Chapter 13 Richard
RICHARD
I’ve been at the bed and breakfast for an hour before Angus arrives—much earlier than I expected him to.
I feel guilty as I glance around when I meet him at Elle, but if he notices my paranoia, it doesn’t stop him from grinning.
He doesn’t kiss me. Doesn’t hold my hand.
Just follows me into the privacy of the room, drops his bag, rests his hands on my hips, and stares into my eyes.
“This is amazing.”
I laugh. “You haven’t had time to look at the room.” And he’s gazing at me, so I doubt he’s taken it in.
“I don’t need to.”
“Oh?”
“Does it have a bed?”
“A king-size bed.”
“Oh! Nice! Are you here?”
I chuckle and brush my lips over his. “Yes.”
“Then it’s perfect.”
His words make me gooey, which is unexpected. “How come you got away early?” I lead him to a chaise lounge in the window. The curtains are closed.
“I told Mum that Jimmy wanted me to help him with an essay that was due yesterday, and she practically shoved me out the door. I can’t decide if she’s trying to set me up with him or the new guy.”
Guilt churns in my stomach. “I’m sorry you had to lie to her.”
“It’s okay. It comes with the secrecy territory. It’s worth it to get to spend time with you.” He widens his eyes and looks away. “Sorry. That sounded needy.”
I tuck my fingers under his chin and turn his face towards me. “Maybe I like needy?” I like the way he makes me feel wanted.
His expression relaxes.
I frown. “What new guy?”
“Mum brought him home with her. She’s hired him to help Dad on the farm so I can concentrate on uni.” He grins. “Which means no more crazy early mornings for me. Which means I can stay with you all night tonight. If you want me to?” He lifts his eyebrows.
I wrap my arm around his waist, putting my hand on the small of his back, and pull him, squishing our chests together.
“I want you to.” Kissing him is turning into a favourite pastime of mine.
His mouth is so delicious, his lips so pliable, and the sweet noises he makes are sexy. “I have a favour to ask.”
“A favour?”
“I bought something and I want you to help me with it.” Nerves knot my stomach.
“Um, okay. What is it?”
I give him another kiss before standing and crossing to my overnight bag, which is in the corner of the room. I pull out an unopened box and hand it to him.
“An anal plug?” He sounds surprised and amused.
“A skinny one.” I rub my neck. “The website said it was a good first-stage training plug.”
“Oh, I don’t doubt that. You mentioned bottoming, but I wasn’t sure you were ready.”
I shrug. “Nor am I, but this way, I’ll be closer to being able to receive when I am ready.”
“Makes sense.”
“It’s not like I haven’t done it before.”
“No, but ten years is a long time. I haven’t even been able to legally fuck for ten years.”
I wince. “Are you calling me old?”
“No. Just older than me.” He yanks me onto the chaise lounge. “Thirty isn’t old.”
“Really? Because I’m pretty sure I’m having a midlife crisis.”
“You are way too young for that. Anyway, what makes you think you are?”
I stroke his cheek. “My obsession with you.”
He smirks. “Me or my arse?”
“You.”
He blushes. We lock stares. I’m not breathing. I’m not sure he is, either.
Eventually, he nips his lower lip between his teeth. “I’m pretty obsessed with you, too.”
“Me, or my cock?” I ask to keep things light.
“You.”
Well, that didn’t work. The intensity of that one single word, spoken so sincerely, sends my thoughts spinning out of control.
Angus waves the box. “Do you want help with this now, or later?”
Right now, all I want to do is kiss him.
I lick my lips, shuffle as close as I can, put my hand on the back of his neck, and pull his lips to mine.
I put my other hand on his thigh, achingly close to his groin.
He holds my hips, which seems to be his favourite place to put his hands, especially when I’m naked.
God, I wish we were naked now. I don’t want to waste time fumbling with fabric, buttons, and zips.
Only, I brought Angus here for a reason and not just to fuck in a bed, rather than on camping mats in a musty, breezy barn.
I cup his face, kiss him for several seconds longer and then pull back, breathing hard. My face is hot, my skin flushed. My pulse is going wild. My cock is hard and complaining about being restrained in stiff chinos.
“I thought we could watch a film together first,” I say.
“A film?”
“Yes. Legally Blonde. I’ve never seen it, know you like it, and wanted to know why you called your Land Rover Elle.”
He snorts. “Because she’s as strong, reliable, and feisty as Elle Woods. But I was pretty sure you’d brought me here for sex, Professor.”
“I have. Film and then sex.”
“Or sex, then film, and then more sex.” He waggles his eyebrows.
I laugh. “You do think about sex more than nineteen times a day.”
“You’ve only just realised that?”
