At Long Last Read online

  “What about your parents?” Scott asked when he was once more dressed.

  Preston shook his head. “No, not yet. One step at a time, Scotty. I will. I’m just not ready for that.”

  “Okay.” He blew out a breath. “I can’t believe you told your kids.”

  “It wasn’t easy,” he admitted. “But I had a talk with Jack and he got me really thinking. I have to tell you there might be times when I trip up.”

  Scotty nodded. “I’m not very patient, Pres. I know I should have given you more time or space or something. I was pushing too hard.”

  “If you’d given me more time or space, I might never have done anything.”

  “Maybe,” Scotty said softly.

  Preston reached for Scott’s hand and pulled him in, closer. “Scotty, move in with me.”

  The other man bit his lip and immediately started shaking his head. “It’s too soon. Isn’t it? I mean you didn’t even want to come out, and now you want me to live with you?”

  “Scotty,” Preston said, his gut twisting. “I want you with me. I’ve always liked it when you stayed over. Do you really want to stay with Jack and Wendy when you know you’ll move in with me anyway? And your painting’s already there.” He grinned to lighten it, but his heart raced, hope for the future filling him.

  Scotty leaned over and kissed him. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. Very sure.”

  “I don’t know,” Scott said. “I guess, maybe we could try it.”

  “Please?”

  “Living together is a big step, Pres. It doesn’t work out for some couples who have been together a lot longer than us.”

  “I know. Please?”

  “It still seems really soon.”

  “Stop arguing and just say you will.” Preston squeezed his hand. “If doesn’t work out, then, we’ll deal with it. But it will. I know.”

  His lover gave him a beautiful tender smile. “All right, yes, I will.”

  Preston pulled Scotty against him and kissed him thoroughly. “Thank you. I need you with me, Scotty. I think I’m going to need your strength a lot.”

  “You’ve got it.”

  “About your dad?”

  Scotty grimaced. “What about him?”

  “I know he’s an ass, but he is your dad, and I think Jack has already reamed him for how he treated you.”

  “I know he’s my dad. And I’ll forgive him eventually. It’s just going to take some time,” Scotty said, sighing a little. “I’m not going back to work there though. I’ll find something else.”

  Preston nodded. “Okay. I’ll give you a recommendation.”

  “Hey, whatever happened with Mrs. Windham’s grandson?”

  Preston smiled. “We took a plea. Something else I owe you for. I love you.”

  Scotty shook in his arms. “I don’t think I’m going to ever grow tired of hearing that. Can you say it a lot?”

  He laughed and kissed his lover again. “Yeah, I think I can manage that.”

  “I love you too. So much.”

  They spent several breathless moments kissing, their tongues tangling. Preston knew he was growing hard again.

  “Can we get out of here now? I want to make love to you, but I’ve had enough of motel sex for a while, I think.”

  Scott laughed. “Told you it was overrated. Yes, I’m ready to leave.”

  “Great. Let’s go home.”

  Until the End of Time

  Chapter 1

  Scott Trask drove into the two-car garage, turned off the engine, and leaned his head against the leather headrest. Lord, he was weary. And hot. Damn summer in California could be brutal. Especially with his car’s air-conditioning on the fritz.

  He loosened and then yanked off his pale-blue silk tie. He closed his eyes, just listening to the tick of the still hot engine. If he didn’t get out of the car soon, he’d fall asleep and probably die of heatstroke.

  Scotty forced his eyes open, picked up his briefcase, removed his keys, and opened the car door. His partner’s car was parked and already cool to the touch. Ever since Trask and Reynolds, the law firm Preston owned together with Scotty’s father and brother, had hired a couple of new attorneys, Preston had been able to cut his time at the office significantly.

  Scott almost wished he still worked there. Almost. He’d work every day for the rest of his life rather than work at his father’s firm again. All right, maybe a bit of an exaggeration.

  Scotty went through the thin door separating the garage from the house. “Pres?”

  “Here,” Preston called from the kitchen.

