Here Comes Trouble (Nothing Special #3)(21)

Ruxs smiled drifting off to sleep on his last thought. If he doesn’t agree to date me, I’ll simply have to veto his decision.





And More Ruckus




Green finished warming up the last four cinnamon rolls. “You want some more coffee? Or some plain toast?” he asked Ruxs while he sat at the table reading the newspaper.

“Sure.” He smiled.

Green was elated. He’d been scared when his massage hadn’t worked to soothe his friend. Especially when it had every time for the last five years, but Ruxs looked relaxed now. Comfortable in his Stones T-shirt and black cargo pants. Green started the Keurig and went back to putting Curtis’ breakfast bagel together.

When the machine stopped whirring, Green mixed two packs of Equal and a splash of hazelnut cream in the cup and brought it to the table. Ruxs looked up from his paper. When Green set the cup down and turned to walk away, Green felt Ruxs’ arm snake around his waist and pull him back to him. Striking pale green eyes looked up at him and Green almost reached out to caress the freshly trimmed stubble on that handsome face. He saw something there in that look, he just wasn’t sure what. Or maybe he didn’t want to believe the what that he saw.

“Hey. What’s up?” he whispered.

“I just wanted to say thank you for last night,” Ruxs said back just as softly. Although his deep voice was anything but.

Green ran his hand over the soft clipped strands of Ruxs’ hair, loving the way his head tilted back into the touch. “You’re welcome.”

“Hey guys,” Curtis called out, distracting their intimate contact, causing Green to jump out of Ruxs’ hold. His partner narrowed his eyes at him, before turning back to his paper.

Curtis was in the kitchen pouring himself some orange juice, oblivious to what they’d been doing. “Oh. One of these mine?” Curtis pointed to the sandwiches.

“Yeah, buddy.” Green turned on a smile for Curtis, but his heart was beating fiercely. What the fuck was that look all about? He watched Curtis gather up his sandwich and two more cinnamon rolls, trying to juggle everything along with his books.

“Curtis. Why don’t you sit down and eat with Ruxs and me. You got time.” Green shook his head when the boy shoved half the roll in his mouth.

“Ah man, you know I would, but I need to meet with my guidance counselor about the college applications I submitted a couple months ago.” Curtis smiled broadly.

“All right, bud. High five.” Green slapped Curtis’ hand. He was so proud of him. He basically had his pick of any school, not only was he extremely smart but all the work he did down at the police station constituted internship credits. No one had to know he was being paid.

Ruxs came over and grabbed him in a playful headlock. “Georgia State right… right… right?”

“Hey, leave him alone. He’s going wherever he wants,” Green added, turning back to his job of loading the dishwasher. “Now let him go before you make him choke on his food.”

Curtis wiggled and squirmed until Ruxs let him go. He dropped his books on the counter, put his fist up and started bouncing on his feet like he was ready to box with him.

“Oh really.” Ruxs smiled moving towards Curtis again.

He scurried and grabbed his books, bounding around the kitchen safely onto the other side before Ruxs could get some shots in on him.

“You better run, ya chicken.” Ruxs taunted him.

“Hey. My momma ain’t raise no fools,” he yelled, walking towards the door.

“Hey Curtis. Are you going to sit with your mom after school?” Green called after him before he could leave.

He hated to dampen the mood when they were having such a fun morning, but he always liked to know where Curtis was going to be.

“Yeah. Then I’m gonna go home and study a bit. Probably fix that doggone light fixture in the front room. It’s been driving me crazy. But I didn’t forget about going to the park with you guys this evening.”

“Okay. Great. Tell your mom I said hello. Okay.”

“Will do, Green.”

“Hey Curtis. Don’t worry about the broken light tonight. After we finish playing catch tomorrow, I’ll come over and help you with it.”

“Okay. Cool. I gotta go now, guys. Geez. You two are like mother hens.” Curtis hurried to get out the door when he saw Ruxs pick up an apple off the breakfast bar and aim it like he was going to beam it at him.

“Did he really just call us mother hens?” Green mumbled.

“Yeah, well you were trying to make him sit down and eat his breakfast like a good boy.” Ruxs came and stood behind him. His deep chuckle making the fine hairs on is neck stand up.

Green turned around, narrowing his eyes at Ruxs. “And you think I didn’t pick up that you don’t want him working on a light fixture without you? Mmm hmm. Scared he might shock himself, mother hen number two?”

Ruxs stepped in closer to Green, leaving just a few inches between them. His heart sped up. Damn, his partner had been acting bizarre the last few weeks, but more recently he’d been giving Green different looks… hungry looks. Ruxs’ nose flared and his eyes dropped slightly as he watched him with those pale green eyes. Green tried not to squirm under the heavy scrutiny.

“You smell so —” Ruxs paused.