“No.” I suck his lower lip into my mouth, nip it playfully, and then lick it, before slipping my tongue into his mouth.
“I’m pretty sure you think about sex more than nineteen times a day, too.”
“Only when I’m around you.”
“So I’m a bad influence?”
“Yes. You make me naughty.”
“Not naughty enough to fuck somewhere on campus.”
I shudder. “As sexy as that sounds, no. It’s too risky. I could lose my job.”
He pouts and then sighs. “I know. It can remain a fantasy of mine.” He kisses me swiftly. “Watching a film together sounds fun.”
The room has a TV, which is hung on the wall opposite the end of the bed.
Once I’ve set up the DVD and grabbed the remote control, we settle on the bed, cuddling while we watch the film.
It’s okay. Rom-coms aren’t my thing, but I adore all Angus’ reactions to the film.
The gorgeous way he laughs. The adorable way he hisses or boos the characters who are in any way mean to Elle.
The way he cheers her on whenever she’s down in the dumps.
It’s obvious he’s watched this film a lot.
At times, he whispers the dialogue, perfectly synchronised with the characters.
He pauses the film and gets off the bed so he can show me his version of the ‘bend and snap’.
I can’t deny he looks hot as hell doing it.
I’d watch the film all over again, as long as I was enjoying it with him.
Fuck.
I’m falling for him. The realisation leaves me reeling. What do I do?
When the film ends, he uses the remote to switch off the TV, strokes my jaw, and kisses me. “You know, Professor, this feels a lot more like a date than a hook-up.”
“It does, doesn’t it? Is that a problem?”
“No.” He takes my hand and threads his fingers through mine. “It’s wonderful. Hanging out together. Not having a time limit. There’s nothing I don’t enjoy about being with you.”
“Even the secrecy?”
He shrugs. “It adds to the spice.”
I squeeze his hand. “What are you saying?”
“That I like what we’ve got.”
I stare at him, unsure of what he means.
“And I don’t want it to end.” He waves our joined hands from side to side.
“Nor do I.”
He grins. “We’re on the same page.”
“Yes.”
“We should celebrate with a maths joke.”
I groan. “How about a kiss instead?”
“Hmm. I’ll allow it.”
Chuckling, I draw him close for a long, deep, toe-curling kiss. He strokes his free hand through my hair while letting me plunder his mouth with my tongue. Eventually, we come up for air, gasping, our lips damp and swollen. His jaw is red from my beard.
He rests his chin on my chest and gazes into my eyes. “I haven’t slept with anyone else since the first time we were together.”
I widen my eyes.
“I haven’t wanted to. You’re enough for me.”
I hold my breath.
He pinches his brows together. “Too much of an overshare?”
“No.” I stroke his hair. “I’m glad you told me.” It’s another boost for my ego, but it’s also a lot more than that. Does it mean he’s falling for me, too?
“It’s okay if you have. We’re not exclusive fuck buddies or anything.”
“I haven’t.”
He relaxes his brows, and his expression brightens. “Do you want to…?” He dips his gaze.
“Be exclusive?”
He laughs. “We’re talking like a couple from the fifties. A straight couple from the fifties.”
“Maybe, but the answer is yes.” My early midlife crisis siren is going off, but I’m not sure I care. This feels like the right moment to confirm what we’ve already been doing without knowing it.
He glances up. “Yes?”
“I don’t want to sleep with anyone else but you.”
His face flushes. “Well, all right then. That’s awesome.” He looks a little stunned. “I’ve never wanted to be in a relationship before. That is what we just agreed to, right? Or am I misreading the room?”
“You’re not.” I dip my gaze. “Except I won’t be able to treat you to dinner or take you to the cinema.”
“I’m happy with the secret part. I don’t need all that other stuff.”
“You don’t?”
“No. All I want is you.”
Fuck. This wasn’t meant to happen. Things were meant to be casual.
They were meant to stay casual. But somehow, we both tripped and fell for each other.
Is it too soon? I’m not even divorced yet.
Does it matter? Angus makes me happy. Because of him, I haven’t been wallowing in anger or bitterness.
I’ve been having fun and living my life.
He turns away and rummages for something out of sight. Eventually, he returns to me, phone in hand. “Because I was a total slut before I met you, I got tested regularly. Every three months, to be precise. I always use condoms, but you can never be too careful, right?”
I nod.
He hands me his phone, with his latest test results on the screen. “But, if we’re only sleeping with each other, maybe we could—?” He lifts his eyebrows.
“Go bare?”
“If you want to. I’ve never gone bare with anyone before, but it would be more fun than having to remember a condom all the time, don’t you think?”
“Yes, but…”
“What?”