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Ian lay against Hollis on the couch and aimed the remote at the television. The detective was exhausted after spending most of the night holding Ian, fighting to keep him in bed after Jagger stirred up nightmares bad enough to send Ian sleep crawling every time he managed to drift off. He was damn tired of this and planned to do something about it. Get some kind of help.
None of them had really slept after Jagger brutally murdered Sam. Rowe, Noah, and Hollis all took turns on the phone with Gidget and the cops, fielding questions. Hollis had been careful to shield him, making it sound like Jagger’s murder of Sam was an attempt to strike at Hollis through his boyfriend. Ian appreciated Hollis’s thoughtfulness because it meant that he didn’t have to answer any uncomfortable questions from the police about how he knew Jagger or why Jagger might be pissed at him. Of course, most of that information had already come out when they led the feds to Jagger’s secret storehouse in White Rock. He just didn’t have the energy to go through it again.
Hollis half-dozed behind him, one arm around his chest, his legs on either side of Ian’s, his nose in his hair.
He felt so good against him, warm and solid. Ian had been missing out all these years, staying afraid of bigger men. He loved this, loved the way Hollis’s large body dwarfed his, the way he felt safe with him.
So far, everything about Hollis was a good thing. Well, except for his love of preservative-filled foods. But Ian could work on that. As for other things, there was still a lot he didn’t know and wouldn’t until they were in normal circumstances. Like was he neat or a slob? Did he sleep in on his days off or was he up at the crack of dawn daily? Baths or showers? Ian couldn’t wait to learn everything.
He snuggled back, a smile teasing his lips when Hollis’s arm tightened and he made a snorting sound into his hair. Warmth filled Ian’s chest. Hollis was so affectionate and unbelievably hot, not to mention funny. Ian couldn’t wait to let him know how much he loved Star Wars, too.
Clangs sounded from the kitchen as Rowe heated up food for him and Noah, who’d taken the dogs outside for a run. They’d nearly worked their way through all the food he’d cooked.
Ian thought about Christmas, about where they should have it. They could very well still be stuck here. This needed to be over because he wanted to be back in his restaurant. His manager was a good one, but nobody took care of the place like he did. Nobody loved it like he did. And he didn’t want to spend the holiday away from Lucas and Snow.
He was so done with hiding. Even if he was loving all the time with Hollis. But he couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like when they were back in their real lives. How would they get along, and would Hollis stay in Ohio if he didn’t have a job? His jokes about dishwashing aside, Ian got the feeling he knew he’d be looking for employment elsewhere when this was over. What if he decided to go back to Georgia to his family?
Rowe came into the room carrying a plate piled high with leftovers. “We’ve nearly cleaned out all that food. Hollis, like Noah, can put that stuff away, right? Must be that extra height.” He stood, smirked at the way Ian and Hollis were taking up all of the couch, then plopped down on the floor, his back leaning against the end of the sofa. “Looks like you wore the man out.”
Chuckling, Ian stroked Hollis’s wrist. “Did my best to.”
Rowe watched him a moment before he speared a slice of kielbasa. He chewed, eyebrows going up as he nodded. “This is good. Spinach?”
“Kale. And don’t start.”
“Hey, I’m all for nutritional greenery as long as it’s disguised like this. With sausage.” He speared a potato. “What are you watching?”
Ian glanced at the television. “I was actually looking for something. Hollis likes movies.”
“You two have that in common. Plan to show him your collection?”
“I plan to show him a lot of things.”
“Do I need to cover my ears?”
“You will later tonight.” Ian winked at him then aimed the remote back at the TV. He thought of Sam and the sadness that swept through him hurt, so he cuddled closer to Hollis. He flipped through a few channels then blinked in surprise when Lucas showed up on the screen.
“What the hell?” Rowe leaned forward. “Turn it up!”
Ian watched in disbelief as Lucas announced his engagement to Andrei, but before he could even demand to know if Rowe knew about that shocking bit of information, Lucas continued to give an exact time and location of where he’d be on the seventeenth. Ian’s heart jumped into his throat. He sat up, dislodging Hollis’s arm, waking him up.