22. Chapter 22
Chapter 22
Julien
T yler continued to trace the outline of the pocket watch tattoo over Julien’s heart as he lay in bed, sated and tired. He didn’t know what he expected from Tyler once he got him into bed. The man did everything so carefully that Julien was taken aback by how he let go in the bedroom.
It made his head swim with ideas of just how dirty and raw he could fuck Tyler. He imagined eating him out until he was soft and pliant, and Julien would make him wait to be fucked. Then Julien would fuck him so hard with Tyler’s face pressed into the mattress.
That could wait, though. At least there would be time to do it again, Jules hoped. For now, he would enjoy feeling good, relaxed, and closer to Tyler than ever .
In fact, he felt closer to Tyler than he had ever felt with someone before, even his friends. It was like Tyler had carved out a place in Jules’s chest and made a home there.
“I never asked you,” Tyler said softly. His head rested on Julien’s pec, but he tilted his chin up to look at him. “I mean, you told me about your mom. But what happened?”
Julien’s lips pressed together at the question. It was hard to talk about. After the night they had, it almost seemed it would spoil it to speak of something sad. But Tyler’s blue eyes gazed up at him with such earnestness and tenderness that Julien spoke before he thought about it. “She was sick. She was diagnosed with the big, bad C when I was sixteen. Then it caught up with her, I guess. She died when I was eighteen, and that was that.”
It never had been that simple, but Julien could never bring himself to talk about how awful it had been to watch her health decline. To watch her die before his eyes. He had just been a kid then, and when he thought about it, he still felt like that kid, with no one to turn to and no idea what he could do to fix things .
Tyler didn’t push for more details but moved closer and gently kissed Julien’s jaw. “What about the rest of your family? What are they like?”
“I don’t have anyone else,” he told Tyler. He couldn’t bring himself to look down because there would be pity on Tyler’s face. “It’s alright, though. I don’t need anyone. I can take care of myself.”
Since his mother died, he had to grow up, and now he had a job and an apartment, and he was fine. After he gave the money to Rossi, life would only get better for him. He could handle being lonely.
“Well, I’m glad you’re here,” Tyler told him. “I know we got off to a weird start, but I like having you here.”
Julien gave a tight smile. “Yeah. Are you going to tell your family we’re not really dating?” he asked. He’d been mulling over the question for days. Things with Tyler had gotten physical, but that did not make a relationship. Even if the past few days felt real and natural, and he didn’t think he could be the only one feeling that way.
Tyler pulled his hand away, sat up, and sighed. “You didn’t sleep with me because of the money, did you?” he asked .
Julien looked over at him, surprised. “What? No ,” he said. He had absolutely not stooped that low.
He wanted Tyler. Even if Tyler didn’t want someone like him to fit into his ideal life. The mention of their deal and the money left a sour taste in his mouth.
Tyler exhaled. “Phew. Good. I just worried you felt pressured, and I didn’t want this to be a thing. I had to ask.”
Julien gave a laugh, surprised. The tension drained out of him when he realized Tyler had been looking for reassurance. “You’re an idiot, Ty.” He reached out and pulled him closer. “I would have picked you up at the bar the first night we met if I thought I might have a shot,” he admitted.
He’d always had a weakness for guys with big blue eyes—sweet, pretty boys who blushed too much, who he stood no chance with.
Tyler smiled. That flush danced over the bridge of his nose and tempted Jules. “I would have let you pick me up, you know,” he said. “I almost died when you got so close to me. It’s been such a long time, and you smell delicious. Plus…you know, you’re fucking hot as Hell. ”
Julien laughed. He didn’t think Tyler would have taken him home, but he didn’t say. If Tyler liked him now, that was what mattered. “If I knew sex was part of the deal, I might have been less grumpy about you changing all of my clothes, just sayin’.”
Tyler nudged him, his lips finding Julien’s in a gentle, tentative kiss. “That was stupid,” he admitted. “I am an idiot. You look nice in those clothes but look much nicer like this.”
“Naked?” Julien raised his eyebrows.
Tyler laughed and covered his face with one of his hands. “Naked, yes, but I mean like you, with your tattoos out. I almost jumped you the other day when you were covered in grease.”
“Gross.” Julien rolled on top of him to look at Tyler’s face. “You’re a dirty boy.”
