Running Wild

even if he was very interested in starting—and continuing—a new relationship. Ri didn’t have a lot of people in his life, that was clear.
    Ri looked around, like he was scanning the area for danger or expecting Seamus to show him the door. He appeared so damn tentative.
“Have a seat,” Seamus said more gruffly than he meant. He pointed. “Milk. Glass.”
Ri sat and poured himself the milk, going on to guzzle it in one go. Seamus slapped a big waffle on a plate and handed it over to Ri, who gave up being polite and hoovered up the food—syrup, butter and all.
Seamus gave up being polite too, set his hip against the counter, and watched. Once he was done, Ri glanced up and Seamus said, “A few more minutes and the next one’s yours.”
“Your turn.”
“I’m cooking, you’re eating. House rules this morning.”
“I think I’m too hungry to argue.”
“We should have gotten up last night and eaten, right?”
At that, Ri’s face rather charmingly turned red. His skin wasn’t pale like Seamus’s, but the mottled blush was as obvious as any Seamus had ever worn.
Seamus smiled into Ri’s eyes. “You’re cute when you’ve flushed red.”
He gave this quick look around, as if Seamus must be speaking to someone else, then groped for something to say. He finally settled on, “Thank you for the breakfast.”
Seamus gave up staying away. He walked up behind Ri and observed how Ri eyed him like he was about to do the craziest thing ever. With care, he crossed his arms over Ri’s shoulders.
“Ri,” said Seamus and waited until Ri settled into his touch.
“Yes?” Ri croaked.
“You’re welcome.” What he wanted to do was turn Ri’s face and give him a long, deep good-morning kiss. But the waffle might burn and Ri needed to eat. Plus he didn’t want Ri jumping out of his skin before breakfast. He kissed Ri’s cheek and backed away to rescue the waffle from the waffle iron.
He laid a second serving on Ri’s syrup-laden plate. When Ri’s attention was focused on eating, Seamus said, “I’m going to be obnoxious and tell you that I’m not impressed with your previous two lovers.”
Ri almost choked, and Seamus winced. He supposed he could have saved that until after Ri was no longer hungry, but he didn’t want to tiptoe around what felt, to him anyway, like one of the elephants in the room.
“You really like sex, but you’re not very comfortable with it.” He tried to distance himself from the anger he felt over that. Had someone or someones used Ri? Worse, hurt him?
Ri swallowed, his face red again. “That’s not on them, Seamus.”
“No?”
Ri’s gaze met Seamus’s. “No. It’s because I’m a horse shifter.”
    At Seamus’s blank expression, Ri could only conclude he didn’t get it. “That’s not an explanation, Ri.”
“Shifters are weird.” Why was he pushing this point? After all, he didn’t
    want to leave Seamus and this apartment.
“Pete wasn’t weird. He was very normal.”
Ri didn’t believe it, but he could believe Pete played the part of normal well.
    “There are some differences between Pete and me.”
Seamus’s mouth quirked. “I know.”
“Beyond that.”
“Beyond what?” At Ri’s glare, Seamus laughed. “Okay, sorry, I think you’re
trying to tell me something serious.”
     
“Pete was, is , hiding in plain sight. Which is not something I could ever do.”
    Seamus gave Ri an assessing look but turned back to the waffle iron without responding. As Ri tucked into his third waffle, there came a knock at the door.
His mind emptied out. The balcony was too high off the ground to jump from. They’d established that yesterday.
“Relax,” said Seamus.
“Who is it?” Ri demanded. Had he slept through Seamus inviting people over?
“I have no idea.” Seamus pointed at Ri’s half-finished waffle. “Eat.”
He forced himself to shovel the rest down, because he was under calories, but he didn’t taste it. Seamus opened the door and—
“Oh, hi, Mom. Dad.” Seamus’s parents returned the greeting and walked in.
Ri tried not to appear like he was on the verge of bolting.
“I missed you yesterday.” Seamus’s dad clapped Seamus on the shoulder, his face a study in affection. Seamus seemed pleased by his dad’s words.
Then the father turned to Ri.
He stood. His grandfather had coached him on some pleasantries. Rise up, shake hands, say hello. Blend in.
Although Ri’s incredible secret was no longer quite as secret as it used to be.
“Dad, this is