Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 115525 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 578(@200wpm)___ 462(@250wpm)___ 385(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115525 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 578(@200wpm)___ 462(@250wpm)___ 385(@300wpm)
“I’m sure.” Rayne sat on the edge of the bed near him and stroked his palm over Mike’s jaw. “But I’m gonna get you in that tub and massage you again tonight. It won’t be so bad tomorrow. I’ll get your muscles to loosen up. I promise.”
All Mike could do was stare at the beautiful soul in front of him and wonder how he’d gotten so lucky. He set his mug down, stomach growling, wondering where he was going to dig in first. The french toast had extra powdered sugar and hot maple syrup drizzled over top, so he chose to start there.
“No tofu and buckwheat pancakes this morning, greengrocer?” Mike smirked around a mouthful of sausage. “No fuckin’ goat cheese and steel-cut oatmeal?”
Rayne chuckled, his eyes sparkling when Mike groaned at the perfect crunch on the fried potatoes. “It’s Saturday—it’s okay to have cheat days. Besides, over the past month, your eating habits have gotten much better.”
My eating habits are whatever you allow me to eat. God help me if I try to bring home a Five Guys burger. Mike’s mouth was too full to respond, but Rayne smiled as if he’d heard his inner thoughts. Mike liked to tease his partner about his neurotically healthy lifestyle choices, but there wasn’t a single thing he’d change about Rayne. Besides, Mike’s sons had been telling him for years to chill out on his no-vegetables, all-meat diet plan he’d been on since he was sixteen years old.
“Why aren’t you eating with me?” Mike felt like a pig stuffing his gullet while Rayne watched him.
“I already ate.”
Mike teased, “Ate what? I’ll determine if it was food or not.”
Rayne laughed again, and Mike felt as if he could listen to that sound every day for the rest of his life. “I had a spinach-and-egg-white omelet.”
Mike cringed. “Like I thought. Not food.”
Rayne let him finish his breakfast while he went into Mike’s closet and began sorting his laundry. “Rayne, get out of there. I don’t need you to do my—”
“Shut up and eat your food,” Rayne said from behind the door before he came out with a basket of Mike’s grimy work clothes. “I’m gonna go start these. I’ll be right back.”
Mike just shook his head. He was learning that when Rayne wanted to do something, he did it, and when he wanted something, he got it. It was as simple as that.
Chapter Fifty-seven
Rayne
Rayne spent the first half of the day caring for Mike and doing his weekend chores. Each time he’d gone into Mike’s room, he’d found him laid back in the recliner, staring blankly at the baseball game on television, watching the screen but his mind appearing miles away. Nothing Rayne had suggested managed to get him in a better mood or at least stop him from thinking of his son eloping.
He stood in Mike’s doorway with his yoga bag on his shoulder. “Mike. Why don’t you go sit outside and watch the game on the patio? There’s a nice breeze out today.”
Mike didn’t open his mouth, just shook his head.
“All right then. When I get back this evening, how about we get in the hot tub out back and see what the night brings.”
Mike looked as if he was barely listening to him.
“I’m leaving to meet Chelsea at the fitness center, then I have to swing by the grocery store to get some lunch stuff for this week. Do you need anything?”
Mike shook his head again.
Damnit. How long was this going to last? The hurt and betrayal Mike was experiencing made Rayne feel it as his own pain. This wasn’t going to do. He went over to Mike and leaned down to press a tender kiss to his lips that he barely returned.
Oh no, this isn’t going to do at all.
Rayne pulled Mike’s truck into Bishop and Edison’s neighborhood, relieved when he saw their cars parked in the driveway. He hated to intrude this way, but when it came to Mike, he was finding there was nothing he wouldn’t do. He still had an hour before vinyasa started, so he hoped it was enough time to get through to Bishop.
Rayne walked up the driveway, and by the time he got to the door, Edison was opening the screen for him.
“Hi, Rayne.” Edison’s smile was bright enough to rival the sun. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to talk to you and your husband.” Rayne grinned. “Congratulations.”
“I don’t know how he talked me into doing that.” Edison was damn near giddy as he held out his left hand and stared at the shiny gold band on his ring finger. “But it really didn’t take much convincing, to be honest.”
“I didn’t know if you would be back home or still on the oceanfront.”
Edison led Rayne farther into the house. “It’s tourist season—the hotel prices down there are crazy. We just wanted to spend our wedding night there. We’re planning on a real honeymoon next month.”