“Only if you join me.”
Until now.
Marcus started the bath running, adding a sprinkling of herbal bath salts, and then left Tom to finish off while he returned to the bedroom to tidy the bed. They had woken after nine, and Tom needed to be at his parents’ house by eleven to help them start the barbecue. But with Tom enjoying every last drop of downtime, Marcus was only too pleased to oblige. When he returned, the man in question already lounged in the bath, his dark-haired chest glistening. When Marcus started to undress, he felt Tom’s lustful gaze on him, and by the time he yanked off his underwear, he already sported an erection.
“Nice” came Tom’s raspy voice. “Now hurry up and get in.”
Marcus stepped into the other end and dunked beneath the water, sending bathwater spilling over the side of the tub. Once he had surfaced and cleared the hair from his face, he sat back and marveled at having a grinning Tom facing him.
“Get your arse up here,” said Tom after a few moments.
In order to give Marcus more room, Tom lifted his right leg and draped it over the rim of the bath, sloshing bathwater onto the already swimming bathroom floor, while Marcus slid up between his thighs. They kissed again, leisurely now, until Tom turned Marcus around and pulled him into his chest.
“You have no idea what it’s been like,” said Tom, his face nuzzled into Marcus’s neck. “I’ve wanted you for the past three months. I’ve lain awake thinking what it might be like lying next to you. And it’s been killing me.”
“You think I don’t know what it feels like?” said Marcus, aghast, twisting around and holding Tom’s face in his hands. “I’ve wanted you for the past ten years. Ten bloody years. Ever since I saw you on that football pitch in the rain.”
After another long kiss, Marcus settled back into Tom’s chest.
“What do you really want, Marcus?”
“This is more than enough for now.”
“No, come on. We all have dreams. What do youreallywant?”
“I dunno. Someone to hang out with. Would be really nice if someday in the future, I could find somebody to say ‘I do’ to.”
Tom fell quiet then. And Marcus understood completely. Too much, too soon. One small step at a time.
“But honestly, Tom,” said Marcus, placing his arms over the large ones Tom held around Marcus’s stomach, “this will do for now.”
Chapter Thirteen
SEEINGTom’s marmalade Ford Edge SUV parked out front, Marcus felt a tremble of excited anticipation, which increased as he approached the cream front door of Tom’s parents’ house. Tom had left him no more than an hour ago, but even so, Marcus felt hungry to see him again, to be in his presence, even though Tom had insisted they be on their best behavior. No touching, no longing stares, no tactile giveaways. Tom’s parents would be watching. Marcus had almost laughed at the earnestness in Tom’s face. First of all, he would never dream of doing anything that might give them away. More importantly, never in a million years would Tom’s parents suspect anything.
He knelt to set his cake dish and Tupperware containers down on the doorstep, took a deep breath, and clunked the knocker since as far as he knew, Tom still hadn’t fixed the doorbell. Apart from bringing a selection of mini restaurant goodies, he’d baked his trademark apple and almond tart, one Moira raved about. When he heard footsteps inside coming toward the door, he retrieved the items, ready to hand them over to Moira.
Except Tom answered the door, wearing a navy blue chef’s apron over the same white polo shirt Marcus had helped flip the collar into place on earlier—and a lustful smile that had Marcus’s lower beast stirring.
“Marcus Vine. And what can I do for you?” said Tom with a wink before raising both eyebrows a couple of times in quick succession, an expression that had Marcus grinning broadly and reddening.
“Where should I begin?” murmured Marcus suggestively.
“And why didn’t you use the doorbell?” said Tom, leaning in close to Marcus and prodding the button to the left of the open door to produce a pretty ding-dong that echoed back from the kitchen.
Moira’s voice called out asking who was there.
“All fixed. Now you can ring my bell any time you want.”
“Stop it, Tom,” said Marcus but couldn’t help grinning. “It’s not your bell, anyway.”
When Moira called out again, Tom rolled his eyes and huffed out a sigh. “For goodness’ sake. It’s Marcus, Mum,” he called back over his shoulder before lowering his voice to speak to Marcus. “Fuck. I really want to kiss you right now, but as you can tell, the hawk is circling.”
“Best behavior, Thomas Bradford. We both agreed. Best behavior.”
“Go say your hellos to the folks and guests. Then come help me with the barbecue.”
Marcus went to move past Tom, but the big man stayed in the way so that Marcus had to turn with the cake dish and containers out of the way and squeeze past, brushing his arse against Tom’s groin. Behind him, a low growl rumbled through Tom. Marcus was about to turn and chastise him again when Moira popped her head around the kitchen door.
