“I wouldn’t object to you cooking for me some time,” Victor said with a smile. He wiggled his eyebrows jokingly. “But if you must know, she made my favorite: steak tips with grilled peppers and onions.”
Tawson dried his hands and turned to face Victor. He leaned forward, boxing him in with his arms on either side. His face was only inches from Victor’s. “And what have you been living on during the week?”
“Popcorn, mostly.” Tawson dropped his head and mumbled something under his breath. “I’m kidding. I do actually cook.I made a lemon-pepper chicken one night and the mornings I have a later start, I’ll do eggs and toast or something. I like to bake more than cook, though.”
“At least I don’t have to worry about you withering away,” Tawson said. His voice was low and almost growly. It was hot. Victor thought he was going for a kiss, but he moved his head at the last second and his lips found the spot where Victor’s jaw met his neck.
Victor closed his eyes and let his head fall back, giving Tawson all the room he could want. Neither of them moved their hands. His lips were gentle, brushing against Victor’s skin over and over, breath ghosting over his throat. He could feel himself growing harder by the second already.
“You smell good too,” Tawson whispered. He pulled back and Victor opened his eyes to see Tawson looking at his lips. “I can’t believe you walked up here.”
“Call me young and dumb,” Victor said with a smile. “But seriously, I just wanted to spend more time with you. It wasn’t that big of a deal.”
“It’s a big deal to me,” Tawson said. He finally moved his hands and brushed his palms against Victor’s forearms. They laced their fingers together. Victor’s whole body was coming alive. He didn’t know what Tawson had in mind for tonight, but he was down- and up in other places- for most anything. “Do you want to watch a movie? I don’t have a TV, but I have my laptop and Netflix.”
“Mister Lancaster!” Victor smiled at the way Tawson reacted to him using his formal name. It was almost comical but also really hot. His eyes bore into Victor’s and his hand tightened around Victor’s own. “Are you implying that you want to Netflix and chill with me?”
“Is that still a thing with your age?”
“If it gets me closer to you, I’ll pretend it is.” Tawson smiled and pulled Victor closer. He wrapped his arms around his lower back, pressing their bodies close together. He finally gave Victor a proper kiss and he melted in Tawson’s arms. Victor wrapped his hands around Tawson’s biceps and parted his lips to deepen the kiss.
“What kind of movies do you like?” Tawson asked. Victor was still standing where Tawson left him next to the sink. He wasn’t sure if they were going to sit on the couch or maybe lay in the bed. He didn’t want to assume and make Tawson uncomfortable.
“I’m not too picky,” Victor said. In truth, he was a sucker for a good drama or romance. But he also enjoyed action movies. “I’m not the biggest fan of horror, though.”
“Same,” Tawson said. “Jessica loved horror movies and always made fun of me for not wanting to go to the movies with her.”
“Jessica?” Victor wasn’t that naïve. He knew someone like Tawson was bound to have a line of exes in his past. Not that he came across as a player or serial dater, but he was a great person. It was hard not the be drawn to him. Victor being exhibits A, B, and C.
“Oh, um.” Tawson’s whole body stiffened when Victor said the name. He finally moved from the spot and laid a hand on Tawson’s back.
“It’s fine,” he reassured him. “I’m assuming an ex-girlfriend. So, you’re bi?”
Tawson stood up, putting that couple of inches height difference on display. He looked relaxed, but his eyes were telling a different story. Helooked worried.
“Before we go any further,” Tawson said. “Even though I don’t know what we’re doing here, I want to be honest with you. Jessica was- is, I guess- my ex-wife. We divorced last year, but we’d been separated for longer.”
A wife. Okay. So maybe that wasn’t what Victor was expecting. But she was an ex for a reason Victor looked down at his left hand and took it into both of his own. He ran his fingertip over Tawson’s ring finger, where a wedding band would have been. There was not even a trace of him having worn one. There was no sound in the room for a long moment while Victor thought about it. Did it bother him?
Tawson was ten years older than him. He’d had a life before the ranch, just like Victor had a life before meeting him. He had secrets that he didn’t want to let out either. But maybe he could give Tawson something in exchange for telling him that.
“Sometimes,” Victor started.
“Vic, you don’t have to say anything. I didn’t mean for that to be like a secret. I just wanted you to know.” Victor looked up at Tawson and smiled. His whole expression was genuine. Victor nodded, taking him up on that. He really hadn’t been ready to share that side of him. “I’ll understand if that’s not something you were prepared for. I can drive you back down to the house.”
“No, it’s okay. I wasn’t expecting it, but it’s fine. We both have things we haven’t shared. I mean, we really don’t know each other that well.” Victor dropped his hand and wrapped his arms around Tawson’s body. Tawson ran a hand through his hair and Victor couldn’t help but lean into the touch. “Whatever we’re doing here, it’ll all come with time. Or it won’t.”
“You’re something, you know that?” Tawson smiled andthey shared one more, quick kiss before separating and Tawson grabbed the laptop. Tawson moved to the side of the bed, answering his earlier question without a word. Victor walked to the other side and they settled down side-by-side. Tawson fiddled with the laptop before moving it to lay between their legs. Tawson lifted his arm, though, for Victor to cuddle closer on the pillow. It was a little awkward, but he didn’t mind.
They watched the movie, something new that he’d actually been meaning to watch, in relative silence. Tawson’s fingers constantly drew circles on Victor’s arm and he kept his head on his shoulder. He felt Tawson rest his head against his about halfway through the movie. It was nice. Victor enjoyed it. When the credits started rolling, Tawson reached out and closed the laptop and moved it to the bedside table. He moved down the bed to lay his head on the pillow and motioned for Victor to do the same.
“Are you tired?” Tawson asked once Victor was settled, laying on his side against Tawson’s body. They weren’t even under the covers. He rested one hand against Tawson’s stomach, tracing the lines of his body.
“A bit,” Victor said. “I have to be up at six to help with the horses though.”
“You’re going to be sleepy in the morning. Did you want to stay here or go back to your house?”
“Stay here,” he said immediately. He could feel more than hear the rumble of laughter coming from Tawson. “I mean, unless you wanted me to go.”
