Epilogue
ANGUS
Two Months Later
I wouldn’t say I spend all my time at Richard’s flat, just a lot of it. Most nights. Okay, almost every night. What can I say? I can’t get enough of the man, and now that we don’t have to keep our relationship secret anymore, I want him more than ever.
I’m at the end of the first week of my new job, but that’s not what I want to celebrate when I bring a cake out of hiding and present it to Richard.
He frowns. “What’s this for? It’s not my birthday. It’s not your birthday.”
I grin. “Happy divorce day.”
Richard received the final order from the court this morning.
“That is something to celebrate,” he says.
“Yup, you’re officially on the market again.”
“No, I’m not. I’m well and truly taken.”
I sit beside him on the sofa and rest my head on his shoulder. I have to slump on the seat to do it, but it’s still comfy. “What’s the first thing you’re going to do to mark the occasion?”
“Aside from sharing this cake with you?”
I nod.
Richard drums his fingers on his thigh. “Well, once my gorgeous boyfriend feels more settled in his job, I intend to look for somewhere more permanent to live. With him.”
“Thinking long term. I like it.”
I do. Imagining a future with Richard is no longer even remotely scary, only exciting. He’s met my parents. Dad grumbled a bit about our age gap, but Mum was gleefully accepting from the second she laid eyes on Richard.
Next, I introduced him to Jimmy, who has refrained from calling him ‘Professor Dick’ to his face. I let our absent friends know as well. Steph sent several thumbs up and heart-eye emojis, along with a photo of her from her most recent bodybuilding competition, tanned and looking happy.
The university is aware of our relationship. Not via gossip, but through Richard having a frank conversation with his head of department, Paul. I don’t know exactly what was said or how much Richard confessed to, only that everything’s okay, and that’s good enough for me.
“Any short-term plans?” I ask. “Aside from eating cake.”
He puts the cake on the coffee table, cups my jaw and kisses me. “Celebrating with you.”
I hum and invite him to kiss me again. “Any ideas how you want to do that?”
“Make love to you.” He nuzzles my jaw before kissing me again.
“You have the best ideas.”
“Maybe go to one of our secret spots for old time’s sake.”
I shiver. “Which one?”
He kisses my throat and strokes his hand up and down my thigh. “The barn?”
Everything I moved into it to make it more cosy is still there.
I should move them, just in case Dad decides to tear the barn down one day.
It would be mortifying for him to find our sex den!
Flynn’s just as likely to stumble on the contents of the barn, which wouldn’t be great, either.
It’s a problem I’m happy to put off for another day.
After Richard’s suggestion, I’m glad I haven’t got round to clearing it out.
“I like the sound of that.” Of course, I could also happily forgo a drive to the barn and make love to Richard here and now.
“How was work?” he asks between kisses.
“I thought we were going to the barn?”
“Soon. It’s not dark yet.”
I whimper. “You’re going to make me wait until it’s dark?”
“We can set off when it’s almost dark.”
He’s still kissing me, still fondling my thigh. Is he going to be able to wait? Am I? I tangle my fingers into his hair, showing him how much I appreciate the attention he’s heaping on me.
“How was work?” he asks.
“Good. I think I’m going to like it there.”
After almost two months of searching, I hope I've found the right fit for me, and that I’m the right fit for it.
He smiles against my neck. “I’m glad.”
“How are this year’s freshers shaping up?”
“Several of them are skipping lectures already.”
I chuckle. “Figures.”
“But there are some bright sparks who are engaged and always present. They’re a joy to teach.”
“Do I need to be jealous?” I tease.
“Absolutely not.” He makes eye contact with me. “You’re the only one I want, Angus. The only one I need.”
My heart flutters. “Yeah?”
“Yes.” He presses his lips to mine.
“Good thing you’re the only one for me, too.”
He brushes his hand over my cock. It twitches and I groan, slumping a little more on the sofa.
“Are you sure we’re going to make it to the barn?” I ask.
“Positive. We’re just fooling around.”
“This is the starter?”
He laughs. “Yes.”
I lick my lips. “So… now the final order has come through… that means you can get married again. Right?” I widen my eyes as the realisation of what I said hits me.