  He flung his briefcase onto the couch and shrugged out of his suit coat. Preston’s deep voice rumbled low, but Scotty couldn’t make out the words. He poked his head into the kitchen.

  Preston stood at the stove stirring something in a big pot. He’d changed out of the gray suit he’d had on that morning into khaki shorts and a thin white T-shirt. He had his cell phone plastered to his ear.

  “Who are you talking to?” Scotty grabbed a cold bottle of beer from the fridge and twisted off the cap. He downed half of it before coming up for air.

  Preston turned to him. “Hold on a sec,” he said into the phone. He set the cell face down on the counter and gave Scotty a light kiss on the mouth. “It’s Marilyn.”

  Marilyn was Preston’s ex-wife who lived in Northern California. Just two months earlier, Preston and Scott had gone up to see Preston’s two kids. Considering Scotty had always assumed Marilyn hated him, he’d been surprised how nice she had been during their visit. “Anything wrong?”

  “Not at all. She’s getting married and wants us to come to the wedding.”

  “Oh.” He smiled. “That’s great. When is it?”

  Preston’s blue eyes crinkled. “Well, that’s just it. The wedding is Saturday.”

  Scotty’s jaw dropped. “Today is Thursday.”

  “Yeah, I know. I guess it’s spur of the moment. They got to talking and decided why not? Marilyn always could be impulsive.” Preston chuckled. “We’d have to drive up tomorrow morning. Can you take it off, honey?”

  He felt a little as if he was still out in the hundred-degree weather. He shook his head to clear it. “Um, yeah. I guess so.”

  “Great. I’ll make all the arrangements so you don’t have to worry about anything. Hotel and all that.”

  “Okay.”

  Preston kissed him again and then smacked him on the ass. “Go take a shower. When you get out I’ll have dinner ready.”

  Scotty frowned, still feeling out of sorts. He watched Preston pick up the cell and start stirring their dinner again. Looked like spaghetti sauce. He finished the rest of his beer and then forced himself out of his heat-induced stupor. He decided he would feel loads better after his shower.

  He walked down the hall toward their bedroom, stripping as he went, which was bound to annoy Preston, but sometimes he liked to annoy the man. He grinned.

  The two of them living together for the last seven months had been something of an adjustment. Scotty had moved into Preston’s house. Preston liked things neat and orderly, and Scotty…didn’t. Preston got up with the birds every morning, even weekends. Sometimes he woke Scotty up to go to breakfast or for sex or whatever and Scotty found himself wanting to strangle his lover. He did not do mornings.

  Scotty turned on the shower and switched the water to cool. Then, naked, he went back down the hallway to check the thermostat. It didn’t even feel like Preston had turned the air-conditioning on. He grimaced.

  “Why isn’t the air on?” he yelled, switching it on.

  “It’s not that hot,” Preston called from the kitchen.

  “The hell it’s not,” he muttered and went back into the bathroom. Heat made him grouchy. He was not a grouchy person for the most part.

  He stepped into the big glass shower and let the cool water soothe him. He supposed he didn’t really need to work so hard. The long hours working at the accounting firm had started to get to h
im. In fact, lately Preston had been hinting to him that maybe he ought to quit the job he’d only had for about six months. Preston assured him that if he decided to quit accounting, Preston could pay for all their expenses until he found something he liked more. Or even if Scott didn’t want to work at all. But he didn’t really see himself as a househusband. In a way, Scotty wanted to quit. Or at least maybe not work at an office job. He worked full-time as an accountant now, and though he liked accounting work well enough, he preferred the excitement of his real love, investigations. He’d worked briefly for Trask and Reynolds in both capacities when he first returned to Southern California after a six-year absence. He missed the investigative work and could easily see himself doing that job part-time. The problem was he wanted to be with Preston forever and all, but Preston hadn’t even told his parents he was gay yet. If Preston never fully came out to his family and friends, well, Scotty would have a decision to make and he just knew it would not be a happy one. Alone and without a job would not be good.

  He tried to be patient. They’d only been out officially as a couple for seven months. Unfortunately, the “officially out” only seemed to be to Scotty’s family and friends. Okay, that wasn’t entirely fair. Marilyn and the kids knew about them too.

