28. Chapter 28 - Callum
We spent most of Sunday in bed, enjoying each other’s bodies, taking our time to learn what the other liked, only leaving the bed to eat or complete basic hygiene tasks.
Sunday afternoon, though, I knew I had to go home, and Paxton needed to get to the meadery to prove to Tommy that he wasn’t dead and hadn’t abandoned ship entirely.
My flight out had originally been scheduled for that Monday but I changed it at the last minute to leave on Wednesday.
I wasn’t ready to say goodbye just yet. When Monday morning rolled around, I made my way to Paxton’s house, and from there, I was going to take him to the town’s planning committee meeting.
When I arrived, I let myself in, calling out for Pax with no answer.
Eventually, I found him standing nervously in his bathroom, inspecting himself in the mirror, shifting from foot to foot.
He was wearing nothing but boxer briefs and his skin was a rosy pink, indicating he’d just gotten out of a very hot shower.
“Hey,” I murmured, standing behind him and pressing a kiss to his neck. “What’s going on here?”
“What if they say no?” He turned to me and his dark brown eyes were shining. “What do I do then?”
“Hey,” I repeated, moving my arms around him and pulling him against me. His body was warm, his skin still slightly damp. “We’ll take it one step at a time. If they say no, we’ll figure something else out.”
“But—”
“What if they say yes?” I countered. “Then what?”
He settled a little and smiled at me. “Then I get to make my dreams come true. And Paul’s.”
“You? What about me? Where do I fit in this equation?” I teased.
“Anywhere you want to fit in,” he said seriously.
I blinked a few times, trying to rid myself of the emotion that threatened to spill out. “I’m just teasing. This is your dream.”
“But we’re together now. It’s our project. I wouldn’t be here without you. And honestly, I’m not sure I’d want to be.”
Heat flared in my chest and I nodded. “Thanks,” I said softly.
A few seconds later my phone pinged with an incoming email. I ignored it and kissed Paxton instead. By the time our lips met, my phone buzzed, a call coming in.
I sighed and pulled away, but Pax gave me a gentle smile. “It’s okay. We have all the time in the world.”
I took my phone out of my pocket, smiling hard at his words, and checked the number on the display. It wasn’t a number I recognized. “Hello?”
“Hi, I’m calling for Callum Sinclair and Paxton Lowell.”
My stomach lurched with sudden anxiety. Who would be calling for the two of us? “I’m Callum Sinclair,” I said.
“Mr. Sinclair, I’m so glad to have caught you. Do you have a few moments?”
I checked the time. We had an hour before we needed to leave. I’d hoped to get in some bedroom time, but I supposed it could wait. “Sure. What can I do for you?”
“Is Mr. Lowell with you? I’d love to speak to the two of you together, if possible.”
“Sure. Just a second.” Warily, I put the phone on mute. “Whoever it is wants to talk to both of us.”
He frowned. “Both of us?”
I shrugged and nodded. “They didn’t say what it’s about.”
“Okay. Let’s see what they want.”
I tapped to unmute the phone and spoke again. “Hi, we’re both here.”
“Hi there,” Paxton added.
“Good, thank you so much. Now I’m sorry to bother you this morning but my name is Anisha Pearce and I’m calling from the Pearce Foundation. I assume you’re familiar with our organization by now?”
My stomach flipped and tumbled, my eyes widening. “Yes, we are.” Paxton shook his head, brows dipping in confusion, but I waved his questioning look away. “You’re a national nonprofit that supports growing small businesses.”
“That’s right. Well, we’ve reviewed your grant application and we were touched by Mr. Lowell’s story.
We’d like to award you funds for your project.
We can’t cover the total, unfortunately, but we can offer a substantial portion, and we have financial advisers who are available to help you find the best options for further funding, if required. ”
Paxton’s eyes widened and a wide smile spread across his face. “Seriously?”
“Seriously, Mr. Lowell.”
“That’s amazing,” he said, his voice wavering. When I looked at him, his eyes were shining and damp. “Thank you so much.”
“We’re happy to help. Now listen, our next step is to send you the information packet, which I emailed a few moments before this call.
Everything is explained there. It goes over how to receive the funding, parameters and requirements, tax implications, and so much more.
Please take the time to look it over very carefully and don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions at all. ”
“Thank you,” I said. A few moments later, we ended the call and I turned to Pax, who was still standing in his underwear.
He threw his arms around me in a tight hug. “You did it,” he murmured into my hair.
Laughing, I pulled back and shook my head. “You did it. All I did was write the application. That’s nothing.”
He chuckled softly. “Then let’s say we did it. Together.”
“Together,” I echoed.
“Now what?” Pax asked.
I grinned at him wickedly. “How much time do we have until we need to leave?”
“A little,” he said quietly. “What are you thinking?”
“It won’t take too long, trust me.”
He laughed and wrapped his arms around me again, squeezing me tight. A few moments later, I was sinking to my knees in the bathroom. The tile was hard and cold, but I ignored it. I could handle a little discomfort for a few minutes to make Paxton gasp my name.
By the time Paxton finished in my mouth, my cock was rock hard and throbbing in my pants. He reached for me, tugging me close and cupping my aching erection with his hand, but I pushed him away gently.
“It’s fine,” I said. “We can deal with it later. I promise.”
“But—”
“I don’t want us to be late to the committee meeting. That would be disastrous.”
“I want—” he started, but I cut him off with a kiss, long and deep. Paxton groaned as my tongue moved against his, surely tasting himself in my mouth.
“Later,” I promised.
He whined but stepped back and respected what I’d said. “I guess you’re right,” he said glumly. “We can’t be late.”
“Now, go get dressed while I clean myself up.” I pinched his ass for effect and he laughed.
While Paxton was gone, I washed my face and tidied my clothes and hair, making sure any hints that screamed “I just had sex” were gone.
I also opened the email from the Pearce Foundation and skimmed the terms of the agreement—it looked amazing.
It was exactly what we needed. Paxton emerged from his bedroom shortly after, wearing those dark charcoal pants again, this time with a jewel green shirt.
He was also wearing a tie that was the same color as his slacks.
My mouth went dry and I reached for him. “Jesus,” I muttered. “It’s not fair.”
“What’s not?” By the playful look on his face, I could tell he knew exactly what I meant.
“You’re so fucking hot like this.”
“I tried to blow you not ten minutes ago,” he pointed out. “You said no.”
I grunted and stepped back. “I have a few regrets.”
“Alright,” he said finally. “Let’s hit the road.”
“Fine, fine. But you owe me one when we get home.”
“When we get home?” He nudged me gently. “I like the sound of that.”
My stomach fluttered at the realization that I liked it, too.
Maybe more than I should, considering I was about to leave the country for three months.
I sighed and shook it off. This could wait.
I needed to think about the meeting, to focus on what was about to happen, rather than thinking about my regrets, my fears, my hopes for our relationship. I needed to focus.
We got in my car and I took us into downtown Foggy Basin, parking near the municipal buildings. There were people milling around outside and my stomach clenched with anxiety.
“Are we ready?” I asked.
Paxton nodded confidently. “We have the money. Well, most of it. And we have a path to get the rest. Everything is going to be great.”