Savaro's Honey Buns (11 page)

nothing he could have said to keep Rajan off the plane.

Knowing his brother, Rajan was probably on the plane when he called. Shrugging off his worry, Savaro finished his shower, brushed his teeth and ignored the new shaver he'd purchased. He dragged a finger over the day-old beard on his face and rolled his shoulder. Walking into the bedroom again, he dressed in a fresh pair of jeans and a dress shirt before sitting on the bed and resting his back to the headboard. He was about to cross his ankles when there was a knock at the door. Glancing at the clock, he hauled himself to the door and opened it.

"Jamal… hi."

"Can I come in?" Jamal asked.

Savaro stepped out of the way, allowing him in then closed the door.

* * * *

was elegant, warm and dimly lit; perfect for romance. Then he noticed the curtains were drawn and he knew that mood all too well. He'd spent way too much time in hotel rooms not to. It was the feeling of wanting the world to go away.

Suddenly he felt as if he was intruding on Savaro's gloom.

Sticking his fingers into his back pockets, he faced Savaro.

"Want to take a shower? I picked up some things before I got here," Savaro said, stepping by him and into a room. "I have extra clothes if you want. I'm sure they will fit you no problem."

Jamal followed him and leant against the

doorframe. He folded his arms over his chest and crossed his ankles. "That's not why I came here," he explained. "I came here because even though we keep running from it, we have to face this demon and we have to do it now."

Savaro's shoulders stiffened but Jamal didn't move.

"I didn't go to Eros for any of this—for us. I went to get away from the major city and the tabloids and the crazy.

When I came to Eros I meant to stay in my room, order room service and just be—maybe, once in a while pop out for a run so I don't get rusty. But Chase suggested Anatolis and I met you and all the plans I had—or lack thereof changed. I could tuck my tail between my legs and run away. Or I could say that it hasn't been enough time between the time we met and the way I feel now. Or I could face the fact that without you I'll be miserable and just lay it all on the line."

"You can't mean that." Savaro turned. "You have your career and I have Anatolis."

"Didn't you hear? I can sign wherever I want next year." Jamal shrugged. "Not to toot my own horn, but right now every team wants me. And I have a little boy who would love to have me play with the Phantoms."

"Yeah right. When it comes to basketball the Phantoms are babies compared to the major teams you've obviously played for. They could never afford to pay you half as much as you're used to."

"It didn't start out being about the money. It started out with love and then somewhere along the way things just spun out of control. I don't need the money. I may not own a private jet but I have enough money to last me the rest of my life and then some. Look, Savaro. I can play anywhere.

I can play for the Moussa Phantoms, or the Eros City Bears and make the same amount at home or just an hour away.

I've been trying to get out of New York for years now—it's too much living there. This isn't about the basketball anymore. It's not even about what I want anymore. This is now about you and what you want."

"I may be a little fuzzy and completely missed you saying it earlier—but what do you want?"

"I want you. I want a relationship, one where the man I love misses me in his bed so much that he tries to blackmail me back Hell, I want a man whose bed I don't want to leave for anything in the world. That's what I feel with you. Come on, Savaro, look at me. You asked me what I wanted, right? So why don't you like the answer?"

"That's not it."

"Then why…" Jamal trailed off walking over to Savaro. Using his thumb, he lifted Savaro's chin but Savaro's eyes were closed. "Why won't you look at me?"

"I can't."

Stepping in close, Jamal cradled Savaro's cheeks

and brushed his lips across Savaro's closed eyelids. He trailed his mouth against Savaro's forehead then down his nose. "It's not hard for you to see it, is it? The way I feel about you. But I won't say it if it will cause you pain—I can't. I don't want to see the hurt in your face anymore."

Savaro held on to his hands and Jamal trembled

from where Savaro held him. Jamal closed his eyes, feeling the warmth coming from his lover's body. The realization hit him Savaro hadn't said anything. Inhaling he released him. "All right. I'll go take a quick shower then head back to the hospital with Mom."

