Don't Touch Me! - 41

Apparently, Brent did, because there was nothing tentative about his response. The kiss was warm with the promise there would be more of them in their future. He pulled away, grinning. "As you were saying, you never expected…"

"You, me, us…" Cody entwined his fingers with Brent's, holding up their hands. "Like this."

"We haven't gotten quite that far," Brent replied, laughing.

Cody felt the heat rising on his face and knew he was probably bright red. Brent hugged him—now chuckling with amusement. "I didn't mean to embarrass you."

"You didn't. Well, not really. I was just…" He looked away.

"It will happen. Not today, not tomorrow, but eventually, when we're both certain it's what we want." Brent stood, pulling Cody to his feet. "I don't think we're ready yet, in spite of how we seem to feel about each other."

"I know. I'm not into moving fast and regretting it later." Cody looked up at Brent. "I want us to agree this is the real thing, with all it entails."

"Exactly."

With their arms around each other's waist, they walked slowly back to Cody's house. When they got there, they sat on the front porch, watching Cody's neighbors do Sunday things.

"Mother used to complain about the noise the kids made, said it disturbed her watching TV," Cody commented at one point. "I think it was more that she wished she could be out here, talking to the neighbors the way she used to before she became housebound."

"I feel sorry for her, if that's the case. I hesitate to ask, but…"

Cody understood Brent's unasked question. "Did she know the truth about what my father did to me? I don't think so. I'll never know, of course, but her attitude toward him was the same afterward, and I can't believe she could still have loved him as much as she did had she known."

Brent's reply was to hug Cody tightly as he said, "Then I'm sure she didn't."

They remained like that for a while, before Brent said, "I'm going to leave so you can get back to your book." When Cody looked at him in surprise, Brent grinned. "As I've said before, I want you to finish the damned thing so I can read it. It won't happen if I hang around."

Cody laughed. "You're crazy. You know that, don't you? But, okay, I'll let you go. When will I see you again?"

"Every day, if I have anything to say about it. Unfortunately some of my clients might have other thoughts. I'll call though, for sure." Brent smiled, leaning in to kiss Cody. When Cody returned it, Brent said, "Now I can leave happy." He got up, dropped another quick kiss on Cody's lips when the younger man looked up at him then strolled down to where he'd parked his car.

Cody watched him, smiling, waving back when Brent waved goodbye. I think I'm in love. No, I know I am. Now if he loves me…and I think he does… With that thought, he went inside, made coffee, and retired to his study to get back to work on the book.