  Scotty toweled off after his shower and pulled on beige gym shorts and a blue muscle T-shirt. His body temperature had cooled down significantly and, therefore, so had his mood. He made a quick call on his cell phone to let his office know he wouldn’t be in tomorrow and then headed down the hall to the living room and dining area. He noticed Preston had already picked up his discarded clothes.

  The dining room table already had been set with two plates filled with spaghetti, a platter of garlic bread, and two beers.

  Preston came out of the kitchen holding a giant bowl of salad. He smiled, but his smile was strained.

  Scotty sat at the table. “Something wrong?”

  “No. No. Only…” Preston sighed and dished out salad into a smaller bowl in front of Scotty’s place.

  “Only what?”

  Preston plopped down heavily in his chair and took a swig of beer. “Marilyn invited my parents.”

  “And?”

  “They’re coming.”

  “Uh-huh.” Scotty thought he probably needed something stronger than beer.

  “Well, you know they still care a lot about Marilyn, and she is the mother of their grandchildren. They never understood why we got divorced in the first place.”

  Scott didn’t say anything for a moment. He wanted to choose his words carefully. “I don’t have a problem with your parents being there, Preston.”

  “I know, but they don’t know—”

  “That we’re together or that you’re even gay. I know.”

  Preston glanced down at his plate of food. “I’m going to tell them, Scott.”

  “When?”

  “I don’t know, but I will.”

  “Now seems a good time, Preston.”

  Preston’s lips firmed. “I’m not ready.”

  Scotty blew out a breath. The pain staggered him for a moment. How long was this going to be the way it was between them? He was starting to think forever. He took a bite of his salad, but he might as well have been eating sawdust. He swallowed the bite and washed it down with the beer.

  He made himself nod. Or he thought he did. “Okay, I’ll stay home.”

  “No,” Preston protested immediately, his hand covering Scotty’s. “No, that’s not what I want. I want you with me.”

  “How is that going to work, Pres? How will you explain me being there? Maybe you’ve told them we’ve become good friends, but how would that explain me accompanying you to Marilyn’s wedding? And what about Marilyn and the kids? They know you’re gay and you’re with me. Aren’t they going to say something?”

  Preston winced. “She said they wouldn’t. She talked to the kids and they agreed to keep quiet.”

  “Oh that’s just great. Now you’re making them lie for you to cover up who and what you are.” He threw down his paper napkin and rose from the table. “I can’t do this.”

  “What? Come on, eat your dinner.”

  “I’m not hungry, Preston.”

  Preston grabbed his arm and pushed him back into his chair. His face was twisted in pain, his eyes pleading. “Sit down, honey. Why are you being so difficult? Please, just…just try to see this from my point of view.”

  Scotty’s anger disappeared, but the hurt stayed. Was he being unfair to Preston? He didn’t know. They’d been together for seven months, and still Preston hadn’t found the right time to tell his parents.

  Preston turned Scotty’s hand over until his palm faced out. He traced his fingers along the lines of Scotty’s palm. “I love you. I promise I will tell them eventually. Can’t you just come with me and we’ll deal with it?”

  “Yeah, of course. I’m sorry. I guess the heat just made me grouchy.”

  Preston nodded. “It’s okay. I’m sorry I didn’t put on the air. It’s hard for me, you know? You’ve been out in the open for years now, but this is still new to me. Just give me a chance, okay?”

  He nodded, still unable to get the knot of unease out of his stomach.

  * * * *

  Preston pulled a suitcase out of his walk-in closet and flung it on the bed.

  “Do we need to bring suits?” Scott asked, his hands full of shampoo and conditioner bottles. He’d just come out of the bathroom.

  “Yeah, probably.” Preston went back into the closet and grabbed a garment bag. “We can fit both our suits in here.”

  Scott set the shampoo and conditioner on the nightstand and went into the closet.

  Preston didn’t like Scott’s quiet mood. The blond man was usually much more animated than he was tonight. He didn’t think it was because of the heat. Not any longer.

