Setting the Trap
Coming April 12 from
Breathless Press
"I’m
not the kind of guy who lets someone else control my life, Jesse."
EXCERPT
In between
selecting essays, poems, short stories and novels to drive his point home, he
had begun preparations for a dinner that would be easy on Drake's stomach and
filling. The home made chicken noodle soup simmered on a back burner, and Jesse
sat peeling apples into lemon water for a fresh apple crisp. Served with ice
cream it would be the perfect dessert.
"I thought
you were making a chocolate pie?" Jay slung two grey plastic bags from the
grocery store onto the counter.
Frowning, Jesse
dropped his apple into the water bowl and began to unpack the bags. "It's
too rich; it'll upset his stomach with the drugs, won't it? Why didn't you use
the recyclable bags?" They had a stack of environmentally approved
re-usable grocery bags in both cars.
"Didn't have
the jeep. I had to take what they had. Just use them to reline the trash
cans." Jay leaned over the counter and kissed Jesse softly. "Missed
you. How is he?"
Flicking a glance
at Drake, who hadn't stirred for at least half an hour, Jesse pulled Jay back
for a deeper kiss. "Mmm. I think he's okay. He's just been out of it all
afternoon."
Jay's thin fingers
curled around Jesse's jaw and his sweet breath just hinted at the acrid taste
of tobacco as it rushed over Jesse's mouth. "The codeine might make him
queasy. Chicken soup was a good meal plan."
Jesse stared into
his brother's blue eyes, so pale and intense. "You were worried about him
and me here alone?"
Color rushed into
Jay's cheeks and he ducked his head. "No. I... Jesse, I have to tell you
something."
Puzzled, Jesse
pulled his chin from Jay's hand and seated himself on a stool. "Okay. Do
you mind if I peel while you tell me? I'd like to get this baked and cooled for
dinner."
Jay nudged aside one
of the stools to make room at the counter then leaned to the center to draw
another paring knife from the butcher block. "I'll help. I could use
something to do."
He resisted the
urge to protest. Jay wasn't inept in the kitchen, Jesse was just a little bit
of a perfectionist. "How about you peel and I'll slice? Try not to peel
too much fruit with the skin, okay?" That way he could control the size of
the slices and... "Shit. I'm sorry. I'm such a control freak sometimes.
The crisp will cook more evenly if the slices are all the same thickness, Jay.
That's all."
Startled blue eyes
met his. "Huh? I didn't say anything. I'm happy to peel." And Jay
began peeling, long thin ribbons of pale green apple skin coiling around his
fingers to fall to the table. Jesse watched those strong hands, their nimble
movements sure and unconsciously sensual. He shook off the allure and picked up
the apple he'd peeled right before Jay arrived. He sliced it into neat, even
pieces for the filling.
"You said you
wanted to talk?" He prodded when Jay sat concentrating on his apple
peeling.
"Drake came
to see me for lunch today." The fine fingers trembled a little, slowed in
their motions.
Some odd note in
Jay's voice brought Jesse's gaze to his face instead of his hands. His twin's
cheeks were flushed, his eyes downcast. He swallowed hard, and Jesse thought it
must have been a painful gesture, because his lips tightened and thinned.
"I know, I
told him to, remember?"
"He brought
me Indian food." The splash of the apple Jay had peeled landing in the
bowl of ice water followed the moody comment.
Jesse paused in
his slicing. "You like Indian food." Why did it matter?
"Yeah. We
didn't eat it."
Indignation on
Drake's behalf sparked. "Jay! When a man goes to all the trouble—"
"Because we
were too busy fucking like bunnies in the supply closet." Jay threw the
knife on the table and Jesse couldn't guess what it cost his brother to meet
his eyes at that moment.
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