Surprisingly, Marcus stretched out next to him; if Tyler didn’t know better, he’d think they were cuddling. Except Marcus didn’t cuddle.
“I didn’t like what happened at that school today.”
Shocked that he’d care, Tyler ran his hand down Marcus’s back and began to massage him, enjoying Marcus’s obvious pleasure, if the rumbling, almost purring noise under his hands was any indication. “Unfortunately, even little kids can have prejudices. They’re obviously picking things up at home.”
“But the teachers should stop it. Isn’t that their job?” Marcus glided his hand across Tyler’s stomach and with a somewhat frustrated grunt, Tyler moved his hand to a safer spot farther up his chest.
“I can’t have your hands down my pants with Lillie in the next room. What if she came out?” But he kissed Marcus’s cheek and neck, hoping it would mollify him. “And to answer your question, yes, they should, but hopefully the kids will stop teasing once they don’t get a reaction.”
“I think you should complain like Micah and Josh did. They have a responsibility to not let that happen.”
Fear sliced through him. By allowing her to go to the preschool, he took a chance at discovery, but luckily Amber had left all Lillie’s paperwork, including her birth certificate, and they’d gotten a doctor friend of Micah’s who was a pediatrician to give her medical clearance. Tyler told everyone he was her legal guardian, and they accepted it at face value.
None of it was true. He had no rights to Lillie that he knew of. And if the government stepped in, would they give him custody, a single gay man who danced in a nightclub for tips? Doubtful.
“No, leave it alone. Hopefully it was only one day and by tomorrow they’ll be on to the next. Besides, Micah and Josh went today, so I’m sure it will be handled.” He sat up and gazed at Marcus. “I think we can change the topic and find something to discuss that we can both share, don’t you?” He could always distract Marcus with thoughts of sex.
Marcus’s beautiful violet-gray eyes fired sparks. “What do you have in mind?” He pulled Tyler to him, his mouth hovering over Tyler.
He moaned at the first swipe of Marcus’s tongue against his heated skin. “Why don’t you come with me and find out?” With Marcus holding on to his shoulders, keeping him close so Tyler could feel the heaviness of Marcus’s erection pressing up against his ass, they walked into the bedroom and closed the door behind them.
Chapter Nineteen
‡
“What’s the matter,boss? You seem preoccupied. Everything cool?”
Darius looked at him over the sheets he was studying. It was their monthly loss-prevention check-up meeting, and normally Marcus barreled through the numbers and had everything at his fingertips. Today, though, he had little patience for it all. Tyler had been out looking at potential space to rent for a dance studio, and Marcus was as excited about it as if he was starting a new business himself.
Over the past month Tyler had begun teaching dance not only at Lillie’s preschool but at preschools throughout the city, and the response had been tremendous; so much so that he was making more money than he ever did dancing at Sparks. Parents contacted him for private lessons for their little darlings, and Marcus wanted him to give up the dancing at Sparks and make teaching a business. Today was the first step. He had an appointment to see a space in Chelsea that looked promising, and Marcus was waiting for a call from him.
When he told Darius about it, the man’s eyes lit up. “That’s cool. My little nieces and nephews love dance; their school has an African dance class that is booked solid every year.” He leaned back in his chair and stretched out his legs. “Good for him. I told Ty right from the beginning he was too good for this place.”
“Hey, there’s no shame in dancing here, but yeah, his talent is wasted dancing for a bunch of horny rich men who only want to make a grab at his ass.”
“Especially when that ass belongs to you now, right?” Darius quirked a brow. “You guys have been together like what, a month? And it’s working out fine, huh?”
No doubt Darius wanted to shoot the shit like he normally did, and for years Marcus had regaled his friends with stories of his sexcapades. Things change—hechanged—and what once was the norm was no longer part of his reality.
He met Darius’s steady stare. “Yeah, it’s fine. Let’s finish these numbers, and then you can meet the guys downstairs to check on the stock.”
Surprised for a moment, Darius narrowed his eyes. “Well all right, then.” They went through the rest of the numbers, matching them up against inventory, and Marcus noted the small changes Sam had suggested already saved him money. Darius shuffled the papers together and slid them back into his folder.
“Okay, boss, I’ll see you later.” The door closed behind Darius with a loud snick of the lock.
Marcus barely registered his departure; his thoughts remained not with the club that had occupied so much of his life for years, but with the man who shared his home, his bed, and increasingly his heart. Last night he’d gotten home late, dead-tired, and in a piss-poor mood. He might not like Tyler dancing for tips, but the bonus was having him there at the club with him. Now that he’d moved away from that to teaching, their paths didn’t cross in the evenings, and Marcus missed him more than he imagined possible.
To his surprise, Tyler had waited up with a small meal he’d prepared for Marcus and sat with him while he ate. After the meal, Tyler undressed him, put him in the shower, and made such slow, incredible love to him, even now Marcus trembled from the memory of Tyler’s mouth and hands moving over his body with tender precision. They fell asleep wrapped in each other’s arms.
“I need to get out of here,” said Marcus to himself. For a place where he’d poured his life and soul into for years, the office walls now closed in on him; he hoped Tyler was finished with his appointment. He wrote him a text message; then, before he hit Send, remembered that after the appointment with the real estate agent, Tyler had a private dance lesson with a client who lived way over on the Upper East Side.
“Shit.” He only hesitated a second before texting Julian and Zach in their group chat.
Anyone free for lunch?
Within two beats both Julian and Zach responded with:When?
He texted back with their usual spot in the city since—Sorry, Zach—he didn’t feel like dragging himself into Brooklyn today. He was on his way out the door when his phone rang.
