Justin Taylor, Art Director at Kinnetik, pushed a strand of his sun-bleached, blond hair behind his ear as he contemplated the storyboard for the new Remsen Pharmaceutical ad he’d just finished.

“It’s time to go.” Brian Kinney, CEO of the company, breezed into the art room like he owned it, probably because he did.

Justin smiled at his partner. It still amazed him how Brian could literally take his breath away after eight years. On the other hand, the man was still as gorgeous as the day they’d met with his auburn hair, hazel eyes, and rock-solid body that any man would envy. “Are you going to tell me where we’re going?”

Brian looked into Justin’s blue eyes and marveled at how he’d been captivated by this boy for more years than he cared to admit. “Nope, it’s a surprise.”

“Brian, you don’t do surprises, or romance, or relationships, or anything that can in any way be considered ‘hetero couple bullshit’, or that’s what you’re always telling me.”

Brian rolled his eyes, grabbed Justin’s hand and pulled him out of the office. “I still believe that, but I have this blond twink with an irresistible bubble butt who keeps making me do these really out of character things.”

“Pffft. I’d hardly consider myself a twink at twenty-five, you old geezer.” Justin couldn’t keep the smile from forming on his lips. He just couldn’t seem to stop teasing Brian about the twelve year age difference. Hell, it was too much fun to watch the way he’d react.

Brian stopped and turned to face his lover. His face turned a little red and his eyes changed color. “Old?! Geezer?! You just wait, twat. I’ll show you ‘old geezer’ when we get there.”

As soon as they reached the corvette, Brian opened the door and pulled out a white silk scarf. “I figure if I’m going to do this, I’m going to do it right. Turn around. I’m going to blindfold you.”

Justin sucked in a quick breath when he saw the scarf. It brought up all the old anxieties about the bashing, but he nodded his head and turned around. He really didn’t want to spoil whatever Brian had planned. “Why do you have to blindfold me?”

“How else am I supposed to surprise you?”

Brian helped Justin into the car, buckled his seatbelt, and closed his door before getting into the car himself. He quickly started the powerful engine and headed out of the parking lot.

“Why is it so important that I not know where we’re going?” asked Justin.

Brian sighed and shifted gears. “Because I said so. Is that good enough for you?”

Justin leaned his head back and closed his eyes behind the silk scarf. It wasn’t like he could see anything anyway. The scarf had brought back a lot of bad memories and he was trying to push them away. Since his eyes were covered, he could hear the engine’s roar and it seemed louder than usual. If he concentrated, he could hear Brian’s soft breathing, the rustle of his pants as he shifted gears and the light tap of his fingers on the steering wheel. Who would have ever thought that listening to his lover drive would be a turn-on? However, the evidence of that statement was becoming very prominent in his pants.

“You doing okay, Justin?”

Justin was startled and jumped when Brian’s words broke into his chaotic thoughts. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Tell me if you don’t feel comfortable wearing the scarf.”

The worry was evident in Brian’s voice and Justin leaned forward a bit, smiling brightly. “I’m fine, Brian.”

Suddenly, Justin could hear Brian humming softly. He couldn’t quite make out the tune, but it sounded so familiar to him for some reason. He let his head fall back on the headrest, tried to keep his breathing slow, and just listened. Every once in a while, the humming would stop for a short moment and Justin knew Brian was licking his lips before the humming would start up again. He thought about his relationship to this complicated and somewhat misunderstood man. He didn’t get declarations of love and devotion, but what he did get made those things seem obsolete. He knew that Brian loved him. It was in everything he said and did.

He felt the car slowing down and sat up wondering where they were. “Are we there, yet?”

“As a matter of fact, we are. Now keep the blindfold on till I get you out of the car.” Brian quickly parked, got out, walked around and helped Justin stand. He gently turned his lover around a bit, stood behind him, and whispered, “I figured you needed a break from working on ads, so I booked us a room here. I brought all your art supplies because I know you’ll want to capture this on canvas.”

Justin blinked his eyes as soon as the scarf was removed and gasped at the beauty of the countryside. The trees were all different colors and the sky seemed endless. It really was something he’d love to paint. He turned around in Brian’s arms, hugged his neck tightly, and rained kisses all over his face. “You are the most romantic man I’ve ever met! I love it!”

Brian groaned and tried to push the blond off, but only half-heartedly. “It’s just a little break from work. You always read more into things than are actually there.”

Justin grinned up into Brian’s face which by now had a slight scowl. “I didn’t read anything into this, because I came into it blind. However, I did hear an awful lot.”

“Oh yeah, what did you hear?” asked Brian as he gazed into Justin’s eyes.

Justin wrinkled his nose and winked. “I heard ‘I love you’ over and over again."