I pushed down my guilt and held my tongue. I didn’t want to rehash old arguments, especially not now we’d just put one to bed.
“Alright, we’ll set something up then,” I replied. “Is there anything in particular you wanted to do?”
“You?” Rowan replied with a grin, and I laughed.
“Well, that’s a given. I meant did you want to go out for dinner or do anything else to kill some time before we end up in bed?”
“Not especially. Time with you is enough,” he replied.
“Jesus, one ‘I love you’, and you’ve gone all soppy,” I teased, flinching when Rowan sank his teeth playfully into my pectoral muscle. “Ouch!”
“Don’t take the piss,” he warned with a smirk. He pressed a hot kiss against the spot he’d just bitten. With a groan, he heaved himself up and rolled over onto his elbows to look at me. “I’ll have a think. Perhaps we can go out for that dinner I promised you months ago?”
“We don’t have to do something so public if it’ll make you uncomfortable.”
Rowan leaned in and kissed me. “Well, perhaps you had a point earlier. Maybe I am too concerned about what strangers might think. Think of it as the next step in my journey.”
I furrowed my brow. “Please, don’t put any pressure on yourself. I was just being a dick earlier and wasn’t thinking about how things are for you.”
“No, it’s important for me to show you that I’m not just playing at this. I have every intention of getting my life in order as soon as I can. This will be a show of faith, so you can see I’m serious about it.”
I smiled. “Alright, then I’ll pick the place and make the reservations.”
Rowan grinned. “It’s a date.”
???
“There’s an Amazon parcel for you,” Oliver said, dropping the brown box down onto my lap. I barely resisted a wolfish grin, knowing exactly what had been delivered.
“Thanks.”
After Rowan and I had made official plans for his birthday and he’d gone home, I had jumped straight onto my laptop to order him a gift. Of course, that had opened up a whole can of worms, and I had ended up purchasing a cheap sex accessories kit – complete with fluffy handcuffs and a blindfold. It wasn’t meant to be a serious gift, but I couldn’t deny I was keen to actually try some elements out, even if it was only for hilarity’s sake. Perhaps this time it was Rowan’s turn to be on the receiving end, in all senses of the word.
My relationship with Rowan was the only one where I’d actually consistently been the bottom. Usually, it was either a fifty-fifty split, or I had taken the lead. I was rather eager to even up the score a little, though I wondered what Rowan would think of my plans. I’d find out sooner or later, I figured.
“What’re you grinning about?” Oliver asked, raising a brow.
“Ah, nothing.” I did a double-take as I looked up at him. “You’ve had a haircut.”
“So?” he retorted, clearing his throat.
“It looks good. Suits you,” I replied, roving my eyes over him. Oliver had always been handsome, but he hid it well behind his generally dishevelled, grungy style. Since he had been seeing Becca, I noticed her influence slowly creeping into his life – for the better. I’d even stumbled across him writing a CV one night. Usually all I caught Oliver doing on his laptop was watching porn. I wasn’t sure which he was more embarrassed about.
“Thanks, means a lot coming from you.” At my confused expression, he elaborated. “Meaning you know more about handsome blokes than anyone else I know.”
“Oh.” I laughed. “Well, I am rather partial.”
“Speaking of, how are things with you and Rowan?”
I wanted to tell Oliver that I currently held a box full of sex toys on my lap but thought better of it and instead said: “Good, thanks.”
“No more drama?”
“Nothing new,” I replied, narrowing my eyes. “Why are you asking? You don’t usually give a shit about what I’m doing.”
Oliver rubbed the back of his neck. “Just trying to be friendly.”
“Becca put you up to this, didn’t she? She’s always sticking her oar in and now she’s got you doing her dirty work as well.”