Walking to the pile of clothes with the tags on them, Jamal silently rummaged through until he found a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. He was reaching for a razor when he was grabbed from behind and tugged around. The clothes he held slipped from his fingers and he landed on his back on the bed. He looked up just in time to have Savaro climb over him, pinning him to the bed. Jamal's first instincts were to fight, but looking into Savaro's eyes paralyzed him.

His heart hammered in his chest. His palms grew sweaty and his arousal pressed against the front of his pants.

"Sav?"

"Listen to me." Savaro leant in, brushed his lips across Jamal's forehead. "I want you—every part of you. I may be slow in admitting it but you have to understand.

The only men who've ever been there and not broken my heart have been my brothers and my father."

"It's hard for you to trust—I get it."

"Do you? Do you really? Because I don't want you to be taken by surprise by me being strange and hesitant…

I may not know much but I do know I want you in my life.

Just thinking of you not being there hurt me more than I thought possible. Before I ask what I want to ask, I have to tell you this. Leroy is to be my son. I've started the process of adopting him but it was placed on hold because I wanted to make sure he got used to me, my brothers and the family he will have. I didn't want to just drop him in the middle of new people. So if you want me, I come with strings. So—

Jamal Kendricks, I ask you here and now. Do you want to be mine? To be my man or boyfriend, or whatever it is the kids are saying these days? Because if you want in, I have a whole lot of loving to give. If you want out, speak now."

"You're adopting Leroy?"

"Yes."

"Well—that changes everything."

Savaro frowned and pushed away. Jamal laughed

and sat up. "I was being sarcastic, Savaro…" He reached for Savaro's hand. "Come here."

Pulling Savaro back on top of him, Jamal held him around his hips. "I was only messing with you. Look, having a child isn't a death sentence for me and it's definitely not a deal breaker. So I will have you, strings and all. Okay?"

Savaro said nothing. He only bowed his head and

gave Jamal a kiss.

"Now—go wash your booty."

"Can you join me in the shower?"

Savaro smirked. "Oh hell yes."

A day later, Savaro sat on the window sill with his arms folded. There were teddy bears and flowers

everywhere else. He grinned as Tamara swatted Jamal's hand when he tried to steal one of her Jell-O cups. Shaking his head, he looked out the window and arched a brow. A familiar man was standing there looking up at the windows.

Savaro arched a brow and made a face. "Oh boy."

"What's the matter?" Tamara asked.

"Here comes trouble."

"What do you mean?" Jamal wanted to know.

"My brothers are here," Savaro explained, just as Rajan climbed from the driver's seat of a dark car to stand beside Laird.

"They can't be all that bad." Tamara laughed. "They are family."

Savaro pulled his cell phone from his pocket and

dialled Laird's number. "Sure they are… hey. You know, you suck at this stalking thing."

"What are you talking about?" Laird questioned.

"I can see you!" Savaro said in a creepy, stalker voice. "Look up."

When Laird looked up Savaro waved and watched

as Laird jabbed Rajan and pointed up. "See me?"

"Yeah I see you," Laird replied. "What room is that?"

"Just come up to the fifteenth floor. Someone will show you," Savaro replied.

With their call over, Savaro turned to see Tamara and Jamal eyeing him. Glancing out the window again, he watched Rajan fight with a large teddy bear. When Rajan finally got it out the car, and Laird reached in and produced a large bouquet of flowers, Savaro groaned. Forcing himself from the window, he smiled, walked over to the bed and leant in to press a kiss to Tamara's forehead. He then kissed Jamal on the lips.

It didn't take any time at all for the other two

Anatolis men to find their way to the room and by then Savaro had braced himself for what was going to happen.

Laird and Rajan were a lovable pain in his ass on the best of days.

With the introductions out of the way, Savaro

escaped the room with Laird to get them all something to eat. Tamara could only eat what the hospital provided but the rest of them needed to eat something other than horrible hospital food. No matter how much money you had, eating bad hospital food seemed to be a requirement. As they slid into the front seats of Savaro's rental car, Laird finally spoke. "How've you been?"

