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Oregon was a big deal to him, even though they did it often.
Change scared him, and Leon knew it. It'd taken two years of
heavy persuasion before Nick had agreed to move in with
him. Another year and half before he was ready to buy a
house with him. Before Leon, he'd been, well, kind of a slut.
He hadn't dated any one guy more than three times until
Leon came along and wouldn't leave him alone. And he'd
been so free because he didn't want the change that a
relationship would bring.
And God, there'd been change. Leon was a neat freak.
Don't leave clothes on the bathroom floor. Don't leave dirty
dishes in the sink, put them in the dishwasher. Don't drink
out of the milk carton....
Nick scrubbed his hands over his face. Even when Leon
was out of town now, he picked up after himself and poured
the damned milk into a glass, even if he was the only one to
drink the fucking milk from that particular carton.
What would be the biggest change, though? Moving to
Maine or losing the love of his life? Because he could see it in
Leon's eyes. He wanted this job. And if he didn't take the job
because Nick refused to go, he might lose Leon anyway.
"Aunt May's really into it?"
Leon grinned. "She already contacted a real estate agent
about selling her house."
"Good luck with that," Nick muttered. May's house was a
hundred years old. Nick and Leon sank a small fortune into it
last year just to get the wiring and plumbing up to code
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The Game [Inferno]
by Anna Leigh Keaton
before she either flooded or caught fire. This fall the goal was
to tackle the heating.
"Someone'll want it, even if it's to demolish the house. It's
on prime property."
Then why replace the furnace if a wrecking ball would be
taken to it?
Leon reached over and took Nick's hand in his again.
"Babe. I'm serious. I know how you feel about moving, about
leaving Seattle, about..."
"Say it."
"Change."
Nick nodded.
"I won't go without you. You're stuck with me."
"But you want this."
Leon nodded. "It's a beautiful place to live."
"I've heard of nor'easters. Doesn't sound so damned
beautiful to me. And last year a hurricane almost hit there."
"Our basement flooded twice last spring, and we're all
waiting for another major earthquake," Leon reminded him.
Nick wanted to pout, to stomp his foot. Instead he let out
a slow breath. "When do you have to tell them if you're taking
the job or not?"
"Next Friday."
One week. Nick clenched his teeth. Not time enough for
him to even fly out there and check it out first. Fuck, he hated
planes, too.
A slow smile slid over Leon's handsome face. "We'll rent an
RV. Drive cross country. You, me, May, and Charlie."
Nick's jaw dropped. "You're fucking kidding, right?"
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The Game [Inferno]
by Anna Leigh Keaton
Leon's grin grew. "No. You've never been anywhere. We
can stop at the Grand Canyon, Mount Rushmore, Niagara
Falls. May would love it."
Nick jerked his hand from Leon's. "Hold up. First you want
me to move across the country, then you want me to do it
slowly with my wacky aunt and a half-blind St. Bernard? Are
you nuts?"
"Yes, I am. And you'll love it. You have never, in the five
years we've been together, taken more than a three-day
weekend. You need a vacation. You need to relax. You need
three weeks traveling cross country in a big ol' RV with your
family."
His family.
He looked into Leon's dark eyes and saw the truth there.
He, May, even old Charlie, were his family. His mom had a
new life, one that increasingly nudged him away. She didn't
need him to come over and unclog her garbage disposal or fix
her washer when it went psycho on her. She had another
man in her life when Nick had been the only one for nearly
three decades.
Aunt May still needed him, though, since he seemed to be
the only one able to understand her strangeness. He liked it.
She was as sharp as a tack and as odd as a three-dollar bill.
Did Leon need him, though? Would he go on without Nick?
Of course, he would. He was a stunningly handsome, college-
educated man. Any gay man in his right mind would gladly
bend over for him.
The thought ripped a hole in his heart. Leon was his. Only
his. And if he was a stubborn jackass, he'd probably figure
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out how to lose him. God only knew why he'd stuck around so
long. Or even why he came back after the third date when
Nick had given him the brush-off.
"It's okay to say no," Leon said softly, but Nick saw the
disappointment in his eyes, heard it in his tone.
"I'm not saying no."
Leon's eyes brightened. "You're not?"
Nick licked his lips. "How could I say no to a guy who gives
me multiple orgasms?"
"Don't." Leon shook his head. "Be serious."
"Okay. How could I say no to the man I love and don't
want to live without? How can I say no to my crazy great-
aunt who wants to hang out in nightclubs in Maine? How can I
say no to..." He shrugged and pressed his lips together. "To
my family?"
Leon wrapped his arms around Nick and pulled him hard
against his chest, nearly crushing him. "I love you, babe. I
love you so much."
"I love you, too, Lee."
When Leon released him, he took Nick's hand in his and
opened it. "As I said earlier, Maine has legalized gay
marriage." He set a gold ring in Nick's palm. "I'm hoping once
we're out there and you're settled in, you'll be willing to make
one more change."
Nick's breath caught for a moment, almost choking him.
Marriage?
Leon laughed and closed Nick's hand around the ring.
"Don't freak out on me. Breathe, Nick."
Nick sucked in a quick breath.
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The Game [Inferno]
by Anna Leigh Keaton
"When you're ready," Leon said around a laugh, "I'll be
there, waiting."
"Aunt May's gonna shit," Nick said, because it was the first
thing to come to mind.
"Aunt May is going to want to be your maid of honor."
Nick laughed and leaned into Leon, who kissed him
through his own grin.
The most amazing sex of his life, a decision to move
across the country, and the picture of Aunt May planning their
wedding. He was scared shitless, but with Leon by his side,
he'd make it through. Leon would see to it.
The End
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The Game [Inferno]
by Anna Leigh Keaton
Author Bio
Anna Leigh has been reading and penning romance for as
long as she can remember. After she met and married her
very own real-life hero, romance took on a whole new
meaning. She now knows married life can sizzle and romance
can be erotic even in her own home. Now her writing has
taken on a spicier flavor and, while hubby's off at work, she
lets her imagination soar....
Anna loves to hear from her readers. You can email her at
anna@annaleighkeaton.com or visit her Web site at:
www.annaleighkeaton.com for all her upcoming and
previously published works, and meet her alter ego at
www.leannekarella.com.
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VISIT COBBLESTONE PRESS, LLC
WWW.COBBLESTONE-PRESS.COM
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The Game [Inferno]
by Anna Leigh Keaton
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