Chapter 23
Ben
“Fuck sake,” I cursed, flipping the pages of the instruction manual and trying to figure out what I was doing wrong. “It shouldn’t be this fucking hard.”
“Problem?”
I spun, finding Tristan standing in the doorway to the kitchen, his brows raised in curiosity. Without meaning to, my gaze traveled over his shirtless torso, down to where his black sweats hung low on his hips.
Christ, he was gorgeous.
An image of the night before popped into my head. Tristan, with his knees up by his ears while I fucked his ass hard and fast, his features twisted in ecstasy, and once again, I wondered what it would be like if our roles were reversed.
I shook my head, clearing the image. “I can’t get this damn thing to work.” I stepped aside to show him what I was doing, internally beaming when his eyes lit up.
“You got a coffee machine?” he said, crossing to the counter where I’d been attempting to set the blasted thing up since my alarm went off at 5 am. “Dude, you drink black coffee. Why the hell have you bought yourself a fancy machine? And an expensive one at that?”
I shrugged, hoping it hid my giddiness at seeing the joy on his face. “Figured you wouldn’t be driving past your usual coffee haunt on your way over here for the next few days, and I know you can’t function without your morning coffee. I also got that eggnog syrup that you like.”
I slid the syrup bottle along the counter, and seeing the delighted grin that spread across his mouth, it was as if I’d just had a shot of dopamine injected straight into my veins.
Picking up the instruction manual, Tristan started flicking through it. “This is epic. When did you even get it?”
“Yesterday, while you were at your place getting your shit together. I wanted to wake you up with a coffee, but who knew setting up the damn machine would be like undertaking a MENSA exam.”
Tristan chuckled, abandoning the manual to grab my hips and pull me to him. My shirt-covered chest pressed against his bare one, our cocks lightly touching underneath our sweats. “You’re pretty awesome, you know that?”
He didn’t give me a chance to refute his claim. I didn’t think I was awesome, far from it, but if Tristan did, then who was I to argue? He pressed his mouth softly against mine, and when I parted my lips, our tongues danced gently together.
Breaking the kiss much sooner than I wanted, Tristan stepped back, busying himself in figuring out the machine. Within a few minutes, he had it working, and the aroma of fresh coffee swirled in the air.
“So, listen,” Tristan said over the noise of the milk steamer. “I’ve got one more bit of the hallway to finish off, and then that’s all the mess Bella made sorted. Is there anything else you want me to do around here? Otherwise, I’ll just be sat here staring at the walls ‘cos, you know, no TV.”
I grinned at the amusement lacing his tone. “Actually, I do have something in mind if you’re up for it. But there’s no pressure, Bug, I don’t know how long it will take, and I know you’re booked up from January, so you only have to say if it’s not doable in the next few days.”
“You’ve got me intrigued, baby. What are you thinking?”
My stomach fluttered. Tristan never called me baby outside of sex unless he was being sarcastic, but right then, it rolled off his tongue so naturally that I didn’t think he even realized he’d used the endearment.
But it went further than that. Him in my kitchen, walking around so casually as if we’d known each other for years instead of weeks. Waking up next to him asleep in my bed. I’d come to crave his presence, and now I was craving his affection.
So where did that take us?
I didn’t know. If I was being honest, I still hadn’t fully accepted my sexuality.
In the middle of the night, when Tristan wasn’t in my bed, or when I was alone in my office, the voices of the ghosts of my past still lingered, and the thought of anyone knowing that I was gay terrified the hell out of me.
And as much as Tristan seemed to enjoy being with me, he’d never once broached the subject of us becoming something more, so maybe he didn’t want what I was starting to want: a future with him.
“Earth to Ben,” Tristan called, waving one hand in front of my face while the other clutched a steaming cup of coffee. “Where did you go?”
I cleared my throat. “Sorry, I was just thinking about this project,” I lied.
“Come on, I’ll show you.” Pushing away thoughts of what the future might hold for us, I headed to the living room, Tristan following behind me.
“I’ve never done anything with this room because I could never decide what would look good.
So, you’re the expert, what would you do in here? ”
His brows lifted as he gaped around the living room like he’d never seen it before, which was ridiculous, seeing as we’d sat on the couch the night before eating pizza and talking nonsense.
“What would I do?” I nodded, and a smirk settled over his lips. “Well, first off, I’d get rid of the hideous color of the walls.”
“What’s wrong with orange?” I replied, almost offended at the disdain in his tone.
“Orange? Dude, it’s a mix of rust water and centuries-old dried blood. It’s vile.”
My mouth thinned. “What color would you paint it?”
He tapped his lips. “Oatmilk.”
“Oatmilk?” I snorted. “Isn’t that something people put in tea?”
Tristan scoffed. “It’s a warming color. Think darker than cream but lighter than mocha, it’ll make the room inviting. The other thing I would do would be to lay a thick, cream carpet. Living rooms need to be cozy, and wooden floors are not cozy.”
I glanced around, imagining what the room would look like with those two changes. “I could see that working. What else?”
He put his cup down on the table and spun.
“I’d upgrade the fireplace. This has so much potential, but the old oak mantelpiece doesn’t go with the modernization of the house.
But if you ripped it out and replaced it with a black and white marble one, and then put a long mirror above it to reflect the light coming in from the bay windows, it would make a good feature. ”
The enthusiasm in his tone made me smile. I’d never seen this side of him before. “You’ve got a good eye, Bug. Ever thought of going into interior design?”
