Because he loves me.
Chapter 29
Oliver
Itook a chance, acting like I know him better than his own husband. But fuck, Ido. I refuse to believe that everything he told me – the things he loves, the things he hates – was all a lie. And as he grins into his drink, briefly looking my way, I know I was right.
Seeing Darius with another man fucking hurts. I try to look away, focusing on wiping down the bar, but he’s magnetic. The other half of my soul calling out to me.
Ryder situates himself in front of me, momentarily blocking my view of Darius.
“Quiet night,” he says, tapping a beat on the countertop.
“Ah huh,” I answer noncommittally. Ryder keeps talking and I move around behind the bar, reorganising the shelves and stacking glasses while casting cursory glances at the table of four at the far side of the room. I catch the moment Darius stands, says something to the others and then makes his way towards the bathrooms.
“Cover me, please,” I say to Ryder, who is still talking about something or other. I don’t wait for a reply, rounding the end of the bar and heading down the corridor, watching as the bathroom door closes behind Darius.
My feet stall. What the fuck am I doing? We’re over. He’smarried.
Dammit. I turn around, but I don’t head back to the bar. I can’t. My need for Darius is so overwhelming.
Jesus, he threw me away. Why the fuck am I chasing after him like a puppy?
Breathe, puppy.
I hang my head, my heart racing and my hands sweating at my sides. Taking a steady breath, I close my eyes and that feeling that I’ve been pushing away since the day we ended comes to the forefront, stronger than ever.Something is wrong.In an instant, I know it as sure as I know my own name. As sure as I know he is the love of my life.
Without giving a thought to what I’m going to do or say when I’m in front of him, I turn on my heels, close the short distance to the bathroom door, open it, slip inside and flip the lock behind me.
Darius is washing his hands, and his eyes shoot up, meeting mine in the mirror. He dries them, then with a wince, slides the removable splint back on his injured wrist.
“What happened?” I ask, leaning against the closed bathroom door. He doesn’t answer, but does turn towards me, taking a step and then another closer.
“Why did you do that?” he asks. I blink, not sure what he means. “My drink,” he adds.
Ah.
“I didn’t do anything.” Pushing off the door, I step closer.
“Vodka and lemonade,” he replies, closing more of the space between us. “Not gin and tonic.”
I shrug. The space between us is now so small I can smell his cologne and it tugs on my heart at the same time it stirs my cock.
“You hate gin.”
“I do.” He licks his lips, my eyes drawn to the action, tempted to edge forward and trace the same path with my tongue. The tension in the air is thick, a live wire of electricity sizzling between us.
“You remembered.” His voice is soft, barely audible over the thudding of my heart in my ears and the gentle music floating through the speakers in the corners.
“Of course I did.” I reach out a hand, slowly running a fingertip over his cheek. His eyelids flutter closed. “No one knows you like I do.Hedoesn’t know you, and yet you chose him.” Darius stills, and I curse myself for mentioning the other man, especially when he steps back, the space a chasm between us.
“I should get back.” Darius tries to pass me, and I stop him, placing a hand lightly on his arm.
“Don’t go, yet. Give me a minute, please.” Darius looks at the door and then at me. Seconds pass and I think he’s going to walk out, but then he nods, his eyes downcast. There’s still a tension in the air, but there’s a stillness too that makes me brave enough to ask the question that I’ve feared the answer to since the night we broke up. “Why wasn’t I good enough?”
Darius shakes his head and the tiny stitches I’d tried to piece my heart back together with begin to unravel. “Okay.” I adjust my stance, cupping his cheek to get him to look at me. His skin is warm and I caress it with my thumb, gently tipping his face up. “If you won’t tell me that, at least tell me you’re happy. Maybe if I know you’re truly happy, I can let you go.”
He swallows, his eyes going glassy. He blinks once, twice and then again, the wetness growing before he surges forward and presses his lips to mine. I taste his tears as he slips his tongue into my mouth. My hands move from his face, down his body,coming to rest on his lower back and I pull him closer, my tongue duelling with his. Darius whimpers into the kiss, the passion between us growing. He’s hard, his hips rotating against my thigh, and I squeeze him a little tighter.
