek chuckled as he rose to clear the dishes. “You realize this is probably the only thing I’ve actually made successfully? Well… except for omelets. I can make a decent omelet.”

“Then you’ll have to make me breakfast sometime,” Liam teased with a wink, before helping clear the table.

“You don’t have to do that,” Alek protested when Liam approached with the wine glasses and bread basket. “Why don’t you go relax in the other room while I finish up here?”

“You made dinner. The least I can do is help you clean up after.”

“I wanted to do this for you.”

“And you have. I’m really touched. Now pass me a towel.”

With an exasperated sigh, Alek did as asked, and they made short work of the remaining mess. Liam enjoyed just standing beside the man, feeling his warmth radiating across the short distance between them. As they worked, they joked and teased about movies Alek had convinced Liam to watch over the months they’d dated, bumping shoulders and hips as they happily finished their chores.

Once the kitchen was spotless and the candles extinguished, they made their way back to the living room for their next movie.

“Alek?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you think we could maybe go for a walk before we watch the next movie? I’m so stuffed that I’m sleepy, and a walk might wake me up a bit.” He waited nervously, wondering how the man would feel about being out in the neighbourhood with him. He really should not have worried.

“A walk? Sure. That sounds nice, actually. I’ve been cooped up in the house all day, so some fresh air would be great.”

They donned their jackets and headed out in the cold air. It was early in the evening, and while darkness didn’t descend as quickly as it did in the dead of winter, it was still dark outside. The streetlights glimmered along the quiet road, lighting their path as they slowly walked along the sidewalk.

“This is a beautiful neighbourhood,” Liam commented as he looked around at the houses they passed. It was an older section of town, but the homes were obviously well cared for.

“I liked the area as soon as the realtor showed me the place.”

“I remember you saying it needed a lot of work.”

Alek nodded, and Liam was surprised when a warm hand engulfed his. He looked up, but Alek was concentrating on the path ahead of them with a small smile on his face “The people who owned it before me must have planned to renovate because the inside of the place was demoed. They tore into walls, and had most of the kitchen cabinets torn out.”

“Oh wow. I hope the cabinets weren’t original to the building?”

“No, I don’t think so. They looked like a cheap stock product they tried to fit into the space.”

As they walked, Alek told him more about the renovations he’d completed, and what he still wanted to do. From a distance, Liam saw a figure round the corner, heading directly towards them. He tried to pull his hand free so Alek didn’t have to feel uncomfortable in front of one of his neighbours, but the hold was tightened.

“There’s someone coming this way.” Liam whispered, and tried to pull away again.

“I know,” Alek replied. “I see them.”

Liam looked up to see that Alek’s smile was still in place. “Okay. If you’re sure.”

Alek squeezed his hand again and then continued to talk about the house and ideas he still wanted to implement. The other walker, an older gentleman, smiled as he neared them. His smile of greeting faded for a moment as he took in their entwined fingers. For a brief moment Liam wondered if there would be trouble, but the gentleman’s face cleared and the smile reappeared as he passed with a nod. The entire time Alek’s own smile never wavered, and his grip on Liam’s hand was firm and comforting.

Letting out the breath he’d been holding, Liam leaned into his boyfriend and wrapped an arm around him. “I think I’m ready now.”

Sending out much love and a huge thank you to my editor and friend, Gary.  He had to work extra hard this week to help me get this chapter ready to post.       Thank you to all of you who read and support this story