Put a Ring on It Read Free

his hands behind Kieran’s neck and kissed him.
    A typical Theo kiss, warm, open, inviting Kieran to decide if it was going deeper.
    Kieran put his hands on Theo’s back, under his coat, touched the velvety fleece, and breathed in the rich leather scent from his shoulder. The heavy wool coat Theo had been wearing when they met vanished immediately when Kieran confessed his allergy to it.
    When Kieran drew back, Theo released him with a leer. “Cozy in your little den, here.”
    Kieran shook his head. “The servers are sensitive to humidity. I’m pretty sure that includes jizz.”
    “I’m insulted. I never spill a drop.”
    Theo said it mockingly, but the reminder of how incredible Theo was at sucking dick stirred a tingle in Kieran’s balls.
    “Yeah.” Theo leaned to brush his forehead against Kieran’s. “You’re thinking about it now.”
    He was right. Because Theo was damned good at reading Kieran. The first person ever who bothered to pay enough attention to figure out—and offer—what Kieran wanted.
    A nooner sounded interesting, but they certainly weren’t doing it in the server room.
    “Thought you said we were going to lunch?”
    “I did. Are you hungry?”
    Kieran shrugged. He could eat, but he didn’t want Theo to think Kieran expected a lobster dinner just because he was peckish. Theo liked making people happy. He wasn’t a pushover or anything. Kieran had heard him get pissed enough to snap at people on the phone. Once when he met Theo at the theater, Kieran had heard him go off in a rage about a delivery of light bulbs. So scratch that. Theo was nice to most people, but he liked trying to make Kieran happy. And that didn’t suck at all.
    The look in Theo’s eyes did that thing to Kieran’s circulatory system again as Theo tugged him toward the door. “Come on, then.”

Chapter 2
     
     
    BY THE time the cab turned east on Forty-Sixth Street, Theo had almost gone through a tube of lip balm. Every time nerves made his tongue slide forward to lick his lips, he popped the cap and rubbed them smooth instead.
    Kieran reached over and grabbed the little cylinder. “Are you eating that or what?”
    “Don’t worry. I saved lots of room for lunch.” Or for the champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries in the fridge at home.
    Kieran shook his head as the cab stopped in front of the Lunt-Fontanne Theater.
    Theo handed over the fare and nodded at the doorman, whose smile was broad enough to give everything away. “I’m, uh… just going to run in and check the box.”
    “Okay.” Kieran’s answer held no trace of impatience or frustration. He never complained about Theo’s work. Never made Theo feel like he’d stolen hours from their relationship to put into his career. If he’d needed another reason why Kieran was The One, it was right there. But Theo had already made up his mind their first morning together.
    He’d barely gotten through the door when Alex, the assistant stage manager, started to shoo Theo back out.
    “We’re all set. Just give Geoff the cue when you want to start.” Theo had almost let himself be backed out the door when he remembered the most important part of the whole damned thing. “The ring. It’s in the office safe.”
    Theo’s fingers shook—actually shook—when he tried to tap in the code, so Alex took over, handing him the box holding the gleaming platinum band with the half-bezel-set diamond. Theo closed his hand around the brushed velvet and tucked it into his coat pocket.
    Alex squeezed Theo’s shoulder. “Everything will be perfect, Theo. Don’t worry.” After studying Theo’s face for a moment, Alex opened a drawer and took out a flask. “Here. Best cure for stage fright. Two quick swallows.”
    The liquor scorched his throat and singed the inside of his nose, but Theo felt his chest loosen as it burned its way down. He took a deep breath, coughed, and then nodded. “Okay. Warn curtain.”
    As he pushed open the door, Theo found Kieran