Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 7

tour, and something else nagging you."
    "Still... This is a huge part of you. Just because I'm so busy, doesn't mean I can't stop for a half hour or whatever to hug and congratulate you. Even take you out for a congratulatory dinner or something."
    "Doesn't matter now. You know. We're good." Ryan shrugged. "You need to concentrate on the CD and I'm here to support you."
    "Hearing that makes me sound selfish. A spoiled rock star."
    "Nah, you're not selfish or spoiled. Only very intense when you're concentrating on a new CD. This is the third one I've gone through with you and I'm learning what I need to do and not do around you while this process is happening."
    "You're doing a wonderful job. This recording is going smoother than the others." Xavier leaned in and kissed him. "On the other hand, I want to support you in the same way."
    Ryan smiled. "You always do. You're here when I come home from the hotel."
    "Not always."
    "When it matters. Hey... Hey... Stop putting yourself down. Not on the agenda tonight." Ryan pressed his fingers to Xavier's lips.
    "Ahh..."
    "No! Not on the agenda. Got it?
    Smiling, Xavier kissed Ryan's fingers.
    "What are you doing home? I thought you were busy in the recording studio. If I knew you were home, I wouldn't have taken so long a shift or at least I would have come in here sooner. I didn't know you were home until I heard your guitar singing out its beautiful tone."
    "I came home around mid-afternoon and sat here, picking and strumming on this guitar while watching the sun disappear behind the skyline. I haven't been home for long. Come over here and sit down with me. There's a few things I need to tell you about," Xavier said as he stepped back, took Ryan's hand in his, and led him to the loveseat. He sat down and patted the cushion.
    "Damn, this sounds serious. What's happening, X? Everything going okay with the new CD. The songs sound awesome and glorious whenever you sing them here, to me," Ryan inquired while he sat down and leaned against one of the side cushions.
    "The recording is going great. It's one of my best CD's and going beyond the other sounds I created on the first four albums. This is definitely some of my best work."
    "Then what is it? What's troubling you? I can see it in your gaze," Ryan said, tilting forward and brushed his thumb under one of Xavier's navy blue eyes. "Something's bothered you the last few nights, not cuddling me, or initiating sex. It's unlike you."
    "I needed to make some decisions and with them on my mind, I couldn't give you everything. I'm sorry if you felt neglected."
    Pulling back, Ryan waved a hand to dismiss the idea. "Never. Just holding you close made me feel close to you."
    Pushing his fingers through Ryan's hair, Xavier pressed his forehead to Ryan's smooth forehead and closed his eyes.
    Ryan placed his hands on Xavier's shoulders and started a light massage. "X, you're carrying a damn steel rod in your muscles. Turn around and let me give you a halfway decent massage."
    Xavier spun and settled back for Ryan to work on his muscles.
    "Damn. Knots the size of lemons and worse. What tied you up like this? Talk to me."
    "A decision to change my public life. I fired my old management guy and signed a contract with a new company today."
    "That's one hell of a decision. You made no mention of this to me about it."
    "I couldn't. I'm sorry to keep this from you, Ry."
    "You know I would have been a sounding board or something to help take some of the strain off your shoulders, you big idiot." Ryan slugged Xavier's shoulder and went back to the massage. "Still, I understand the reasoning behind it. It's a part of you. What made you finally take the step to change managers? I know you were talking about it off and on for the last couple of years, especially whenever we wanted to go out without a damn disguise for you."
    "It was either time to let him go or re-sign a new contract with him. Since you knew how much I was ticked at him, I went looking for other management companies out there and this particular one gave me one hell of a deal. Nothing the old one could come close to matching."
    "Okay, X. What aren't you saying? What's hot in this new contract?"
    "They're behind my decision one hundred percent to come out to my fans."
    Leaning to the side, drawing Xavier around to make sure their gazes met, Ryan lifted one of his eyebrows in question. "Hold on a moment. Come out? You mean come out to public you're gay? Is this the kind of come out you