He made his voice a little harder. “Miguel.” When Miguel looked at him, Hector crooked a finger. “Come here.” Miguel approached, his body still moving in that languid, dreamy way. Hector took his hand, pulling him down. With a soft sigh, Miguel sank onto the bed, draping himself half over Hector. “You okay?”
“Yeah. That just felt really good.” He snuggled close, pressing his face to Hector’s chest.
Hector held him, gently caressing his back. After a few minutes, he leaned over to reach into the nightstand drawer to take out the tube of Arnica cream he’d stored there earlier. He guided Miguel to lie on his front on the bed. Squeezing the cream onto his palm, Hector rubbed his hands together to warm it up. Then he massaged it into Miguel’s cheeks, rubbing carefully to treat the sore skin and muscles.
Miguel stretched contentedly, his naked brown limbs slowly sliding over the sheets. “Mmmm. Thank you.”
Hector dropped a kiss to the top of Miguel’s head. “You’re welcome. Now get some sleep.” He turned to put the cream away. By the time he turned back, Miguel’s eyes were already closed and his lips slightly parted, soft breaths escaping him as he slept.
Chapter 13
Breakfast had become Hector’s favorite meal of the day. In the past, he’d made do with cereal or a microwaved frozen breakfast bowl that he’d eaten alone in his quiet kitchen. He’d been fine with that life. Now, he started each day with a hot meal generously cooked by his lover. His kitchen was no longer silent since he and Miguel conversed as they ate, just like so many other couples in the world.
As he watched Miguel cooking, he couldn’t help but smile. Life was good. Hector felt truly content and happy for the first time in a long while. He thought back to when he’d watched Miguel cooking, wondering what would happen if he went up and hugged him. Back then, he hadn’t known how it would play out. He’d been unsure of his feelings and in the dark as to Miguel’s. Now, he was sure his embrace would be welcomed.
With that confidence in mind, he got up from the table and took the five steps that brought him behind his lover, making just enough noise so Miguel would be aware of his approach. When he reached him, Hector slid both arms around Miguel’s slim waist, holding him close.
“Good morning,” he said as he nuzzled his face into the soft curve of his lover’s neck.
Miguel laughed. “Didn’t we already do the good morning routine?” he asked as he continued to stir the eggs and vegetables in the skillet.
“Hmmm, we did, but I wanted to say it again. I just feel so happy and lucky that I’m with you.”
Turning around, Miguel looked up at Hector. His dark eyes were warm as always, so sweet as they sparkled with affection. “I’m lucky. You were wonderful, supporting me when we were only friends. And it’s still hard to believe that, after all this time, we’re together like this.”
Hector smiled and dropped a kiss on his nose. “Believe it. This is real, and you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
Miguel returned Hector’s smile with a soft one of his own. He leaned up to give him a quick peck on the lips then gently pushed him away. “Go sit down before you make me overcook the eggs.”
“We can’t have that. I need my migas to get my morning energy.” Hector released his hold, but snuck one more kiss to the nape of Miguel’s neck before returning to the table. When he sat, Hector smiled to himself, happy that he was finally creating his own sweet and homey memories with someone he cared for.
Hector was still in his good mood at work. It didn’t take long for his teammates to notice. He got a few looks from them as he listened to Sergeant Stillman go over their marching orders on the warrants they were delivering for the day. Probably because he sat there smiling nearly the entire time.
“You all right there, Castillo?” Stillman asked once she was finished.
“Of course, Sarge. I’m just happy to be here and ready to do my job.”
Stillman looked at him like he’d grown a second head. “Okay…great.” She looked back over the group at large. “BearCat is downstairs waiting for us. Let’s go.”
Hector got up and moved out with everyone else. They all waited in front of the bank of elevators. When the first car arrived, there was only room for a few people. Hector stepped to the side to let someone else go.
“I’ll get the next one,” he said with another smile. It was less than a minute before there was a chime signaling the arrival of another elevator.
Hector stepped inside with the rest of his team. He whistled the opening theme for the Andy Griffith Show on the short ride down to the garage. Within seconds, several people picked up the tune. But once the elevator doors opened and they walked out into the garage, the whistling stopped and the teasing started.
“Good lord. You ever see a man smile so much?” Tiffany, their explosives expert, asked.
“Nope. He looks like the SWAT version of the Joker,” Clay teased as they all climbed one by one into the back of the armored vehicle.
Brady was the last to hop into the truck. He immediately joined in on the ribbing once he took a seat across from Hector. “So what poor woman did you convince to spend more than one night with you?”
“None.”
“C’mon. You can’t tell me this good mood isn’t because of a new relationship,” Brady said as the BearCat started moving.
“It is. It’s just not with a woman.”
It was a record scratch moment. Clay and Ryan already knew what was up. But everyone else looked at him with their eyes wide with shock. Hector smugly leaned back against the side of the truck, purposely not saying another word. He just kicked out his legs, crossing them at the ankles with studied nonchalance. He even pretended to brush a speck of dust off his Remington 700. Hector knew this group wouldn’t have a problem with his sexuality—they already had three other gay and lesbian members on the team—but he was enjoying their surprise.