Savaro started the ignition, checked his mirrors

before pulling from the parking spot. "I've been good—well I can't really complain. Jamal tells me he wants a future."

"Well that's good news! Congratulations… right?"

"Right—I still have this nagging feeling he'd much rather play for a big team. He says he can play anywhere, like Moussa or even the Bears."

"It's not like he needs the money," Laird pointed out.

"That's what he says. I don't know how these things work you know? I was never a sports fanatic."

"Well he's got endorsement deals and sneaker deals and all these other deals that give him millions for a day's work. Besides, if he chose to retire he could become a sports caster or something. Like I said, he doesn't need the money. So don't get all guilty because he wants to choose you over basketball."

Savaro sighed, glanced at the GPS and flipped on

his left signal. "I am trying. But I don't want him to be miserable."

"Would you be? Look, it's really simple. He's in love with you and I don't get why it's so hard for you to accept it. I know—our lives weren't the best and men have come and gone from our lives that left some entrenched scars, but please open your eyes and see Jamal for Jamal and not for the other jokers in your past."

Pulling into the parking lot of the restaurant, Savaro parked then turned and looked at his brother. "I do love him. I adore him. And you're right—you're so right, I have to take him at his word. If he says he's happy playing anywhere then that's what I'll believe." Savaro smiled.

"You know, sometimes I think life after Appa is my full circle. It finally got it good with him and I think… no I know I deserve this happily ever after."

"Now you're starting to make sense," Laird laughed, patting Savaro on the shoulder. "Now come on, let's get some food before my stomach mutinies."

Laughing they entered the restaurant and soon

walked out with enough food to feed a small town. Savaro was in a better place when he re-entered the hospital room to find Tamara laughing so hard, tears were spilling down her cheeks and Jamal laughing and shaking his head.

Savaro eyed Rajan with suspicion.

"What?" Savaro asked, placing a bag in Jamal's lap.

"Did you really flash your high school principal?"

Tamara asked, still laughing.

Savaro's cheeks heated up. "The homophobic jerk had it coming."

"Yeah that day," Laird slipped into a nearby chair with his food. "The term
flash bang
took on a whole new meaning!"

"It's not like I planned it!" Savaro muttered. "He was telling me a man shouldn't find another man sexy so I wanted to see precisely what he thought."

"And? What happened after that?" Tamara wanted to know.

Savaro muttered under his breath.

"What?" Jamal asked, leaning in. "I didn't hear what you said."

"He got detention for four months," Laird offered.

"And he had to write on the chalk board, five hundred times
I will never flash Mr Lisben again
.
"

Tamara laughed again so hard she was wailing.

"Oh! And tell them what happened next!" Rajan waved his fork at them with a mouth full of Chicken Tandoori.

"You really had to bring that up?" Laird arched a brow. "Come on!"

"You will share in my misery." Savaro smirked.

"Well, Laird and Savaro were in the same class, right," Rajan offered. "So when Savaro was sent to the office, Laird was sent down because he laughed at Savaro mouthing off to the teacher. Mr Lisben thought it was a great idea to bring them into his office together since they are brothers. That didn't end well because after Savaro here gave the principal an eye full, Laird burst out laughing so hard he fell off his seat. Mr Lisben didn't like that so Laird too got detention for being
a wise-ass
."

Savaro couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his lips. He looked over at Laird who was trying to hide his mirth but was failing miserably. Jamal was blinking in shock.

"Oh come on!" Laird waved. "Tell me which of you could resist that!"

It went on that way until the doctors came and

kicked them all out for being too loud. They all kissed Tamara's forehead and exited the building and congregated by Savaro's rental car.

"Okay so do you guys have a place to stay tonight?"

Jamal asked Rajan and Laird.

"No, haven't had a chance to get to that yet. We came here after the plane. Where are you guys staying?"

Rajan wanted to know.

"At the Metropolitan," Savaro said.

"All right, we'll follow you to it." Laird nodded.

"But we're getting our own room. There are certain things we don't need to see."

Savaro whacked Laird against the arm and opened

his door. "Jamal, get in the car."