One Plus Two Equals... - 20

"Now…" Julyan twirled a lock of Duane's hair between his fingers, "what's this deep dark secret you were reluctant to tell me?"

Duane eyed him sleepily. "I'm really a secret agent, deep undercover as a mild-mannered restaurateur."

"Come on, you can come up with something better than that."

"But it's the truth, I swear." Duane put his hand over his heart, trying to look incensed when Julyan laughed.

"Then I guess that makes me what? The scoundrel you're seducing to get the secret to where my master's dastardly plans are hidden?"

"Exactly. And I'm going to keep trying until I succeed. But not until I get some sleep. For a scoundrel, you're very…active and seductive. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were the seducer and I'm the seducee."

Julyan snorted. "Is seducee a real word?"

"You're asking me?"

"No, I was asking the handsome man on my other side."

Duane lifted his head enough to look over Julyan's arm. "I'm handsomer, thank you very much."

"Conceited much?"

"Very." Duane rolled over onto one elbow, tracing the line of Julyan's jaw with his knuckle. "This has been fun."

"Why do I think there's a 'but' attached to that statement," Julyan replied worriedly.

"No 'but', just a suggestion. We should get some sleep because morning comes early and I do have a restaurant to run, plus I need you wide awake if you're going to help make me rich doing so."

"Good point." Julyan smiled and kissed him playfully. "Tomorrow night, I get to play the secret agent and you can be the seduced."

Duane almost said there might not be a tomorrow night but restrained himself. He wasn't about to destroy the mood they'd established with the truth so he smiled instead. "I think, technically, you seduced me tonight."

"Either/or." Julyan yawned. "You're right, we should get some sleep." He waited for Duane to lie back down then curled up next to him, his head on Duane's shoulder. "I never thought…" His words faded away as he fell asleep.

Me neither, and I shouldn't have let it happen. Now we have to live with the consequences. Duane sighed. Why does life have to be so damned complicated?