Sweet Anticipation Read online

  “How is your sister doing?” Rhys asked, and it seemed they both had the same idea to cool things off.

  “She’s better, but still on bed rest. I hope this baby comes soon and is healthy.” Gregory took another sip of wine as the oven timer dinged.

  Chapter 5

  IT WAS funny how things could change so quickly. He worked just as hard, but Gregory called each evening and they talked a while. Rhys’s holiday was looking much brighter just from those calls.

  The bell rang. He let Gregory in and received an excited kiss once he got his coat off.

  “Are we making the centerpieces?” Gregory asked, and chuckled when Rhys didn’t let him go.

  “Eventually,” he whispered, tugging Gregory down for another taste of his sweet lips. He loved Gregory’s soft moans and the way he always seemed surprised at the instant intensity between them. It set Rhys on fire, and judging by the way Gregory gasped when he stepped back, the feeling was more than mutual.

  Gregory’s lips were red and his face flushed. “I….” He touched his lips with the tip of his finger. “I thought about that all week.” His nervously sweet smile had Rhys doing the same. He had thought about Gregory a lot, especially when he was alone at night.

  “Me too.”

  Gregory wrapped his arms around him, holding tight. “I got a call on my way over from Jonathan. It seemed he is taking Annalise to the hospital. She’s been in some distress, and he thinks the baby is going to come one way or another. I asked if I should be there, and he said there was nothing I could do right now. The kids were staying with his mother tonight anyway.” Gregory held him tighter. “What if something happens to her?”

  Rhys held him in return. “Your sister is strong. She’s going to have that baby, and then she’ll be at the party that you put together for her.” Rhys knew there was little either of them could do, and it was best if he tried to keep Gregory busy. “I cut some greens yesterday and got some green foamy floral oasis, so we can make what we need, and I thought we’d put them in the garage to keep them cool until the party.”

  “That sounds like a good idea.” Gregory backed away. “I’m sorry I’m acting like such a dope. It’s just that she’s my only family and—”

  “I know. And you’re not being a dope. Now why don’t we get to work and make your sister proud?” Rhys sat next to Gregory, and they worked together to fill the jars with peppermints and then build the arrangements around them. They needed five, according to the list, and used the greens and the same ribbon they’d used for the favors to tie everything together.

  “They’re beautiful,” Gregory said as he looked over their finished product.

  “You did an amazing job,” Rhys said with a smile.

  Gregory shook his head. “I didn’t know anything about making these. That was your idea.”

  “No. You were the one who picked out the colors and put that together. This… the centerpieces… all sprang from that. And look at those bows and the ribbon work—you did that. I didn’t.” Rhys clasped his shoulder. “You came up with that. Give yourself credit. You’re crafty.” He grinned, and Gregory rolled his eyes.

  His phone rang, and Gregory snatched it up off the table. He answered it and made a number of humming sounds and then sighed and smiled. “Oh my God, it’s a girl! You had a girl!” he practically shouted. “That’s amazing. And Annalise is doing fine? … Thank you so much, Jonathan. Thank you.” He hung up and sighed hugely.

  “I take it your sister had the baby.”

  “And it’s a girl. No one in Jonathan’s family has had a girl as far back as anyone can remember. Annalise figured she would never have a daughter, but she did.” Gregory sat down, still smiling. “Jonathan said she’s weak and will need a lot of rest, but Annalise is going to be fine. He asked me to come visit tomorrow so she can rest.” Gregory looked like a wrung-out rag for a second and then bounded to his feet with a burst of energy. “Wow.” He turned to Rhys and paled. “That means she’ll definitely be at the party. Is it bad that I hoped she might still be in bed?”

  “You wanted the pressure off?”

  Gregory nodded. “Kind of. But now she’ll be there, and….”

  “Since these are done, why don’t you and I go ahead and plan the rest of the food and how we’re going to get everything done so this can be the best party ever? Then your sister will be so proud of the job you did that she’ll want you to plan all the parties going forward.” Both he and Gregory laughed, but seeing Gregory smile was always a beautiful thing.

