“It’s more of a cover band.” Mouth twisting, Shane set the guitar aside. “Could have...never mind.”
“What? Come on, man. Something’s been on your mind.” Brandt couldn’t keep the hurt from his tone. “Can’t you tell me?”
“It’s not that. And it’s nothing.” Eyes going distant, Shane sighed softly. “But remember how Shelby found me in Portland? I was auditioning for a regional slot in a new competition show showcasing singer songwriters. That message the other day was them offering me a spot.”
“You’ve got to take it.” He didn’t have to think about it more than a heartbeat. Didn’t matter how the ground was rushing up to meet him or how inevitable the hard landing would be. “Tell me you didn’t turn it down.”
“Not yet.” Shane’s clenched hands and twisted mouth revealed the truth behind his indifferent tone. “But I will. I can’t leave you in the lurch with the baby.”
“You can’t walk away from a chance like that.” Brandt shifted Jewel to his other arm as he leaned forward.
Shane rolled his shoulders and loosened his jaw. “There will be other chances.”
Liar. Brandt didn’t believe that for a second. He knew full well that some things only came along once. “Not like this one.”
“Exactly. It’s not only a couple of days to go to Portland. If I win at the regional level—and that’s a huge if—then I have to go to LA for who knows how many weeks to let the main part of the contest play out. I’m not sure what I was thinking auditioning, really. I’m not reality show material.”
“Sure you are. You’re hot, young, sing like you’re trying to pull the audience’s souls out, and you can take a story and turn it into...” Brandt still didn’t have words, so he settled for making a sweeping gesture with his free hand. “That. Beautiful.”
“It wasn’t all that.”
“It—”
Jewel cut him off with a hiccupy noise before he could tell Shane how he’d made Brandt see the truth of his own heart, both then and now. And that might be for the best, keeping those feelings to himself, so he didn’t protest when Shane took the baby from his arms.
“We need to get her to bed.” Shane headed for the kitchen, probably in search of the nighttime bottle.
“Okay, but we’re not done talking about this.” Would be nice if Brandt knew what more he was going to say, but no way was he letting Shane walk away from a chance like this.
Shane nodded, but in a way that wasn’t necessarily agreement as he headed to Jewel’s room with the bottle. They worked together in a silence that wasn’t precisely strained but not entirely comfortable as they put the baby to bed. Shane broke the quiet as he softly sang the same older tune he reached for most nights, now familiar lyrics wrapping around Brandt’s heart and squeezing tightly.
And just like that, the song was done, and Jewel was snoozing in her crib, leaving them to tiptoe out of the room.
“That was easy,” he whispered.
“For once.” Shane’s smile was tight, an unreadable intent in his eyes as he stepped closer to Brandt. “Now, where were we?”
Brandt was still trying to decide how best to approach the prior conversation when Shane slid his mouth over Brandt’s, slow and easy, like they’d been planning sex, not talking. And usually Brandt would be all over that idea, but he didn’t want Shane to kiss his way out of an uncomfortable talk. Brandt wasn’t letting him pass up this opportunity.
He moved his head before Shane could claim another kiss. “You’re trying to distract me.”
“No, I’m trying to thank you for a nice birthday.”
“Last year’s was probably better.” Even now, Brandt could hear that laugh, that sound of pure joy. He was glad he’d been able to give Shane that, even for a moment.
“Not hardly.” Serious now, Shane held his gaze. A lot passed between them in that look, all that had happened the past few weeks, all the little moments that maybe did add up to more memories than that one singular moment. “This one was special.”
Shane said the last bit so softly that no way was Brandt denying him when he pulled Brandt closer, looping his arms around Brandt’s neck and pulling him into a kiss that started as a sweet thank-you and morphed into a filthy promise.
Knowing he was fighting a losing battle, Brandt groaned as Shane used his lips and tongue to drive all his better sense away.
“Can we talk later?” Shane broke the kiss, damp lips still millimeters from Brandt’s. “Please. I’m trying to think through everything. I am. But right now, I just want you.”
Like Brandt could deny that request. “I suppose talking can wait. You are the birthday boy, after all.”
“Yep.” Some of the tension left Shane’s eyes as he leered at Brandt. “Why don’t you let me unwrap you?”
“Hey I thought I was the one with the cheesy lines.” Brandt laughed even as he let Shane tug him the rest of the way toward his bedroom.
“What can I say? You inspire me.” Already pulling at Brandt’s clothes, Shane nipped at Brandt’s neck. Yep. He was a goner. They should be talking, not fucking, but hell if Brandt could deny him a damn thing.
Chapter Twenty-Three
As far as birthday presents went, getting Brandt Wilder was at the top of Shane’s list already. The cake. The music notebook. The expression on his face when Shane had sung. And now, him, half dressed and eager, everything Shane wanted, right here for the taking.
“Shirt off.” He’d managed to push Brandt’s loose pants down and off, but he’d rather not strangle Brandt with his T-shirt. He let Brandt pull it over his head then was immediately there to capture his mouth in a blistering kiss.
Brandt wasn’t wrong. They needed to talk. But Shane needed this more. The world was tilting, everything on the precipice of change, and all he wanted was one more night exactly like this. Brandt was warm and urgent against Shane, all those gorgeous muscles rippling as he met Shane kiss for kiss, touch for desperate touch.
“Damn.” Breathing hard, Brandt tilted his head so Shane had better access to his neck. “You’re impatient tonight.”
Shane looked up mid-nip at Brandt’s collarbone. “The speed demon is complaining?”
“Not complaining.” Brandt groaned as Shane followed through on the bite. “Trust me. But I want you naked too.”
“Thought I was the one who got to make the wishes tonight?” Even as he complied and removed his clothes, he couldn’t resist the tease. He was totally going to milk this birthday business as much as he could. He was so used to the day being an afterthought, even for his own parents. Brandt making him a priority was new and delicious and rather intoxicating.