Free A Little Bite of Magic (Little Magic) by M.J. O'Shea

it in the wonderfully scented kitchen at L’Osteria, helping Frankie cook and kissing Frankie, tasting the soft skin of his neck while Frankie stirred some fragrant sauce with his old cooking spoon.
    The restaurant had become an extension of Frankie, like part of how Addison saw him. Frankie wasn’t Frankie without his cooking spoon or the kitchen at L’Osteria. Addison didn’t have anything like that to define himself. He wanted to. The Phantom Foodie wasn’t him. Not really. It still made his gut ache when he thought of telling Frankie about that. I should’ve done it a long time ago . He figured his hesitation would somehow come back to bite him in the ass.
    Addison’s phone rang. Shit. Julia. Again. He’d told her at least four times that he wasn’t going to the damn theater with her. He had no idea she would be so persistent.
    “Julia, what do you need?”
    “Aren’t you ready?” Impatient as always, her voice rang cultured but still strident through his handset.
    “I’m getting ready. For a date. I told you I wasn’t going to the theater.”
    “And I told you that I bought the tickets ages ago. This date you have can be postponed.”
    Addison cringed. “Jules, do you not care at all that I’m with someone else?”
    “I care if you’re with someone else tonight. We had plans.”
    He wanted to throw his phone. He would’ve, if he wasn’t worried about it breaking when Frankie might try to call him. “No, I have plans. With my boyfriend. I’m done with this conversation.”
    He hung up on her for once. It felt really damn good. It was time to go get Frankie. In more than one way.
    * * * *
    The second Frankie was in his arms, the phone got turned off. The only person he wanted to talk to had cuddled up to his chest and kissed him hello, no demands, no icy disdain. Just affection—the way it was supposed to be. Frankie had a paper grocery store bag filled with what Addison hoped was dinner (or at least dessert) and a big smile. Addison’s pulse jumped.
    “Hey, how was the dentist?”
    “Would I be really cheesy if I said I needed someone to make my mouth feel better?”
    Frankie chuckled. “Yeah. But I’d go for it anyway.”
    And he did, with another long hello kiss that not only made Addison’s mouth feel better but made his entire body shiver as well.
    “You’re so gorgeous,” Addison murmured when they broke apart. He cupped Frankie’s face in his hands. Frankie let out a snorting little laugh and playfully pushed his hand away. “What? I can’t give you a compliment. It’s true.”
    “C’mon, Romeo. Let’s get in the car.” He tempered his cynical remark with a sweet hand threaded through Addison’s as they walked down the street to where Addison had parked his car.
    “What’s in the bag?” Addison asked when they'd pulled away from the curb.
    Frankie rolled his eyes and scooted closer. “Lots of drugs.”
    “That’s what I thought. I hope they’re good ones.”
    Frankie snickered. “You seem different. What happened?”
    I’m free . Addison shrugged. “Just had a good day, I guess.”
    “You went to the dentist.”
    “I got to see you twice.”
    Frankie shoved at him jokingly. “No cheese-ball lines.”
    “Isn’t it only a line if I’m trying to pick you up? You’re clearly already in my car. Maybe that means it’s just the truth.”
    Frankie’s big liquidy-brown eyes melted. “My day is better when I get to see you too,” he said quietly.
    Frankie waited until Addison pulled up in front of his condo before he leaned over to give Frankie another deep, long kiss. “Let’s go inside.”
    * * * *
    They ate a small dinner of sandwiches and the flaky shortbread with raspberry sauce that he’d been waiting for all day. Addison laughed at Frankie’s antics, harder than he remembered laughing before, and felt wonderfully good. It was always like that when he was with Frankie. He didn’t have to worry that Frankie was going to disapprove of his clothes;