Chaz and Kendis bumped fists. “Told ya!” Chaz exclaimed. And before Jon could get a word out, Chaz was on his feet, so was Kendis, and they were tugging on his hands. “I think we should get started on that right away,” Chaz announced. “Call it a new project.”
Jon went with them, laughing. “Do I need to ask what kind of movie we’re makin’?”
“A horror flick,” Chaz said as they led him to their bedroom.
“Horror?”
Chaz paused at the door, his eyes shining. “Well, it’s got a monster cock in it,” he said, reaching down to give Jon’s erection a squeeze.
Kendis pulled Jon through the doorway, then flung himself onto the bed, shoving his jeans over his hips to reveal his bare ass. He threw his phone to Jon, who caught it deftly, then reached back to spread his cheeks. “I’m ready for my close-up,” he said breathlessly.
There was only one thing to say to that.
Jon grinned. “Lights, camera… action.”
Epilogue
May 2018
Kendis climbed the spiral staircase that led up to the attic, and stood in the middle of the renovated space. One end of the attic was now a partition wall, with a door set into it. Behind that would go all Jon’s boxes, which were presently stacked in the garage. That left a big open space, with skylights on one side, and three dormer windows on the other, making it a light, airy room. It wasn’t painted yet, just bare wood, but Kendis wanted to do that. Chaz said he’d help too, and Jon had chuckled, murmuring something about the best part of painting being the shower after.
My space. Mine.
From the moment Jon had come up with the proposal of creating a room for Kendis in the attic, Kendis had fallen in love with the idea. It would be good to have a hidey hole for when he wanted some quiet time. He guessed they all needed that occasionally.
In the last five months, they’d settled into their new routines, and Kendis had to admit, things were working out well so far. Jon’s bed had become the space where they watched movies, the three of them snuggled up together. Those were usually the nights that ended with the three of them making love and falling asleep all wrapped up in one another’s arms. And yes, there were nights when Kendis slept with Chaz, and others when he slept with Jon.
The best nights were when it was all three of them.
At the other end of the attic would be a shower and toilet, and Jake was still in the process of constructing that. Kendis had to smile. Who’d have thought Taylor recommending a company to work on the house would have brought about such a result?
Jake Greenwood had arrived to take measurements for the work to be done, and there had been a genuine Don’t I know you? moment when he and Kendis laid eyes on each other. It turned out Jake had been a year behind him in high school. Once it became obvious Jake was an okay guy—which he had to be, right, for Taylor to recommend him?—he and Kendis had gotten along really well. Kendis loved what he’d done with the attic, and Jon was delighted with it.
Kendis couldn’t wait to see his face when he told Jon the news. Talk about a small world.
He’d sent photos to Momma as the work progressed, and she couldn’t wait to see the finished product. Her Sunday call to Marcus had morphed into the Sunday call to Kendis, when she chatted with all of them. Five months down the line, and she’d warmed a little to Chaz, but how could anyone not warm to the cute goofball? Jon admitted he got nervous during those calls because he didn’t want to give anything away.
Kendis thought that was so sweet.
“Hey, where are you?” Jon called out.
“Up here,” Kendis hollered. Moment later, Jon appeared at the top of the staircase, closely followed by Chaz.
Jon grinned. “Admiring your new room?” He chuckled. “It needs a little something before you can sleep in it.”
Kendis laughed. “Great. We get to go shopping for another bed.” Both of them stared hard at Chaz, who gazed back at them with wide eyes.
“What? I can behave this time.” He preened. “I’ve matured. Del said so only last week.”
“Yeah, but he was off his face at the time,” Jon said with a snort. Jon, Kendis, and Chaz had gone to Atlanta for the weekend, accompanied by Del and Taylor, to celebrate Kendis’s twenty-first birthday. When Jon had asked him what he wanted for his birthday, Kendis hadn’t hesitated. He wanted to go to his first gay bar—and he wanted Jon to go with him.
His throat tightened as he recalled the look on Jon’s face, the way Jon had seized him in a fervent hug, the whispered ‘Thank you, sweetheart,’ that had melted his heart.
Chaz hadn’t minded staying in the hotel room that night. It didn’t take three guesses to know how he spent the time. And Jon had made up for it the following morning, taking them all for brunch at a drag restaurant.
Spending two nights in a hotel room had been wonderful too. Kendis still had the video on his phone. He’d lost count of how many times he’d watched it during the past week.
Then he’d turn off his phone and enjoy the real thing.
As if he’d read Kendis’s mind, Jon walked over to him. “Did you miss me?” he asked softly. It had gotten to be a routine of sorts every time they were parted, one that Kendis adored.
