Ripped (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove) by Anita Kinley Page A

to his skin beneath. The roar of the motorcycle drowned out Kyle’s words, but Roman knew without a doubt that he would hear them again later when they were alone.
    Much to Roman’s delight, all the tents had been rented, as he paid the week’s rental on a cabin. He would always remember Kyle’s excitement. At thirty years old, the look on Kyle’s face resembled that of a young boy left alone in a candy store.
    Once they were alone in the cabin, Roman asked, “Haven’t you ever been anywhere before?”
    “Not like this with the man I love,” Kyle replied, still speaking too fast.
    “Calm down, or you are going to crash before we ever get to finish bonding. It’s almost eleven. How about we grab some lunch, and then we can finish unpacking.”
    Kyle must have been completely ignoring him, because he found him standing near the fireplace, running his hand across the mantel. Roman grabbed him from behind, causing Kyle to laugh.
    “It’s ninety degrees outside, silly boy.”
    “We can turn down the air and light it tonight. I think the sleeping bag will work very well,” Kyle replied.
    As Kyle turned toward him, the look in his partner’s eyes sent desire raging through his veins.
    Stifling an urge to rid Kyle of his clothes, Roman replied, “There will be plenty of time for that. Right now I’m starving. After we eat, I’d like us to hike some of the trails.”
    The woods around the lodge were fairly secluded as Roman felt Kyle put his hand in his. Both men walked in silence for nearly thirty minutes. Roman could feel Kyle’s fingers caressing the inside of his palm.
    “You never finished telling me how he hurt you. Other than the fact that he was a drunk, verbally abusive, and gave you HIV,” Roman said, glancing briefly at Kyle before looking back at the trail.
    “His name was Jack. He wasn’t always that way, only when he drank. I caught him with several men at the house we shared. He told me he loved me, too. On the night we had unprotected sex, we had a terrible fight. Jack had punched me in the face, and it left a pretty good black eye. It happened so quickly. I could have hit him back, but I didn’t. It was the usual cycle of abuse. He apologized. I believed him, and we ended up in bed together, and I contracted AIDS. Two weeks later, he had to have some blood work done for a job physical, and it had revealed he was HIV-positive. I left him the following morning. Every month for the next six, I was tested. The seventh month, it came back positive.”
    “I’m so sorry, sweet boy.”
    “I hadn’t been intimate with anyone for two years when you hired me. After Jack, I tried dating once, and when I told him that I was HIV-positive, he never called again. You were different.”
    “I was in love. That’s was the difference.”
    “Aren’t you afraid of contracting it?”
    “No. We’re careful, and even if I did, it wouldn’t matter. I intend to spend the rest of my life with you.”
    As they continued to walk, Roman glanced at Kyle as a slow smile highlighted his husband’s face.
    “I’m sorry for my behavior.”
    “We’re past that now. Actually, I am glad that you decided to throw your fit. I knew you were right. I’ve known we were right since that kiss in the locker room.”
    Roman pulled Kyle off the trail to a nearby tree. Leaning Kyle against the bark, he kissed his husband’s forehead, watching as his partner closed his eyes for an expected kiss.
    “I love you so much, sweet boy,” Roman whispered, tracing Kyle’s lips with a fingertip.
    Roman hadn’t expected them to kiss, and he was shocked at the stolen caress Kyle placed on his cheek, as he watched his husband run away down the path.
    “Where does he get his energy from?” Roman mumbled, chasing his lover.
    He caught Kyle about a hundred yards away, grabbing him into his arms.
    “Don’t make me do that again, silly boy! Come on. We need to get back to the cabin. I want to unpack, maybe do room service for dinner, and