Blue-Eyed Soul, page 19
He smiled and bent to brush a kiss across Remey's lips. "I'm going to be making up for this for a long time, I think. Mental note not to jump to conclusions so fucking fast next time. I end up leaping right off the fucking cliff."
Remey smiled. "I'll keep it in mind, Aleksander. That mental note is going in the vault for future reference."
Aleks let out a breath. "You saved me a trip, you know. A walk of shame."
Remey's brows shot up. "I did? How?"
He took Remey's hand, led him into the living room and gestured to a small pile of presents set off to one side under the tree. "I was going to have to deliver these to your house. And beg for forgiveness on your front porch."
Remey smiled, lacing his fingers with Aleks's. "That would've been extra embarrassing, especially since my family's here already. Luckily, they already know all about you. You didn't have to get me anything, though, Aleksander. I wasn't expecting you to."
Aleks smiled. "I know you didn't."
"I'm sure I'll love whatever it is."
Aleks hoped so. He'd started the painting well before things had blown up. And while Jess had teased he was spilling his pain onto the canvas, that hadn't been it at all. He'd been in his studio every spare minute painting everything he felt for Remey. As if he could take the want and the desire and the love and leave it there. It didn't work out, though, and yesterday he'd finished and only felt more, if it was even possible.
It was very different from anything he'd ever painted before and he had a feeling Remey was going to love it.
"I hope so. But it's not about presents."
"What is it about? What is it, actually?"
"It's this, us, right now. Shit, Remey, I'm head over fucking ass in love with you. I don't even know how long that's been going on, since I'm apparently oblivious as hell. But I do. I love you."
Remey gave him an indulgent smile. "I know."
Aleks's brows shot up. "You do?"
Remey shrugged with a smile. "I think I figured it out right around the night of the football game."
"You? Excuse me, Cajun, but I believe I figured it out while you sat there all deer-in-the-headlights." Alli came striding in, Willow on her hip, cookies in her other hand and both of Willow's.
Remey rolled his eyes and groaned. "Thank you, Allison, when I'm eighty and telling my grandkids about the moment Aleks first told me he loved me, it's going to make such a romantic addition when I add how you barged in trailing cookie crumbs all over the carpet." He laughed, though, and looked up at Aleks. "Maybe she's right. I hoped. I didn't quite know."
Aleks grinned. This was how he wanted his life to be. Not always perfect, with Hallmark moments interrupted by quirky, sometimes annoying people they loved, crumbs on the carpet and just... life. Real life. Hollywood could stay outside their door, outside Haven's city limits. In here, Remey was Remey, the man Aleks loved, Alli's best friend, and if Aleks had anything to say about it... Willow's daddy, too.
So this year, they got each other for Christmas.
Maybe next year it'd be rings.
About The Authors
Fae Sutherland has always dreamed of being a published author, starting her writing career off at age 11 with a series of stories so bad only a 6th grader could have written them. She has since progressed to more serious writing, though always keeping that dash of irreverence and fun (and a hell of a lot more heat!).
Fae is perhaps best known for her many books co-written with Marguerite Labbe. Between them they are the award-winning, bestselling authors of multiple novels, novellas and short stories. Fae also writes with Chelsea James. Currently, Fae is focusing her writing on solo work.
When Fae's not working on new stories to make her readers sweat, she spends her time on website design, spending too much time on Twitter, and watching oodles of Food Network with her beloved life partner. If there's any time left over, it's spent snuggling the cat.
Find out more about Fae at http://faesutherland.com.
Find out more about Fae (and Marguerite Labbe, her occasional co-author) at their website: http://chasethedream.net
* * * *
Chelsea James always wanted to be a writer, but never got serious about it until the muses became too many and too noisy for her to ignore. Throwing sanity to the wind (who needs it anyway?), she dove headlong into her life's dream of sharing her words with the world.
When not catering to her muse's whims, Chelsea has a full-time job catering to the whims of spoiled lawyers. Not to mention the spoiled cat and her best friend, hetero life-mate and co-author, Fae Sutherland, on whom she blames everything (but still adores).
For more info on her books with Fae, check out Fae's website at http://faesutherland.com.
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Fae Sutherland, Blue-Eyed Soul
