“Good. Driving distance?”
“How else would we get there?”
“On a plane, darling.” The way Rhys said the endearment sent a spike of arousal and desperate want up Beckett’s spine. Rhys didn’t have an aristocratic sounding voice most of the time, but his tone was controlled and sharp, like he could take anyone down to their knees with no more than a few choice words. Beckett got the impression that Rhys never said anything out of turn and the fact that he’d just said…that he’d just called…
“Driving,” he choked out.
“DoIhave to? Or can I hire it out?” Rhys asked.
“Up to you,” he rasped.
“I asked for an inch with this date and you’re giving me miles, Beckett.”
He wanted to be called darling.
“I’m trying to be respectful of things that are normal for you, even if they’re not normal for me,” Beckett said.
“That’s…” The other end of the line went quiet.
“Are you there?”
“Yeah. Yes. I’m here,” Rhys said. “Is Saturday night okay with you?”
“That’s only three days away.”
“That’s all I need.”
“Saturday is fine,” he agreed.
“Can you be ready at three? I’ll pick you up.”
“Alright.” The street in front of him was spinning, or maybe that was his head from all the gin. Everything was moving fast, but the happiness he heard in the undercurrent of Rhys’s words had him feeling higher than a hot air balloon.
“Three on Saturday, then,” Rhys said, and Beckett could hear the smile in his voice. “Actually, Beckett, make it twelve.”
“Why so early?”
“I don’t mean this offensively, but I doubt you have anything to wear.”
“I should be offended,” Beckett grumbled, but Rhys wasn’t wrong.
“No, you shouldn’t be. This is a special occasion. One you’re not prepared for. But that’s fine. We’ll take care of it.”
“I don’t want you to buy me clothes, Rhys,” he protested.
“Not buy,” Rhys said. “Borrow.”
“Another man’s clothes?”
“My brother,” Rhys quickly explained. “I think you’re close enough in size that it would work.”
“This makes me uncomfortable.” He rubbed at the bridge of his nose.
“Which part?”
“Honestly, all of it,” he admitted.
“I know,” Rhys said softly. “That’s why it means so much more to me that you’re doing it anyway.”