  Rhys slid his hand around the back of Gregory’s neck, gently tugging him closer. He took his lips, and Gregory pressed nearer. Rhys deepened the kiss. He suddenly wasn’t interested in menus, decorations, or desserts. All he wanted was Gregory. His instinct was to press forward and take what he wanted, but instead he gentled the kiss and pulled back.

  “Rhys, I….” Gregory blinked a few times. “I want….”

  “I know. Me too, but it’s so soon.” Rhys gazed into Gregory’s eyes. “I’ve had crap luck with relationships, and I tend to rush in too early.” He stroked Gregory’s arm. “I’d rather wait a little, because I want this to work between us, and I think you’re worth waiting for.” He caressed Gregory’s cheek, and Gregory closed his eyes, leaning into the touch. Rhys lightly pressed his fingers to Gregory’s chin, and Gregory raised his face. Rhys kissed him. “I missed this as soon as I was stupid enough to send you away. I want you to know that sometimes life gives us each a second chance, and I don’t intend to waste this one.”

  “Oh,” Gregory said, sliding his eyes open. “So you do like me, then?” He was teasing, and Rhys nuzzled in closer.

  “You’re daft sometimes,” Rhys retorted without heat. “Come on. I think I’ve figured out how to make the baguettes.” He grinned. “Wanna go make some penises? I thought instead of actually making them edible—because they aren’t going to stay super fresh anyway—we can make smaller ones, put them in plastic, and use them as ornaments on the tree. That should be fun and saucy. Then I can make a few fresh ones that we can put out as part of a bread plate.”

  Gregory chuckled. “Okay. Let’s go make some penises.”

  IT HAD been a long time since Rhys had done something this fun in the kitchen, and so laden with visual innuendo.

  “How do these look?” Gregory asked as he held up two globs of dough.

  “Nice size and shape. They’ll be quite a mouthful,” Rhys retorted, and Gregory rolled his eyes. They had gone on like that for the last hour, with the bad puns and jokes, as they formed the loaves and got them into the oven. “Do you think cut or uncut?”

  Gregory shook his head. “We can let nature and the baking decide.” The two of them were definitely straining the amount of penis humor humanly possible as they worked and baked.

  Once the baguettes were out of the oven and cooled, Rhys placed each into a plastic bag and set them in the freezer. “We can thaw and decorate them before the party. Do you think piped hats?” Rhys closed the door and couldn’t help wondering at the fun he was having, and if it would continue with Gregory once the party was over.

  “Yeah. Probably best.” Gregory was grinning. “I can’t wait to see Annalise’s expression when she sees this… all of this. The cake is going to be stunning, and the food will be amazing. But the decorations and the favors are beautiful. Annalise is going to be impressed, and Cynthia will be so thrilled.”

  It was incredible to see Gregory happy and excited rather than down and fearful of the task ahead. That was so much like the Gregory he remembered from college, and it was good to see him back again.

  Gregory’s phone rang, and he pressed the speaker button, probably because he was up to his wrists in baguette dough. “Annalise, are you okay?”

  “Yes. Jonathan is right here holding Victoria, and he’s going to text you pictures, but I wanted to talk to you.”

  “It’s great to hear your voice. I’ve been so worried about you.” Gregory tried not to sniff, but it
was pretty clear how relieved he was to hear his sister’s voice. “How long will you be in the hospital?”

  “A few days. They had to deliver the baby surgically, and she’s just beautiful. Maybe tomorrow you can come up after work and we can introduce you to your niece.”

  This time Gregory did sniff, and Rhys took his hand, staying quiet but supporting and considering himself very lucky to get to be a part of this happy moment. “I’d love that.” He lightly bit his lower lip. “I should let you get some rest, but I’ll see you tomorrow after work.”

  She paused. “Am I on speaker?”

  “Yes. I’m working on stuff for the party with….” Gregory paused. “Well… I got a boyfriend….” He looked over at Rhys, who smiled and nodded. “Yeah. While you were having Victoria, I got a boyfriend, and he’s helping me with the party stuff for Cynthia. It’s going to be great. I’ll see you tomorrow,” he added hastily and ended the call. “She is going to grill me no end when I see her.”