“Kinda. When I was younger, I used to watch all the home decor programs, but one day, I’d like to get into flipping houses. You know, buy a run-down property, do it up, and sell it for profit.”
“Why don’t you?”
He snorted. “Have you seen how expensive house prices are? I can’t even get enough money together for a deposit on a studio apartment, let alone a house.”
It wasn’t something I’d ever thought about.
When Jake and I went into business together, he invested in several properties, one of which he let me live in until I could afford my own place.
I’d never had to save up for a deposit because when I came to buying my own place, I had enough money to buy it outright.
But it had never occurred to me that Tristan couldn’t afford to move out of his parents’ house; I’d always just assumed he lived there because he wanted to be with his sisters.
I didn’t know what to say to him; I didn’t want to come across as bragging. Instead, I waved to the other wall. “What else would you do?”
His lips lifted into a sly smirk. “If this was my house, I’d mount a cinema-sized TV on this wall. The room is big enough that it wouldn’t look obscene. And of course, it would have to have a banging surround sound system.”
I rolled my eyes. “You and your banging sound systems.”
He chuckled before continuing. “Over here—” he crossed to where my couch was “—I’d have a huge sectional couch, big enough to seat 15 people.”
“Do you know 15 people?”
“Ha ha. Yes,” he replied dryly. “But I wouldn’t want them all sitting on my couch.”
“Then why do you need a couch that big?”
“To lay on,” he said, like the answer was obvious. “I’m a tall guy, I’d be able to stretch out while I’m watching TV.”
I scoffed, even though I was liking the image he was building more and more. I could imagine the enormous couch and the TV on the wall, but in my image, the two of us were on the couch, cuddled up while we watched his favorite film.
“And then down here,” Tristan said, pulling me from my thoughts.
He took several strides to the other end of the living room, where it was almost barren apart from a cheap-looking bookcase.
“I’d keep a bookcase here, but not this one.
I’d have one that ran the whole length of the wall.
” He twisted to face the opposite wall. “And here, I’d have an aquarium filled with all sorts of tropical fish. ”
“You want fish?”
“Yeah.” His cheeks turned the faintest tint of pink. “I always wanted a pet, but we could never afford one. I’d rather have a dog, though, but all the time I’m out at work every day, I wouldn’t be able to have one, so I’d settle for fish.”
I didn’t know why, but I made a mental note that one day, he wanted a dog.
“Anything else?”
Tristan stepped toward the floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out into the garden. “Yeah, the final touch would be to replace the windows with bi-folding doors, so on a summer’s day, you can open them and let the warm air into the house.”
He beamed at me, and all I could do was blink back. Never in a million years would I have been able to come up with the vision he’d created, and somewhere deep inside, a little voice whispered that I should demand he redesign the entire home. But not for me.
For us.
“So, what do you think?”
I cleared my throat. “I’m impressed, Bug. I think I want everything you’ve just described. Can you do it?”
His brows almost disappeared into his hairline. “Even the fish and the TV?”
“Maybe not the fish, but I could live with the TV.”
He stared at me, suspicion written over his face. “You don’t watch TV.”
“Well, maybe I want to start. I quite like the idea of the History Channel. And you never know, maybe I’ll even start watching sports.” Amusement danced over his face, and it occurred to me that he thought I was joking. “How long do you think it would take?”
He gazed around the room, a crease forming on his face as if he was figuring out how long it would take to create every single element he’d described.
“If I started today, it would be done by the New Year. But I’d need to get someone in to do the carpet and change the windows to the doors, so it would depend on their availability.
I know a couple of guys who owe me favors, though, so I can see when they are free.
But I won’t lie, Ben, this won’t be cheap. Not if you want it to look good.”
Striding to the table where I’d left my wallet after paying the pizza delivery guy last night, I grabbed it and pulled out my credit card, handing it to Tristan. “Here. Whatever it costs, it’s covered.”
His eyes bugged out of his head as he took the card. “You serious?”
“Yeah. And while we’re discussing costs, how much will you charge for your labor?”
He shifted awkwardly. “I wouldn’t charge-”
“Yes, you will, I’m paying you for this. And while we’re on the topic, I’m reimbursing you for what you’ve already paid out to decorate this place.”
“No, you’re not.”
“Yes, I am.”
“No, you’re not.”
“Yes, I am.”
“No, you’re not.”
“Bug, we could do this all day,” I said, scrubbing a hand down my face. “You’ve done enough around here-”
“And you’re letting me stay for a few days. We’re even.”
I took a step, closing the distance between us, and wrapped my hand around the back of his neck. “Don’t argue with me, Bug. I’m paying you, and that’s final.”
A devious glint flickered in his eye. “What happens if I do argue?”
My cock twitched at the insinuation in his tone. Moving so my lips brushed against his when I spoke, I whispered, “Try me and find out.”
His breath caught as his hands landed on my hips. “I’m not letting you pay me.”
It transpired that Tristan wasn’t very good at orgasm denial. I toyed with his cock using my hand and mouth, bringing him close to finding his release, only to stop and make him wait until he’d calmed down.
He was soon begging me to make him come, and I agreed as long as he told me what he’d charge per day for his work, and what he’d spent repairing the mess Bella caused. When he eventually caved and gave me a figure, I sucked his cock so damn hard until he came down the back of my throat.
Like an enthusiastic puppy, he scurried off for a shower, keen to make a start on his new project.
I stayed in the living room for a few minutes, excited to see the transformation that was about to happen, but also hoping that when Tristan was finished with his work at my house, he’d still want to spend time here.
Even if it was just for the enormous TV and banging surround sound system.