Time Out of Mind (Suncoast Society #43)(40)

“We never even got to use the pool.” He sounded wistful. “I wish I could swim every day for exercise.”

“You guys are welcomed to come use the pool or the pool house any time you want,” she said, her emphasis clear as she met Doyle’s gaze. “You have the gate code. The pool house door code is 1396. Feel free to jog around the perimeter of the property, too. It’s just under a half mile. The fences and plants mean no one will notice you. Just shoot me a text that you’re heading over. As long as it’s not in the middle of the night. If we’re playing or something, it won’t bother us as long as you aren’t bothered by it.”

He turned to Doyle. “Can we? Please?”

Doyle struggled against the urge to reach over and ruffle his hair. “Sure. If Tilly says it’s okay, we can come over.”

They said their good-nights and Doyle got Mevi loaded into the car and headed back toward the apartment.

Halfway there, Mevi fell asleep.

Back at the apartment, he didn’t even have the heart to make him take a test. He’d been with him all night and knew he hadn’t had anything to drink other than water and tea. After getting him upstairs and seeing him to his room, Doyle retreated to his own and hit the shower.

The first thing he did was rub one out. Then he stood there, one arm resting against the wall, his head propped on it as he let the water beat against him.

Yeah, trying to deny he didn’t have feelings for Mevi was getting harder. But he had to stay the course.

Even if that meant standing back and letting the man explore this lifestyle without him.





Chapter Fourteen


The next morning, Mevi was sore, but it was a good kind of sore. When he looked at his ass in the bathroom mirror, there were a few faint marks, but hardly anything.

More important, his mind felt wide open, clear, bright. Clutter-free.

And filled with ideas in a way he hadn’t had in…years.

He didn’t smell coffee yet, but he wanted to get started working now, while he felt like this, unsure how long it’d last. When he checked the time he was amazed to realize it was only six in the morning.

He was not a morning person, and last night he’d slept better than he had in…

Ever.

Incredible.

He didn’t know how long he’d been working when he smelled coffee brewing. Then Doyle descended the stairs, looking half asleep and with a mug of coffee in one hand and a tester in the other.

Mevi bounced out of his chair and took the tester, staring into his eyes for a moment as he did. “Thanks. Sorry I woke you.”

“No worries. This is my job.”

Once he’d tested negative, Doyle handed him the mug of coffee, which was prepared perfectly. “Thank you.”

“How are you feeling this morning?”

“Incredible!” He explained, shiny-squirreling into song ideas, maybe a new theme album or even a rock opera, back to questions and comments about the night before…





This is the real him.

Doyle would stand there and listen to Mevi talk for hours if he’d just keep talking and looking the way he looked now.

Happy.

Truly content.

In the brief time Doyle had known him, he’d seen a wide range of emotions from Mevi, some of them for only a moment or two.

He’d never seen true happiness or contentment from him like he did now.

Once Mevi paused to take a sip of his coffee, Doyle took his chance. “You want breakfast?”

He eagerly nodded. “Please. I’m starving! Do you want me to help?”

“No, it’s okay. If you’re working, work.”

Still, Mevi ended up following him up the stairs, still talking.

And talking.

And talking.

It had to come out somehow.

Years of repression and self-isolation, and now Mevi needed to clear the mental paths and reach a state of equilibrium.

Mevi kept talking even as Doyle cooked them bacon and eggs and served it up for him, finally quieting only long enough to eat.

He was fricking adorable.

His own personal discomfort aside, to see the man so animated meant yes, this had absolutely been the right choice.

Mevi did help him clean up the kitchen and finally headed back downstairs to work again.

Doyle checked his phone, which had buzzed while they were eating.

Tilly.

How’s yer boy? ;)

He groaned. Of course she’d tease him.

He’s very chatty this morning. No signs of crash so far.

Excellent. Next Tues works for us. Same time. Leigh and Lucas will be back and can watch KC. Dinner here, then play, if he wants to.

The sudden return of the dark, roiling cloud of jealousy startled him.

But as he listened to Mevi playing downstairs, in a way he hadn’t heard him play before, he knew he had to agree.

I’ll tell him.

Excellent.

Can I enlist your help to plan a birthday surprise for him?

She called him. “Did someone say surprise?”

He quickly walked to his bedroom and shut the door. Keeping his voice down, he told her what he had in mind and she checked her schedule. “I’ll be in town the week before. It’ll have to be then.”

“That works. I’ll take him out for dinner on his birthday.”