  “I bet. She sounds like a real drill sergeant kind of person.”

  “Yup.” Gregory was still bouncy, but they got to work finishing up with the baguettes and getting them in the freezer. “So tomorrow I have to go to the hospital after work, but with the party on Thursday, I thought I would come over on Tuesday and Wednesday to help with the rest of the prep.”

  “Good. I’ll bake the layers on Wednesday so they can cool, and I added the cake and other prep to my Wednesday and Thursday schedule. The party is at six, so we should be there at four to get everything set up. I contacted the venue, and they have a professional oven. So for the quiches, we’ll take the ingredients and shells and bake them there. The rest will be done ahead of time. We’ll get the tables set, room decorated, and then your sister and her friends will come in to an amazing evening, and you and I can duck out and have a pretty earth-shatteringly amazing evening of our own.” Rhys leaned even closer. “I may even put on my own Santa outfit and do my best to take it off, really slowly.” He swayed his hips, and Gregory whined.

  “Okay. Now that’s something to look forward to.”

  Rhys loved the raw desire in Gregory’s eyes, and it would be so much fun to give in to it. But anticipation was the best increaser of desire that he knew, for himself and obviously for Gregory.

  “Should we clean this up? Is there anything else we can do to prepare?”

  “No. Right now, it’s the cooking. I got the cheese and charcuterie items. We can put those together the day of the party so they don’t dry out. I’ll really need your help with the transportation and last-minute put-together, but we can do this.” Rhys had done a lot of events and delivered a huge number of cakes, but this event and cake were special because they were for Gregory. “Everything is going to be okay. I promise. Something always goes wrong, but we’ll handle it.” He stepped behind Gregory, leaned down, and gently sucked at the base of his neck. “God, you smell and taste so good.” His entire body thrummed with desire, but waiting would be worth it. At least that’s what he kept telling himself, but Rhys wasn’t sure he could last that long. “Let’s clean up and we can get some dinner.”

  Chapter 6

  GREGORY WAS both keyed up and nervous. After work for the past two days, he’d spent his evenings with Rhys getting ready for the party. They baked quiche shells, cake layers, and savory cream puff shells, and made dips that could keep. He had checked that all the arrangements were set and had hired a server to help make sure the food portion of the evening would go smoothly. Gregory closed his trunk and thanked his lucky stars that even though it was cold, it wasn’t snowing, but that was in the forecast for that night.

  “Ready?” Rhys asked.

  “Yeah. I’ll meet you there.” Gregory got into the car and slowly drove to the venue, which was a private party space next to one of the lodges. He unloaded everything into the kitchen area and waited for Rhys. Once they were ready, Gregory went out front to where the tables had been set up with tablecloths and place settings. He got the centerpieces and favors placed before trimming the tree in the corner with the baguettes.

  “They look sort of bawdy-cute that way,” Rhys said when Gregory was just finishing up.

  “Yeah, they do, and the room is spectacular. Festive and not overdone. The entertainment can be over there to do his thing. And I have a table for the cake right there.”

  “I’ll bring it out.” Rhys went back and returned with a stand. They had changed their minds, so Rhys had done a two-tier cake with smaller layers for height and dramatic effect. It was in the same candy theme as the other decorations.

  “We have an hour before the party,” Gregory said, as his phone vibrated. “Annalise is on her way. She’s coming with the baby.” Gregory smiled as he looked over the room to check that everything was perfect.

  Rhys slid his arms around Gregory’s waist and leaned in close. “Don’t worry. Everything is going to be delicious, and the ladies will have a good time.” He kissed his temple. “I need to go finish traying up the food, and I’ll instruct Marcus on how he should serve. Come on back and get the breads so they can be on each table. We can also start setting out the trays on the buffet so you and I can see their reactions and then have a party of our own.”

