“I’m not getting any more ofthis off without a shower,” Ashley said, pulling on the stolen hoodie he wasstill wearing everywhere.
I’d already asked Gray to getone made up for him, but I suspected he wouldn’t love it as much as the onethat’d belonged to me.
“We’ve got a shower backhome,” I said.
Grandma was still sortingout her living arrangements, but I was… kind of hoping Ashley wouldn’t want toleave my apartment when she finished moving. Not permanently, anyway.
Maybe we could share him.
Ashley paused to kiss Gabeon the cheek, hugging him for a moment before letting go again. “Coffee onThursday,” he said. “We’ve gotta start planning this wedding of yours.”
“Go home with your beautifulboyfriend,” Gabe said, peeling the other lash off. “I’ll see you later.”
I put an arm around Ashleyand guided him out of the dressing room, closing the door softly behind us.
“Beautiful?” I asked,pulling Ashley a little closer.
“Are you fishing for compliments?Because I probably would have gone with unfairly sexy.”
I snorted. “Proud of you.”
“Yeah?” Ashley asked. “You’venever seen me on stage before. Not… like that.”
“Proud of you,” I repeated,pressing a kiss to his temple. “Still haven’t got the balls to do that.”
“That’d make it easier,”Ashley said. “Tucking is a bitch.”
“I’ll kiss it better when weget home.”
“Promises, promises,” Ashleysaid as he pushed the back door of the club open, stepping out into the coolingautumn air.
The weather in San Franciscowas always more or less perfect, just enough crispness to make the air feelfresh. Even the air in an alley behind a gay bar.
“I never make a promise Ican’t keep,” I said, walking him to the car, but pausing before I opened it. “Iamproud of you,you know. Not just… not just when you’re on stage and performing and making allthose people happy, which is incredible by the way—”
“Thank you,” Ashleyinterrupted, grinning at me. His eyes sparkled in the light of the streetlamp,dark and deep and full of all the things I loved about him. Playfulness and funand the constant hint of sex.
I reached out and took hishand. “I’mproud of you out here, too,” I said. “In your hoodie and enough glitter to makea small nation sparkle.”
“Yeah?” Ashley asked, apainful note of hope in his voice.
“Yeah,” I murmured, brushingtwo fingertips along the line of his jaw to hold it in place.
He closed his eyes as Ileaned in and kissed him, his face softening as though this was the best thingthat could possibly happen to him.
It was the best thing thatcould happen tome, so that made a lot of sense.
The familiar gasp and sighhe made under me went straight to the pit of my stomach, a pang of arousalhitting me like it did every time we touched.
Ashley’s hands went tomy waist, thumb sneaking under the hem of my Henley, skimming over sensitiveskin.
Someone wolf-whistled in thedistance. Someone from the bar, probably.
I didn’t care. I wasstanding outside a gay bar kissing the man of my dreams, and I didn’t careaboutanythingelse.
Sure, I might not haveknownI’dbeen dreaming of someone like Ashley all these years, but I knew now. Stupid asI was, I could see a good thing when it was right in front of me.
“You’re gonna end up allcovered in glitter,” Ashley said as the kiss broke, fingers tightening againstmy chest. As though hemeantto push me away, but couldn’t quite do it.
