Chapter 12
By the time Kai reached Nolan’s door, he was practically vibrating with anticipation.
He’d made it there in record time, propelled by his shit storm of a day and his overwhelming need to be close to Nolan.
He could feel that imaginary elastic band physically shrink as he closed the distance.
He almost put his finger through the doorbell once, then again when the door didn’t immediately open.
Fuck. What if he wasn’t here? Kai spun around, as if expecting Nolan to come from around a corner somewhere.
The door opened behind him, and Kai whirled again, ready to launch himself at Nolan but framed in the doorway was a tall, Asian man.
Maybe Filipino? He was dark with olive skin, a sharp jaw and hard muscles just barely stretching a white button-down shirt tucked into black trousers, all of which looked like it had been made just for him.
He looked like something off of a runway.
Sexy as hell and definitely not welcome.
“Who the fuck are you?” Kai spat, his rage going from zero to a hundred before he’d blinked. The other man raised his eyebrows, the amusement on his face doing nothing to calm Kai’s temper.
“Who the fuck are you?” he countered; suddenly, Kai didn’t know. He thought he’d known who he was to Nolan, but here was another asshole making him second-guess himself. Humiliation burned through him. Was Nolan cheating on him? Or was Nolan cheating on this guy?
“Where’s Nolan?” Kai demanded. He pushed past the other man, yelling Nolan’s name until he burst into his office. Nolan looked up from his desk, alarmed as the door slammed against the wall.
“Who the fuck is this?” Kai demanded.
“Ray, let me call you back.” Nolan stabbed at a button on his phone and got to his feet.
“Kai, what are you doing here?” Nolan asked, tone surprised.
“Answer the fucking question, Nolan!” Kai shouted.
His heart pounded in his chest so fast it felt like it was going to explode out of him; heat burned up his neck into his face, right into the back of his eyes until they stung.
His stomach roiled. He wanted to puke and scream and cry at the same time.
Nolan sighed. “Kai, this is Myles. Myles, Kai.”
Kai turned to glare daggers at the man who was now resting against the doorjamb, arms crossed and still looking like he was laughing at Kai. “Myles is my personal assistant.”
Kai deflated. A fresh wave of humiliation washed through him, but the sick feeling in his belly didn’t go away.
“Well, why didn’t he just say so?” he muttered, doing his best to look anywhere but at them.
“Did you give him the chance?” Nolan asked, and there was mild humour in his voice, which Kai hated.
So maybe he had jumped to conclusions, and maybe he didn’t know why he did that, but they didn’t need to make fun of him for it.
Well, maybe he did know. Stupid Liam, putting shit in his head.
He heard Nolan sigh again, glancing at him when he sat back down. His expression gave nothing away.
Kai’s anxiety ramped back up several notches. Maybe he’d misread the whole situation. Maybe dropping in unannounced was not allowed. Kai didn’t understand. Nolan had said that he would miss him, and what was the point of missing someone if you didn’t have to?
“Kai, why don’t you wait outside for me. Myles and I still have a bit more work before we’re done for the night.”
Kai didn’t know what to say. He didn’t want to have to walk past Myles, but that problem was solved when Myles left the door to take the seat across from Nolan, picking up a tablet on the edge of Nolan’s desk.
Kai had no excuse to stay. He hated this feeling of being…
dismissed. It made him feel like shit and that made him want to pick a fight, but, also, he was ashamed to admit, even to himself, there was a tiny voice in the back of his head telling him to run.
To go back to the trailer park, where he belonged.
Kai walked out, meandering dejectedly into the living room.
He dropped his backpack onto the floor and himself onto the couch.
The diorama that he’d left on the coffee table was missing.
That felt like another bad sign. His gaze landed on Katie’s toy chest in the corner, and, without a second thought, he was on his knees in front of it, sure that if the diorama had been taken apart, it was confirmation that Nolan had been pretending he was serious about him last weekend but hadn’t really meant any of it.
Huh. A little of his anxiety ebbed away, hope blooming in his chest as he looked down at the clear bin holding his carefully packed away diorama beside an unopened box of classic pieces and four baseplates stacked right behind it.
Nolan had clearly doubled back to the Lego store sometime over the last couple of days.
He’d told Nolan that he didn’t want him to buy him gifts, but that didn’t stop him from feeling warm all over.
