Patrick almost laughed. The one thing Patrick wasn’t when it came to Jason was neutral. The boy already had him wrapped around his little finger. He just hadn’t realised.
“Of course. Sit on the sofa, and I’ll be over in a minute.”
Jason walked off, and Patrick had to shake his head to stop his eyes following that glorious arse. He grabbed them both a bottle of water from the fridge, and nipped to his bedroom to grab a dressing gown from the back of the door. He walked over to Jason and passed it to him, along with the water.
“What’s this for?”
“So you don’t get cold.”
“It’s June.”
“Okay, you’re very distracting, so cover up and we can talk.”
Jason looked giddy knowing the effect he was having on Patrick, but complied and put the dressing gown on. Patrick loved having Jason wear his things.
“My boss told me she was leaving yesterday,” said Jason.
“And you two are close, I take it?”
“Yeah. She was my boss in Liverpool, and then she moved down here. I followed shortly after and she hired me as soon as she had a vacancy. I wouldn’t be where I am now without her. She’s always been a role model to me.”
Patrick’s heart ached for him. He suspected Jason had suffered other losses in his life. He could see it in his eyes, and although this was different, it probably hurt him just as much.
“She said she was recommending me as her successor.”
“What’s her role?”
“She’s the Chief People Officer.”
That was a big job, especially in a company that size, but she obviously rated Jason highly if she wanted him to succeed her. There were probably others in her team who were more tenured in their careers. Age didn’t make you better than someone else, although many still thought like that.
“How can I be an exec member at twenty-seven? They’ll never take me seriously.”
“You’re twenty-eight now.”
“How dare you!”
Patrick chuckled. Jason smiled. He had such a beautiful smile. Unable to resist any longer, he leant forward and stopped for a second, waiting for Jason’s silent permission. The fire in his eyes was enough for Patrick to close the distance between them and connect their lips. It was everything he’d imagined and more. The soft tentativeness he suspected was there in Jason, despite his sass. Patrick pressed their lips further, but didn’t deepen the kiss yet. There would be time for that later. Right now, his boy was worried aboutsomething, and Patrick needed to fix it. But Jason wasn’t his boy . . . not yet, anyway.
Patrick pulled away gently. Jason’s lips puckered in anticipation of more, so Patrick gave him a brief peck before leaning back. Jason had his eyes closed and looked relaxed.
“Do you want to go for the role?”
“Ugh. Do we have to keep talking? I like the kissing part better.”
“You asked to talk to me, remember?”
“Yes, well, I’m an idiot. I take back my request,” he said, leaning forward.
“There’ll be time for more of that later. Answer the question,” he said, his tone sterner.
He saw Jason’s face flush, and his pupils blow wider with desire. The boy clearly liked to be bossed around, and Patrick would be more than happy to have some fun with that.
“I feel like I should go for it.”
“That wasn’t the question.”
“I don’t think I’m ready, but everyone will tell me I’m my own worst critic, and that’s true, but not this time. If it had been in another couple of years, then maybe, but if I don’t go for it, then it’ll go to an outsider and they might be there for ten years. But if I go for it, and I fail, then I’ll never get the chance to be an exec again.”