Kendis kissed him, a lingering kiss he hoped would convey just how much he’d missed Jon. “You know it.” Then he broke away, smiling. “You are not gonna believe what happened today. You know when you went to the bank for the loan to do all this? And you came home beaming because the guy who’d set up the loan was black? The only black guy in the whole bank?”
Jon nodded. “Yeah. His name was Liam. Nice guy.”
Kendis was still smiling. “Well, he was here today.”
Jon frowned. “What was he doing here? That sounds weird to me.”
“Relax. He came to pick up Jake—his boyfriend.”
Jon’s mouth fell open, and Chaz stared at him. “Seriously?” Chaz’s face lit up. “That’s great. I really like Jake.”
And Kendis was delighted to find there was someone else in town he could relate to. “Actually, Liam’s his fiancé, but they’re letting Jake’s parents get used to the idea that he and Liam are livin’ together. One hurdle at a time.” Even after a brief conversation, it was clear the couple were steeling themselves for the future.
We have a lot in common.
“Okay, we have to invite them round for a BBQ,” Jon said. His eyes sparkled. “I was right, wasn’t I? Liam’s a nice guy.”
Kendis nodded. He’d warmed to Liam right away, and it was hard not to like someone who clearly adored every bone in his boyfriend’s—fiancé’s—body. Then he grinned. “Hey, you know what this means, right? Another gay couple just crossed our path. And a biracial couple at that.”
Jon laughed. “Well I’ll be damned. You’re right. Maybe there’s hope for us yet. However, before we break out the rainbow flags, I’d better point out there’s a scandal rocking this town right now. Del told me yesterday.” He glanced around conspiratorially. “It seems a woman has moved into town, and she’s living with two men.” Jon rolled his eyes. “The dear little old ladies who pray for the police department have been prayin’ for their souls ever since they arrived.”
Kendis sighed. “So I guess that means we’re gonna stay quiet about us, right?” Not that he minded. Anything to keep the haters from their door.
“I was dying to tell the old dears that someone had beaten the new arrivals to the title of First Poly Relationship in LaFollette, but I didn’t dare.” Jon shook his head. “They’d probably want to exorcise us.”
Kendis almost choked at that.
Chaz coughed loudly, and Kendis chuckled. “I haven’t forgotten you. I just didn’t wanna hug you in case I hurt you. Because I have no idea where your new tattoo is,” he said with a meaningful stare.
“Hell, neither did I,” Jon added. “I only found out when we got to the tattoo studio in Knoxville. And he wouldn’t let me look at it till we got home.” He gave Chaz an affection
ate glance. “I think I was only there to hold his hand through it all.”
Chaz tapped his cheek. “Well, I don’t have a tattoo here, do I?”
Kendis took the hint and kissed him there, sighing as Chaz turned his head slightly, their lips meeting. “Did it hurt?” Kendis whispered.
“It was torture,” Chaz whispered back. He chuckled. “Put it this way, I don’t plan on getting any more. And I’m lookin’ at Jon with so much respect.”
Jon rolled his eyes. “Torture. You wuss.”
“Guilty as charged,” Chaz replied with a wide smile.
Kendis gave Chaz an inquiring glance. “Well? Do we get to see it or not?”
Chaz gave an exaggerated sigh, and carefully unbuttoned his shirt. Both Kendis and Jon leaned forward to get a look, and as Chaz peeled back the fabric, they both gave a low cry.
Over Chaz’s heart, under a layer of clear wrap secure by tape, was a small tattoo done in red, almost Celtic in design. It portrayed three hearts, drawn with one continuous line so they appeared interlocking.
“It’s beautiful,” Kendis said with a sigh.
Jon couldn’t tear his gaze away from it. He put his hand to his own heart. “Baby, it’s perfect,” he said quietly.
Chaz swallowed. “It’s us. Well, it’s meant to be. The three of us, connected, not being able to see where one begins and one ends.” He looked from Jon to Kendis, and back to Jon again. “I might not have said it, but I’m still thinkin’ it,” he said softly.
“You keep right on thinking it,” Jon told him, his voice a little hoarse. “And when you feel like saying it, we’ll be right here.”
Tears pricked Kendis’s eyes. “What he said.” He swallowed, his pulse quickening. Sure, they danced around and didn’t come right out and say the words, but one glance at that tattoo, and the look in Jon’s eyes when he saw it, said plenty.
It’s like none of us want to tempt fate. Kendis could understand that.
He glanced around his soon-to-be new bedroom. “Is it too early to think about christening this place?”
Jon guffawed. “Only if you want splinters in your ass.”
“We got a perfectly good bed downstairs,” Chaz added. He grinned. “Only, I gotta be careful.” He gestured to his tattoo.
Jon laughed. “We’ll be careful too.” He leaned in and whispered, “You get to ride reverse cowboy.”
Chaz was still laughing when they got to the bed. “You’re all heart.”
