The Mormon and the Dom Read Online Free PDF Page B

in the office space of the garage, but Ronan went through a door in the back. Everything was clean and obviously well cared for, impressing Noah. For some reason, he expected grease smears to be everywhere, but they weren’t. After a short breezeway, they came to glossy white door. Once inside, Noah was stunned to discover a house. It wasn’t small and crappy, but spacious and richly appointed.
    “Wow.”
    “Surprised?”
    “I am.” In this part of the city, he didn’t expect to see a surprisingly modern house. Plush area rugs softened the look of gleaming hardwood floors. Two couches came together in an L with an oval coffee table in front. There was a television over a gas fireplace and a small bookshelf filled with paperbacks. It was not a typical bachelor pad and nothing like the leather-and-chrome-infested hovel he’d imagined a Dom would have. “I thought this area was all industrial.”
    “There’s some old grandfathered places that survived the zoning change. No one can build a new house around here, but the three that were here before were allowed to stand.”
    “You upgraded everything, though.” Noah wasn’t an expert by any means, but he knew what was trending in housing. He’d been thinking about getting out of his apartment and into his first home. The cinnamon-tiled kitchen floor and the granite countertops said Ronan had completed the remodel within the last two years.
    “I did.” Ronan looked around with pride. “Just today it all became mine.”
    “You mean you got a loan?”
    “I mean I paid it off.” Ronan shook his head. “Did that sound braggy?”
    “Not at all. It’s something to be celebrated. Congratulations.”
    “Thanks.” Ronan put the pie on the counter.
    “Most people work all their lives and never actually pay off a mortgage.” When Noah saw the appliances weren’t stainless steel, he grinned. These were black and glossy, making him think of oiled black leather.
    “What’s that look about?” Ronan asked as he pulled two stoneware plates out of the upper cabinet. The man clearly had a good eye for decorating, because the creamy beige plates matched the kitchen coloring. Even after a quick look around his home, it was obvious the man had an artist’s eye for design.
    “Nothing.”
    “Come on. It was something.”
    “I just—this is so silly, but I’m really glad you didn’t follow the trend of putting in stainless steel appliances.”
    “God, no!” Ronan laughed as he pulled the pie out of the box. “I work with chrome on the bikes, so I know how any shiny metal surface is just begging for a fingerprint display. Stainless is a pain.”
    “My thoughts exactly.” Noah leaned against the opposite counter from where Ronan was cutting up the pie. He cut the pie in half, releasing the smell of apples and cinnamon into the air. By angling the knife over the crust, he was silently asking Noah how big of a piece he wanted. Once Noah nodded, Ronan cut off a small slice. “My place has nothing but stainless appliances. I hate them.”
    “You own your own place?” Ronan put Noah’s piece onto a plate, then cut his own. He tucked the tines of forks under each piece. “No ice cream. No cheese, either.”
    “You like cheddar on your apple pie?” Noah thought he was one of the only people in the world who liked that.
    “Oh, yeah. A really sharp cheddar on super-sweet apple pie is almost as good as sex.”
    Since Noah had no idea if that were true, he just laughed, hoping he didn’t sound like a kid.
    “So you’re buying a house?”
    “I’m renting an apartment, but I’ve been looking at houses.” So far everything he’d looked at just didn’t feel right to him and he wasn’t sure why.
    “Come on in here and let’s try this pie out.” Ronan commandeered both plates, then led the way into the dining room. The table was large, pine, and fashionably distressed. When Ronan placed a plate on the table, Noah sat down, feeling oddly out of place.
    Ronan