What Hides Inside: Bay City Paranormal Investigations, Book 2

discreetly as he could, Sam stood and followed him, watching the rest of the team from the corner of his eye.
They didn’t seem to notice anything out of the ordinary. Cecile Langlois, resident psychic expert, was giving someone on the other end of the phone directions to the BCPI office in downtown Mobile. David Broom and Andre Meloy huddled over one of the new cameras they’d bought. None of them even looked up as Sam sauntered toward Bo’s office.
Probably used to it by now. Sam wondered sometimes if they were really as oblivious as they seemed, or if they were simply pretending not to notice for Bo’s sake. He strongly suspected the latter. There was no way anyone with half an eye could fail to notice Sam’s mussed hair and swollen lips every time he stumbled out of Bo’s office after one of their frequent “discussions”. And how could they miss the dazed look in Bo’s eyes, or the way his cheeks reddened as if he’d been out in a cold wind?
Of course, if his coworkers noticed, the things they most likely imagined happening were way off the mark. Sam wished they weren’t. Not that he minded hand jobs, especially accompanied by needy kisses and Bo’s soft, sweet moans. But he ached for more. And he was sick of skulking around like a teenager breaking curfew. He understood Bo’s hesitation about telling people— coming out was never easy—but he didn’t know how much longer he could remain patient with the lack of progression in their relationship.
Inside the office, Sam shut the heavy wooden door and leaned against it. “You wanted me?”
“I did.” Bo pulled the dark green curtains closed across the big bay window, shutting out the deepening darkness and the glow of the downtown streetlights, then turned to Sam. “Come here.”
Sam crossed the tiny room in two long-legged strides and went straight into Bo’s arms. Bo met him in a deep, urgent kiss, fingers threading through Sam’s hair. As usual, Sam’s frustration melted like spun sugar in the blast furnace intensity of their mutual desire.
The kiss went on for long, wonderful minutes. When they broke apart, Sam buried his face in the curve of Bo’s neck, arms tightening around his waist.
“Mmmm,” Sam hummed, drawing a deep breath scented with Bo’s skin. “I like this kind of discussion.”
Bo didn’t say anything, just held Sam closer. Sam frowned, noticing for the first time the tension in Bo’s body. “Bo? What’s the matter?”
“Not now,” Bo whispered, cheek pressed to Sam’s. “Just kiss me again.”
Sam did, but the joy had gone out of it. In the two months they’d been together—if you could call this furtive sneaking around “together”—Bo had never been like this. Like someone had just pulled the rug out from under him. Even when Bo’s friend and business partner, Amy Landry, died in the investigation of Oleander House, Bo hadn’t seemed this lost and forlorn.
When Bo slipped a hand between their bodies and started unbuttoning Sam’s pants, Sam grabbed Bo’s wrist and pushed him back so he could look him in the eye. “Tell me what’s wrong, Bo.”
For a second, Bo’s eyes snapped with anger. Then he sighed and leaned against Sam’s chest. “It’s Janine.”
“Again? What’d she do this time?” Sam didn’t even try to keep the anger out of his voice. Janine, Bo’s wife, hadn’t taken Bo’s announcement that he was leaving her well. Ever since they’d separated, she’d done everything in her power to hurt him.
Sam cringed to think of what she’d do if she knew the real reason why her marriage had fallen apart. Bo hadn’t told her he was gay and had been in the closet all their years together, or that he was seeing Sam. He’d blamed the breakup on the stress of Amy’s violent and unexpected death. Sam couldn’t help wondering if Janine bought that story, or if she knew the truth and was punishing Bo for it.
“She’s taking the boys to her parents’ for Thanksgiving. They live in Ohio. I was hoping to spend some time with the kids while they’re out of school. Talk to them, you know? Let them know I’m still there for them. That just because Janine and I are breaking up doesn’t mean I’m deserting them.” Bo shook his head, his expression sorrowful. “She promised they’d stay home for Thanksgiving. I was planning to have the boys all day on Friday.”
An all-too-familiar fury coursed through Sam. He’d only met Janine once, a brief “hello” when she’d come to the office