Richard stops lavishing kisses on me and stares, his eyes as wide as mine. I can see my reflection in his honey brown eyes.
“I—” I snap my mouth shut.
“Yes. Is that something you might want, one day?” he asks hesitantly.
“I—” Can’t speak.
He brushes his lips over mine. “It’s okay. I’m not in any rush. You?”
I shake my head.
“We can talk about it later.”
“Define later.”
“When you’re ready.”
“It’s not that I don’t want to, it’s just I hadn’t thought about it until the moment that sentence popped out of my mouth. I don’t even know why I said it.”
Richard’s eyes sparkle. “Freud would probably have some ideas.”
“I bet he would. I blame you.”
“Me?”
“Yes! You were teasing me.”
“Like this?” He goes back to kissing my throat and stroking my thigh, his thumb straying dangerously close to my cock.
“Yes. You make my brain go all mushy when you do that. And when my brain is mushy, I say crazy things.”
“Uh-huh. So, what you’re saying is, I shouldn’t tease you?” He stops abruptly.
I pout. “I didn’t say that, Professor.”
His pupils shrink, and he shivers. I love how my calling him ‘professor’ still makes him shiver. I hope it always does.
“So, you want me to make your brain mushy?”
I whimper. “Yes.”
He resumes turning me on. I tip my head back against the sofa and stare at the ceiling.
I am so damned lucky to have found someone like Richard.
He’s loving, attentive, funny, and, from the moment we began chatting in the pub, we’ve clicked.
He gets me. I get him. He makes me happy in every way possible.
What more could I ask for? What more could I want?
“Richard?”
“Hmm?” He doesn’t stop kissing me. His lips are hot against my skin. He’s using his hand to tease me expertly.
“I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
Every time I say it, I feel it more intensely. Every time he says it, my heart flutters. I’ve found my person.
“Maybe we should,” I say.
“Should what?”
“Get married.”
He pauses. “What are you saying?”
I put my hands on either side of his face, so we’re staring into each other’s eyes. “Marry me, Professor?”
He raises his eyebrows. “You’re proposing?”
I release a nervous laugh. “I guess I am. Do you want me to get down on one knee?”
He holds my face exactly as I’m holding his. The intensity of his stare increases. “No. You need to be sure this is what you want. That you’re not asking because you think it’s what I want, or what I need.”
I take a deep breath and try to take stock of the thoughts whirling in my head and the emotions swirling in my heart.
I want to be with Richard. It’s a truth lodged deep in my heart.
I love him. I want to be with him. He makes me happy.
I can’t imagine my future without him. Going public hasn’t diminished my feelings for him.
If anything, they’re stronger. I don’t need the thrill of secrecy, or the naughtiness of sex in the back of Elle, or a barn, or at a beauty spot to sustain my feelings for him.
I love him.
I want him.
I don’t need to be any more certain than that.
“Marry me, Professor.”
His throat clicks. “I would love to.”
We grin, and then we’re kissing again, our hands all over each other, shirts being pulled up, belts being tugged at.
“I don’t think we’re going to make it to the barn,” I whisper between frenzied, passionate kisses.
“We will.”
“Really?”
He pulls away and flops against the sofa cushions, breathing hard, staring at the ceiling, his face adorably flushed. He licks his lips. “Yes.” He presses his hands against his cheeks. “See what you do to me?”
“What I do to you?”
“Yes!”
“You were the one teasing me!”
“But you reciprocated so beautifully.” He leans forward onto his knees. “Divorce cake before or after the barn?”
“Oh, definitely after. Let me take a shower, and then we can go.” I peck his cheek.
He holds my hand and smiles at me. “I’ll be waiting.”
I return his smile. “We should find somewhere to live before getting hitched.”
“Agreed.”
“But we don’t need to figure any of it out tonight.”
He shakes his head. “The only thing I want to worry about tonight is how hard I’m going to fuck you once we get to the barn.”
I hum. “I’m looking forward to it.”
He releases my hand. “Go shower.”
“Yes, Professor.”
I jump off the sofa and hurry to the door. Then I pause, gazing back at Richard. My love. My lover. My future.