  Damn, he hated this insecure feeling. He’d never loved anyone like he loved Scott, but he was in constant fear of wrecking things between them. Saying or doing the wrong thing. Maybe it was unfair, but he couldn’t help feeling like Scott judged his every action and found it lacking.

  Scott came back out of the closet with his suitcase and a navy suit. He laid the suit on the garment bag. “I should call my mom.”

  Preston nodded and went into the bathroom for the lube. They’d both been tested, so they didn’t bother with condoms anymore. He reached under the sink and wondered, really, if they would need it for the trip. He always wanted to be with Scott, but a trip to Marilyn’s wedding with both his kids and parents there wasn’t exactly a romantic weekend getaway.

  “Hello, may I speak to Mom, please?”

  Preston winced at the edge in Scott’s voice. Obviously Scott’s father had answered the phone. Scott still hadn’t forgiven the man for the way he acted just as he and Preston were getting together. He’d said he would eventually, but Preston wasn’t sure his lover would ever have anything but a tense, awkward relationship with his father.

  “I’d prefer to speak with her,” Scott said from the other room. “When will she be back?” A heavy sigh. “Fine. Can you please tell her I’m going out of town for a few days and I’ll call her when I get back on Sunday?”

  And therein was the biggest reason Preston didn’t want to tell his own parents about being gay and living with Scott. He feared their reaction. Sure, maybe he was a damn coward. But he’d grown up with loving parents. He had a great relationship with his dad, and it would just about kill him if it became like Scott’s relationship with his dad.

  In his head, Preston knew Scott and Kenneth Trask had never had the closeness he’d had with his dad, so he shouldn’t judge his own situation by their strained relationship. But his heart didn’t want to listen.

  In his family no one had ever been gay or different in any way. They hadn’t been happy when he and Marilyn divorced. No one in his family ended their marriage. He couldn’t even begin to fathom how they would react to him being gay and in love with another man. One thi
ng he did know was that if he had to choose between his parents and Scott, he’d choose Scott. That didn’t mean the choice would be easy.

  He came out of the bathroom and tossed the lube in his suitcase. It wouldn’t hurt to be prepared. Scott had hung up the phone. “Everything okay, honey?”

  Scott blew out a breath and smiled. “Sure. No problem.”

  He noticed Scott had already filled his own suitcase with shorts, shirts, and underwear. He didn’t see any pajamas, so he figured maybe it was the right thing to bring lube after all.

  He packed quickly, his gaze constantly going to Scott as he worked. He couldn’t keep his eyes off his lover. Never could, really. Scott’s gym shorts were baggy, but Preston knew the perfection of Scott’s round little ass. And damn it, it was distracting.

  “What?” Scott asked, catching him looking.

  Preston smiled. “Well, you’re really hot.”

  Scott laughed. “Finish packing and you can do something about it.”

  “Almost done now.” He tossed in a couple extra pairs of socks and underwear.

  His lover zipped up his own suitcase and set it on the floor. “I’m going to take this out and put it by the front door. You got your suit in the garment bag?”

  “Yeah.”

  Scott also scooped that up and wheeled his bag out of the room.

  Preston rechecked that he had everything and closed his suitcase. He set it on the side of the room, then pulled down the blanket and sheet on the bed.

  Scott came back, already pulling his muscle T-shirt over his head. He dropped it at the foot of the bed.

  Preston’s mouth twisted. “Babe, the hamper is right there.”

  Scott’s grin was decidedly unrepentant and wicked. He shrugged and turned his back on Preston. He slowly lowered his shorts, like a striptease, exposing only the very top of his crease.

  Preston swallowed. He tore off his own shirt, his gaze never leaving that tight ass as Scott scooted the shorts down over the curve of his cheeks. “Shit, babe, you’re making me crazy.”

  Scott grinned over his shoulder. “That’s the plan, Pres.”

  Preston’s shirt fell from his hands to the floor. Now Scott had his shorts pushed all the way off his ass and he inched them toward his knees.