Tyler chuckled but reached up and ran his fingers through Julien’s curls. The feeling of his fingertips tenderly carding through his hair made Julien’s skin tingle.
I wish this could be real , he thought to himself. It was only by some miracle that he didn’t say it aloud. “What if we go out tomorrow? Alone.”
Tyler’s eyebrows shot up, and a smile spread across his face. “Like… a date?”
Julien leaned in and kissed him again, cupping Tyler’s chin between his thumb and forefinger. “If you want to call it a date. But I think we have to get out of the house. I mean, it’s nice your family is close, but do we have to do everything with them?”
Tyler laughed. “God, no. Do you think Wally will let you borrow his car?”
In Julien’s opinion, Wally probably would offer anyone the shirt off his back. He doubted asking to borrow his car for a few hours would be a big deal. “I think I can make it happen.”
“What do you want to do?” Tyler asked, his voice was quiet, but the excitement was evident in his tone. “It’s Christmas Eve, so it should be something festive.”
“You don’t want to do something normal,” Julien said, then reconsidered. “We can do whatever you like, as long as it isn’t crazy expensive. Not wine tasting or whatever the fuck your people do.”
“Oh, my people?” Tyler rolled his adorable blue eyes and shoved Julien’s shoulder. “I think I have a good idea.”
Julien wasn’t sure if he liked the devious look on Tyler’s expression. “Alright. I’m trusting you.” He settled back down with one last kiss.
So now he had a date. It wasn’t like it was a big deal. He’d been on dates before. But after pretending, no, feeling like he was already Tyler’s boyfriend, the prospect of an actual date was daunting yet exciting.
Tyler reached over to turn the light off with the remote. Once shrouded in darkness, Julien let himself consider if, it was a big if, he and Tyler could potentially make things work after this or if it was possible.
He’d have his freedom and Tyler to thank for it. But would that be enough? Would Tyler really want that ?
Julien wanted it more than he could describe. He didn’t know how to say it. Jules couldn’t imagine going home to his new life without Tyler as a part of it. It hadn’t been long, but what they shared, Julien felt he couldn’t just walk away from Tyler.
“Hey, Jules?” Tyler murmured.
“Yeah?” Julien asked, surprised he was still awake.
“Thanks again for being here.” Tyler took his hand and kissed his knuckles, then placed his palm over Julien’s heart in such a tender manner that Julien thought the heart might explode out of its chest cavity, like the Grinch movie.
Julien stayed still for a long time, trying to fight the emotions that kept building, and thought, I hope you can feel that beat, Ty. It’s for you . Eventually, Jules drifted off with a smile on his face.
They woke up as they usually did, tangled in one another. This time, Julien didn’t have the heart to waste a perfectly good boner, and with some sloppy kisses and touching, they both got off with slow, languid hand jobs that only made Julien want more .
“Maybe we should pick up condoms and lube?” Tyler suggested when he hopped out of bed after he caught his breath. “Because I don’t have any.”
Julien laughed in surprise. “Ohhh, you want me to fuck you , fuck you,” he said, sure that Tyler had fully read his mind.
He stretched out and watched Tyler pad around the room naked, except for a pair of socks. The fact that he had sex with socks on was endlessly amusing, but Julien knew better than to tease him about it in case he stopped.
“If you don’t want to…” Tyler paused with a bundle of clothes in his hand. His mouth gave a slight pout, although it seemed unconscious.
Julien’s breath caught a little at the sight of that cute pouty bottom lip, and his cock twitched. He nodded. “I want to,” he told him. “Go shower, I think we have a date to prepare for, Baby.”
Tyler shook his head but disappeared into the bathroom. While he did that, Julien pulled on some clothes and asked Wally if he could borrow his car, which Wally was happy to agree to without a single question asked.
When Tyler came downstairs, Julien returned to get ready while Hailey finished breakfast and made coffee. Julien hadn’t been on a date in a long time, and he wanted it to go well, even if he told himself that it was silly to let himself get all wrapped up in these feelings.
No matter how much he told himself it was one date, it didn’t mean any of this would be real after Christmas. Julien hoped that maybe there was a chance that this could develop into more. Maybe Tyler would want him as much as he wanted to be with Tyler.
In fact, he had a good feeling about it all. For the first time in his life, Julien felt as though things looked up.