  Gregory followed Rhys into the kitchen, got the cheese tray laid out, and brought it out as Annalise came in with one of her friends carrying the baby carrier. He set down the tray and watched as she scanned the room.

  Her gaze paused on the tree, and her mouth fell open. “What the heck is that?”

  “What do you mean?” Gregory turned to her. “We made them as ornaments instead of one for each place, but I thought it was cute. There are baguettes at each table.” He turned and showed her what they’d done, but Annalise’s expression didn’t alter one bit. If anything, her eyes grew more thunderous.

  “Was this your idea?” She stepped closer, and Gregory wondered if she’d lost her mind.

  “What do you mean? It was on the list. I may have changed a few things because Rhys had some really good ideas, but I did all of the things you had on your list.” He hurried away, his heart racing. He hadn’t imagined the whole thing—he knew that. Rhys had seen the list as well. In the kitchen, Gregory got out the file and strode back. He handed her both pages of the list.

  “See, this is my list.” She held up the first page.

  “But what about that page?” Gregory asked, and she pulled it out and read it over.

  “Where did you get this?”

  “It was in the folder you gave me. The baguettes were on the list, so Rhys and I made them as ornaments. I think they’re sort of funny. We added the faces to give them personality.” At this point he didn’t tell her that as they were finishing them, they’d made up penis voices and had dick-to-dick conversations.

  “That’s Jonathan’s writing.” She pulled out her phone and began texting. She must have gotten an answer right away, because she raised her gaze to the ceiling. “Apparently my husband, who is going to get it when I get home, thought the idea would be funny, and he wrote up the item and stuck the sheet in my folder for me to find. He didn’t know I was going to give it to you….”

  “So the whole Santa-hatted penis baguette thing wasn’t your idea?” Gregory asked, and when Annalise shook her head, he lost it completely. “Well, you have a dick baguette tree now, so you might as well make the most if it. The ones on the tables can be eaten, but these are just for decoration. They’re a little old to eat.”

  Annalise was still scowling.

  “Oh for God’s sake, lighten up. The room is beautiful and the food is amazing, and I’ll have you know that I helped make all of it.”

  That had his sister doing a double take. “You’re kidding?”

  “Nope. Oh, and your quiche recipe needs more regular store-bought eggs to work. At least that’s what Rhys said.” Gregory put his hands on his hips. “We worked hard to put this together, and look at that cake… and everything else.”

  She did and nodded, a
nd then her lips curled upward. “It is beautiful, Greggy. And I love the candy theme you did. The centerpieces are better than what I would have done.”

  Rhys came out of the kitchen carrying trays of savory filled cream puffs and placed them on the table.

  “Annalise, this is Rhys. He helped me get all this together, and he’s the one who made the cake.”

  Rhys came over. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He shook her hand. “Gregory has done a great job with this party. I really hope you’re pleased. Sorry to run, but I need to get the rest of the food out before everyone else arrives.” He headed back to the kitchen, and Gregory caught her gaze, cocked his eyebrows the way he’d seen Rhys do on occasion, and waited for her response, almost daring her not to like it.

  “It’s beautiful, Greggy. It really is.” Her gaze softened and her shoulders relaxed. “I’m just going to kill my husband when I get home.” Of course, she wasn’t serious and seemed to be seeing the humor in the situation.

  “Nope. You’re not allowed to do that. He was a tiger, making sure you got rest and standing guard over you and the baby. Speaking of which….” Gregory lowered his gaze to the carrier where the sleeping little girl rested. He reached down and gently removed her, cradling the little bundle to him. “You’re so pretty. Such a sweet little one.” He held her, the warmth seeping through his clothes and going right to his heart.

  A click sounded off to the side where Rhys had his camera out and had snapped some pictures. Gregory crooked his finger, and Rhys came over.

  “Isn’t she precious?”

  “I know. You want one of your own someday?” Rhys said, and Gregory thought for a few seconds before nodding. “More than one?”

  “Two should be perfect, I think, and a house with a backyard for them to play in.” He was having fun, and all wrapped up in seeing his new niece.