“What would you say about making it full-time?” Armi shifted closer. “Move in with me?”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Hayden blinked. “You want me to move in here and live with you?”
Armi’s smile shone with hope. “Yeah.”
“I-I don’t know…I mean, I’m crazy about you, and we’ve spent the whole week together…” He puffed out a long sigh. “I can’t afford to live here and keep my apartment. I just bought it this year.”
“There’s no mortgage. Just the taxes and monthly expenses.”
As if that made it better. Hayden shook his head. “There’s no way I could contribute to both places.” He saw Armi’s mouth open to speak and held up his hand. “No, wait. Please don’t say I wouldn’t have to, because that’s not right.”
Armi’s eyes dimmed. “I just want to be with you all the time,” he whispered. “The thought of being here alone in this big house is depressing.”
He held out a hand, and Armi took it. “I don’t have an answer right now, but we’ll figure something out. I don’t like being without you either.” He leaned in and nudged Armi’s cheek withhis nose. “I’ve gotten used to having you next to me in bed. Naked.” He took Armi’s lobe between his teeth and tugged.
Armi turned adorably red, and the pace of his breathing quickened. “I can’t think when you do that.”
“Mmm. Who said anything about thinking?” He licked the shell of Armi’s ear. “Come home with me tonight. That’s the way we started this weekend. Before my parents popped in on us.”
Armi brightened. “Are you sure? When I suggested it Friday night, you didn’t seem that keen on it.”
Hayden threaded his fingers through Armi’s dark waves and took his mouth in a deep kiss, licking and sucking his tongue. “I’m keen on you. And this weekend has shown me one thing.” Hayden rested his forehead on Armi’s.
“What?” Armi murmured.
“I don’t want to sleep without you anymore.”
**
The following morning, he showered and dressed while Armi lay sleeping. Hayden still found it hard to believe they were together. In love. The words in his head made him feel warm and gooey, and he smiled into his coffee. Who was he? For years he’d rejected getting involved with anyone, only to fall in love with his boss. The one rule he’d set for himself he’d broken, but it wasn’t his fault.
To know Armi was to love him. How no one had seen that was a mystery, but Hayden was damn lucky Armi had overlooked all his shortcomings. He knew they’d face obstacles—their different upbringings being the first and greatest to overcome.
“You look like you’re wrestling with the devil.” Armi’s quiet voice roused him from his deep thoughts. Armi stood, eyes still blurry with sleep, hair in messy waves, naked from the waist up. Adorable and gorgeous.
“Did I wake you? I tried to be quiet.” He set his coffee on the island and crossed the small space to give Armi a kiss. It was impossible to connect with him for only a brief moment, and Hayden groaned as Armi rubbed up against him. “You can’t do that. I have to go in a minute.”
“Next time wake me. And is something wrong? You have the most serious look on your face.”
He picked up his mug, and seeing it was empty, put it in the dishwasher. “I was just thinking about how it will look when people find out about us. They’ll think I’m after you for the money. It’s such a cliché.”
“Why do you care?” Armi crossed his arms. “People are always going to have opinions—mostly wrong—about people’s intentions. We know how we feel.”
Hayden grabbed Armi. “I told you before—I’d want you even if you had nothing. Like that night at The Vibe. From the first time I saw you, I wanted you. Before I knew you had everything.”
Armi’s lips touched his. “I didn’t have everything. I didn’t have anything because I didn’t have you.” His eyes glimmered. “The only company sharing my bed was loneliness and insecurity, and even though they weren’t welcome guests, I had no idea how to get rid of them. Until you.”
“I promise you’ll never be lonely again.” Hayden kissed him. “And saying that, I have to leave. The door locks behind you, so don’t worry.” He bit his lip. “I—if you want, I can get you a key.”
Armi’s eyes lit up. “I’d like that. I’ll have one made for you for my place too.”
He smiled. “I’ll see you at the office.”
**
The sun’s rays beamed down hot and humid, and Hayden was grateful for the cool blast of the air-conditioning inside the office. As usual, he was the only one in at seven thirty, and he preferred it that way. It gave him a chance to go over the day’s calendar and sort through all the notes Armi would need for his meetings. The weekly delivery of roses arrived, and he set them up, leaving the beautiful pink Queen Elizabeth bouquet for Armi’s office. His phone buzzed with a call from Janice.
