The floss would be easier to place wax over because it was so thin and would make doing the makeup tomorrow go much more smoothly.
He was able to finish without incident, and he was about to leave the prep room when he saw the watch on the counter. He needed to put it in the safe along with Mr. Ross’s glasses but wasn’t that evidence?
What if Junior came back for it?
Everyone knew the code to the safe so anyone, including Junior, could come right in and take it.
Shit.
Tom reasoned that he might seem a little less crazy if he actually had something to show Fox to support his suspicions when they went to talk to him tomorrow. He put the glasses in the safe and the watch in his pocket before he could change his mind.
He felt guilty as hell for taking it, but he was only borrowing it for a little while, and it was for a very good cause.
Right?
Overnight bag and Mister Doodles all packed up, Tom drove over to Doyle’s Flowers. He felt responsible for the watch and didn’t want to leave it at home, so he put it in his bag to take with him.
Once he’d parked and took Mister Doodles for a quick walk, he knocked on the back door. He was a little tense, knowing he and Cypress still had a lot to work out to move forward, but he honestly felt so much better already than he had all week.
Cypress opened the door and greeted him with a warm kiss. “Hey. How are you doing?”
“Okay,” Tom replied. “You?”
“Good.” Cypress bent down to ruffle the top of Mister Doodles’ head. “Hey there, fluffy Hannibal.”
She yipped and wagged her tail.
“Missed you, too,” Cypress chuckled. He ushered her and Tom upstairs, saying, “After she’s settled, I’ve got our evening all planned out.”
“Oh?” Tom couldn’t help but grin as he took off his shoes and reached down to unhook Mister Doodles’ leash. “Really?”
“Mmhm.” Cypress reached for his hand and took his bag. “Come on.”
Tom followed Cypress to the bedroom and watched him set the bag on the foot of the bed. Mister Doodles had followed them, her tail still wagging.
“Have you eaten?” Cypress asked.
“Shit. No. What time is it?”
“Eight-thirty.”
“I may have forgotten,” Tom confessed, cringing when Mister Doodles barked. “Hers, too.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve got you.” Cypress winked. “Go ahead and undress for me. I’m going to run a bath, and you are going to relax while I feed the man-eater.”
“A bath?” Tom laughed but obliged Cypress by starting to take his clothes off. He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d taken a bath. He let Cypress lead him into the bathroom, watching him fill the giant claw-foot tub.
“Lavender to help clear your head,” Cypress said as he drizzled a milky liquid into the water. He turned around to look over Tom, licking his lips.
His desire was obvious, and it made Tom blush.
“Thank you,” Tom said as he stepped into Cypress’s open arms and kissed him.
“Mm, it’s my pleasure.”
Tom couldn’t help but groan when Cypress hugged him close, his strong hands gliding over his back and his hips as their kiss heated up. It felt so good to be with Cypress again, and Tom greedily slid his fingers through his soft beard and up over his short hair.
It was all too easy to get caught up in Cypress’s lush lips and his strong arms, and Tom’s cock was getting hard. He gasped when Cypress grabbed his ass, bringing their hips together and grinding forward. He was hard, too, and Tom moaned.