Nolan had clearly intended to see him again.
Kai pulled out the diorama and the new baseplates.
He left the new box of Lego, instead pulling out Katie’s old pieces.
It didn’t feel right to open the new box unless Nolan gave him permission.
He went to work, and, with the new baseplates, he had so much more scope for his imagination to take hold.
And take hold it did. He finished building the frame for the sex swing.
Then he added some shelves, because, obviously, a sex room would need adequate storage and a snack bar, because, everyone knows, snacks come after sex.
Before he knew it, his brain had quieted.
He was so immersed in his creation that it took him a few minutes to realize that Nolan and Myles had walked right past him on their way to the front door and were making arrangements for the next day.
A bit of his anxiety and that slightly sick feeling returned as he slid back into the present.
Was he in trouble? Was Nolan going to punish him for coming without calling first?
He would for sure be in trouble for his outburst. Would he have to stand in the corner again, or would his punishment be something different?
Kai carefully ignored Nolan as he closed the door behind Myles and made his way over to where Kai was playing.
“That’s coming together really nice, baby.”
Kai shrugged, a little reassured by the soft rumble of Nolan’s voice. He didn’t sound too mad, but Kai couldn’t help waiting for the other shoe to drop. Nolan squatted beside him. “What’s that?” He pointed to the incomplete swing frame.
“It’s the frame for the sex swing. I still need string for it though.” His voice sounded sullen, even to his own ears.
“I’m sure we can find something.”
Kai caved and looked at Nolan, meeting his eyes, trying to suss out his mood. From the way Nolan’s eyes searched his face, it seemed like he was doing the same.
“What happened, Kai? Are you okay?” There was quiet concern in his voice. Warmth flooded Kai’s face, embarrassed by the question. He was not okay.
“You said you would miss me.” He didn’t mean to sound so accusing, but the words just came out that way. The corner of Nolan’s mouth quirked up before he forced it down. Kai scowled. Nolan cupped the back of his head, bringing their foreheads together.
“Baby, I missed you every second of every day. I missed you to the point of distraction.”
“Then why haven’t you kissed me yet?” Kai demanded petulantly. He was pretty sure he’d never sounded that sulky in his entire life.
Nolan’s eyes widened in surprise and then he grinned. “That is an oversight I’m gonna fix right now.”
With that, Nolan slanted his mouth across Kai’s, kissing him deep. Nolan pulled him flush against him, both of them on their knees while Nolan held Kai in place, his tongue probing Kai’s mouth like Kai was his favourite snack and he was trying to consume him.
This. This is what Kai had needed for the last two days.
Nolan’s mouth, his arms, his hands, his scent were hypnotizing, and the longer the kiss went on, the deeper Kai seemed to sink into pure sensation.
When Nolan finally pulled away, he was breathing heavily, and Kai was boneless and dazed.
Both of their cocks were rock hard and pressed against each other, but that pleasure was secondary to just being back in Nolan’s arms, where he belonged.
“Did you miss your Daddy, baby?” Nolan’s voice was low, the sound vibrating through Kai when he spoke. Kai nodded.
“Yes, Daddy,” he whispered.
“Then it’s good that you came.”
“It is?” Kai asked hopefully, looking for that reassurance that he hadn’t fucked everything up by turning up announced.
Nolan stroked a thumb over his cheekbone and kissed him again. “Of course. Whatever you need, baby. I’m here for you.”
Relief poured through him, warming him from the inside out, and he burrowed into Nolan’s chest, closing his eyes so he could just feel everything. Relief, comfort, warmth, care. Nolan cradled against his body like he was a baby, his rough cheek rubbing against Kai’s head and face.
The weight of the last two days melted away from him, and, for the first time, Kai really appreciated how heavy it had been.
Man, he’d been so stressed. Not knowing how he was going to pay rent, dealing with Liam and even just being back at the trailer.
He felt guilty for thinking it, but all of it had made him sick with worry.
And then today, the threat of losing Nolan, of losing this.
God, he couldn’t bear it. They’d known each other less than five days, but Kai needed Nolan’s touch and his care like he needed air to breathe.
He clung to him like he was about to be ripped away and was grateful when Nolan tightened his hold.
“Have you eaten yet?”
Kai shook his head.
“Come on, sweetheart. Let’s get some food in you.”