Kendis couldn’t resist. “And you’re wearing us over yours.”
Jon was right. It was perfect.
The End
Well… not quite.
This is where I say that while Desire & Denial may be over, the Southern Boys have more stories to tell. So keep an eye out in my newsletter and online for news of future short stories coming your way.
We haven’t heard the last from Jon, Chaz, and Kendis, Del and Taylor, and Jake and Liam.
If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review. Every review helps make books visible!
And if you want to see what’s coming from me, there’s always my newsletter, with snippets, news of new releases, a serialized book… http://eepurl.com/cNKHlT
About the author
K.C. Wells lives on an island off the south coast of the UK, surrounded by natural beauty. She writes about men who love men, and can’t even contemplate a life that doesn’t include writing.
The rainbow rose tattoo on her back with the words 'Love is Love' and 'Love Wins' is her way of hoisting a flag. She plans to be writing about men in love - be it sweet and slow, hot or kinky - for a long while to come.
If you want to follow her exploits, you can sign up for her monthly newsletter: http://eepurl.com/cNKHlT
You can stalk – er, find – her in the following places:
Email: k.c.wells@btinternet.com
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Blog: kcwellsworld.blogspot.co.uk
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/K-C-Wells/e/B00AECQ1LQ
Instagram: www.instagram.com/k.c.wells
Twitter: @K_C_Wells
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/k-c-wells
Other titles by K.C. Wells
Learning to Love
Michael & Sean
Evan & Daniel
Josh & Chris
Final Exam
Sensual Bonds
A Bond of Three
Le lien des Trois
A Bond of Truth
Merrychurch Mysteries
Truth Will Out
Au nom de la verité
Roots of Evil
Love, Unexpected
Debt
Dette
Il Debito
Schuld
Burden
Dreamspun Desires
The Senator’s Secret
Le secret du Senateur
Der Verlobte des Senators
Out of the Shadows
Als die Einsamkeit wich
My Fair Brady
Under the Covers
Love Lessons Learned
First
Zum Ersten Mal Liebe
Prime Volte
Premières Fois
Waiting for You
Step by Step
Pas à Pas
Schritt für Schritt
Un passo alla volta
Bromantically Yours
BFF
BFF Best Friends Forever (Italian Version)
Gerstern, Jetzt und Auf Ewig
Collars & Cuffs
An Unlocked Heart
Trusting Thomas
Someone to Keep Me (K.C. Wells & Parker Williams)
A Dance with Domination
Damian’s Discipline (K.C. Wells & Parker Williams)
Make Me Soar
Dom of Ages (K.C. Wells & Parker Williams)
Endings and Beginnings (K.C. Wells & Parker Williams)
Un Coeur Déverrouillé
Croire en Thomas
Te Protéger
Valse Hesitation
Herz Ohne Fesseln
Vertauen in Thomas
Secrets – with Parker Williams
Before You Break
An Unlocked Mind
Threepeat
On the Same Page
Avant que tu te brises
Un Esprit Libéré
Personal
Making it Personal
Personal Changes
More than Personal
Personal Secrets
Strictly Personal
Personal Challenges
Une Affaire Personnelle
Changements Personnels
Plus Personnel
Secrets Personnels
Strictement Personnel
Défis Personnels
Una Questione Personale
Cambiamenti Personali
Piú che personale
Segreti Personali
Strettamente personale
Sfide personali
Persönliche Entscheidungen
Persönliche Veränderungen
Mehr als Persönliche
Persönliche Geheimnisse
Streng Persönlich
Persönliche Herausforderungen
Confetti, Cake & Confessions
Confetti, Coriandoli e Confessioni
Connections
Connexion
Saving Jason
Per Salvare Jason
Jasons Befreiung
A Christmas Promise
The Law of Miracles
My Christmas Spirit
Island Tales
Waiting for a Prince
September’s Tide
Submitting to the Darkness
Le Maree di Settembre
In Attesa di un Principe
Piegarsi alle tenebre
Lightning Tales
Teach Me
Trust Me
See Me
Love Me
Unverhoffte Liebesgeschichten
Lehre Mich
Vertrau Mir
Sieh Mich
Liebe Mich
Il Professore
Fidati di me
A Material World
Lace
Satin
Silk
Denim
Spitze
Satin
Seide
Jeans
Pizzo
Satin
Seta
Denim
Southern Boys
Truth & Betrayal
Pride & Protection
Kel’s Keeper
Kels Hüter
Double or Nothing
Back from the Edge
Switching it up
Scambio di ruoli
Out for You
State of Mind
Here For You
Sexting The Boss
Sexting mit dem Boss
Anthologies
Fifty Gays of Shade
Winning Will’s Heart
Come, Play
Watch and Learn
Writing as Tantalus
Damon & Pete: Playing with Fire