Chapter 1

1

Rain tippy-tapped on the window as Makai Walker put the finishing touches on his gift. A quick glance revealed that the looming clouds had finally parted with their treasure, the trees swaying in the breeze, leaves dancing free of branches. It was a dreary September day, but there was no way the weather was going to dampen his mood. He’d worked too hard on the contents of the beautifully wrapped box to have his joy squashed.

Besides, there was only an hour left before the man he loved arrived, and his barely contained excitement was enough to make even the worst day bearable.

Plucking the package from the bed, Makai left his bedroom, making his way down the short hall to his dining space. He placed it on one of the dining chairs, giving the naked table only a momentary look before turning to retrace his steps. If he wanted tonight to be absolutely perfect, the spitting image of the way he pictured it in his mind, and he’d certainly been daydreaming about it enough, there was much to do and not much time to do it in.

Makai made a beeline for the shower and twisted the knob, water gushing out of the nozzle. While he waited for it to warm up, he stripped out of his clothes, tossing them in the hamper, all the while running through a mental checklist. Dinner was already done, just waiting to be popped into the oven, and the table needed to be set. What sort of music did he want to listen to, if any, and did he want to go ahead with a fire?

Yes.

Makai stepped under the steamy stream. A crackling fire, the two of them sitting on a blanket, maybe a few throw pillows around, some wine, and it would be like a scene from of a romance novel. Originally, he thought he might give his beloved the box at the table, but doing it in the glow of the warm fire would be a hundred times more romantic.

And romance was the name of the game.

There was a big question on the line tonight.

At the thought of it, Makai experienced a nervous flutter in his stomach. This would be the first time he proposed this particular offer in his nearly forty years on the planet, and it came with some trepidation. After all, what if he was wrong in his assessment of their relationship? What if it meant more to him than it did his boyfriend? What if he was jumping the gun and taking things too quickly?

By the time he shut off the water doubt had settled on his shoulders, doing a decent job of holding its own against his previous excitement.

“We will be fine,” Makai declared to his reflection in the foggy mirror. “Everything will work out perfectly. Take a deep breath,” which he did, “and relax.” His shoulders loosened up. “You can do this.”

He picked out a sweater with a maroon and gray diamond pattern and paired it with black slacks, wanting to look his best, but still be somewhat comfortable. As a last touch he spritzed on a bit of cologne he knew his lover adored. With one final appraising look in the mirror, Makai returned to the dining space and on into the living room area. The condo possessed an open floor plan making it effortless to pass from one space to the next.

The stereo was tucked away in a bookshelf crammed full of his favorite tomes with little knick-knacks added in here and there. Makai assessed the stack of CDs, wondering which would be the best choice for the evening, finally settling on Michael Bublé. He popped it into the player and turned the volume to a low level, easy enough to hear the Canadian crooner and not be distracting.

From there Makai quickly went about setting the table, shoving the chicken dish into the oven, and gathering up a few blankets and pillows to make a comfortable spot in front of the fire. He was just getting the flames going when a knock sounded at his door. He sucked in a breath, momentarily freezing in place, then deposited the poker in its stand

Makai crossed the room and grasped the doorknob. He let out the breath he’d been holding before opening the door. Instantly a smile snapped into place as his gaze settled on Nolan Argois, the man who’d managed to sweep him off his feet.

“My love,” Makai said by way of greeting, stepping aside so Nolan could enter.

The younger man shook out his umbrella and left it leaning against the door, the cover of the small porch providing him shelter from the rain. Nolan undid his jacket as he crossed the threshold, quick to leave it hanging on a hook and turning to Makai, who shut out the chill.