He pauses, swirling his wine like a sommelier. “I knew. Iknewright down to my bone marrow that Andrew was my person. ButI wasso, sowrong. And if I was wrong about that, what else am I wrong about?” He shakes his head in frustration.
I nod. “I can understand why you’d see it that way. But you must know that it wasn’t your fault. You trusted someone you loved, and he betrayed that trust. That’s on him, not you.”
“Intellectually, I get it. But actually being able to put myself out there again, to trust that I’m not going to get burned… that’s a whole different ball game.”
“Jesse,” I say, waiting for him to meet my eyes. “I want you to hear this. You are not broken. Don’t let that arsehole’s actions define the rest of your life.” I take a deep breath. “Don’t cut yourself off from the possibility of love just because one relationship didn’t work out like you thought it would.”
Chapter 9
Jesse
With Martin lying beside me, I sleep better than I have in years. I wake bright and early, ridiculously excited about getting to show Martin the park. Martin's sleeping on his stomach, the sheets shoved down around his waist, and I allow myself a few moments to take in how beautiful his body is in the soft morning light. He might be in his fifties, but the man has clearly taken very good care of himself, because the sight of his strong, muscled back makes my mouth water, and my cock hardens.
"Martin," I whisper, gently shaking his shoulder. "Time to wake up, sleepyhead."
He groans, burrowing deeper into the pillow. "Jesse, it's too early," he mumbles, his accent thicker with sleep. "The mouse can wait."
"But you have to get up! It's time for some magic," I deadpan, teasing my fingertips along his spine.
He cracks open one eye. "Unless you're talking about the magic wand you've got between your legs, I've no plans to leave this bed anytime soon."
I laugh, allowing my hand to drift lower, dipping under the sheet so I can tease his ass. "Okay, well let's make a deal. Come shower with me and I'll let you play with my magic wand there."
He flips over onto his back, the tented sheet giving me a pretty good idea of how much he likes that idea, even as he fixes me with a playful glare. "You know, I can think of a great many magical things we could do that don't involve leaving this bed." He waggles his eyebrows suggestively.
I lean in and tease him with a quick peck on the lips. "Oh, I'm well aware, but if you join me in the shower I promise to make sure you won't regret it."
I laugh again as he reaches for me, but I duck out of his reach, hopping out of bed. "Come on, old man, our day of fun and adventure awaits!"
He sighs dramatically as he swings his legs onto the floor. "Clearly, you've cast some type of spell over me with that magic wand. That's the only reason I'd even consider getting out of bed at this ungodly hour," he grumbles as he follows me into the luxurious bathroom.
"I know, I know," I say soothingly as I turn on the water before wrapping my arms around him. "But I promise, it will all be worth it."
He rolls his eyes as we step under the warm water together, and I make good on my word, making sure he has no regrets about getting out of bed early.
After making our way into Disneyland, I watch Martin's eyes light up at the sight of Sleeping Beauty's Castle.
"Isn't that something," he breathes, shaking his head in wonder.
"Wait until you see it lit up at night," I tell him, squeezing his hand. "It's even more magical then."
We make our way down Main Street, U.S.A., and Martin's head swivels from side to side, trying to take in all the sights and sounds. The smell of freshly baked cinnamon buns wafts from the bakery, mingling with the scent of popcorn from nearby carts.
"You up for a roller coaster this early in the morning?" I grin at him when we approach the Big Thunder Mountain ride.
He hesitates for just a moment before shrugging. "Why not? When in Rome, right?"
We both laugh our asses off as the ride zooms through the herky-jerky twists and turns. Martin whoops with delight at each drop and curve, his hand gripping mine tightly. When we exit the ride, his hair is charmingly disheveled and his cheeks are flushed with excitement.
"That was bloody brilliant!" he exclaims, eyes shining.
We spend the next few hours exploring the different lands, riding all the rides, and generally soaking in the atmosphere. Martin's childlike wonder never fades, and it's completely endearing.
It's afternoon by the time we've seen most of the highlights, but I want to make sure we get plenty of time in what I know will be Martin's favorite part.
"So what do you think, are you ready to take a journey to a galaxy far far away?" I ask with a smile.
I love the excitement dancing in his eyes when he returns my grin. "Lead the way, Captain Solo."
