Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
Callum
I wake up slowly the next morning, becoming aware of my reality in pieces. The shaft of sunlight across the pillow, strong arms around me, a warm chest pressed up against my back, Oliver’s even breath fluttering the hairs on my neck.
I try to pull away gently without waking him, but he stirs as I leave his embrace, and when I roll over to face him, his eyes snap open.
His strong eyebrows draw together for a moment.
Uncertainty lingers on his face. The same question burning inside me is in Oliver’s expression.
What happens now?
Oliver reaches out to touch my face, his fingers stroking my cheekbone. I close my eyes, letting myself enjoy the sensation of Oliver touching me. His fingertips gently move down until they reach my lips and linger there. A soft touch.
When I open my eyes, Oliver’s dark eyes watch me cautiously.
“So, this is new,” I say feebly.
Oliver withdraws his fingers from my lips. “Yes.”
“I’m guessing you’ve never woken up with a member of the royal family in your bed.”
He clears his throat. “No, I definitely have not.”
“You can tick off a new item on your lifetime achievement list,” I say.
Oliver attempts a smile, but it fades quickly.
I need to touch him back. I reach a tentative hand out, drawing light circles on his chest, his skin warm under my palm.
“So, what are we going to do going forward?” Oliver asks in a low voice.
I bite my lip. I don’t have any answers to that.
“We do seem to have a few factors stacked against us,” I admit.
“Like British constitutional law,” Oliver says ruefully.
“Well, I’m pretty sure there’s nothing in the Magna Carta or the Bill of Rights that expressly forbids this scenario,” I say.
He arches an eyebrow. “So we use that loophole if we’re ever caught?”
“Maybe.”
Oliver’s forehead creases. “I don’t think I should approach my old constitutional law professor and ask his opinion on whether the prime minister and future king could be in a relationship.”
“You could say you’re asking for a friend,” I reply.
Oliver smiles, but it has a short lifespan. “I don’t think the legality actually matters. It’s the court of public opinion that is most important for us both,” he says quietly.
Panic rises inside me. Oliver is right. His job and my family’s role in this country depend on the public’s goodwill. The public will definitely have legitimate concerns about conflict of interest and the blurring of lines in the separation of powers given the roles we hold.
But last night was the best night of my life. Getting to kiss Oliver, getting to touch him…felt so right.
I can’t go back from this. I just can’t.
“Who knows what’s going to happen in the future? An asteroid might hit the Earth tomorrow, and the world will end,” I say.
“Actually, we’ve been tracking near-Earth celestial objects for years, and there is currently no threat to the planet.”
“Way to spoil my grand point with logical facts,” I say.
Oliver arches an eyebrow. “Sorry. What is your grand point?”
“My grand point is we don’t know what the future holds. But I do know I can’t be without you now.”
It’s true. On so many levels, I can’t imagine not having Oliver in my life. I think we’re both realistic enough to know that if we have any semblance of friendship, or any contact at all, we’re always going to end up back at this point.
My heart pounds in my throat, waiting for Oliver to reply. He’s the logical, sensible one. Surely, he’s going to argue against the recklessness of continuing this. And it’s going to break my heart when he does.
Oliver studies me for a few heartbeats. “I don’t think I can be without you either,” he says finally.
The relief flowing through me makes me giddy.
“So we just continue this without anyone finding out,” I say.
Oliver fixes me with a sharp look. “What, and hope it burns itself out before any of the hard conversations have to happen?”
From my perspective, I’m pretty sure my feelings for Oliver are an eternal flame. A coal-seam fire like the one in Australia that’s been burning for six thousand years.
“Yes.” I decide not to share my coal-seam fire theory with him. Besides, who knows how Oliver really feels? He’s told me he loves me, but his flame for me might be a birthday candle, easily extinguished in a single breath.
There’s a crease between Oliver’s eyebrows as he processes this.
“I have to say, I’ve never really done this ostrich-in-the-sand approach to life before, but I can definitely see the appeal,” he says finally.
“You can?”
“Definitely. Because it means I now get to do this.”
He leans forward to brush a kiss over my lips.
“And I get to do this.” He moves on to kissing my chest.
“And this.” He kisses me on my stomach, then ventures even lower.
“Oh, I definitely like it when you do that,” I gasp as he wraps his lips around my cock.
He pulls off to give me a wolfish smile before continuing his ministrations.
And proves yet again his wicked, wicked tongue has other talents besides delivering cutting retorts to his political opponents.
The way he worships my cock, licking and sucking and swirling his tongue, is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.
I’m a gasping, spluttering mess by the time he comes up for air. I don’t think I’ve ever been so turned on.
“So…um…do you want to…?” I ask.
Oliver’s gaze instantly heats, but then it morphs into a frown.
“As much as I’d like to take you up on that offer, I don’t have anything with me,” he says.
It takes me a moment to realize what he’s saying.
“Oh, right.”
“The staff here unpack your luggage, as I learned to my excruciating embarrassment the first time I came here.”
“What did you have in your luggage?” I ask curiously.
A faint blush touches his cheeks. “Let’s just say there were some items that made it hard for either Garett or me to look the servants in the face for the rest of the visit.”
That’s right. The first time he came to Balmoral, he would have been with his husband.
Cold settles in my stomach, and I draw the sheet around me. Oliver’s been out since he was a teenager. He’s been in multiple relationships with men who know what they’re doing, unlike my awkward fumbling last night.
Oliver studies my face, his expression serious.
“You know what you said to me the other night?” he asks quietly.
“What in particular? I do say a lot of things, too many things, to be honest. I’m probably going to use up my lifetime word quota by the time I’m thirty and will be mute.”
Oliver wisely ignores my rambling and keeps his gaze steady on me.
“I’m talking about the bit when you said you’ve never felt anything like this before.”
I nod. “I definitely said that because it’s true.”
Oliver reaches over, his thumb running over my knuckles before he links his fingers through mine.
“I feel exactly the same way. I’ve never felt like this about anyone. Ever.”
Happiness swells inside me at his words. I can’t help leaning forward to kiss him. It’s a soft kiss, gentle.
But it soon ramps up, and Oliver and I are lost in each other once again. Somehow, our bodies fit together like puzzle pieces, and every kiss and touch reinforces the feelings shimmering between us.
Afterward, he tucks me into the warmth of his body, and I listen to his heartbeat slow.
“I was so determined to resist you,” he murmurs into my hair.
I turn slightly, craning my neck so I can see him. “I’m incredibly glad you failed in that mission.”
Oliver’s dark eyes are steady on mine. “I’m glad too.”